I am the Science Manager for Bird Island. I joined the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) in January 2021, and prior to this have been working in Ireland for the last eight years undertaking a variety of research on seabirds and marine mammals.

Research interests

Ash specialises in the spatial ecology of higher predators. Movement is a trait shared by all life on Earth, and Ash’s work looks to understand how the behaviour of individual animals can inform the distribution of species. Ash’s doctoral research focused on seabirds, primarily Northern gannets and puffins, and used tagging technologies to track the movement paths of animals. He has also worked on sharks, sea bass and cetaceans.

Publications can be seen on Google Scholar

Publications from NERC Open Research Archive

• Trathan, P., Waluda, C., Ratcliffe, N., & Bennison, A. (2026). Gentoo penguin nesting chronology at Bird Island, South Georgia, from 1988 to 2025 – VERSION 2.0 (Version 2.0) [Data set]. NERC EDS UK Polar Data Centre. https://doi.org/10.5285/5d497e91-29a6-4760-a9b0-904c93052671

• Trathan, P., Waluda, C., Ratcliffe, N., & Bennison, A. (2026). Fledging weights of macaroni penguin chicks from a colony at Fairy Point, Bird Island, from 1989 to 2025 – VERSION 2.0 (Version 2.0) [Data set]. NERC EDS UK Polar Data Centre. https://doi.org/10.5285/694d1d07-da51-42b7-94b0-4404e50bdf99

• Bennison, A., Trathan, P., Waluda, C., & Ratcliffe, N. (2026). Fledging weights of Gentoo penguin chicks from a colony at Johnson Cove, Bird Island, from 1989 to 2025 – VERSION 2.0 (Version 2.0) [Data set]. NERC EDS UK Polar Data Centre. https://doi.org/10.5285/41c6b474-241a-494d-83a0-e4e6c4a846da

• Trathan, P., Waluda, C., Ratcliffe, N., & Bennison, A. (2026). Breeding success of macaroni penguins at Bird Island, South Georgia, from 1978 to 2025 – VERSION 2.0 (Version 2.0) [Data set]. NERC EDS UK Polar Data Centre. https://doi.org/10.5285/8902f094-1d1f-4092-9aa5-180a2a8e57ec

• Ratcliffe, N., Trathan, P., Waluda, C., & Bennison, A. (2026). Breeding success of Gentoo penguins at Bird Island, South Georgia, from 1981 to 2025 – VERSION 2.0 (Version 2.0) [Data set]. NERC EDS UK Polar Data Centre. https://doi.org/10.5285/8fedb5a0-b98c-4457-9d86-aae9c6d3ed8e

• Trathan, P., Waluda, C., Ratcliffe, N., & Bennison, A. (2026). Arrival weights of macaroni penguins at Bird Island, from 1988 to 2025 – VERSION 2.0 (Version 2.0) [Data set]. NERC EDS UK Polar Data Centre. https://doi.org/10.5285/472713db-3724-442f-8a24-a1f8834123d9

• Day, G., Callaghan, J., Rayner, C., Tarrant, P., & Bennison, A. (2025). Ringing data and resightings of snowy sheathbills (Chionis albus) from Bird Island, South Georgia, September 2024 to September 2025 (Version 1.0) [Data set]. NERC EDS UK Polar Data Centre. https://doi.org/10.5285/231b4167-5910-4107-83de-72d6a20d159d

• Morley, S., Campanella, F., Baylis, A., Barnes, D., Bell, J., Bennison, A., Collins, M., Glass, T., Martin, S., Whomersley, P., Young, E., & Schofield, A. (2024). Fisheries acoustic data, whale and bird data from two transits from the Falkland Islands to Tristan da Cunha during March 2018 (RRS James Clark Ross) and March 2019 (RRS Discovery) (Version 1.0) [Data set]. NERC EDS UK Polar Data Centre. https://doi.org/10.5285/db06c590-4f6d-4a8a-9b8c-ce45204103c1

1. Sustained Monitoring of Whales at South Georgia

   This project is creating a long-term framework for monitoring whale numbers and behaviour.

   Read more of: Sustained Monitoring of Whales at South Georgia

   

2. Conservation and leadership in Southern Ocean ecosystems

   CONSEC explores how climate change and human activity are transforming the Southern Ocean, guiding global science and conservation.

   Read more of: Conservation and leadership in Southern Ocean ecosystems

   

3. Wild Water Whales Acoustic Recovery Project (WWWARP)

   WWWARP used underwater acoustic recorders at South Georgia to monitor whale recovery.

   Read more of: Wild Water Whales Acoustic Recovery Project (WWWARP)

   

1. Avian flu now detected in albatrosses on South Georgia

   Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) continues to affect the wildlife on the subantarctic islands of South Georgia. The latest results from samples taken from the islands reveal that the disease has now been detected in the wandering albatross.

   Read more of: Avian flu now detected in albatrosses on South Georgia

   

2. Avian flu continues to affect wildlife on South Georgia

   Testing for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) continues on the subantarctic island of South Georgia since it was detected in October 2023. The latest results from samples taken from the islands reveal that the disease has now been detected in elephant and fur seals.

   Read more of: Avian flu continues to affect wildlife on South Georgia

   

3. Left or right winged? Handedness in diving northern gannets

   A new study of northern gannets has found that individual birds are left or right winged. The study, published in in Biology Letters, is the first to demonstrate ‘handedness’ in seabirds while hunting.

   Read more of: Left or right winged? Handedness in diving northern gannets