
Profiles
Dr Clare Embling
Associate Professor of Marine Ecology
School of Biological and Marine Sciences (Faculty of Science and Engineering)
- Marine renewable energy
- Marine conservation
- Habitat mapping
- Marine vertebrate ecology
- Biological oceanography
- Bioacoustics
Email publicrelations@plymouth.ac.uk to enquire.
Biography
Biography
I am an associate professor in marine ecology, and programme leader for the BSc Marine Biology and Oceanography. I teach a range of courses from statistics to biological oceanography and marine vertebrate ecology. My research is focused on the ecology and conservation of marine vertebrates (marine mammals, seabirds and fish), habitat modelling, bioacoustics, and human impacts on marine species (e.g. impacts of increasing noise in the sea).
Lead the Marine Vertebrates Research Unit and member of the Marine Conservation Research Group.
Qualifications
Professional membership
Teaching
Teaching
Teaching interests
I am programme leader for the BSc Marine Biology and Oceanography, and I am module leader for:
- MBIO120 Introduction to Marine Biology (1st year)
- MBIO339 Ecology & Conservation of Marine Vertebrates (3rd year)
I also teach on the following modules:
- MBIO123 Marine Biology Field Course (1st Year)
- MBIO225 Methods in Marine Biology and Oceanography (2nd year)
- MBIO227 Biological Oceanography Field Course (2nd year)
- OS201 Global Ocean Processes (2nd year)
- MBIO341 Biological Oceanography (3rd year)
- OS304 Marine Ecosystems Conservation (3rd year)
I also supervise around 8 undergraduate student projects, and 2 masters student projects a year.
Current MRes/MSc students:
- Megan Strachan-Williams (Cetacean vocalisation diversity in the Chagos Archipelago)
- Emma Moyse (Harbour porpoise habitat models in SW UK based on historic datasets)
- Jade Ryding (Effects of COVID on noise reduction & cetacean vocalisations in Plymouth Sound)
- Emily Wood (Spatial threat analysis of cetaceans in the English Channel)
- Darcy Brady (Tidal oceanographic influences on reef manta behaviour at a feeding station)
Past MRes/MSc students:
- Hannah Thompson (2020; Modelling habitat preferences of common dolphins off the west of Scotland)
- Maisie Fawcett (2020; Odontocete vocalisation occurence and behaviour at Egmont Atoll, Chagos Archipelago)
- Hayley McLennon (2020; Using visual & acoustic survey data to determine abundance, distribution & environmental drivers of harbour porpoises in South Cornwall)
- Sam Matthews (2020; Temporal variations in tourism activities at a key MPA in the Maldives 2010-2019)
- Matthew Clements (2020; Marine soundscape of the Southern Orkney Islands, Antarctica)
- Joanna Harris (2019; Habitat use of reef manta rays, Mobula afredi, in the Chagos Archipelago MPA)
- Katie Walsh (2019; Localisation and abundance of sperm whales from passive acoustics)
- Veronica Steinheimer (2019; Can baleen whales keep up with plankton regime shifts?)
- William Tingle (2019; Modelling the effect of ship strikes on fin whale distribution in the Bay of Biscay)
- Shannon Booth (2018; Habitat models of long-finned pilot whales in the Northeast Atlantic)
- Kimberley Nielsen (2018; Relative abundance of harbour porpoises around the UK from platforms of opportunity)
- Caitlin Allen (2018; Oceanographic drivers of sperm whale distributions in the Northeast Atlantic)
- Karley Khan (2017; Habitat modelling of sperm whales in the Northeast Atlantic)
- Laura Bryans (2017; Predicting foraging aggregations of European storm petrels using habitat models)
- Rosalyn Jones (2017; Impacts of seismic airguns on sperm whale vocalisations)
- James Williams (2016; Habitat modelling of green turtles from telemetry data)
- Gemma Starmore (2016; Using passive acoustics to understand human impacts on cetaceans)
- Joshua Griffiths (2015; Habitat modelling of bottlenose dolphins for defining MPAs)
- Jessica Rayner (2015; Risk modelling of minke whale entanglement in creel fishing gear)
Staff serving as external examiners
External examiner for MSc Conservation Studies at the University of St Andrews
Research
Research
Research interests
I am a marine ecologist and bioacoustician with several research interests:
Research groups
Other research
Working with Promare, IBM and RS-Aqua on the Mayflower Autonomous Ship project (https://mas400.com/). The MAS400 is equipped with a hydrophone and trained using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to automatically detect whale and dolphin vocalisations as it crosses the Atlantic. More information here.
Grants & contracts
Publications
Publications
Key publications
Key publications are highlighted
JournalsPersonal
Personal
Other academic activities
- Careers talk (Yr 10-13) 'Life as a marine biologist', Truro High School for Girls, June 2021.
- School talk (Reception-Yr6) 'Marine research in the Indian Ocean', Sir Robert Geffery's School, Landrake, February 2020.
- School activity (Yr1) 'Marine mammals and sounds of polar regions', Sir Robert Geffery's School, Landrake, March 2018.
- Technology showcase, Plymouth University (25-26th January 2018) - stand & activities: 'guess the marine sound'; 'CSI marine mamal skull'.
- National Marine Aquarium 'Sea the difference' event (1-16th April 2017) - stand & activities: 'guess the marine sound', 'CSI marine mammal skull', 'design a marine predator';
- School activity morning (Yr 12) 'Magic of marine sound', Devonport High School for Girls, May 2016.
- Pre-school activity morning: 'guess the marine sound'; CSI 'What is that skull?'; Pretend to be an echolocating porpoise game, Sir Robert Geffery Preschool, Landrake July 2015
- School activity (Reception): 'guess the marine sound'; CSI 'What is that skull?', Sir Robert Geffery School, Landrake, July 2015
- School activity day (Yr 6) including activities such as 'guess the marine sound'; 'guess the marine mammal' skull based activity; and 'what are seals eating' seal poo dissection. Bishop Cornish Primary School, Saltash 09/07/2014
- Panellist on the RSPB 'State of Nature' at Big Green Week, Bristol 19/06/2013
- Mentor for the University of Plymouth Women's network.
- Workshop 'strategies for success' at Women in STEM conference, Plymouth University, Feb 2015