Ecology PhD, UK | PhD Wildlife Conservation | PhD Environmental Management

Matthew supervises PhD students addressing a range of topics including human-animal relations, more-than-human and multispecies methods, Anthropocene studies, the posthumanities, psychology and the climate crisis, climate activism, mental health and distress, social and cultural identity. He is especially interested in supervising students adopting qualitative and creative methods. Interdisciplinary projects are especially welcome. 

I am keen to supervise projects that examine the effects of management and changing abiotic and biotic conditions on plant community, functional traits, physiology and multitrophic diversity. I am keen to use a range of novel approaches such as genomics, remote sensing, drones and red edge sensor camera.  Projects that I have supervised include 

• Extreme climate events and floodplain grassland plant communities: linking resilience to functional diversity (PhD)
• Understanding the demographics and genetic patterns of water voles in human modified landscapes (PhD)
• Influence of the distribution of green urban spaces on the cooling effect (MRes)

I’m interested in supervising postgraduate projects in all areas relating to remote sensing (RS) and geographical information systems (GIS) but particularly those which study ecosystems and ecosystem change and technological developments in relation to this. I currently supervise PhD students conducting studies in remote sensing, for example the assessment of economic drivers of Net Primary Productivity (NPP) from forested areas in the UK, and remote detection of river geomorphology using interferometry.  Recent PhD supervision successes have studied subjects such as remote sensing of carvings at Stonehenge, monitoring oil pollution in Nigerian mangroves, modelling seagrass growth in the Arabian Gulf, assessing wine quality from remotely detected vine characteristics, mapping disease prevalence in Cameroon, modelling sediment deposits on the river Lugg, and examining the statistical impact of trench mapping in archaeology.  I would like to encourage students to pursue their interests in this field by applying for PhD study or to join the taught MSc Geographical Information Systems and Environmental Management or the research focussed MRes GIS and Remote Sensing degrees at the University of Brighton following undergraduate studies.

For both MRes and PhD, I am particularly interested in supervising projects in the area of  intertidal, estuarine and riverine water / sediment interaction and climate. Examples of applications could include:

• Quantifying the impact that different types of Nature Based Solutions have on Riverine Flood Management.
• The impact that drainage systems have on the development of Managed Realignment sites and the colonisation by intertidal flora.
• How mycelium develops in newly inundated intertidal wetlands.
• Furthering the understanding into the processes of how terrestrial soil transforms into intertidal sediment when inundated by saline water.
• The impact of Coastal Managed and Managed Realignment design has on fish habitats and how engineering could be used to increase habitat suitability, impacting positively on fish stocks. (see: - MR Fish Geomorphology (ICECM 2019) (brighton.ac.uk))
• The impact of changing weather patterns on intertidal environments.
• Projects related to the CHASM project , particularly the sediment and hydro elements.

Along with any project which brings together the following elements: Natural Flood Management, habitat creation, eco-system services, impact of sea-level rise and impact on health and wellbeing.

I am interested in supervising postgraduate research students in the area of ecotoxicology/marine biology:  pollutants impact on marine organisms, biomarkers of stress in aquatic invertebrates, microplastics as vector for marine pollutants, transgenerational effects of aquatic pollutants.  

I welcome enquiries from prospective Masters, Ph.D. and postdoc applicants for research projects in wildlife ecology, conservation biology, and human-wildlife interactions. I currently supervise/co-supervise several graduate students and work with postdoc-level scientists on a range of mammal projects across 3 continents. Most of the work involves free-ranging terrestrial mammals, particularly carnivores in Africa, Europe and North America. 

Graduate students (CURRENT):

Liomba-Junior Mathe (Ph.D.) – Balancing carnivore conservation and livelihoods in the Horn of Africa: An assessment of cheetah status, predator-prey dynamics and coexistence with rural communities in Somaliland. Co-supervised with Dr. Meed Mbidzo (Namibia University of Science and Technology), Prof. Angela Fuller (Cornell University) and Dr. Laurie Marker (Cheetah Conservation Fund). 

Mogae Makonyela (Ph.D.) – Understanding human-wildlife interactions and their impact on conservation and livelihoods in Namibian communal conservancies. Co-supervised with Dr. Meed Mbidzo (Namibia University of Science and Technology), Dr. Laurie Marker (Cheetah Conservation Fund) and Dr. Dipanjan Naha (Cheetah Conservation Fund).

Stephen McAuliffe (Ph.D.) – Anthropogenic disturbance of badgers (Meles meles) occupying setts – An evaluation of noise and vibration impact mitigation in forest habitats. Co-supervised with Dr. Maureen Berg (University of Brighton), Dr. Cally Ham (Forest Research) and Dr. Alice Broome (Forest Research).

