- Room 619, Davy Building, Drake Circus, Plymouth, Devon, PL4 8AA
- +44 1752 584617
- P.Cotton@plymouth.ac.uk
Profiles
Peter Cotton
Associate Head of School
School of Marine Science and Engineering (Faculty of Science & Environment)
Role
Associate Head of School (Marine Biology)
Qualifications
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 (MBIO111), evolution and animal behaviour (MBIO1013), and help to run the ecosystems field course to Brittany (MBIO109).
My second year teaching covers experimental design and analysis (MBIO210) and the Marine Biology and Coastal Ecology field course in South Africa (MBIO213).
In the third year I teach behavioural ecology (MBIO317) and supervise research projects (MBIO313).
I was the programme leader for BSc Marine Biology & Coastal Ecology for seven years, and now help Dave Bilton to run the programme.
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.
Recent publications
Mowles, S.L., Cotton, P.A. & Briffa, M. (2010) Whole-organism performance capacity predicts resource-holding potential in the hermit crab Pagurus bernhardus. Animal Behaviour 80: 277-282
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
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
For more details, look at my page on Google Scholar.
Current PhD students
Lisa Sztukowski. Individual foraging specialization and seabird fishery interactions: implications for albatross conservation. With Dr Steve Votier, University of Exeter, and Dr Henri Weimerskirch, CNRS, France.
Research degrees awarded to supervised students
Julian Evans. PhD. habitat characterisation of infralittoral pebble beds in the Maltese islands. (Jointly supervised with Prof Martin Attrill & Prof Patrick Schembri, University of Malta). Funding: STEPS, Malta). Completed 2014.
Ahmed Al-Mazrouai, PhD. Phenotypic plasticity in marine intertidal gastropods. (Jointly supervised with Dr. S. Rundle). Funding: Sultanate of Oman. Completed 2009.
Sophie Mowles, PhD. 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.
Research groups
- Marine Biology & Ecology Research Centre (MBERC)
Key publications are highlighted
Journals
Articles
2014
'The effects of a competitor on the foraging behaviour of the shore crab Carcinus maenas'
PLoS One
9,
(4)
, DOI
PEARL
2012
'Consistent crustaceans: the identification of stable behavioural syndromes in hermit crabs'
BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY AND SOCIOBIOLOGY
66,
(7)
1087-1094
, DOI
2011
'Flexing the abdominals: do bigger muscles make better fighters?'
Biol Lett
7,
(3)
358-360
, DOI
2011
'Specialization in Plant-Hummingbird Networks Is Associated with Species Richness, Contemporary Precipitation and Quaternary Climate-Change Velocity'
PLOS ONE
6,
(10)
, DOI
2011
'Susceptibility to predation affects trait-mediated indirect interactions by reversing interspecific competition'
PLoS One
6,
(8)
, DOI
2010
'Using Observational Methods to Research the Student Experience'
JOURNAL OF GEOGRAPHY IN HIGHER EDUCATION
34,
(3)
463-473
, DOI
2010
'Whole-organism performance capacity predicts resource-holding potential in the hermit crab Pagurus bernhardus'
ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR
80,
(2)
277-282
, DOI
2009
'Aerobic capacity influences giving-up decisions in fighting hermit crabs: does stamina constrain contests?'
ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR
78,
(3)
735-740
, DOI
2009
'Crawl-out behaviour in response to predation cues in an aquatic gastropod: insights from artificial selection'
EVOLUTIONARY ECOLOGY
23,
(6)
907-918
, DOI
2009
'Developmental plasticity compensates for selected low levels of behavioural avoidance in a freshwater snail'
ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR
78,
(4)
987-991
, DOI
2009
'Field biology experiences of undergraduate students: the impact of novelty space'
JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL EDUCATION
43,
(4)
169-174
, DOI
2008
'The role of circulating metal ions during shell fights in the hermit crab Pagurus bernhardus'
ETHOLOGY
114,
(10)
1014-1022
, DOI
2007
'Phylogenetic relatedness and ecological interactions determine antipredator behavior'
Ecology
88,
(10)
2462-2467
2007
'Predator regime influences innate anti-predator behaviour in the freshwater gastropod Lymnaea stagnalis'
Freshwater Biology
52,
(11)
2134-2140
2007
'Seasonal resource tracking by Amazonian hummingbirds'
Ibis
149,
(1)
135-142
2006
'Cue association and antipredator behaviour in a pulmonate snail, Lymnaea stagnalis'
Animal Behaviour
71,
789-797
2006
'Effects of habitat complexity on the diversity and abundance of macrofauna colonising artificial kelp holdfasts'
Marine Ecology-Progress Series
325,
93-100
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)
274-279
2005
'The effects of climate variability on zooplankton and basking shark (Cetorhinus maximus) relative abundance off southwest Britain'
Fisheries Oceanography
14,
(2)
151-155
2004
'Habitat selection by song thrushes in stable and declining farmland populations'
Journal of Applied Ecology
41 (2),
275-293
, DOI
2004
'Ontogenetic changes in metabolism may determine diet shifts for a sit-and-wait predator'
Journal of Animal Ecology
73,
(3)
536-545
2004
'The effects of boat traffic on the behaviour of bottlenose dolphins Tursiops truncatus'
Aquat. Mamm
30:,
279-283
2004
'Trait compensation in marine gastropods: Shell shape, avoidance behavior, and susceptibility to predation'
Ecology
85,
(6)
1581-1584
2003
'Avian migration phenology and global climate change'
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
100,
(21)
12219-12222
2002
'Book Review :Howell, SNG (ed). Hummingbirds of North America: The Photographic Guide'
Ibis
144,
2002
'Habitat utilisation by song thrushes Turdus philomelos on lowland farmland during summer and winter'
Birds and Agriculture Aspects of Applied Biology
67,
11-20
2001
'The Behavior and interactions of birds visiting Erythrina fusca flowers in the Colombian Amazon'
Biotropica
33,
(4)
662-669
1999
'Chick begging strategies in relation to brood hierarchies and hatching asynchrony'
AMERICAN NATURALIST
153,
(4)
412-420
, DOI
1998
'Instability of signaling resolution models of parent-offspring conflict'
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
95,
(8)
4453-4457
, DOI
1998
'Quality vs. quantity: energetic and nutritional trade-offs in parental provisioning strategies'
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY
67,
(4)
620-634
1998
'Temporal partitioning of a floral resource by territorial hummingbirds'
IBIS
140,
(4)
647-653
, DOI
1997
'Nestling sex ratio in the European Starling Sturnus vulgaris'
JOURNAL OF AVIAN BIOLOGY
28,
(3)
255-258
, DOI
1996
'Measuring the impact of parental foraging by starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) on soil invertebrate prey availability: An exclosure experiment'
OIKOS
76,
(3)
511-521
, DOI
1996
'The evolution of begging: Signaling and sibling competition'
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
93,
(25)
14637-14641
, DOI
1995
'FOOD ALLOCATION AMONG NESTLING STARLINGS - SIBLING COMPETITION AND THE SCOPE OF PARENTAL CHOICE'
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
259,
(1356)
259-263
, DOI
1995
'WINTER FIELD USE BY THE EUROPEAN STARLING STURNUS-VULGARIS - HABITAT PREFERENCES AND THE AVAILABILITY OF PREY'
JOURNAL OF AVIAN BIOLOGY
26,
(3)
193-202
, DOI
1994
'EXPERIMENTALLY-INDUCED SEX-DIFFERENCES IN PARENTAL CARE - AN EFFECT OF CERTAINTY OF PATERNITY'
ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR
47,
(6)
1311-1322
, DOI
1994
'SONG VERSUS FOOD - TRADE-OFF DECISIONS IN A BREEDING COLONY OF EUROPEAN STARLINGS STURNUS-VULGARIS'
BIRD STUDY
41,
95-101
Conference Papers
1996
'Body size and the ecology of hummingbirds'
239-258
Links
Pete Cotton's page on Google Scholar.
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