- A402, Portland Square, Drake Circus, Plymouth, PL4 8AA
- +44 1752 584632
- mark.briffa@plymouth.ac.uk

Profiles
Professor Mark Briffa
Associate Head of School (Teaching and Learning)
School of Biological and Marine Sciences (Faculty of Science and Engineering)
- Animal behaviour
- Hermit crabs
- Animal communication
- Marine biology
- Animal aggression
Email publicrelations@plymouth.ac.uk to enquire.
Biography
Biography
- Associate Head of School (Teaching & Learning) (2018 - 2022)
- Programme leader, BSc Marine Biology (f 2012-2017)
- Deputy programme leader, MRes Marine Biology (012-2014)
- Programme leader, MRes Marine Biology (2009 -2012)
- Deputy programme leader, BSc Marine Biology and Coastal Ecology (2005-2009)
Qualifications
2016 Professor of Animal Behaviour, Plymouth University
2014 Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.
2012 Reader in Animal Behaviour, Plymouth University.
2005 PG Cert. Learning and teaching in higher education, Plymouth University.
2004 - 2012 Lecturer in Marine Biology, Plymouth University.
1999 - 2004 Post-Doc, Queen's University Belfast.
2013 Grade 1 Piano (Merit)
1995 - 1998 PhD in Animal Behaviour, Queen's University Belfast: "Communication during shell exchange in the hermit crab Pagurus bernhardus".
1991 - 1995 - BSc (Hons) Biology, First Class, University of Aberdeen.
Professional membership
- Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour
- Marine Biological Association of the UK
Roles on external bodies
2009-2010 BBSRC Pool Committee member
2007 IRCSET (Irish Research Council) Embark Fellowships panel member (Earth Sciences)
Teaching
Teaching
Teaching interests
Lecturing on:
- Biology 1 (BIO012)
- Issues in Marine Biology (MBIO001)
- Biology of Sex (BIOL124PP)
- Marine Biology Field Course (MBIO101)
- Evolution & Biodiversity (MBIO122)
- Experimental Marine Biology Field Course (MBIO212)
- Ecology of Shallow Water Marine Habitats (MBIO217)
- Methods in Marine Biology (MBIO223)
- Behavioural Ecology (MBIO317)
- Physiology & Behaviour of Marine Animals (MBIO340)
Staff serving as external examiners
2011 - 2015: MSc Conservation & Behaviour, Manchester Metropolitan University
2016 - 2019: MSc Animal Behaviour & Welfare, Queen's University Belfast
Research
Research
Research interests
Contest behaviour in animals, especially 'Shell rapping' in the hermit crab Pagurus bernhardus and the beadlet sea anemone Actinia equina. I am interested in how fighting animals make decisions to initiate and fight and to withdraw from a fight and how these decisions might be influenced by consistent among individual variation in behaviour. I am also interested in understanding among individual variation in behaviour more generally.
If you would like to do your honours or masters project with me, these are areas that I usually supervise projects in.
1) Animal contests - How do animals decide what to do in a fight? What makes some individuals better at fighting than others?
2) Vacancy chains - Do vacant resources transit through populations and what can disrupt this process?
3) Animal personalities - Is between individual variation in behaviour adaptive?
4) Human impacts - Can we detect signals of human impacts on the environment in animal behaviour?
Mainly using hermit crabs and sea anemones but also options to work on other crabs, marine snails, amphipods, seaweed flies, ants.
Grants & contracts
2019-2021 BBSRC BB/S004742/1 The role of skill in animal contests (PI) £295,000
2015-2018 BBSRC BB/M019772/1 The role of additive and non-additive genetic effects during animal contests in the beadlet sea anemone Actinia equina. (PI) £252,600.
2013-2017 CAPES /CNPq (Brazillian Government) Science Without Borders PhD Studentship (PI) >£100K
2008-2011 BBSRC F014147 Aggression in social animals: Effects of group size, resource holding potential and costs of fighting on the outcome of battles (PI) £225,263.
2007-2010 Marine Institute full time PhD studentship. (PI) £45,000 approx.
2005-2007 Nuffield Foundation New Lecturer Award. Use of repeated signals by animals. (PI) £5000.
2005-2008 Faculty of Science full time PhD studentship. (PI) £48,000 approx.