Subish Sebastian (MRes.) – Landscape connectivity for brown bears in Transylvania, Romania. Co-supervised with Dr. Anja Rott (University of Brighton) and Csaba Domokos (Milvus Group). 

Utarera Katjavivi (M.Sc.) – Effects of bush encroachment on landscape dynamics and habitat selection of collared cheetahs in north-central, Namibia. Co-supervised with Dr. Zahn Műnch (Stellenbosch University) and Dr. Laurie Marker (Cheetah Conservation Fund). 

Graduate students (COMPLETED):

2025

Carlie Hvizdash (MRes.) – Evaluating the effectiveness of latrine monitoring rafts as a population survey method for water voles in the United Kingdom (MRes completed 2025). Co-supervised with Dr. Maureen Berg (University of Brighton).

2024

Stijn Verschueren (Ph.D.) – Strengthening cheetah population monitoring for biodiversity conservation. Co-supervised with Prof. Dr. Herwig Leirs (University of Antwerp), Dr. Hans Bauer (University of Oxford) and Dr. Laurie Marker (Cheetah Conservation Fund). Current position: Postdoctoral researcher, University of Bern, Switzerland.

Matthew Kivlahan (M.Sc.) – Effect of land-use type on the community composition of medium- to large-sized mammals in a woodland savanna of central-eastern Namibia. Co-supervised with Prof. Herwig Leirs (University of Antwerp) and Stijn Verschueren (University of Antwerp).

Sophie Palmer (M.Sc.) – The effects of livestock guarding dogs on caracal (Caracal caracal) behaviour in South Africa. Co-supervised with Dr. Nicola Rooney (University of Bristol). Current position: Animal and Plant Health Agency, UK.

2023

Dallas Ruble (MRes.) – Livestock guardian donkeys in an African savannah. Co-supervised with Dr. Alastair Ward (University of Leeds) and Dr. Laurie Marker (Cheetah Conservation Fund). Current position: GIS Specialist, Talkie Communications, USA.

Emma Reasoner (M.Sc.) – Human-wildlife conflict and coexistence of black-backed jackal (Canis mesomelas) and African wild dog (Lycaon pictus) in the Okakarara District Communal Area, Namibia. Co-supervised with Dr. Meed Mbidzo (Namibia University of Science and Technology), Dr. Anne Schmidt-Kűntzel (Cheetah Conservation Fund) and Dr. Laurie Marker (Cheetah Conservation Fund). Current position: Biologist I, Integrated Environmental Solutions, USA.

James Dimbleby (M.Sc.) – A spatial analysis of cheetah movement patterns across four classes of cheetahs in Namibia. Co-supervised with Dr. Nicola Rooney (University of Bristol) and Dr. Laurie Marker (Cheetah Conservation Fund). Current position: CITES Licensing Assistant, Joint Nature Conservation Committee, UK.

Maria Laura Ruozzi (M.Sc.) – Wildlife response to fire disturbance in a woodland savanna. Co-supervised with Prof. Herwig Leirs (University of Antwerp) and Stijn Verschueren (University of Antwerp).

2022

Eshaan Rao (M.Sc.) – A study on habitat utilization by different groups of cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) in bush encroached Namibia. Co-supervised with Dr. Nicola Rooney (University of Bristol) and Dr. Laurie Marker (Cheetah Conservation Fund). Current position: Lead Biologist, Pench Tiger Reserve, India.

2021

Holly Atkinson (M.Sc.) – Comparison of predation success between two apex predators in a thornbush savanna. Co-supervised with Dr. Nicola Rooney (University of Bristol) and Dr. Laurie Marker (Cheetah Conservation Fund). Current position: Postgraduate researcher, University of Bristol, UK.

I am keen to supervise projects that examine any aspect of anthropogenic impact on the physiology, morphology and behaviour of aquatic organisms. Be that chemical or physical pollutants or barriers to migration. I am especially interested in the fisheries management aspects of this and how best to consider mitigation. Projects I have supervised are varied and range from behavioural observations of captive fish species, to microplastic ingestion of the mussel (Mytilus edulis) and the velvet swimming crab (Necora puber). In addition I am interested in aspects of aquaculture and how best to improve the sustainability of feeds. I also have an interest in the welfare of cultured individuals and how to improve habitats whilst being reared.

Example projects that I supervise include the following:

Microplastic pollution within Chichester Harbour (MRes)

Selective breeding of marine copepods (MRes)

Trophic transfer of microplastics in marine invertebrates (MRes).

