Pete Cotton

Job title: Associate Professor (Senior Lecturer) in Ecology, School of Marine Science and Engineering (Faculty of Science and Technology)
Address: Room 619, Davy Building, Drake Circus,
Plymouth, Devon, PL4 8AA
Telephone: +441752584617
Facsimile: +44 (0)1752 232970
Email: P.Cotton@plymouth.ac.uk

Role

Assistant Programme Leader for BSc Marine Biology and Coastal Ecology
Associate Head of School (Marine Biology)

Qualifications & background

BSc, University of Dundee (1987)
DPhil, University of Oxford (1993)
PGC LTHE, University of Plymouth (2001)

AFRC Research Assistant, University of Oxford (1991-1993)
NERC Postdoctoral Research Assistant, University of Oxford (1994-1996)
College Lecturer in Zoology, Pembroke College, University of Oxford (1997)
Research Biologist, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (1998-2000)
Lecturer / Senior Lecturer, Unviversity of Plymouth (2000-present)

Teaching interests

In the first year I teach vertebrate biology (BIOL1003), evolution and animal behaviour (BIOL1403), and help to run the ecosystems field course to Brittany (BIOL1101).

My second year teaching covers experimental design and analysis (BIOL2005) and the Marine Biology and Coastal Ecology field course in South Africa (BIOL2103).

In the third year I teach behavioural ecology (BIOL3102) and supervise research projects (BIOL3001).

I was the programme leader for BSc Marine Biology & Coastal Ecology from 2005 to 2010 and now help Dave Bilton to run the programme.

Staff serving as external examiners
External examiner for the University of St Andrews and the University of Malta.

Research interests

I am a behavioural ecologist and of late I have primarily worked on predator-prey interactions and contest behaviour. I'm also interested in community ecology and anthropogenic impacts on ecological assemblages and phenology.

Key publications

Cotton, P.A. (2003) Avian migration phenology and global climate change. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA. 100: 12219-12222. pdf

Cotton, P.A., Rundle, S.D. & Smith, K.E. (2004) Trait compensation in marine gastropods: shell shape, avoidance behavior and susceptibility to predation. Ecology 85: 1581-1584. pdf

Dalesman, S., Bilton, D.T., Rundle, S.D. & Cotton, P.A. (2007) Phylogenetic relatedness and ecological interactions determine anti-predator behaviour. Ecology 88: 2462-2467. pdf

Mowles, S.L., Cotton, P.A. & Briffa, M. (2011) Flexing the abdominals: Do bigger muscles make better fighters? Biology Letters doi: 10.1098/rsbl.2010.1079 pdf

Mowles, S.L., Rundle, S.D. & Cotton, P.A. (2011) Susceptibility to predation affects trait-mediated interactions by altering competitive success. PLoS One 6(8): e23068. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0023068 pdf

UoP Research group membership

Marine Biology & Ecology Research Centre (MBERC)

Research degrees awarded to supervised students

Ahmed Al-Mazrouai: Phenotypic plasticity in marine intertidal gastropods. (Jointly supervised with Dr. S. Rundle). Funding: Sultanate of Oman. Completed 2009.

Sophie Mowles: Contest behaviour in hermit crabs. (Jointly supervised with Dr Mark Briffa). Funding: University of Plymouth Research Studentship. Completed 2009.

Sarah Dalesman. PhD. Anti-predator behaviour in the freshwater gastropod Lymnaea stagnalis. (Jointly supervised with Dr Simon Rundle). Funding: University of Plymouth Studentship. Completed 2007.

Lissa Goodwin. PhD. The ecology and conservation of the harbour porpoise (Phocena phocena) along the west coast of the UK. (Jointly supervised with Dr martin Attrill & Dr Nick Tregenza). Funding: private. Completed 2007.

Sarah Carless, PhD. The effect of human disturbance on oystercatcher prey selection and foraging behaviour on rocky shores. (Jointly supervised with Dr Ross Coleman, University of Sydney & Dr Richard Stillman, CEH). Funding: HEFCE COLLr. Completed 2006.

Gillian Groeger. PhD. The visual performance of the cuttlefish eye. (Jointly supervised with Prof. Roddy Williamson). Funding: HEFCE COLLr. Completed 2003.

Journals

Articles

Mowles, SL., Cotton, PA. & Briffa, M. (2011) 'Flexing the abdominals: do bigger muscles make better fighters?' Biol Lett 7 (3), pp 358 - 360 Author Site , DOI

Dalsgaard, B., Magard, E., Fjeldsa, J., Gonzalez, AMM., Rahbek, C., Olesen, JM., Ollerton, J., Alarcon, R., Araujo, AC., Cotton, PA., Lara, C., Machado, CG., Sazima, I., Sazima, M., Timmermann, A., Watts, S., Sandel, B., Sutherland, WJ. & Svenning, J. (2011) 'Specialization in Plant-Hummingbird Networks Is Associated with Species Richness, Contemporary Precipitation and Quaternary Climate-Change Velocity' PLOS ONE 6 (10), Author Site , DOI

Mowles, SL., Rundle, SD. & Cotton, PA. (2011) 'Susceptibility to predation affects trait-mediated indirect interactions by reversing interspecific competition.' PLoS One 6 (8), p e23068 Author Site , DOI