2002-2005 BBSRC S16861 Motivation and the underlying causation of aggressive behaviour. (RI) £136,472.
1999-2002 BBSRC S11459 The functions of repeated aggressive signals. (RI) £104,960.
Publications
Publications
Key publications
Key publications are highlighted
JournalsIrschick, DJ, Briffa, M, & Podos, J. 2015. Animal Signalling and Function: An Integrative Approach. Wiley-Blackwell.
Hardy, ICW & Briffa, M. 2013. Animal Contests. Cambridge University Press.
Briffa M. 2020. Animal Personality and Investment in Reproduction: Hermit Crabs and Other Crustaceans as Model Organisms. In Cothran R & Theil M (Eds) The Natural History of the Crustacea, Volume 6: Reproductive Biology. OUP.
Briffa M & Lane SM. 2019. Signals in Conflict Resolution: Conventional Signals, Aggression and Territoriality. In Jae Chun Choe (EIC) Encyclopedia of Animal Behavior (Second Edition). Elsevier.
Briffa M 2015. Agonistic signals: Integrating analysis of functions and mechanisms. In Irschick DJ, Podos J & Briffa M (Eds.) Animal Signalling and function: An integrative approach. Wiley-Backwell.
Briffa M, Hardy ICW & Mowles SL 2013. Prospects for animal contests. In Hardy ICW & Briffa M (Eds) Animal Contests. Cambridge University Press.
Field SA & Briffa M 2013. Human contests: evolutionary theory and the analysis of interstate war. In Hardy ICW & Briffa M (Eds) Animal Contests. Cambridge University Press.
Briffa M 2013. Contests in crustaceans: assessments, decisions and their underlying mechanisms. In Hardy ICW & Briffa M (Eds) Animal Contests. Cambridge University Press.
Briffa M, Hardy ICW, Gammell MP, Jennings DJ, Clarke DD & Goubault M 2013. Analysis of contest data. In Hardy ICW & Briffa M (Eds) Animal Contests. Cambridge University Press.
Briffa M & Hardy ICW 2013. Introduction to animal contests. In Hardy ICW & Briffa M (Eds) Animal Contests. Cambridge University Press.
Briffa M & Hardy ICW 2013. Preface. In Hardy ICW & Briffa M (Eds) Animal Contests. Cambridge University Press.
Briffa, M & Sneddon, LU. 2010. Contest Behavior. In D.F.Westneat & C.W.Fox (Eds) Evolutionary Behavioral Ecology. Oxford University Press.
Personal
Personal
Reports & invited lectures
Invited talks and seminars
2016 Seminar, Hull University, UK.
2015 Keynote speaker, IEC Behaviour 2015, Cairns, Australia.
2015 Seminar, Florida State University, Tallahassee, USA.
2014 Seminar, Universite Francois Rabelais, Dijon, France.
2013 Seminar, Queen's University Belfast, UK.
2013 Invited speaker at Symposuim on Personality: Causes and consequences of consistent behavioural variation, Hannover, Germany.
2013 Seminar, Nottinghan Trent University, UK.
2012 Invited speaker at ASAB/SEB N3R meeting, London, UK
2012 Invited lecture, Oxford University Scientific Society, UK
2011 Seminar, University of Nottingham, UK.
2011 Seminar, University of Durham, UK
2011 Seminar, University of Newcastle (Marine Scinece and Technology), UK.
2010 Seminar, University of Exeter, UK.
2010 Seminar, Institute of Neuroscience, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
2009 Seminar, University of Exeter at Falmouth, UK.
2009 Seminar, University of Derby, UK.
2008 Seminar, University of Bristol, UK.
2008 Invited speaker at symposium on contest behaviour. European Conference on Behavioural Biology, Univerity de Bourgogne, Dijon, France.
2007 Invited speaker at symposium on contest behaviour. International Ethological Conference, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada.
2006 Plenary speaker "Energetic constraints in fighting". Joint European Conference on Behavioural Biology, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK.
2005-2006 Guest lecturer on Animal Physiological Ecology module, University of Nottingham, UK.
2006 Seminar, University of Cardiff, UK.
2006 Seminar, University of Liverpool, UK.
2006 Seminar, University of Hull, UK.
Selected contributed conference presentations
Briffa M 2008 Comparing the strength of behavioural plasticity and consistency: Animal personalities in hermit crabs. European Conference on Behavioural Biology, Univerity de Bourgogne, Dijon, France.