Does watercress farming impact fish communities (PhD)

The impacts of sewage treatment effluents on the river shrimp Gammarus pulex (PhD).

The effects of simvastatin on the development and behaviour of early life stages of Danio rerio (Undergraduate)

Microplastic ingestion of marine copepods (Undergraduate)

The presence of microplastic fibres in the stomach of the Atlantic mackerel (Scomber scombrus) (Undergraduate)

The effects of titanium dioxide and zinc oxide on fish development and behaviour (Undergraduate).

The influence of aquarium visitors on captive elasmobranchs (Undergraduate).

Sexual dimorphism of the integument of sharks (Undergraduate).

I'm keen to supervise postgraduate research (MRes/MPhil/PhDs) in the following areas: development and application of low-cost and/or rapid diagnostic water quality tools; behaviour of micro-contaminants (particularly bacteriophages from the human gut) within natural and engineered environments environments and provision of water and sanitation within low-income and/or emergency settings.

To date I have overseen the supervision, career development and successful completion of 12 doctoral students from the UK, Italy, Portugal, Cameroon, Nigeria, Brazil and India. These PhD's have covered a range of topics such as 'Bacteriophages as Surrogates of Viral Pathogens in Wastewater Treatment Systems (Dias 2016)', Ecological Characteristics of the Enterococcal Surface Protein (esp) gene with reference to microbial source tracking (Yaliwal 2014); Low-cost physico-chemical disinfection of human excreta in emergency settings (Sozzi 2015); Bacteriophages as Indicators of Human Enteric Viruses in Mussels (Da Silva 2013); and UV Radiation Response of Bacteriophages of Human-specific Bacteroides (Diston, 2010) .

I am currently supervising a water industry-funded PhD student who is using cutting-edge source apportionment approaches to investigate drivers of pollution in Chichester, Langstone and Pagham harbours (S. England) and have just finished supervising a PhD on Pollution, plastics and plumes; understanding the behaviour of microplastics in aquatic sediments of the R. Thames catchment.

According to French Physiologist Claude Bernard - "The science of life is a superb and dazzlingly lighted hall which may be reached only by passing through a long and ghastly kitchen." Anyone who has undertaken a doctoral degree is likely to agree with this analogy (at least at some point during their journey). As a PhD supervisor, I see my role as someone who can potentially make the kitchen a little less ghastly, or the journey slightly less arduous. I strive to provide a highly connected, supportive, nurturing international research environment with the Environment and Public Health Research and Enterprise Group.

I am currently supervising a further 3 PhD candidates. My PhD students have originated from an equally diverse range of disciplines including Fisheries Engineering, Environmental Science, Biology, Biomolecular Science, Microbiology, Ecology, Environmental Management, Mathematics and have worked for NGO’s in Haiti (MSF), on Gates Foundation-funded research in India, on US AID-funded research into safe excreta disposal in emergencies (Cholera and Ebola treatment centres), led MRC-funded projects in Kenya, founded research groups in Brazil, and managed prestigious research laboratories in the US.

All have gone on to forge careers within the burgeoning field of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) and or microbiology, either via academia, or industry. The sustained success of our thriving research group stems from a blend of enthusiasm for the wider subject area and from a long-held desire to break down barriers, to ensure that epidemiologists mix with engineers, and microbiologists work with modellers. This has been achieved by exchanging PhD students (and Early Career Researchers) with trusted and established international project collaborators within the public, private and voluntary sectors.

I also maintain a rolling programme of group activities, training initiatives and social events for new arrivals into the group, which is increasingly populated by previous PhD students who are even better placed to support the career aspirations of our current and future Doctoral students. With unsafe water supply and sanitation responsible for an estimated 842,000 deaths per year, the WASH sector continues to face significant challenges, which are only likely to be met through interdisciplinary, cross-border collaboration by a new generation of WASH-focussed researchers, capable of confidently sharing ideas across a range scientific domains and via an increasingly complex network of stakeholders and end-users. I hope that as my students continue to emerge into the ‘dazzlingly lighted hall’ they are as well-rounded and well-placed as possible to meet this challenge.   

I am currently supervising four PhD students, two of whom are part of a H2020 Marie Curie Sklodowska Innovative Training Network. I am interested in supervising MRes and doctoral projects relating to (feminist) political ecology, and in particular, projects that relate to social and environmental justice, climate and agrarian resource extractivism, decolonial thinking and critical approaches to sustainable development. 

