Michael Dunn

Signy Island Science Manager

Michael Dunn

Team

General enquiries

For general enquiries please see our contact page.

Michael Dunn

Biography

I am a Higher Predator Ecologist, and the Science Manager for Signy Island Research Station in the South Orkney Island group. I’m currently working as part of the British Antarctic Survey’s Ecosystems science team with a particular research focus on managing the long term population monitoring of a number of seabird species breeding at Signy Island and also Goudier Island, Port Lockroy on the west Antarctic Peninsula. I’ve worked at the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) since 2001 and during that time I’ve completed 13 deployments to the Antarctic, carrying out research and monitoring of penguins, other seabirds and also seals. In addition to my research, my current responsibilities cover science logistics and support, operations, administration, procurement, laboratory management, project planning and staff management. I am also responsible for all BAS imports/exports of scientific samples classified as animal pathogens and/or listed by CITES, working closely with DEFRA, APHA and the FCDO.

Research interests

Long-term monitoring of seabird populations, with particular focus on the avifauna of Signy Island, South Orkney Islands. The development and introduction of innovative technologies to assist in seabird monitoring and data acquisition. Foraging distributions of sympatrically nesting pygoscelid penguins during breeding seasons and their relationship with food availability. Pre-moult and winter distributions of Adélie penguins as part of a co-ordinated international collaboration aimed at establishing the impact of climate change on Adélie penguin populations. Relationships between tourism and wildlife. Inter-specific competition between sympatrically nesting pygoscelid penguins and its effect on breeding success. Genetic variation  between Pygoscelid penguin populations across the Scotia Arc.

Collaborations

Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR); Government of South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands (GSGSSI); Animal & Plant Health Agency (APHA); Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA); Foreign & Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO); Department of Zoology, Oxford University;  Ocean and Earth Sciences, National Oceanography Centre, University of Southhampton; National Institute of Polar Research, Japan; University of Malaya, Malaysia; Australian Antarctic Division, Tasmania; Exeter University; University of Edinburgh; RSPB; BirdLife International; University of Coimbra, Portugal; UK Antarctic Heritage Trust (UKAHT); International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators (IAATO).

Publications from NERC Open Research Archive

2024

Yew, Wen Chyin, Adlard, Stacey, Dunn, Michael James ORCIDORCID record for Michael James Dunn, Alias, Siti Aisyah, Pearce, David Anthony ORCIDORCID record for David Anthony Pearce, Abu Samah, Azizan, Convey, Peter ORCIDORCID record for Peter Convey. (2024) Seasonal variation in the stomach microbiota of two sympatrically breeding Pygoscelis penguin species at Signy Island, South Orkney Islands. Microbiology, 170 (). 8 pp. 10.1099/mic.0.001503

Bennison, Ashley ORCIDORCID record for Ashley Bennison, Adlard, Stacey, Banyard, Ashley C., Blockley, Freya, Blyth, Marcia, Brown, Emma, Day, George, Dunn, Michael J. ORCIDORCID record for Michael J. Dunn, Falchieri, Marco, Fitzcharles, Elaine, Forcada, Jaume ORCIDORCID record for Jaume Forcada, Forster Davidson, Jennifer, Fox, Anthony, Hall, Rosamund, Holmes, Elizabeth, Hughes, Kevin ORCIDORCID record for Kevin Hughes, James, Joe, Lynton-Jenkins, Joshua, Marshall, Steve, McKenzie, Dan, Morley, Simon A. ORCIDORCID record for Simon A. Morley, Reid, Scott M., Stubbs, Isabel, Ratcliffe, Norman ORCIDORCID record for Norman Ratcliffe, Phillips, Richard A.. (2024) A Case Study of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5N1 At Bird Island, South Georgia: The First Documented Outbreak in the Subantarctic region. Bird Study, (). 12 pp. 10.1080/00063657.2024.2396563

