Stephen Votier Ph.D.

Institution:
University of Exeter

Profile

I am a seabird ecologist with a particular interest in understanding factors shaping their individual behavior, population dynamics and community composition.

The seabird team is focussed on quantifying the status and threats of seabirds breeding on the islands of the Chagos archipelago, as well as using bio-logging techniques to understand their at-sea distribution throughout the annual cycle and across the Indian Ocean Region.

In addition, we are tracking the movement and behaviour of seabirds from across the Indian Ocean to better understand the conservation value of the Chagos Archipelago’s Marine Protected Area.

Seabirds are one of the most threatened and most travelled of marine vertebrates. Unravelling the mysteries of their at-sea behaviour is not only exhilarating, but is also at the cutting-edge of marine science.

Stephen Votier

Biography

2013 Present
Senior Lecturer then Associate Professor at the University of Exeter Cornwall Campus
2005 2013
Lecturer then Associate Professor at the University of Plymouth
2005 2007
Spanish Research Council Fellowship, IMEDEA, Mallorca
2004 2005
Post-doctoral Researcher, University of Sheffield
2001 2004
Post-doctoral Researcher, University of Glasgow
1998 2001
PhD Zoology, University of Glasgow
1992 1998
PhD Zoology, University of Glasgow

My Project

  • Species Distribution and Ecology
    Birds Without Borders or Isolated Islands? Connectivity of Western Indian Ocean Seabirds
  • Species Distribution and Ecology
    The Importance of the Chagos Archipelago for Seabirds

Other interests

My seabird research interests revolve around the use of bio-logging, dietary analysis and demography to diagnose causes and consequences of change, and link this to help inform conservation.

I am especially interested in understanding the impact of fisheries and offshore renewables, but also studying pollution and climate change effects. Additionally, I work extensively in the UK, but also in the Sub-Antarctic, Caribbean and South Africa.