Cotton, DRE., Stokes, A. & Cotton, PA. (2010) 'Using Observational Methods to Research the Student Experience' JOURNAL OF GEOGRAPHY IN HIGHER EDUCATION 34 (3), pp 463 - 473 Author Site , DOI

Mowles, SL., Cotton, PA. & Briffa, M. (2010) 'Whole-organism performance capacity predicts resource-holding potential in the hermit crab Pagurus bernhardus' ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR 80 (2), pp 277 - 282 Author Site , DOI

Mowles, SL., Cotton, PA. & Briffa, M. (2009) 'Aerobic capacity influences giving-up decisions in fighting hermit crabs: does stamina constrain contests?' ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR 78 (3), pp 735 - 740 Author Site , DOI

Dalesman, S., Rundle, SD. & Cotton, PA. (2009) 'Crawl-out behaviour in response to predation cues in an aquatic gastropod: insights from artificial selection' EVOLUTIONARY ECOLOGY 23 (6), pp 907 - 918 Author Site , DOI

Dalesman, S., Rundle, SD. & Cotton, PA. (2009) 'Developmental plasticity compensates for selected low levels of behavioural avoidance in a freshwater snail' ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR 78 (4), pp 987 - 991 Author Site , DOI

Cotton, DRE. & Cotton, PA. (2009) 'Field biology experiences of undergraduate students: the impact of novelty space' JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL EDUCATION 43 (4), pp 169 - 174 Author Site , DOI

Mowles, SL., Briffa, M., Cotton, PA. & Spicer, JI. (2008) 'The role of circulating metal ions during shell fights in the hermit crab Pagurus bernhardus' ETHOLOGY 114 (10), pp 1014 - 1022 Author Site , DOI

Dalesman, S., Rundle, SD., Bilton, DT. & Cotton, PA. (2007) 'Phylogenetic relatedness and ecological interactions determine antipredator behavior' Ecology 88 (10), pp 2462 - 2467

Dalesman, S., Rundle, SD. & Cotton, PA. (2007) 'Predator regime influences innate anti-predator behaviour in the freshwater gastropod Lymnaea stagnalis' Freshwater Biology 52 (11), pp 2134 - 2140

Cotton, PA. (2007) 'Seasonal resource tracking by Amazonian hummingbirds' Ibis 149 (1), pp 135 - 142

Dalesman, S., Rundle, SD., Coleman, RA. & Cotton, PA. (2006) 'Cue association and antipredator behaviour in a pulmonate snail, Lymnaea stagnalis' Animal Behaviour 71, pp 789 - 797

Hauser, A., Attrill, MJ. & Cotton, PA. (2006) 'Effects of habitat complexity on the diversity and abundance of macrofauna colonising artificial kelp holdfasts' Marine Ecology-Progress Series 325, pp 93 - 100

Groeger, G., Cotton, PA. & Williamson, R. (2005) 'Ontogenetic changes in the visual acuity of Sepia officinalis measured using the optomotor response' Canadian Journal of Zoology-Revue Canadienne de Zoologie 83 (2), pp 274 - 279

Cotton, PA., Sims, DW., Fanshawe, S. & Chadwick, M. (2005) 'The effects of climate variability on zooplankton and basking shark (Cetorhinus maximus) relative abundance off southwest Britain' Fisheries Oceanography 14 (2), pp 151 - 155

Cotton, PA. (2004) 'Habitat selection by song thrushes in stable and declining farmland populations.' Journal of Applied Ecology 41 (2), pp 275 - 293 , DOI

Jackson, AC., Rundle, SD., Attrill, MJ. & Cotton, PA. (2004) 'Ontogenetic changes in metabolism may determine diet shifts for a sit-and-wait predator' Journal of Animal Ecology 73 (3), pp 536 - 545

Goodwin, L. & Cotton, PA. (2004) 'The effects of boat traffic on the behaviour of bottlenose dolphins Tursiops truncatus' Aquat. Mamm 30:, pp 279 - 283

Cotton, PA., Rundle, SD. & Smith, KE. (2004) 'Trait compensation in marine gastropods: Shell shape, avoidance behavior, and susceptibility to predation' Ecology 85 (6), pp 1581 - 1584

Cotton, PA. (2003) 'Avian migration phenology and global climate change' Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 100 (21), pp 12219 - 12222

Cotton, P. (2002) 'Book Review :Howell, SNG (ed). Hummingbirds of North America: The Photographic Guide' Ibis 144, p 360

Peach, W., Taylor, R., Cotton, PA., Gruar, D., Hill, I. & Denny, M. (2002) 'Habitat utilisation by song thrushes Turdus philomelos on lowland farmland during summer and winter' Birds and Agriculture Aspects of Applied Biology 67, pp 11 - 20

Cotton, PA. (2001) 'The Behavior and interactions of birds visiting Erythrina fusca flowers in the Colombian Amazon' Biotropica 33 (4), pp 662 - 669

Links
Marine Biology and Ecology Research Centre

BSc Marine Biology and Coastal Ecology

Marine Biology and Coastal Ecology field course

Marine Biology

Marine Biology & Oceanography

MRes Marine Biology (Official University Site) for more details click here for the MRes mini-site