2023

Cusset, Fanny, Bustamante, Paco, Carravieri, Alice, Bertin, Clément, Brasso, Rebecka, Corsi, Ilaria, Dunn, Michael ORCIDORCID record for Michael Dunn, Emmerson, Louise, Guillou, Gaël, Hart, Tom, Juáres, Mariana, Kato, Akiko, Machado-Gaye, Ana Laura, Michelot, Candice, Olmastroni, Silvia, Polito, Michael, Raclot, Thierry, Santos, Mercedes, Schmidt, Annie, Southwell, Colin, Soutullo, Alvaro, Takahashi, Akinori, Thiebot, Jean-Baptiste, Trathan, Phil ORCIDORCID record for Phil Trathan, Vivion, Pierre, Waluda, Claire ORCIDORCID record for Claire Waluda, Fort, Jérôme, Cherel, Yves. (2023) Circumpolar assessment of mercury contamination: the Adélie penguin as a bioindicator of Antarctic marine ecosystems. Ecotoxicology, 32 (). pp. 10.1007/s10646-023-02709-9

Halupka, Lucyna, Arlt, Debora, Tolvanen, Jere, Millon, Alexandre, Bize, Pierre, Adamík, Peter, Albert, Pascal, Arendt, Wayne J., Artemyev, Alexander V., Baglione, Vittorio, Bańbura, Jerzy, Bańbura, Mirosława, Barba, Emilio, Barrett, Robert T., Becker, Peter H., Belskii, Eugen, Bolton, Mark, Bowers, E. Keith, Bried, Joël, Brouwer, Lyanne, Bukacińska, Monika, Bukaciński, Dariusz, Bulluck, Lesley, Carstens, Kate F., Catry, Inês, Charter, Motti, Chernomorets, Anna, Covas, Rita, Czuchra, Monika, Dearborn, Donald C., de Lope, Florentino, Di Giacomo, Adrián S., Dombrovski, Valery C., Drummond, Hugh, Dunn, Michael J. ORCIDORCID record for Michael J. Dunn, Eeva, Tapio, Emmerson, Louise M., Espmark, Yngve, Fargallo, Juan A., Gashkov, Sergey I., Golubova, Elena Yu., Griesser, Michael, Harris, Michael P. ORCIDORCID record for Michael P. Harris, Hoover, Jeffrey P., Jagiełło, Zuzanna, Karell, Patrik, Kloskowski, Janusz, Koenig, Walter D., Kolunen, Heikki, Korczak-Abshire, Małgorzata, Korpimäki, Erkki, Krams, Indrikis, Krist, Miloš, Krüger, Sonja C., Kuranov, Boris D., Lambin, Xavier, Lombardo, Michael P., Lyakhov, Andrey, Marzal, Alfonso, Møller, Anders P., Neves, Verónica C., Nielsen, Jan Tøttrup, Numerov, Alexander, Orłowska, Beata, Oro, Daniel, Öst, Markus, Phillips, Richard A., Pietiäinen, Hannu, Polo, Vicente, Porkert, Jiří, Potti, Jaime, Pöysä, Hannu, Printemps, Thierry, Prop, Jouke, Quillfeldt, Petra, Ramos, Jaime A., Ravussin, Pierre-Alain, Rosenfield, Robert N., Roulin, Alexandre, Rubenstein, Dustin R., Samusenko, Irina E., Saunders, Denis A., Schaub, Michael, Senar, Juan C., Sergio, Fabrizio, Solonen, Tapio, Solovyeva, Diana V., Stępniewski, Janusz, Thompson, Paul M., Tobolka, Marcin, Török, János, van de Pol, Martijn, Vernooij, Louis, Visser, Marcel E., Westneat, David F., Wheelwright, Nathaniel T., Wiącek, Jarosław, Wiebe, Karen L., Wood, Andrew G., Wuczyński, Andrzej, Wysocki, Dariusz, Zárybnická, Markéta, Margalida, Antoni, Halupka, Konrad. (2023) The effect of climate change on avian offspring production: A global meta-analysis. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 120 (). 8 pp. 10.1073/pnas.2208389120

2022

Dunn, Michael J. ORCIDORCID record for Michael J. Dunn, Adlard, Stacey, Lynnes, Amanda S., Fox, Derren, Morley, Tim I., Jackson, Jennifer A. ORCIDORCID record for Jennifer A. Jackson. (2022) Long-term population size and trends of South Georgia Shags (Leucocarbo [atriceps] georgianus) at Signy Island, South Orkney Islands and Bird Island, South Georgia. Polar Biology, 45 (). pp. 10.1007/s00300-021-02978-2

