2013 - University College Cork

Research Projects Listing
THE ECOLOGY OF AN AVIAN PREDATOR AT THE TOP
OF THE MARINE FOOD CHAIN
Research Centre/Department/School: BEES
Contact PI: John Quinn (j.quinn@ucc.ie)
Researchers: Chris Honan (student), Dr. John Quinn (Lecturer in BEES),
and Dr. Jim Reynolds (Lecturer at the University of Birmingham)
Start Year: 2012
End Year: ongoing
Funding Body: Private
Funding: Private
Collaborating Partners: University of Birmingham
Great black-backed Gulls are omnivorous, scavengers, kleptoparasites and predators at the top
of their marine food chain. In common with other marine vertebrates, the ecology of the great
black-backed gull is likely to be strongly infuenced by human activities. It is widely believed that
the abundance and distribution of this species has been driven by the availability of discarded fish
and offal, and by access to human refuse, but this has yet to be tested in this species. This study
aims to investigate the extent to which changes in fishing industry practices and human refuse
management have affected great black-backed gull populations in Ireland, and what if any effect
this has had on their prey species. The PhD student, Chris Honan, has been studying the ecology
of the great black-backed gull on the island of Ireland’s Eye, off Howth, Co. Dublin since 2009. His
general approach is to use a range of remote and direct observational techniques for understanding
how the foraging habits of this top predator are influenced by human activities, how this affects
individual life histories and in turn what impact this is having on their populations. This single
population approach is being expanded to examine large scale patterns of variation in population
characteristics around the Irish coast. The outcome of the research will be an understanding of
how human activities influence top predator in a marine ecosystem and what effect this is likely to
have on other species in the food chain.
RESEARCH PROJECTS
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