Faculty of Health and Life Sciences

Professor Steve Simpson

Professor Steve Simpson

Honorary Professor

 S.Simpson@exeter.ac.uk

 

Overview

I am a marine biologist and fish ecologist, with particular interests in the behaviour of coral reef fishes, bioacoustics, effects of climate change on marine ecosystems, fisheries, conservation and management. I lead a dynamic research group of ~10 postdocs, PhD and Masters students. Following a NERC Knowledge Exchange Fellowship I have ongoing links with industry and policy on the themes of European Fisheries and Climate Change, and Anthropogenic Noise and Marine Ecosystems. I work closely with Cefas and the Met Office, am an active member of the IQOE Science Committee, and have been an Academic Advisor and featured scientist in Blue Planet 2.

My work combines fieldwork, often through expeditions to remote and challenging environments around the world, with laboratory-based behaviour experiments, data-mining, and computer modelling.

My research focuses on:

  • The impact of anthropogenic noise on marine ecosystems
  • The effects of climate change on fish and fisheries
  • Sensory and orientation behaviour of marine organisms
  • Dispersal, connectivity and biogeography
  • Coral reef restoration
  • Fisheries and Conservation Management

My recent TEDx 2019 Talk: Changing the Soundtrack of the Ocean

BBC Earth film on my underwater acoustics work

Click here to watch my Facebook Live Q&A session

Publications and Research Profiles


Currrent opportunities for postgraduate study

  • I welcome discussions with potential Masters by Research students interested in undertaking a 12–24 month research project associated with current funded research programmes.

Short films on my research and knowledge exchange activities

Impact Case Studies from my Research

Recent activites linking Research with Impact

-> Impacts of Marine Noise

-> Fisheries and Climate Change

Research Findings and News Stories

Qualifications

2000–2004 PhD, University of York, UK
1998–1999 MRes Marine & Coastal Ecology & Environmental Management, University of York, UK
1995–1998 BSc Marine Biology, University of Liverpool, UK

Career

2019–present Professor of Marine Biology & Global Change, University of Exeter
2016–2019 Associate Professor in Marine Biology & Global Change, University of Exeter
2012–2016 Senior Lecturer in Marine Biology & Global Change, University of Exeter
2011–2014 NERC Knowledge Exchange Fellow
2011 Postdoctoral Researcher, Defra-funded Anthropogenic Noise project, University of Bristol, UK
2008–2011 Postdoctoral Researcher, NERC Sustainable Marine Bioresources Initiative, University of Bristol, UK
2007–2008 Royal Society International Fellow and EPHE Postdoctoral Fellow, Université de Perpignan
2004–2007 NERC Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of Edinburgh, UK

Research group links

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Research

Research interests

Background

My first degree was in Marine Biology at the University of Liverpool (BSc Hons, 1998), during which I worked in Mozambique assessing the Quirimba Archipelago for Marine Protected Area status. Inspired by my time in the tropics, I followed this with a Masters degree at the University of York in Marine & Coastal Ecology & Environmental Management (MRes, 1999) where, under the guidance of Profs Rupert Ormond and Callum Roberts, I completed an Internship in the British Virgin Islands designing fisheries management tools for the developing world. I then spent a year working with the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) in Western Australia, Raleigh International in Belize and with a UK environmental consultancy (CMACS). I completed my PhD (2000–2004) at the University of York supervised by Dr Calvin Dytham and Dr Mark Meekan (AIMS), focusing on the influence of behaviour of larval coral reef fish on dispersal and implications for population connectivity. I continued this line of study, combining field studies, electrophysiology, choice experiments and individual-based modelling, with a NERC Postdoctoral Research Fellowship which I held at the University of Edinburgh (2004–2008, working with Prof Victoria Braithwaite). I moved to Bristol in 2008 to work with Dr Martin Genner on the effects of climate change on European fish communities and implications for effective fisheries and conservation management under the NERC Sustainable Marine Bioresources theme. In parallel I developed some strong collaborations to study impacts of marine anthropogenic noise (shipping, pile-driving, drilling, etc.), and was Co-Investigator on a major Defra-funded project with Prof Andy Radford (Bristol). I also held a NERC Knowledge Exchange Fellow (2011–2014) which enabled me to develop strong links between the research community and industry and policy on the themes of European Fisheries and Climate Change, and Anthropogenic Noise and Marine Ecosystems. I joined the University of Exeter as a Senior Lecturer in Marine Biology and Global Change in Sept 2012, where I now have a thriving research group working on effects of climate change on European fisheries, and impacts of anthropogenic noise on marine ecosystems.

Research networks

Main Collaborators

Prof Andy Radford & Dr Martin Genner (University of Bristol)

Prof Simon Jennings (ICES)

Dr John Pinnegar (Cefas/University of East Anglia)

Dr Mark Meekan (Australian Institute of Marine Science)

Prof Phillip Munday & Prof Mark McCormick (James Cook University)

Prof Ivan Nagelkerken & Dr Tullio Rossi (University of Adelaide)

Dr Suzie Mills & Dr Ricardo Beldade (CRIOBE Moorea French Polynesia)

Dr Annie Linley (National Oceanographic Centre)

Dr Jonathan Tinker (Met Office Hadley Centre)


Additional Recent Collaborators

Dr Marc Holderied, Prof Daniel Robert, Prof Andy Ridgwell, Dr Erica Hendy (University of Bristol)

Dr Andrew Jeffs & Dr Craig Radford (University of Auckland New Zealand)

Prof Edd Codling & Prof David Smith (University of Essex UK)

Prof Calvin Dytham (University of York UK)

Dr Maud Ferrari & Prof Doug Chivers (University of Saskatchewan Canada)

Dr David Lecchini (CRIOBE Moorea French Polynesia)

Prof Mark Johnson (National University Ireland Galway)

Prof David Sims (Marine Biological Association UK)

Dr Julia Blanchard (University of Tasmania Australia)

Dr Serge Planes (Université de Perpignan France)

Dr Monica Gagliano (University of Western Australia)

Dr Hong Yan (Academia Sinica Taiwan)

Dr Matt Wittenrich (Florida Institute of Technology)

Dr Claire Paris (Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science Florida)

Dr Jen McIlwain & Dr Andrew Halford (Curtin University)

Dr Michel Claereboudt (Sultan Qaboos University Oman)

Dr Mark Vermeij (Carmabi Foundation Curacao)