2021

Dunn, M.J. ORCIDORCID record for M.J. Dunn, Adlard, S., Taylor, A.P., Wood, A.G., Trathan, P.N. ORCIDORCID record for P.N. Trathan, Ratcliffe, N. ORCIDORCID record for N. Ratcliffe. (2021) Un-crewed aerial vehicle population survey of three sympatrically breeding seabird species at Signy Island, South Orkney Islands. Polar Biology, 44 (). pp. 10.1007/s00300-021-02831-6

2020

Waluda, Claire M. ORCIDORCID record for Claire M. Waluda, Staniland, Iain J. ORCIDORCID record for Iain J. Staniland, Dunn, Michael J. ORCIDORCID record for Michael J. Dunn, Thorpe, Sally E. ORCIDORCID record for Sally E. Thorpe, Grilly, Emily, Whitelaw, Mari, Hughes, Kevin A. ORCIDORCID record for Kevin A. Hughes. (2020) Thirty years of marine debris in the Southern Ocean: annual surveys of two island shores in the Scotia Sea. Environment International, 136 (). pp. 10.1016/j.envint.2020.105460

2019

Morley, Simon A. ORCIDORCID record for Simon A. Morley, Barnes, David K.A. ORCIDORCID record for David K.A. Barnes, Dunn, Michael J. ORCIDORCID record for Michael J. Dunn. (2019) Predicting which species succeed in climate-forced polar seas. Frontiers in Marine Science, 5 (). 13 pp. 10.3389/fmars.2018.00507

Dunn, Michael J. ORCIDORCID record for Michael J. Dunn, Forcada, Jaume ORCIDORCID record for Jaume Forcada, Jackson, Jennifer A. ORCIDORCID record for Jennifer A. Jackson, Waluda, Claire M. ORCIDORCID record for Claire M. Waluda, Nichol, Camilla, Trathan, Philip N. ORCIDORCID record for Philip N. Trathan. (2019) A long-term study of gentoo penguin (Pygoscelis papua) population trends at a major Antarctic tourist site, Goudier Island, Port Lockroy. Biodiversity and Conservation, 28 (). pp. 10.1007/s10531-018-1635-6

2018

Oppel, Steffen, Bolton, Mark, Carneiro, Anna P.B., Dias, Maria P., Green, Jonathan A., Masello, Juan F., Phillips, Richard A., Owen, Ellie, Quillfeldt, Petra, Beard, Annalea, Bertrand, Sophie, Blackburn, Jez, Boersma, P. Dee, Borges, Alder, Broderick, Annette C., Catry, Paulo, Cleasby, Ian, Clingham, Elizabeth, Creuwels, Jeroen, Crofts, Sarah, Cuthbert, Richard J., Dallmeijer, Hanneke, Davies, Delia, Davies, Rachel, Dilley, Ben J., Dinis, Herculano Andrade, Dossa, Justine, Dunn, Michael J. ORCIDORCID record for Michael J. Dunn, Efe, Marcio A., Fayet, Annette L., Figueiredo, Leila, Frederico, Adelcides Pereira, Gjerdrum, Carina, Godley, Brendan J., Granadeiro, José Pedro, Guilford, Tim, Hamer, Keith C., Hazin, Carolina, Hedd, April, Henry, Leeann, Hernández-Montero, Marcos, Hinke, Jefferson, Kokubun, Nobuo, Leat, Eliza, McFarlane Tranquilla, Laura, Metzger, Benjamin, Militao, Teresa, Monstrond, Gilson, Mullié, Wim, Padget, Oliver, Pearmain, Elizabeth, Pollet, Ingrid L., Puetz, Klemens, Quintana, Flavio, Ratcliffe, Norman ORCIDORCID record for Norman Ratcliffe, Ronconi, Robert A., Ryan, Peter G., Saldanha, Sarah, Shoji, Akiko, Sim, Jolene, Small, Cleo, Soanes, Louise, Takahashi, Akinori, Trathan, Phil ORCIDORCID record for Phil Trathan, Trivelpiece, Wayne, Veen, Jan, Wakefield, Ewan, Weber, Nicola, Weber, Sam, Zango, Laura, Daunt, Francis ORCIDORCID record for Francis Daunt, Ito, Motohiro, Harris, Michael P. ORCIDORCID record for Michael P. Harris, Newell, Mark A., Wanless, Sarah ORCIDORCID record for Sarah Wanless, González-Solís, Jacob, Croxall, John. (2018) Spatial scales of marine conservation management for breeding seabirds. Marine Policy, 98 (). pp. 10.1016/j.marpol.2018.08.024

