Smart-tagging Ocean Predators around Oxygen-Depleting Zones

A European Research Council (ERC) Advanced Grant worth up to €2.5M, has been awarded to Professor David Sims, a Senior Research Fellow at the Marine Biological Association (MBA) and professor at the University of Southampton to advance understanding of how climate-driven losses in ocean oxygen will impact large, active predators such as sharks and tuna(1).

Prof Sims said: “The award of this major grant is thrilling – it will enable new smart-tag technology to be developed for measuring predator physiology and behaviours in unprecedented detail, which will allow more accurate predictions about how shark and tuna distributions will shift in the face of climate change to aid conservation”. 

MBA Director, Professor Willie Wilson added: “We are very proud of this thoroughly deserved grant to Professor Sims whose world-class shark research programme contributes to our global aspirations. His achievement is extraordinary since the MBA now holds three ERC grants which all help epitomise our standing as the voice of marine biology through research excellence.” 

ERC President, Professor Mauro Ferrari, said: “I am glad to announce a new round of ERC grants that will back cutting-edge, exploratory research, set to help Europe and the world to be better equipped for what the future may hold. That’s the role of blue sky research. These senior research stars will cut new ground in a broad range of fields, including the area of health. I wish them all the best in this endeavour and at this time of crisis, let me pay tribute to the heroic and invaluable work of the scientific community as a whole.” 

(1)The ERC Advanced Grant to Prof Sims is for a project entitled: “OCEAN DEOXYFISH – Ocean deoxygenation effects on threatened top predators: New understanding and predictions from novel bio-logging instruments and data”.