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Publications

Journal articles

Gordon T, Williams B, Chapuis L, May E, Simpson S (In Press). The sound of recovery: coral reef restoration success is detectable in the soundscape. Journal of Applied Ecology
Davidson IK, Williams B, Stratford JE, Chapuis L, Simpson SD, Radford AN (2024). Context-dependent multimodal behaviour in a coral reef fish. Royal Society Open Science, 11(5).
Montgomery DW, Finlay J, Simpson SD, Engelhard GH, Birchenough SNR, Wilson RW (2024). Respiratory acidosis and O2 supply capacity do not affect the acute temperature tolerance of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Conserv Physiol, 12(1). Abstract.  Author URL.
Asunsolo-Rivera A, Lester E, Langlois T, Vaughan B, McCormick MI, Simpson SD, Meekan MG (2023). Behaviour of mesopredatory coral reef fishes in response to threats from sharks and humans. SCIENTIFIC REPORTS, 13(1).  Author URL.
Nedelec S, Radford A, Gatenby P, Keesje Davidson I, Velasquez Jimenez L, Travis M, Chapman K, McCloskey K, Lamont T, Illing B, et al (2023). Coral reef soundscapes and noise. The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 153(3_supplement), a61-a61.
Richardson LE, Lenfant P, Clarke LJ, Fontcuberta A, Gudefin A, Lecaillon G, Le Vay L, Radford AN, Simpson SD (2023). Examining current best-practices for the use of wild post-larvae capture, culture, and release for fisheries enhancement. FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE, 9  Author URL.
Rutterford LA, Genner MJ, Engelhard GH, Simpson SD, Hunter E (2023). Fishing impacts on age structure may conceal environmental drivers of body size in exploited fish populations. ICES Journal of Marine Science, 80(4), 848-860. Abstract.
Varenne A, Richardson LE, Radford AN, Rossi F, Lecaillon G, Gudefin A, Berenger L, Abadie E, Boissery P, Lenfant P, et al (2023). Immersion Time Determines Performance of Artificial Habitats in Commercial Harbours by Changing Biodiversity of Colonising Invertebrate Assemblages. DIVERSITY-BASEL, 15(4).  Author URL.
Solé M, Kaifu K, Mooney TA, Nedelec SL, Olivier F, Radford AN, Vazzana M, Wale MA, Semmens JM, Simpson SD, et al (2023). Marine invertebrates and noise. Frontiers in Marine Science, 10
Matchette SR, Drerup C, Davison IK, Simpson SD, Radford AN, Herbert-Read JE (2023). Predatory trumpetfish conceal themselves from their prey by swimming alongside other fish. CURRENT BIOLOGY, 33(15), R801-R802.  Author URL.
McCloskey KP, Radford AN, Rose A, Casiraghi G, Lubbock N, Weschke E, Titus BM, Exton DA, Simpson SD (2023). SCUBA noise alters community structure and cooperation at Pederson's cleaner shrimp cleaning stations. FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE, 10  Author URL.
Rutterford LA, Simpson SD, Bogstad B, Devine JA, Genner MJ (2023). Sea temperature is the primary driver of recent and predicted fish community structure across Northeast Atlantic shelf seas. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY, 29(9), 2510-2521.  Author URL.
Pysanczyn JW, Williams EA, Brodrick E, Robert D, Craggs J, Marhaver KL, Simpson SD (2023). The role of acoustics within the sensory landscape of coral larval settlement. Frontiers in Marine Science, 10 Abstract.
Williams B, Lamont TAC, Chapuis L, Harding HR, May EB, Prasetya ME, Seraphim MJ, Jompa J, Smith DJ, Janetski N, et al (2022). Enhancing automated analysis of marine soundscapes using ecoacoustic indices and machine learning. Ecological Indicators, 140, 108986-108986.
Lamont TAC, Chapuis L, Williams B, Dines S, Gridley T, Frainer G, Fearey J, Maulana PB, Prasetya ME, Jompa J, et al (2022). HydroMoth: Testing a prototype low-cost acoustic recorder for aquatic environments. Remote Sensing in Ecology and Conservation, 8(3), 362-378. Abstract.
Nedelec SL, Radford AN, Gatenby P, Davidson IK, Velasquez Jimenez L, Travis M, Chapman KE, McCloskey KP, Lamont TAC, Illing B, et al (2022). Limiting motorboat noise on coral reefs boosts fish reproductive success. Nature Communications, 13(1).
Montgomery DW, Kwan GT, Davison WG, Finlay J, Berry A, Simpson SD, Engelhard GH, Birchenough SNR, Tresguerres M, Wilson RW, et al (2022). Rapid blood acid-base regulation by European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) in response to sudden exposure to high environmental CO2. J Exp Biol, 225(2). Abstract.  Author URL.
Aimon C, Simpson SD, Hazelwood RA, Bruintjes R, Urbina MA (2021). Anthropogenic underwater vibrations are sensed and stressful for the shore crab Carcinus maenas. Environ Pollut, 285 Abstract.  Author URL.
Henly L, Stewart JE, Simpson SD (2021). Drivers and implications of change in an inshore multi-species fishery. ICES Journal of Marine Science, 78(5), 1815-1825. Abstract.
Henly L, Stewart JE, Simpson SD (2021). Erratum to: Drivers and implications of change in an inshore multi-species fishery. ICES Journal of Marine Science, 78(8), 3015-3015.
Chapuis L, Williams B, Gordon TAC, Simpson SD (2021). Low-cost action cameras offer potential for widespread acoustic monitoring of marine ecosystems. Ecological Indicators, 129, 107957-107957.
Lester EK, Langlois TJ, Simpson SD, McCormick MI, Meekan MG (2021). Reef-wide evidence that the presence of sharks modifies behaviors of teleost mesopredators. Ecosphere, 12(2). Abstract.
Lester EK, Langlois TJ, McCormick MI, Simpson SD, Bond T, Meekan MG (2021). Relative influence of predators, competitors and seascape heterogeneity on behaviour and abundance of coral reef mesopredators. OIKOS, 130(12), 2239-2249.  Author URL.
Maltby KM, Simpson SD, Turner RA (2021). Scepticism and perceived self-efficacy influence fishers’ low risk perceptions of climate change. Climate Risk Management, 31 Abstract.
Duarte CM, Chapuis L, Collin SP, Costa DP, Devassy RP, Eguiluz VM, Erbe C, Gordon TAC, Halpern BS, Harding HR, et al (2021). The soundscape of the Anthropocene ocean. Science, 371(6529). Abstract.  Author URL.
