Catharine Horswill

Marine ecology and conservation with an emphasis on environmental change and human impacts

Research Area

My research investigates how environmental change and human activities shape marine populations and ecosystems across space and time. I combine long-term ecological monitoring, animal tracking, demographic data and environmental observations with advanced statistical and population modelling to identify the processes driving population change and predict future responses to climate change and other human pressures. I also develop quantitative methods and decision-support tools that help translate ecological evidence into conservation and management decisions, particularly in data-limited systems. Much of my work focuses on marine bioindicator species, particularly seabirds, as indicators of ecosystem health. I work closely with government agencies, conservation organisations and industry partners, including JNCC, RSPB, Natural England, The Crown Estate and the offshore renewable energy sector, to ensure that research directly informs environmental policy, marine spatial planning and impact assessment. 

Project Interests

I welcome projects that investigate how environmental change and human activities shape marine populations and ecosystems, with a particular focus on understanding and predicting biodiversity responses to climate change, fisheries, offshore renewable energy and other cumulative pressures. I am especially interested in developing quantitative approaches that combine long-term ecological data, animal tracking, demographic modelling and environmental datasets to inform conservation and management. I also welcome interdisciplinary projects at the science–policy interface, including ecological forecasting, evidence synthesis and decision-support tools that strengthen the use of science in environmental policy and conservation practice.