Winter Talk: Competition, Individuality and Population Outcomes in Gannets with Dr. Thomas Bodey
Gairloch Museum, Gairloch, IV21 2BH
Friday 12th February 2027
Date: Friday 12th February 2027
Time: 7pm-8pm
Place: Gairloch Museum
Age: 14+ - Feels a bit high to me (but may be your standard limitation)
Cost: £5 per person
Booking is advised for this event
Seabirds are the most threatened bird group globally, but as land-based animals ourselves, it is hard to understand much of their lives which take place in the wide blue yonder. In recent decades, technology – particularly the miniaturisation of tracking devices - has helped us gain new insights into their at-sea behaviour. I will discuss what we have learnt about Northern gannets using this new information, including how individuals differ, how they interact with human fishing activities, and how these behavioural differences in turn shape and change colony-level patterns, with broader implications for shared use of the marine environment.
Dr. Thomas Bodey
I’ve loved the natural world from as early as I can remember, and I’ve been fortunate to follow that passion working mostly, but not exclusively, with birds, and it’s taken me from the tropics to the poles. This includes applied conservation work for NGOs and ecological research for governments and universities. I have a particular interest in island ecology, so studying seabirds comes naturally, especially as they are frequently the key ecosystem engineers in such places. I’m currently a lecturer at the University of Aberdeen, but am relatively new to northern Scotland, and so am still exploring local natural places with my young children.
What to expect:
Time: 7pm-8pm
Place: Gairloch Museum
Age: 14+ - Feels a bit high to me (but may be your standard limitation)
Cost: £5 per person
Booking is advised for this event
Seabirds are the most threatened bird group globally, but as land-based animals ourselves, it is hard to understand much of their lives which take place in the wide blue yonder. In recent decades, technology – particularly the miniaturisation of tracking devices - has helped us gain new insights into their at-sea behaviour. I will discuss what we have learnt about Northern gannets using this new information, including how individuals differ, how they interact with human fishing activities, and how these behavioural differences in turn shape and change colony-level patterns, with broader implications for shared use of the marine environment.
Dr. Thomas Bodey
I’ve loved the natural world from as early as I can remember, and I’ve been fortunate to follow that passion working mostly, but not exclusively, with birds, and it’s taken me from the tropics to the poles. This includes applied conservation work for NGOs and ecological research for governments and universities. I have a particular interest in island ecology, so studying seabirds comes naturally, especially as they are frequently the key ecosystem engineers in such places. I’m currently a lecturer at the University of Aberdeen, but am relatively new to northern Scotland, and so am still exploring local natural places with my young children.
What to expect:
- Join us in person at the Museum or online via Zoom.
- Talks normally last approx 45mins followed by a Q&A session.
- Teas & coffees will be served at the end of the event.
- The Zoom recording will be shared after the event.
- Hearing loops compatible with hearing aids with the T-bar setting or provided headphones will be available to request.
- Please share with us on booking if you have any accessibility requirements you would like us to know about.
- Our accessibility guide can be found on our website under the Visit tab.
Price
Ticket price
£5.00