Sainsbury NC, Schuhmann PW, Turner RA, Grilli G, Pinnegar JK, Genner MJ, Simpson SD (2021). Trade-offs between physical risk and economic reward affect fishers’ vulnerability to changing storminess. Global Environmental Change, 69, 102228-102228.
McCloskey KP, Chapman KE, Chapuis L, McCormick MI, Radford AN, Simpson SD (2020). Assessing and mitigating impacts of motorboat noise on nesting damselfish. Environmental Pollution, 266 Abstract.
Fernandes JA, Rutterford L, Simpson SD, Butenschön M, Frölicher TL, Yool A, Cheung WWL, Grant A (2020). Can we project changes in fish abundance and distribution in response to climate?. Global Change Biology, 26(7), 3891-3905. Abstract.
Hastings RA, Rutterford LA, Freer JJ, Collins RA, Simpson SD, Genner MJ (2020). Climate Change Drives Poleward Increases and Equatorward Declines in Marine Species. Curr Biol, 30(8), 1572-1577.e2. Abstract.  Author URL.
Harding HR, Gordon TAC, Wong K, McCormick MI, Simpson SD, Radford AN (2020). Condition-dependent responses of fish to motorboats. Biol Lett, 16(11). Abstract.  Author URL.
Ginnaw GM, Davidson IK, Harding HR, Simpson SD, Roberts NW, Radford AN, Ioannou CC (2020). Effects of multiple stressors on fish shoal collective motion are independent and vary with shoaling metric. Animal Behaviour, 168, 7-17. Abstract.
Mills SC, Beldade R, Henry L, Laverty D, Nedelec SL, Simpson SD, Radford AN (2020). Hormonal and behavioural effects of motorboat noise on wild coral reef fish. Environmental Pollution, 262 Abstract.
Gordon TAC, Radford AN, Simpson SD, Meekan MG (2020). Marine restoration projects are undervalued. Science, 367(6478), 635-636.  Author URL.
Maltby KM, Rutterford LA, Tinker J, Genner MJ, Simpson SD (2020). Projected impacts of warming seas on commercially fished species at a biogeographic boundary of the European continental shelf. Journal of Applied Ecology, 57(11), 2222-2233. Abstract.
Lester EK, Langlois TJ, Simpson SD, McCormick MI, Meekan MG (2020). The hemisphere of fear: the presence of sharks influences the three dimensional behaviour of large mesopredators in a coral reef ecosystem. Oikos, 129(5), 731-739. Abstract.
Gordon TAC, Radford AN, Davidson IK, Barnes K, McCloskey K, Nedelec SL, Meekan MG, McCormick MI, Simpson SD (2019). Acoustic enrichment can enhance fish community development on degraded coral reef habitat. Nature Communications, 10(1). Abstract.
Harding HR, Gordon TAC, Eastcott E, Simpson SD, Radford AN (2019). Causes and consequences of intraspecific variation in animal responses to anthropogenic noise. Behavioral Ecology, 30(6), 1501-1511. Abstract.
Obura DO, Aeby G, Amornthammarong N, Appeltans W, Bax N, Bishop J, Brainard RE, Chan S, Fletcher P, Gordon TAC, et al (2019). Coral Reef Monitoring, Reef Assessment Technologies, and Ecosystem-Based Management. FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE, 6  Author URL.
Townhill BL, Tinker J, Jones M, Pitois S, Creach V, Simpson SD, Dye S, Bear E, Pinnegar JK (2019). Corrigendum: Harmful algal blooms and climate change: Exploring future distribution changes (ICES Journal of Marine Science (2018) 75 (1882-1893) DOI: 10.1093/icesjms/fsy113). ICES Journal of Marine Science, 76(1). Abstract.
Gordon TAC, Radford AN, Simpson SD (2019). Grieving environmental scientists need support. Science, 366(6462).  Author URL.
Radford AN, Harding HR, Gordon TAC, Simpson SD (2019). In a noisy world, some animals are more equal than others: a response to comments on Harding et al. Behavioral Ecology, 30(6), 1516-1517.
Montgomery DW, Simpson SD, Engelhard GH, Birchenough SNR, Wilson RW (2019). Rising CO2 enhances hypoxia tolerance in a marine fish. Scientific Reports, 9(1). Abstract.
McCormick MI, Allan BJM, Harding H, Simpson SD (2018). Boat noise impacts risk assessment in a coral reef fish but effects depend on engine type. Sci Rep, 8(1). Abstract.  Author URL.
Sainsbury NC, Genner MJ, Saville GR, Pinnegar JK, O’Neill CK, Simpson SD, Turner RA (2018). Changing storminess and global capture fisheries. Nature Climate Change, 8(8), 655-659. Abstract.
McCormick MI, Watson SA, Simpson SD, Allan BJM (2018). Effect of elevated CO<inf>2</inf> and small boat noise on the kinematics of predator – Prey interactions. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 285(1875). Abstract.
Harding HR, Gordon TAC, Hsuan RE, Mackaness ACE, Radford AN, Simpson SD (2018). Fish in habitats with higher motorboat disturbance show reduced sensitivity to motorboat noise. Biology Letters, 14(10). Abstract.
Gordon TAC, Harding HR, Clever FK, Davidson IK, Davison W, Montgomery DW, Weatherhead RC, Windsor FM, Armstrong JD, Bardonnet A, et al (2018). Fishes in a changing world: learning from the past to promote sustainability of fish populations. J Fish Biol, 92(3), 804-827. Abstract.  Author URL.
Gordon TAC, Harding HR, Wong KE, Merchant ND, Meekan MG, McCormick MI, Radford AN, Simpson SD (2018). Habitat degradation negatively affects auditory settlement behavior of coral reef fishes. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 115(20), 5193-5198. Abstract.
Townhill BL, Tinker J, Jones M, Pitois S, Creach V, Simpson SD, Dye S, Bear E, Pinnegar JK (2018). Harmful algal blooms and climate change: exploring future distribution changes. ICES JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE, 75(6), 1882-1893.  Author URL.
Piercy JJB, Smith DJ, Jompa J, Simpson SD, Codling EA (2018). High temporal resolution sampling reveals reef fish settlement is highly clustered. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, 75(4), 560-568. Abstract.
Jain-Schlaepfer S, Fakan E, Rummer JL, Simpson SD, McCormick MI (2018). Impact of motorboats on fish embryos depends on engine type. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY, 6  Author URL.
Meekan MG, McCormick MI, Simpson SD, Chivers DP, Ferrari MCO (2018). Never off the hook-how fishing subverts predator-prey relationships in marine teleosts. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, 6(OCT). Abstract.
