Connor Bamford
PhD Student
Biography
I am a third year PhD student with the SPITFIRE DTP and the British Antarctic Survey. My project is split into two main avenues. The first, applies Very-High-Resolution satellite imagery to the Western Antarctic Peninsula in the effort to (i) further establish the value of these methodologies to conservation science, and (ii) gain further insight into and develop our understanding of whale populations, behaviour and movement within this region.
The second avenue will apply satellite tagging data to investigate the spatial and temporal distribution of higher predator species in the waters surrounding South Georgia and the wider Scotia Sea. In particular, my research is focussed on identifying regions of ecological significance to multiple higher trophic species. To date, this includes: humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae), southern right whales (Eubalaena australis) and Antarctic fur seals (Arctocephalus gazella).
Prior to this PhD, I competed my MPhil in Polar Studies at the Scott Polar Research Institute, University of Cambridge in 2015, where my dissertation research investigated the spatial distribution of baleen whales in Eastern Antarctica. Preceding my MPhil, I graduated from the University of Southampton with a BSc (Hons.) degree in Environmental Sciences in 2014.
Cubaynes, H. C., Fretwell, P. T., Bamford, C., Gerrish, L. & Jackson, J. A. Whales from space: Four mysticete species described using new VHR satellite imagery. Marine Mammal Science, doi:https://doi.org/10.1111/mms.12544 (2019).
Robinson KP, Bamford CCG, Haskins GN, Airey A, Evans PGH (2017) The occurrence of killer whales (Orcinus orca) in the outer Moray Firth: Incidental Sightings, Behavioural Observations, and Photo-Identification. Aquatic Mammals, 43(1), 26-32.
Bamford CCG, Robinson KP (2015) An analysis of dorsal edge markings in short-beaked common dolphins (Delphinus delphis) from the Bay of Gibraltar and the Moray Firth. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom. doi:10.1017/S0025315415001150.
Publications from NERC Open Research Archive
2020
Jackson, Jennifer A. ORCID record for Jennifer A. Jackson, Kennedy, Amy, Moore, Michael, Andriolo, Artur, Bamford, Connor, Calderan, Susannah, Cheeseman, Ted, Gittins, George, Groch, Karina, Kelly, Natalie, Leaper, Russell, Leslie, Matthew S., Lurcock, Sarah, Millar, Brian S., Richardson, Jessica, Rowntree, Vicky, Smith, Patrick, Stepien, Emillie, Stowasser, Gabriele, Trathan, Phil, Vermeulen, Els, Zerbini, Alexandre N., Carroll, Emma L.. (2020) Have whales returned to a historical hotspot of industrial whaling? The pattern of southern right whale Eubalaena australis recovery at South Georgia. Endangered Species Research, 43. 17 pp. 10.3354/esr01072
Bamford, C.C.G., Kelly, N., Dalla Rosa, L., Cade, D.E., Fretwell, P. ORCID record for P. Fretwell, Trathan, P.N., Cubaynes, H. ORCID record for H. Cubaynes, Mesquita, A., Gerrish, L. ORCID record for L. Gerrish, Friedlaender, A.S., Jackson, J.A. ORCID record for J.A. Jackson. (2020) A comparison of baleen whale density estimates derived from overlapping satellite imagery and a shipborne survey. Scientific Reports, 10. 12 pp. 10.1038/s41598-020-69887-y
Robinson, Kevin P., Haskins, Gary N., Eisfeld-Pierantonio, Sonja M., Sidiropoulos, Theofilos, Bamford, Connor C.G.. (2020) Note: Presenting vertebral deformities in bottlenose dolphin Tursiops truncatus calves from a protected population in northeast Scotland. Diseases of Aquatic Organisms, 140. 103-108. 10.3354/dao03498
Carroll, Emma L., Ott, Paulo H., McMillan, Louise F., Galletti Vernazzani, Bárbara, Neveceralova, Petra, Vermeulen, Els, Gaggiotti, Oscar E., Andriolo, Artur, Baker, C. Scott, Bamford, Connor, Best, Peter, Cabrera, Elsa, Calderan, Susannah, Chirife, Andrea, Fewster, Rachel M., Flores, Paulo A.C., Frasier, Timothy, Freitas, Thales R.O., Groch, Karina, Hulva, Pavel, Kennedy, Amy, Leaper, Russell, Leslie, Matthew S., Moore, Michael, Oliveira, Larissa, Seger, Jon, Valenzuela, Luciano O., Stepien, Emilie N., Zerbini, Alexandre, Jackson, Jennifer A. ORCID record for Jennifer A. Jackson. (2020) Genetic diversity and connectivity of southern right whales (Eubalaena australis) found in the Brazil and Chile-Peru wintering grounds and the South Georgia (Islas Georgias del Sur) feeding ground. Journal of Heredity, 111. 263-276. 10.1093/jhered/esaa010
2019
Cubaynes, Hannah ORCID record for Hannah Cubaynes, Fretwell, Peter ORCID record for Peter Fretwell, Bamford, Connor, Gerrish, Laura ORCID record for Laura Gerrish, Jackson, Jennifer ORCID record for Jennifer Jackson. (2019) Whales from space: Four mysticete species described using new VHR satellite imagery. Marine Mammal Science, 35. 466-491. 10.1111/mms.12544
2020
Monitoring whales from space
News 31 July, 2020
2018
Watching whales from space
News 1 November, 2018