Bibost AL, Briffa M 2008 The boldness and shyness of the hermit crab Pagurus bernhardus: Animal personality or behavioural plasticity? European Conference on Behavioural Biology, University de Bourgogne, Dijon, France.
Mowles, SL, Briffa M & Cotton PA 2008. Effects of respiratory pigment and whole body performance capacity on agonistic signals in the hermit crab Pagurus bernhardus.. ISBE: 12th International Behavioural Ecology Congress. Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA.
Mowles SL, Briffa M, Cotton PA & Spicer JI. 2007. Effects of metal -ions and respiratory pigment during agonistic encounters in the hermit crab Pagurus bernhardus., Marine Institute Conference: Understanding Marine Systems. Plymouth, UK.
De La Haye K, Briffa M, & Spicer JI. 2007. Behavioural consequences of ocean acidification in decapod crustaceans. Marine Institute Conference: Understanding Marine Systems. Plymouth, UK.
Mowles SL, Briffa M, Cotton PA & Spicer JI. 2007. Champions how their mettle! Seasonal effects of metal ions on contest behaviour in the hermit crab Pagurus bernhardus. IEC: XXX International Ethological Conference. Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
Mowles, SL, Briffa M, Cotton PA & Spicer JI 2007. The effect of respiratory pigment on shell fighting in the hermit crab Pagurus bernhardus., J.I. IEC: XXX International Ethological Conference. Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
Mowles SL, Briffa M, Cotton PA & Spicer JI 2007. The effect of respiratory pigment on shell fighting in the hermit crab Pagurus bernhardus., J.I. ASAB Easter conference, University of Exeter, Falmouth, UK.
Briffa M & Elwood RW 2005. Shell fighting in hermit crabs: Contests, communication and costs. ICC 6, Glasgow, UK.
Briffa M & Elwood RW 2004. Use of energy reserves in fighting hermit crabs. ISBE, Jyvaskla, Finland.
Briffa M & Elwood RW 2004. Mobilising for war: use of energy reserves in fighting hermit crabs. SEB Edinburgh, UK.
Briffa M & Elwood RW 2002. Signal power, physiological costs and subsequent decisions during hermit crab fights. BES York, UK.
Elwood RW & Briffa M 2002. Physiological constraints influence decisions in hermit crab fights. 1st European Conference on Behavioural Biology, Muenster, Germany.
Briffa M & Elwood RW 2001. Physiological correlates of decision rules during shell fights in hermit crabs. IEC. Tubingen, Germany.
Elwood RW & Briffa M 2001. Physiological constraints influence decisions in hermit crab fights. ASAB Summer conference, Glasgow, UK.
Elwood RW & Briffa M 2001. Probing motivational state during shell fights in hermit crabs. IEC, Tuebingen, Germany.
Briffa M & Elwood RW 2000. Fatigue and stamina: Effects of oxygen levels on the fighting ability of hermit crabs, Pagurus bernhardus. ISBE, Zurich, Switzerland.
Briffa M & Elwood RW 1999. Fatigue constrains shell rapping during hermit crab shell fights. ASAB Summer conference, Lisbon, Portugal.
Elwood RW, Briffa M & Dick JTA 1999. Fatigue constrains shell rapping during hermit crab fights. IEC Bangalore, India.
Briffa M & Elwood RW 1997. Communication during shell exchange in the hermit crab Pagurus bernhardus. ASAB Easter, Cardiff, UK.
Briffa M & Elwood RW 1997. Communication during shell exchange in the hermit crab Pagurus bernhardus. IEC, Venice, Austria.
Additional information
- Handling Editor: Biology Letters from 2014
- Editor: Animal Behaviour 2010 - 2013
- Academic Editor: PLoS one from 2009
- Consulting Editor, Animal Behaviour 2007-2010
- 'Top Reviewer' awards: Animal Behaviour 2007, Biology Letters 2008, 2009, 2011.
- Reviewing for Animal Behaviour, Behavioral Ecology, Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, Behaviour, Ethology, Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, Journal of The Marine Biological association of the UK, Proceedings of the Royal Society B
- Outreach: Tyneside Metropolitan College, 2009