Ferrari MCO, McCormick MI, Meekan MG, Simpson SD, Nedelec SL, Chivers DP (2018). School is out on noisy reefs: the effect of boat noise on predator learning and survival of juvenile coral reef fishes. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 285(1871), 20180033-20180033. Abstract.
Simpson SD, Barber I, Winfield IJ (2018). Understanding fish populations. Journal of Fish Biology, 92(3), 563-568.
Townhill BL, Van Der Molen J, Metcalfe JD, Simpson SD, Farcas A, Pinnegar JK (2017). Consequences of climate-induced low oxygen conditions for commercially important fish. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 580, 191-204. Abstract.
Sherman KD, King RA, Dahlgren CP, Simpson SD, Stevens JR, Tyler CR (2017). Historical processes and contemporary anthropogenic activities influence genetic population dynamics of Nassau grouper (Epinephelus striatus) within the Bahamas. Frontiers in Marine Science, 4(DEC). Abstract.
Nedelec SL, Mills SC, Radford AN, Beldade R, Simpson SD, Nedelec B, Côté IM (2017). Motorboat noise disrupts co-operative interspecific interactions. Scientific Reports, 7(1). Abstract.
Nedelec SL, Radford AN, Pearl L, Nedelec B, McCormick MI, Meekan MG, Simpson SD (2017). Motorboat noise impacts parental behaviour and offspring survival in a reef fish. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 284(1856), 20170143-20170143. Abstract.
Townhill B, Pinnegar J, Tinker J, Jones M, Simpson S, Stebbing P, Dye S (2017). Non‐native marine species in north‐west Europe: Developing an approach to assess future spread using regional downscaled climate projections. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems, 27(5), 1035-1050. Abstract.
Rossi T, Nagelkerken I, Simpson SD, Pistevos JCA, Watson SA, Merillet L, Fraser P, Munday PL, Connell SD (2017). Ocean acidification boosts larval fish development but reduces the window of opportunity for successful settlement. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 282(1821). Abstract.
Castro JM, Amorim MCP, Oliveira AP, Gonçalves EJ, Munday PL, Simpson SD, Faria AM (2017). Painted goby larvae under high-CO2 fail to recognize reef sounds. PLoS ONE, 12(1). Abstract.
Bruintjes R, Harding HR, Bunce T, Birch F, Lister J, Spiga I, Benson T, Rossington K, Jones D, Tyler CR, et al (2017). Shipbuilding Docks as Experimental Systems for Realistic Assessments of Anthropogenic Stressors on Marine Organisms. BIOSCIENCE, 67(9), 853-859.  Author URL.
Simpson SD, Radford AN, Nedelec SL, Ferrari MCO, Chivers DP, McCormick MI, Meekan MG (2016). Anthropogenic noise increases fish mortality by predation. Nature Communications, 7(1). Abstract.
Poulton DA, Porteus CS, Simpson SD (2016). Combined impacts of elevated CO₂ and anthropogenic noise on European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax). ICES Journal of Marine Science: journal du conseil Abstract.
Purser J, Bruintjes R, Simpson SD, Radford AN (2016). Condition-dependent physiological and behavioural responses to anthropogenic noise. PHYSIOLOGY & BEHAVIOR, 155, 157-161.  Author URL.
Purser J, Bruintjes R, Simpson SD, Radford AN (2016). Condition-dependent physiological and behavioural responses to anthropogenic noise. Physiology & Behavior, 155, 157-161. Abstract.
Nedelec SL, Campbell J, Radford AN, Simpson SD, Merchant ND (2016). Particle motion: the missing link in underwater acoustic ecology. Methods in Ecology and Evolution, 7(7), 836-842. Abstract.
Evans SM, McKenna C, Simpson SD, Tournois J, Genner MJ (2016). Patterns of species range evolution in Indo-Pacific reef assemblages reveal the Coral Triangle as a net source of transoceanic diversity. Biology Letters, 12(6), 20160090-20160090. Abstract.
Holles S, Simpson SD, Lecchini D, Radford AEN (2016). Playback experiments for noise exposure. , 875, 461-466. Abstract.
Bruintjes R, Purser J, Everley KA, Mangan S, Simpson SD, Radford AN (2016). Rapid recovery following short-term acoustic disturbance in two fish species. Royal Society Open Science, 3 Abstract.
Radford AN, Lèbre L, Lecaillon G, Nedelec SL, Simpson SD (2016). Repeated exposure reduces the response to impulsive noise in European seabass. Global Change Biology, 22(10), 3349-3360. Abstract.
Nedelec SL, Mills SC, Lecchini D, Nedelec B, Simpson SD, Radford AN (2016). Repeated exposure to noise increases tolerance in a coral reef fish. Environ Pollut, 216, 428-436. Abstract.  Author URL.
Simpson SD, Purser J, Radford AN (2015). Anthropogenic noise compromises antipredator behaviour in European eels. Global Change Biology, 21(2), 586-593. Abstract.
Simpson SD, Purser J, Radford AN (2015). Anthropogenic noise compromises antipredator behaviour in European eels. Glob Chang Biol, 21(2), 586-593. Abstract.  Author URL.
Radford AN, Purser J, Bruintjes R, Wale M, Everley KA, Voellmy I, Holles S, Simpson SD (2015). Beyond a simple effect: Variable and changing responses to anthropogenic noise. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology
Voellmy I, Purser J, Simpson SD, Radford AN (2015). Effects of previous acoustic experience on behavioral responses to experimental sound stimuli and implications for research. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology
Rutterford L, Simpson SD, Jennings S, Johnson MP, Blanchard JL, Schön P-J, Sims DW, Tinker J, Genner MJ (2015). Future fish distributions constrained by depth in warming seas. Nature Climate Change
Townhill BL, Maxwell D, Engelhard GH, Simpson SD, Pinnegar JK (2015). Historical Arctic Logbooks Provide Insights into Past Diets and Climatic Responses of Cod. PLoS One, 10(9). Abstract.  Author URL.
Williams R, Wright AJ, Ashe E, Blight LK, Bruintjes R, Canessa R, Clark CW, Cullis-Suzuki S, Dakin DT, Erbe C, et al (2015). Impacts of anthropogenic noise on marine life: publication patterns, new discoveries, and future directions in research and management. Ocean & Coastal Management, 115, 17-24. Abstract.