Clucas, Gemma V., Younger, Jane L., Kao, Damian, Emmerson, Louise, Southwell, Colin, Wienecke, Barbara, Rogers, Alex D., Bost, Charles-André, Miller, Gary D., Polito, Michael J., Lelliott, Patrick, Handley, Jonathan, Crofts, Sarah, Phillips, Richard A., Dunn, Michael J. ORCIDORCID record for Michael J. Dunn, Miller, Karen J., Hart, Tom. (2018) Comparative population genomics reveals key barriers to dispersal in Southern Ocean penguins. Molecular Ecology, 27 (). pp. 10.1111/mec.14896

Keogan, Katharine, Daunt, Francis ORCIDORCID record for Francis Daunt, Wanless, Sarah ORCIDORCID record for Sarah Wanless, Phillips, Richard A., Walling, Craig A., Agnew, Philippa, Ainley, David G., Anker-Nilssen, Tycho, Ballard, Grant, Barrett, Robert T., Barton, Kerry J., Bech, Claus, Becker, Peter, Berglund, Per-Arvid, Bollache, Loïc, Bond, Alexander L., Bouwhuis, Sandra, Bradley, Russell W., Burr, Zofia M., Camphuysen, Kees, Catry, Paulo, Chiaradia, Andre, Christensen-Dalsgaard, Signe, Cuthbert, Richard, Dehnhard, Nina, Descamps, Sébastien, Diamond, Tony, Divoky, George, Drummond, Hugh, Dugger, Katie M., Dunn, Michael J. ORCIDORCID record for Michael J. Dunn, Emmerson, Louise, Erikstad, Kjell Einar, Fort, Jérôme, Fraser, William, Genovart, Meritxell, Gilg, Olivier, González-Solís, Jacob, Granadeiro, José Pedro, Grémillet, David, Hansen, Jannik, Hanssen, Sveinn A., Harris, Mike ORCIDORCID record for Mike Harris, Hedd, April, Hinke, Jefferson, Igual, José Manuel, Jahncke, Jaime, Jones, Ian, Kappes, Peter J., Lang, Johannes, Langset, Magdalene, Lescroël, Amélie, Lorentsen, Svein-Håkon, Lyver, Phil O’B., Mallory, Mark, Moe, Børge, Montevecchi, William A., Monticelli, David, Mostello, Carolyn, Newell, Mark, Nicholson, Lisa, Nisbet, Ian, Olsson, Olof, Oro, Daniel, Pattison, Vivian, Poisbleau, Maud, Pyk, Tanya, Quintana, Flavio, Ramos, Jaime A., Ramos, Raül, Reiertsen, Tone Kirstin, Rodríguez, Cristina, Ryan, Peter, Sanz-Aguilar, Ana, Schmidt, Niels M., Shannon, Paula, Sittler, Benoit, Southwell, Colin, Surman, Christopher, Svagelj, Walter S., Trivelpiece, Wayne, Warzybok, Pete, Watanuki, Yutaka, Weimerskirch, Henri, Wilson, Peter R., Wood, Andrew G., Phillimore, Albert B., Lewis, Sue. (2018) Global phenological insensitivity to shifting ocean temperatures among seabirds. Nature Climate Change, 8 (). pp. 10.1038/s41558-018-0115-z

