Larval Dispersal

I am interested in how large-scale larval dispersal and connectivity will be affected by climate change. Since astronomical currents will be relatively unaffected by climate change, this is primarily by changes in the baroclinic (density-driven) and wind-driven currents. I run oceanographic models of various study regions and statistically derive dispersal kernels, based on assumptions of (vertical) larval behaviour. This emerging area of research has been supported by a NERC urgency grant (NE/E011268/1), the Isle of Man Government and INTERREG (EU). I collaborate with Michel Kaiser, Jan Hiddink, Shelagh Malham, Luis Gimenez and Peter Robins (all at Bangor University), and, in related research on jellyfish tracking, with Graeme Hays and Pat Lee (Swansea University) and Mike Dawson (University of California).

Relevant publications:

Lee, P.L.M., Dawson, M.N., Neill, S.P., Robins, P.E., Houghton, J.D.R., Doyle, T.K. and Hayes, G.C. (2013) Identification of genetically and oceanographically distinct blooms of jellyfish. Journal of the Royal Society Interface 20120920
Robins, P.E., Neill, S.P., Giménez, L., Jenkins, S.R. and Malham, S.K. (2013) The importance of larval behaviour strategies in population connectivity. Limnology & Oceanography 58, 505-524.
Robins, P.E., Neill, S.P. and Gimenez, L. (2012) A numerical study of marine larval dispersal in the presence of an axial convergent front. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 100, 172-185.
Robins, P.E., Neill, S.P. and Gimenez, L. (2010) Modelling larval transport in a axial convergent front. AGU Fall Meeting, San Francisco, 13-17 December 2010.
Neill, S.P. and Kaiser, M.J. (2008) Sources and sinks of scallops (Pecten maximus) in the waters of the Isle of Man as predicted by particle tracking models. Centre for Applied Marine Sciences Report 2008-11, May 2008, 23pp.