Nedelec SL, Simpson SD, Morley EL, Nedelec B, Radford AN (2015). Impacts of predictable and unpredictable noise on the behaviour, growth and condition of larval Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua). Proceedings of the Royal Society B
Everley KA, Radford AN, Simpson SD (2015). Pile-driving noise impairs anti-predator behavior of the European sea bass Dicentrarchus labrax. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology
Holles S, Simpson SD, Lecchini D, Radford AN (2015). Playback experiments for repeated boat noise exposure. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology
One of 51 Authors, Simpson SD (2015). Prioritisation of knowledge-needs for sustainable aquaculture: a national and global perspective. Fish and Fisheries
Simpson SD, Radford AN, Holles S, Ferrari MCO, Chivers DP, McCormick MI, Meekan MG (2015). Small boat noise impacts natural settlement behaviour of coral reef fish larvae. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology
Nedelec SL, Simpson SD, Holderied MW, Radford AN, Lecellier G, Radford C, Lecchini D (2015). Soundscapes and living communities in coral reefs: temporal and spatial variation. Marine Ecology: Progress Series
Piercy JJB, Smith DJ, Codling EA, Hill AJ, Simpson SD (2015). The good, the bad and the distant: Soundscape cues for larval fish. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology
Parmentier E, Berten L, Rigo P, Aubrun F, Nedelec S, Simpson SD, Lecchini D (2015). The influence of various reef sounds on coral fish larvae behaviour. Journal of Fish Biology
Parmentier E, Berten L, Rigo P, Aubrun F, Nedelec SL, Simpson SD, Lecchini D (2015). The influence of various reef sounds on coral-fish larvae behaviour. Journal of Fish Biology, 86(5), 1507-1518. Abstract.
Radford AN, Kerridge E, Simpson SD (2014). Acoustic communication in a noisy world: can fish compete with anthropogenic noise?. Behavioral Ecology, 25, 1022-1030.
Simpson SD, Purser J, Radford AN (2014). Acoustic disturbance compromises fish anti-predator behaviour. Global Change Biology
Voellmy IK, Purser J, Flynn D, Kennedy P, Simpson SD, Radford AN (2014). Acoustic noise reduces foraging success in two sympatric species via different mechanisms. Animal Behaviour, 89, 191-198.
Nedelec S, Radford AN, Simpson SD, Nedelec B, Lecchini D, Mills SC (2014). Anthropogenic noise playback impairs embryonic development and increases mortality in a marine invertebrate. Nature Scientific Reports, 4
Read J, Jones G, Radford AN (2014). Fitness costs as well as benefits are important when considering responses to anthropogenic noise. BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY, 25(1), 4-7.  Author URL.
Piercy JBB, Codling EA, Hill AJ, Smith DJ, Simpson SD (2014). Habitat quality affects sound production and likely distance of detection on coral reefs. Marine Ecology: Progress Series, 516, 35-47.
Voellmy IK, Purser J, Simpson SD, Radford AN (2014). Increased noise levels have contrasting impacts on anti-predator behaviour in two sympatric fish species. PLoS One, 7(9).
Simpson SD, Harrison HB, Claereboudt MR, Planes S (2014). Long-distance dispersal via ocean currents connects Omani clownfish populations throughout entire species range. PLoS One, 9(9).
Radford AN, Simpson SD (2014). Response to comments on how fish might adjust their acoustic communication in anthropogenic noise. Behavioral Ecology, 25, 1035-1036.
Holles S, Simpson SD, Radford AN, Berten L, Lecchini D (2013). Boat noise disrupts orientation behaviour in a coral reef fish. Marine Ecology: Progress Series, 485, 295-300.
Simpson SD, Piercy JJB, King J, Codling EA (2013). Modelling larval dispersal and behaviour of coral reef fishes. Ecological Complexity, 16, 68-76.
Simpson SD, Piercy JJ, King J, Codling EA (2013). Modelling larval dispersal and behaviour of coral reef fishes. Ecological Complexity
Simpson SD (2013). Never say never in a noisy world. Behavioral Ecology, 24, 798-799.
Wale MA, Simpson SD, Radford AN (2013). Noise negatively affects foraging and antipredator behaviour in shore crabs. Animal Behaviour, 86(1), 111-118.
Wale MA, Simpson SD, Radford AN (2013). Noise negatively affects foraging and antipredator behaviour in shore crabs. Animal Behaviour
Wale M, Simpson SD, Radford AN (2013). Playback of ship noise negatively affects foraging and anti-predator behaviour in shore crabs. Animal Behaviour
Wale M, Simpson SD, Radford AN (2013). Size-dependent physiological responses of shore crabs to single and repeated playback of ship noise. Biology Letters, 9, 20121194-20121194.
Lecchini D, Waqalevu VP, Holles S, LeRohellec M, Brié C, Simpson SD (2013). Vertical and horizontal distributions of coral reef fish larvae in open water immediately prior to reef colonization. Journal of Fish Biology
Lecchini D, Waqalevu VP, Holles S, Lerohellec M, Brie C, Simpson SD (2013). Vertical and horizontal distributions of coral-reef fish larvae in open water immediately prior to reef colonization. Journal of Fish Biology, 82(6), 2135-2140. Abstract.
Nagelkerken I, Simpson SD (2013). Who’s hot and who’s not: ocean warming alters species dominance through competitive displacement. Journal of Animal Ecology, 82, 287-289.
Huijbers CM, Nagelkerken I, Lössbroek PAC, Schulten IE, Siegenthaler A, Holderied MW, Simpson SD (2012). A test of the senses: Fish select novel habitats by responding to multiple cues. Ecology, 93(1), 46-55. Abstract.
Greenstreet SPR, Fraser HM, Rogers SI, Trenkel VM, Simpson SD, Pinnegar JK (2012). Redundancy in metrics describing the composition, structure, and functioning of the North Sea demersal fish community. ICES Journal of Marine Science, 69(1), 8-22. Abstract.
Spencer M, Mieszkowska N, Robinson LA, Simpson SD, Burrows MT, Birchenough SNR, Capasso E, Cleall-Harding P, Crummy J, Duck C, et al (2012). Region-wide changes in marine ecosystem dynamics: State-space models to distinguish trends from step changes. Global Change Biology, 18(4), 1270-1281. Abstract.
