Newcastle University

Roles and Responsibilities

Degree Programme Leader - Marine Zoology
Research Vessel Manager
University Diving Officer
Dove Marine Laboratory Safety Officer

Qualifications

BSc Zoology University of Bristol
PhD Deep-Sea Biology University of Southampton

Previous Positions

2002 - 2004 Post-doctoral Researcher; National Oceanography Centre, Southampton
2004 - 2006 Post-doctoral Researcher; Oceanlab, University of Aberdeen

Research Interests

Deep-Sea Biology and Ecology
Reproductive and larval ecology in deep-water and 'novel' habitats
Bentho-Pelagic coupling and it's role in regulating rate processes in deep water benthic invertebrates
Trophic structure of mid-ocean ridge communities
Development of technologies for deep-sea experimental biology
The role of sub-sea structures as artificial reefs in the North Sea
Non-destructive assessments of fish assemblages in North Sea no-trawl areas

Other Expertise

Industrial collaboration for scientific access to ROV technology and novel deep water habitats

Current Work

BUZZARD: The role of an active North Sea oil and gas platform as a potential refugia for commerically exploited fish species.
ECOMAR: Part of a UK consortium programme studying the Ecosystems of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge at the Sub-Polar Front and Charlie-Gibbs Fracture Zone. Investigating the effects of variable organic input on trophic structure of mid-ocean ridge benthic communities in a non-hydrothermal setting.
SERPENT: Ongoing collaborative project with the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton. Working with the oil and gas industry to enhance scinetfici access to ROV technology and novel deep-water habitats whilst increasing awareness of deep-sea biodiversity within the science, industry, and the general public.

Postgraduate Supervision

William Reid - Macro-comsumer food web structure of mid-ocean ridge systems. Working on the NERC ECOMAR project in the North Atlantic. Investigating deep-sea food webs using a tri-stable isotope approach. NERC PhD studentship co-supervised with Prof. Nicholas Polunin.

Funding

2006. BUZZARD Project - £114k received from Nexen Petroleum (UK) for investigations into the artificial reef effects of active oil and gas installations in the North Sea. Joint project with FRS Marine Lab, Aberdeen.
2009, CenSEAM Project - £10k received from CoML for investigations into trophic architecture of UK deepwater slope and seamount fish assemblages
2009-2010, ECOMAR - £22k received form NERC Mass Spectrometry Facility for investaigations of Mid-Atlantic Ridge foodwebs using C,N and S stable isotope analysis.

Projects

• Chemosynthetically driven Ecosystems South of the Polar Front - CHESSO
  Project Leader(s): Professor Nick Polunin
• Fish effects of prohibited trawl areas
  Project Leader(s): Professor Nick Polunin

Undergraduate Teaching

MST1003 Field and Laboratory techniques in Marine Science
MST1004 Introduction to Marine Environmental Technologies
MST1012 Research Skills (Module Leader)
MST1015 Marine Ecosystems
MST2004 Marine Pollution
MST2006 Marine and Coastal Ecology
MST2011 Marine Practical Skills
MST2012 Life in Extreme Environments (Module Leader)
MST2013 Marine Vertebrates
MST2015 Experimental Design and Statistics (Module Leader)
MST3021 North Sea Marine Science (Module Leader)
MST3020 Marine Chemical Ecology
MST3017 Global Marine Science
MST3011 Advanced Marine Biology
MST3096 Research Project: Marine Zoology
MST3099 Research Project: Marine Biology

• Martinez I, Jones EG, Davie SL, Neat FC, Wigham BD, Priede IG. Variability in behaviour of four fish species attracted to baited underwater cameras in the North Sea. Hydrobiologia 2011, 670(1), 23-34.
• Wigham BD, Galley EA, Smith CR, Tyler PA. Inter-annual variability and selectivity in the diets of deep-water Antarctic echinoderms. Deep Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography 2008,55 22-23 2478-2490.
• Jones DOB, Wigham BD, Hudson IR, Bett BJ. Anthropogenic disturbance of deep-sea megabenthic assemblages: A study with remotely operated vehicles in the Faroe-Shetland Channel, NE Atlantic. Marine Biology 2007, 151(5), 1731-1741.
• Hudson IR, Jones DOB, Wigham BD. A review of the uses of work-class ROVs for the benefits of science: Lessons learned from the SERPENT project. Underwater Technology 2005, 26(3), 83-88.
• Hudson IR, Wigham BD, Solan M, Rosenberg R. Feeding behaviour of deep-sea dwelling holothurians: Inferences from a laboratory investigation of shallow fjordic species. Journal of Marine Systems 2005,57 3-4 201-218.
• Solan M, Wigham BD, Hudson IR, Kennedy R, Coulon CH, Norling K, Nilsson HC, Rosenberg R. In situ quantification of bioturbation using time-lapse fluorescent sediment profile imaging (f-SPI), luminophore tracers and model simulation. Marine Ecology Progress Series 2004, 271, 1-12.
• Hudson RR, Wigham BD, Tyler PA. The feeding behaviour of a deep-sea holothurian, Stichopus tremulus (Gunnerus) based on in situ observations and experiments using a Remotely Operated Vehicle. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 2004, 301(1), 75-91.
• Hudson IR, Wigham BD. In situ observations of predatory feeding behaviour of the galatheid squat lobster Munida sarsi using a remotely operated vehicle. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the UK 2003, 83(3), 463-464.
• Wigham BD, Hudson IR, Billett DSM, Wolff GA. Is long-term change in the abyssal Northeast Atlantic driven by qualitative changes in export flux? Evidence from selective feeding in deep-sea holothurians. Progress in Oceanography 2003, 59(4), 409-411.
• Wigham BD, Tyler PA, Billett DSM. Reproductive biology of the abyssal holothurian Amperima rosea: an opportunistic response to variable flux of surface derived organic matter?. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2003, 83(1), 175-188.
• Hudson IR, Wigham BD, Billett DSM, Tyler PA. Seasonality and selectivity in the feeding ecology and reproductive biology of deep-sea bathyal holothurians. Progress in Oceanography 2003, 59(4), 381-407.
• Wigham B.D. The Amperima Event: Analysis of community chnage in the abyssal NE Atlantic Ocean. Ph.D. thesis, University of Southampton, 2002.
• Bett, B. J. Malzone, M. G. Narayanaswamy, B. E. Wigham, B. D. Temporal variability in phytodetritus and megabenthic activity at the seabed in the deep Northeast Atlantic. Progress in Oceanography 2001, 50(1-4), 349-368.