I am interested in supervising postgraduate research students (PhDs and MRes) in the following areas: community led water resource governance; sustainable water futures; elder environmental activism; nature-based solutions for climate change adaptation, degrowth theory in relation to environmental citizenship.

My supervisory interests include new and low-cost approaches for treatment and assessment of drinking and bathing waters, wastewater and faecal sludge. I am also interested in supervising projects related to the use of bivalve shellfish, as a tool to assess environmental pollution in estuarine and marine environments. Nutrient pollution and eutrophication of water sources is another topic that is within the scope of my supervisory interests.

I am interested in supervising postgraduate research students (MRes and PhD) in the field of water quality assessment and management, with a focus on catchment management, risk assessment, microbial source tracking and apportionment, pathogen transport and survival, pathogen removal efficiency in water and wastewater treatment, water quality mapping and modelling and regulation. Examples of projects i am currently supervising include; 

Bioaccumulation and synergistic effects of chronic pesticide pollution on aquatic organisms – impact on the community structure

Development and optimisation of a pollutant source apportionment approach, utilising cutting-edge source tracking tools

Investigating the causes of environmental degradation in coastal ecosystems and evaluating restoration potential

Containing, characterising, catchment contaminants – Reducing risk at drinking water reservoirs

Developing a rapid assessment tool for salt marsh restoration based upon the integration of in-situ and remote sensing data using machine learning algorithms

Evaluation of Sussex kelps potential for carbon sequestration

I am interested in supervising postgraduate research students in the following areas: micro-plastics, tri-trophic interactions, field population dynamics, pollination ecology & biodiversity in the urban landscape.

Current PhD

currently none

Previous PhD

Niall Walkden (2019) Attitudes and perceptions of South African residents towards native vertebrate scavengers

Amanda Flint (2018) A temporal and spatial analysis of species co-occurrence patterns within a chalk heath community

Ute Vogler (2009) “The impact of transgenic apples on multitrophic interactions”

Johanna Häckermann (2007) “Biological elimination of Cydia molesta infestations from the orchard as a key component of an environmental friendly control”

Edward Connor (2007) “The plant’s contribution in guiding beneficial insectd to the site of caterpillar damage by chemical signalling”

Gudio Velten (2006) “Food chain legumes: combining natural resources for safe storage and favourable food processing”

Nadia Scaschighini (2004) “From the behavioural to the molecular level in insect-plant interactions: attraction of parasitic wasps by herbivore-induced plant chemical signals”

Previous MRes

Jo Middelton (2017) Ecological determinants of Lyme borreliosis risk in the South Downs National Park and the potential for one-health based interventions.

Sophie Bracken (2016) An evaluation of how a range of UK green roofs vary in terms of floral diversity and associated pollinator diversity.

Aaron White (2015) Agricultural influences on moth communities and their composition in ancient semi-natural woodlands and conifer plantations: Potential implications for management and native broadleaf re-establishment

Joanne Carnell (2015) Pollinator conservation and the value of domestic urban gardens.

Markus Jaskari (2013) Factors influencing pollination success of the Burnt Orchid Neotinea ustulata.

Robert Fowler (2011) Does pollen quality influence the floral acceptance and foraging effectiveness of bumblesbees.

Previous MSc

Severin Roffler (2006) Does the nesting material of Megachilidae bees contain antimicrobial substances? (joint MSc thesis in collaboration with Dr. M. Müller)

Susanne Brand (2005) Influence of chemical emissions of codling moth infested apples on Hyssopus pallidus.

Nayuta Brand (2004) Host location of Dinarmus basalis – the role of chemical cues emitted from beans.

Antonia Zurbuchen (2004 / 2005) Host location behaviour of Dinarmus basalis.

Johanna Häckermann (2003) The effect of seasonal variation in volatile emission from apples on the behaviour of the parasitoid Hyssopus pallidus.

Fatma Lüthi-Kivrak (2002 / 2003) Simulation of caterpillar feeding behaviour and analysis of artificially induced phytochemicals.

I am happy to collaborate in projects and supervise post-graduate students in the broad field of medical and pharmaceutical microbiology, with a particular emphasis for projects involving clinically-relevant fungi and involving other healthcare-associated and non-academic industrial partners.

Happy to supervise field, questionnaire, and desk-based projects. Passionate about avian ecology and conservation science, human-nature interactions, urban ecology, and patterns and drivers of extinction risk. 

I am happy to supervise projects in the area of molecular ecology as well as amphibian ecology and conservation. I am particularly interested in phylogeography and species distribution, invasive species and the application of eDNA methods to conservation.