Simpson SD, Radford AN, Tickle EJ, Meekan MG, Jeffs AG (2011). Adaptive avoidance of reef noise. PLoS One, 6(2). Abstract.  Author URL.
Edwards M (2011). BIODIVERSITY AND ECOSYSTEMS Change at the community level. NATURE CLIMATE CHANGE, 1(8), 398-399.  Author URL.
Simpson SD, Jennings S, Johnson MP, Blanchard JL, Schön P-J, Sims DW, Genner MJ (2011). Continental shelf-wide response of a fish assemblage to rapid warming of the sea. Curr Biol, 21(18), 1565-1570. Abstract.  Author URL.
Lo-Yat A, Simpson SD, Meekan M, Lecchini D, Martinez E, Galzin R (2011). Extreme climatic events reduce ocean productivity and larval supply in a tropical reef ecosystem. Global Change Biology, 17(4), 1695-1702. Abstract.
Radford CA, Stanley JA, Simpson SD, Jeffs AG (2011). Juvenile coral reef fish use sound to locate habitats. Coral Reefs, 30(2), 295-305. Abstract.
Harborne AR, Mumby PJ (2011). Novel ecosystems: altering fish assemblages in warming waters. Curr Biol, 21(19), R822-R824. Abstract.  Author URL.
Simpson SD, Munday PL, Wittenrich ML, Manassa R, Dixson DL, Gagliano M, Yan HY (2011). Ocean acidification erodes crucial auditory behaviour in a marine fish. Biol Lett, 7(6), 917-920. Abstract.  Author URL.
Spencer M, Birchenough SNR, Mieszkowska N, Robinson LA, Simpson SD, Burrows MT, Capasso E, Cleall-Harding P, Crummy J, Duck C, et al (2011). Temporal change in UK marine communities: Trends or regime shifts?. Marine Ecology, 32(SUPPL. 1), 10-24. Abstract.
Simpson SD, Meekan MG, Larsen NJ, McCauley RD, Jeffs A (2010). Behavioral plasticity in larval reef fish: Orientation is influenced by recent acoustic experiences. Behavioral Ecology, 21(5), 1098-1105. Abstract.
Vermeij MJA, Marhaver KL, Huijbers CM, Nagelkerken I, Simpson SD (2010). Coral larvae move toward reef sounds. PLoS ONE, 5(5). Abstract.
Kennedy EV, Holderied MW, Mair JM, Guzman HM, Simpson SD (2010). Spatial patterns in reef-generated noise relate to habitats and communities: Evidence from a Panamanian case study. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL MARINE BIOLOGY AND ECOLOGY, 395(1-2), 85-92.  Author URL.
Genner MJ, Halliday NC, Simpson SD, Southward AJ, Hawkins SJ, Sims DW (2010). Temperature-driven phenological changes within a marine larval fish assemblage. Journal of Plankton Research, 32(5), 699-708. Abstract.
Heenan A, Simpson SD, Meekan MG, Healy SD, Braithwaite VA (2009). Restoring depleted coral-reef fish populations through recruitment enhancement: a proof of concept. J Fish Biol, 75(7), 1857-1867. Abstract.  Author URL.
Gagliano M, Depczynski M, Simpson SD, Moore JAY (2008). Dispersal without errors: Symmetrical ears tune into the right frequency for survival. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 275(1634), 527-534. Abstract.
Simpson SD, Jeffs A, Montgomery JC, McCauley RD, Meekan MG (2008). Nocturnal relocation of adult and juvenile coral reef fishes in response to reef noise. Coral Reefs, 27(1), 97-104. Abstract.
Simpson SD, Meekan MG, Jeffs A, Montgomery JC, McCauley RD (2008). Settlement-stage coral reef fish prefer the higher-frequency invertebrate-generated audible component of reef noise. Animal Behaviour, 75(6), 1861-1868. Abstract.
Simpson SD (2008). The sounds of the reef: can we learn to listen before it is too late?. Bioacoustics: the international journal of animal sound and its recording, 17, 28-29.
Simpson SD (2007). Behaviour of fish in noisy environments. Proceedings of the Institute of Acoustics, 29(PART 3), 241-248.
Dytham C, Simpson SD (2007). Elevated mortality of fish larvae on coral reefs drives the evolution of larval movement patterns. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 346, 255-264. Abstract.
Codling EA, Pitchford JW, Simpson SD (2007). Group navigation and the "many-wrongs principle" in models of animal movement. Ecology, 88(7), 1864-1870. Abstract.
Simpson SD (2007). The Kindergarten Diaries. Planet Earth(SUMMER), 10-11. Abstract.
Montgomery JC, Jeffs A, Simpson SD, Meekan M, Tindle C (2006). Sound as an Orientation Cue for the Pelagic Larvae of Reef Fishes and Decapod Crustaceans. Advances in Marine Biology, 51, 143-196. Abstract.
Simpson SD, Meekan M, Montgomery J, McCauley R, Jeffs A (2005). Homeward sound. Science, 308(5719). Abstract.  Author URL.
Simpson SD, Yan HY, Wittenrich ML, Meekan MG (2005). Response of embryonic coral reef fishes (Pomacentridae: Amphiprion spp.) to noise. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 287, 201-208. Abstract.
Simpson SD, Meekan MG, McCauley RD, Jeffs A (2004). Attraction of settlement-stage coral reef fishes to reef noise. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 276(1), 263-268. Abstract.
Codling EA, Hill NA, Pitchford JW, Simpson SD (2004). Random walk models for the movement and recruitment of reef fish larvae. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 279, 215-224. Abstract.
Priest MA, Simpson SD, Dytham C (2003). Do early life history characteristics determine species ranges and dispersal of coral reef fishes in the Indo‐Pacific?. Journal of Fish Biology, 63(s1), 254-255.
Simpson SD, Dytham C, Meekan MG (2003). Does behaviour explain the larval dispersal of coral reef fishes better than oceanography?– an individual based model simulation approach. Journal of Fish Biology, 63(s1), 241-241.
Watson M, Power R, Simpson SD, Munro JL (2002). Low cost light traps for coral reef fishery research and sustainable ornamental fisheries. Naga, the ICLARM Quarterly, 25, 4-7. Abstract.
Simpson SD, Wittenrich ML, Meekan MG, Yan HY (2002). The importance of sound for navigation at settlement in coral reef fishes, with reference to the development of the auditory response. The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 112(5), 2204-2205.
Ducrotoy JPA, Simpson SD (2001). Developments in the application of photography to ecological monitoring, with reference to algal beds. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems, 11(2), 123-135. Abstract.

