NERC Sea Mammal Research Unit (SMRU) Theses: Recent submissions
Now showing items 6-10 of 22
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Not just fat : investigating novel physiological state biomarkers in cetacean blubber
(University of St Andrews, 2019-06-26) - ThesisDespite its importance as a predictor of fitness, no consensus has been reached about how to assess the nutritive body condition of free-ranging cetaceans. Standard indices of condition used in terrestrial ecology were ... -
Communication accommodation theory : a dolphin perspective
(University of St Andrews, 2019-06-26) - ThesisFor humans, there is a well-established theory, which explains much of the variation in human verbal dyadic speech behavior, the “communication accommodation theory (CAT)”. In its most basic form, CAT predicts that as two ... -
Getting below the surface : density estimation methods for deep diving animals using slow autonomous underwater vehicles
(University of St Andrews, 2018) - ThesisUnderwater gliders can provide an alternative cost-effective platform for passive acoustic monitoring surveys, compared to boat surveys, for abundance estimation and to collect high resolution environmental data for habitat ... -
Counting the cost of tagging : quanitifying and reducing the behavioural and energetic impacts of tags in a large marine vertebrate
(University of St Andrews, 2018-06-27) - ThesisDespite the invaluable contribution of animal-borne sensors to research, an underlying issue with their use is the potential to impact the behaviour and energetics of instrumented animals, which could have consequences for ... -
Abundance estimate, survival and site fidelity patterns of Blainville’s (Mesoplodon densirostris) and Cuvier’s (Ziphius cavirostris) beaked whales off El Hierro (Canary Islands)
(University of St Andrews, 2018-06-27) - ThesisBeaked whales (Fam. Ziphiidae) comprise 22 different species, however due to their cryptic behaviour, information on these species is very limited. Beaked whales appear to be highly sensitive to anthropogenic noise, which ...