Chapters

Radford AN, Purser J, Bruintjes R, Voellmy I, Everley K, Wale M, Holles S, Simpson SD (2016). Beyond a simple effect: variable and changing responses to anthropogenic noise. In Popper AN, Hawkins A (Eds.) The Effects of Noise on Aquatic Life II, Springer New York, 901-907.
Simpson SD, Radford AN, Holles S, Ferrari MCO, Chivers DP, McCormick MI, Meekan MG (2016). Small boat noise impacts natural settlement behaviour of coral reef fish larvae. In Popper AN, Hawkins A (Eds.) The Effects of Noise on Aquatic Life II, Springer New York, 1041-1048.
Odling‐Smee L, Simpson SD, Braithwaite VA (2011). The Role of Learning in Fish Orientation. In  (Ed) Fish Cognition and Behavior, Wiley, 166-185.
Odling-Smee L, Simpson SD, Braithwaite VA (2007). The Role of Learning in Fish Orientation. In  (Ed) Fish Cognition and Behavior, 119-138.

Conferences

Roberts L, Harding HR, Voellmy I, Bruintjes R, Simpson SD, Radford AN, Breithaupt T, Elliott M (2016). Exposure of benthic invertebrates to sediment vibration: from laboratory experiments to outdoor simulated pile-driving. Abstract.
Bruintjes R, Simpson SD, Harding H, Bunce T, Benson T, Rossington K, Jones D (2016). The impact of experimental impact pile driving on oxygen uptake in black seabream and plaice.
Bruintjes R, Armstrong-Smith E, Botterell Z, Renshaw E, Tozer B, Benson T, Rossington K, Jones D, Simpson SD (2014). A tool to predict the impact of anthropogenic noise on fish.
Voellmy I, Purser J, Simpson SD, Radford AN (2014). Assessing effects of increased noise levels on fish behaviour.
Broudic M, Berggren P, Laing S, Pace F, Neves S, Voellmy I, Dobbins P, Radford A, Simpson SD, Robinson S, et al (2014). Underwater noise emission from the NOAH’s drilling operation at the narec site, Blyth, UK. Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Environmental Interactions of Marine Renewable Energy Technologies (EIMR2014). 28th Apr - 2nd May 2014. Abstract.
Harding H, Rutterford L, Genner M, Jennings S, Simpson SD (2013). Impacts of climate change on the body size of horse mackerel in the North Sea. ICES Annual Science Conference. Abstract.
Heenan A, Simpson SD, Braithwaite VA (2009). Testing the generality of acoustic cue use at settlement in larval coral reef fish. 11th International Coral Reef Symposium. Abstract.

Reports

Pinnegar JK, Garrett A, Simpson SD, Engelhard GH, van der Kooij J (2017). Fisheries.
Simpson SD, Blanchard, JL, Genner, MG (2013). Impacts of climate change on fish. 11 pages.

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External Engagement and Impact

Awards/Honorary fellowships

2019 - ZSL Science Medal Winner

2016 – FSBI Medal Winner

2013/14, 2014/15 – Ranked by Exeter students as top lecturer in Biosciences

2015 – Runner up for Pew Fellowship in Marine Conservation

2008 – Duke of Edinburgh Prize for Oman Expedition

2003 – Runner up for Royal Institution / L’Oreal Graduate of the Year

2002 – Best Presentation, Ecology & Evolutionary Ethology of Fishes conference, Québec

2001 – Winner, Daily Telegraph (20-27) Young Science Writer Award: “Solo’s Odyssey”


Committee/panel activities

Science Committee Member: International Quiet Ocean Experiment (IQOE)

NERC College

UK Representative: ICES Working Group for Fish Ecology

Committee Member: Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research (SCOR) - Coral Reef Acoustics

Academic Representative: Underwater Sound Forum

Academic Representative: SeaFish Risk Assessment for Sustainable Seafood

I was the lead author for UK Parliament 2013 Marine Climate Change Impacts Partnership (MCCIP) report on climate change and fish, and co-author of 2017 MCCIP Report on Impacts of Climte Change on Fisheries

I was a NERC Knowledge Exchange Fellow (Cabot Institute Fellows Page / Blog), so alongside my research I develped lasting collaborations with research end-users (aka the real world), including policy makers, marine industries, fisheries scientists and conservation groups. I have a diverse range of partners, including Defra, the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas, the IUCN, the UK Underwater Sound Forum, the fishing industry, the offshore renewable energy sector and the Institute of Marine Engineering Science and Technology, with whom I organise workshops, develop policy documents and policy briefings and build science-industry links to ensure the science we produce is of real value to society.

I am committed to developing a sustainable, productive, prosperous, and aesthetically inspiring marine environment from which future generations can draw economic benefit and enjoyment in equal measures.


Editorial responsibilities

I have reviewed for >15 funding agencies, >50 journals and >5 books and examined >15 postgraduate theses.


Invited lectures

I have given >10 Invited conference talks, >40 Conference Presentations, >40 University Seminars, >20 student/collaborator talks at conferences, >20 public lectures and >10 invited talks to policy makers


Media Coverage

I am an experienced communicator (Daily Telegraph Science Writer 2001) with a passion for delivering science to the public and to children. I have provided expert interviews (e.g. BBC News, BBC Countryfile, BBC Radio 4, New Scientist), given public lectures (e.g. TEDx (twice), Edinburgh Filmhouse, Southbank Centre), organised ecotourism events (e.g. Sea & Learn on Saba), and led biodiversity initiatives in secondary and primary schools.

My research has been widely covered by:

Television: BBC1 "David Attenborough's Great Barrier Reef" documentary

Radio: BBC R4 “Sound of Life” documentary, CBC “Quirks & Quarks” features, NPR interview, ABC Australia Interviews, Deutschland Radio interview, Radio Sweden Interview, NERC podcasts

Newspapers: Guardian, Independent, Daily Telegraph, Financial Times, New York Times, LA Times, Herald Tribune, Seattle Times, The Australian, Sydney Morning Herald

Science/Specialist publications: Science Random Samples, Science Online, Nature Online, New Scientist News, Scientific American, The Scientist, NERC Planet Earth, National Geographic

For hyperlinks, please see Research Page


Research funding

Recent Funding

2018 - EMFF - Scientists and small-scale fisheries creating quality and sustainability standard (£35k)
2018 – Ecocean-Exeter-Bristol – Habitat and fisheries restoration (£80k)
2017 – EMFF / Natural England funded project to assess the Live Wrasse Fishery (£80k)
2017 – Vice-Chancellor PhD award for Kieran McCloskey - Effects of noise on nesting fish
2016 – Royal Society Research Grant (£15k)
2016 – NERC Standard Grant - Motorboat and fish reproduction project (£636k)
​2016 – Exeter-Bristol-AIMS-Cefas GW4+ Studentship (£50k)
2015 – Bristol-Exeter-Cefas GW4+ Studentship (£50k)
2014 – NERC MREKEP, GW4+ and Exeter-NERC Impact Accelerator funding (>£50k)
2014 – Marine Scotland-Exeter-Bristol Marine Noise project (£50k)
2014 – Exeter-Bristol-Cefas GW4+ Studentship (£50k)
2014 – 2 x Exeter GW4+ Studentships (£50k)
2014 – Ecocean-Exeter-Bristol Marine Noise project (€300k)
2013 – Cefas-CASE PhD studentship (£50k)
2013 – NERC/TSB Knowledge Transfer Partnership with HR Wallingford (£300k) - Academic Lead
2012 – WUN Research Development Fund (£14k)
2012 – FCT Portugal – Ocean acidification and fish (€122k)
2012 – Marine Scotland – Hearing in salmonids (£10k)
2012 – NERC-CASE PhD Studentship (£50k)
2012 – ARC funding to work with Mark McCormick at Lizard Island (£4k)
2012 – NERC KE Fellowship Extension (£30k)
2012 – NERC Impact Case Study Grant Exeter (£5k)
2012 – NERC Impact Case Study Grant Bristol (£10k)
2011 – FSBI Travel Grant (£1000)
2011 – Bristol Marine Noise Workshop: SOFI fund (£7650), MREKE (£7650), USF (£500)
2011 – NERC KE Fellowship (£103k)
2011 – ANNiMs otolith grant (A$300k)
2010 – NERC PhD studentship (£60k)
2010 – Bristol Research Committee grant (£2,000)
2010 – Defra Anthropogenic Sound (£600k)
2010 – London Fisheries Symposium Grant (£200)
2010 – BBSRC Public Engagement Award for Biodiversity Week (£4,647)
2010 – PISCES International Travel Grant to attend International Symposium of Climate Change Effects on Fish and Fisheries in Sendai, Japan (£1,066)
2010 – ARC funding to work with Phil Munday at James Cook University (£769)
2009 – AIMS Visiting Academic Grant (£2,500)
2008 – CRISP Grant for work in Moorea (€87,780)

Additional Grants with my students, postdocs and collaborators

2019 – Exeter Education Incubator for undergraduate participation in reef restoration project (£2k)
2019 – FSBI Summer Bursary for undergraduate participation in Live Wrasse Fishery project (£2k)
2019 – Mars Sustanability Solutions funding for Indonesia reef restoration expedition (8k)
2016 – Exeter Annual Fund grant for student Sustainable Fisheries project (£2k)
2013 – Society of Biology/British Ecological Society and Fishmongers Company Internship (£2k)
2012 – NERC Business Internship for my PhD Student Irene Voellmy (£16k)
2012 – NERC Business Internship for my postdoc Rick Bruintjes (£16k)
2012 – Royal Society Newton Fellowship and AXA Fellowship for Cosima Porteus (with Rod Wilson; £400k)
2012 – UWA Travel Grant for Adam Roundtry (with Mark Meekan; £2k)
2009 – EU studentship for Irene Voellmy (with Andy Radford) (£49k)
2009 – Research Committee Summer studentship for Julius Piercy (with Andy Radford)


Workshops/Conferences organised

I was lead convener for the 2017 50th Anniversary Symposium of the Fisheries Society of the British Isles

I have convened symposia at international conferences, including:

2017 – Convener, Acoustic Ecology of Coral Reefs, Indo-Pacific Fish Conference, Tahiti
2012 – Convener, Larval ecology symposium, International Coral Reef Symposium, Cairns
2010 – Convener, Larval behaviour symposium, Larval Biology conference, Wellington
2006 – Convener, Marine bioacoustics symposium, Ocean Sciences conference, Honolulu

I have organised conferences and workshops, including

2015 – Convener, Marine Anthropogenic Noise Knowledge Exchange, Newcastle
2015 – Convener, Sustainable Fisheries in 2050 ThinkTank, London
2012 – Convener, Biological Effects of Marine Noise Knowledge Exchange, Bristol
2007 – Scottish Tropical Biology Meeting, Edinburgh
2006 – Scottish Fish Symposium, Millport

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Teaching

1st Year: Academic tutorials, Marine Biology (Penryn)

2nd Year: Marine Biology; Coral Reef Field Course; Practical Skills in Field Ecology; Academic tutorials

3rd Year: Current Issues in Marine Biology; Academic tutorials

3rd Year Dissertations: Global Fisheries and Climate Change; Anthropogenic Noise and Marine Ecosystems; Biological Impacts of Ocean Acidification

MRes: Masters By Research, MSc Food Security & Sustainable Agriculture, MSc Conservation and Biodiversity, MSc Global Sustainability Solutions (Blue Planet module), MSci Biosciences (Creating a Better Anthropocene for Marine Life module)

Postgraduate Supervision:

  • Lead supervisor for 8 PhD studentships (Exeter, Cefas, AIMS and Edinburgh, incl. 4 CASE)
  • Co-supervisor for 13 PhD studentships (5 x Exeter, 4 x Bristol, JCU, York, Essex, Liège, Nijmegen and Adelaide)
  • Supervised/co-supervised 25 Masters and 41 Honours students around the world

I have a diverse range of previous teaching experience:

  • Postgraduate training modules in Knowledge Exchange, Science & the Media, Public Engagement in Science, Universities of Exeter & Bristol
  • Marine Biology lectures for Certificate in Wildlife Biology, University of Bristol
  • Field Zoology - 2rd Year module, University of Edinburgh
  • Behavioural Ecology - 3rd Year module, University of Edinburgh
  • undergraduate lectures (Edinburgh & St Andrews), tutoring & demonstrating
  • chalk boards on Belizean beaches (marine scientist, Raleigh International)
  • eco-restaurants and community centres in the Caribbean (lecturer, Sea & Learn on Saba)
  • primary school assemblies (coordinator, Biodiversity Weeks)
  • secondary school classrooms (Researcher in Residence, York and Cornwall)
  • on stage at the Bristol M-Shed (TEDx), the Edinburgh Filmhouse and Bristol Tobacco Factory (Cafe Scientifique) & Edinburgh Traverse Theatre (Underground Talent)
  • Dive instructor (27 trained divers)

Modules

2023/24

Information not currently available


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Supervision / Group

Postdoctoral researchers

Postgraduate researchers

Alumni

  • Tom Alpe - now DFID (MSc Food Security 2013-14)
  • Emily Armstrong-Smith Now managing marine conservation programme in Maldives
  • Fiona Birch - now with Client Earth (BSc 2014–15)
  • Zara Botterell - now PhD at Plymouth Marine Laboratory
  • Kirsty Everley - now a practicing Solicitor (MRes Aquatic Biosciences and Resource Management 2012-13)
  • Harry Harding - now University of Bristol PhD (MRes Aquatic Biosciences and Resource Management 2012-13)
  • Hugo Harrison - now Postdoctoral Research Fellow, James Cook University (Royal Society RA 2016)
  • Adel Heenan - now NOAA Hawai'i (PhD 2005-8)
  • Emma Kennedy - now University of Queensland Postdoctoral Research Fellow (MSc Heriot Watt 2004-5)
  • Jess Lister - now 3rd year Exeter (FSBI summer bursary)
  • Sophie Nedelec Bristol PhD student (2010–2015)
  • Julius Piercy Current Essex PhD Student
  • Mark Priest - now PhD student at the University of Queensland (BSc 2002)
  • Bryony Uglow Now Tutor with Field Studies Council
  • Irene Voellmy - now NERC KE Associate (PhD 2009-13)
  • Matt Wale - now Edinburgh Napier University PhD (MbyRes 2011-12)

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Office Hours:

Academia provides amazing freedom to choose unconventional hours, work anywhere in the world, and communicate with collaborators across the globe. So if I am not in my office, please feel free to send me an email (S.Simpson@exeter.ac.uk) to arrange a meeting or Skype (sdsimpson).

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