Yew, Wen Chyin, Pearce, David Anthony, Dunn, Michael James ORCIDORCID record for Michael James Dunn, Adlard, Stacey, Alias, Siti Aisyah, Samah, Azizan Abu, Convey, Peter ORCIDORCID record for Peter Convey. (2018) Links between bacteria derived from penguin guts and deposited guano and the surrounding soil microbiota. Polar Biology, 41 (). pp. 10.1007/s00300-017-2189-x

2017

Yew, Wen Chyin, Pearce, David A. ORCIDORCID record for David A. Pearce, Dunn, Michael J. ORCIDORCID record for Michael J. Dunn, Samah, Azizan Abu, Convey, Peter ORCIDORCID record for Peter Convey. (2017) Bacterial community composition in Adélie (Pygoscelis adeliae) and chinstrap (Pygoscelis antarctica) penguin stomach contents from Signy Island, South Orkney Islands. Polar Biology, 40 (). pp. 10.1007/s00300-017-2162-8

2016

Dunn, Michael J. ORCIDORCID record for Michael J. Dunn, Jackson, Jennifer A. ORCIDORCID record for Jennifer A. Jackson, Adlard, Stacey, Lynnes, Amanda S., Briggs, Dirk R., Fox, Derren, Waluda, Claire M. ORCIDORCID record for Claire M. Waluda. (2016) Population size and decadal trends of three penguin species nesting at Signy Island, South Orkney Islands. PLOS One, 11 (). 15 pp. 10.1371/journal.pone.0164025

Dunn, Michael ORCIDORCID record for Michael Dunn, Jackson, Jennifer ORCIDORCID record for Jennifer Jackson, Adlard, Stacey, Phillips, Richard. (2016) Population size and trends of southern giant petrels (Macronectes giganteus) nesting at Signy Island, South Orkney Islands. Polar Biology, 39 (). pp. 10.1007/s00300-015-1855-0

Levy, Hila, Clucas, Gemma V., Rogers, Alex D., Leaché, Adam D., Ciborowski, Kate L., Polito, Michael J., Lynch, Heather J., Dunn, Michael J. ORCIDORCID record for Michael J. Dunn, Hart, Tom. (2016) Population structure and phylogeography of the Gentoo Penguin (Pygoscelis papua) across the Scotia Arc. Ecology and Evolution, 6 (). pp. doi:10.1002/ece3.1929

2015

Freer, Jennifer J., Mable, Barbara K., Clucas, Gemma, Rogers, Alex D., Polito, Michael J., Dunn, Michael ORCIDORCID record for Michael Dunn, Naveen, Ron, Levy, Hila, Hart, Tom. (2015) Limited genetic differentiation among chinstrap penguin (Pygoscelis antarctica) colonies in the Scotia Arc and Western Antarctic Peninsula. Polar Biology, 38 (). pp. doi:10.1007/s00300-015-1711-2

Afanasyev, Vsevolod, Buldyrev, S.V., Dunn, Michael ORCIDORCID record for Michael Dunn, Robst, Jeremy, Preston, Mark, Bremner, Steven, Briggs, Dirk, Brown, Ruth, Adlard, Stacey, Peat, Helen ORCIDORCID record for Helen Peat. (2015) Increasing accuracy: a new design and algorithm for automatically measuring weights, travel direction and radio frequency identification (RFID) of penguins.. PLoS One, 10 (). pp. 10.1371/journal.pone.0126292

2014

Waluda, Claire M. ORCIDORCID record for Claire M. Waluda, Dunn, Michael J. ORCIDORCID record for Michael J. Dunn, Curtis, Michael L., Fretwell, Peter T. ORCIDORCID record for Peter T. Fretwell. (2014) Assessing penguin colony size and distribution using digital mapping and satellite remote sensing. Polar Biology, 37 (). 7 pp. doi:10.1007/s00300-014-1566-y

Clucas, Gemma V., Dunn, Michael J. ORCIDORCID record for Michael J. Dunn, Dyke, Gareth, Emslie, Steven D., Naveen, Ron, Polito, Michael J., Pybus, Oliver G., Rogers, Alex D., Hart, Tom. (2014) A reversal of fortunes: climate change ‘winners’ and ‘losers’ in Antarctic Peninsula penguins. Scientific Reports, 4 (). 7 pp. doi:10.1038/srep05024

Ratcliffe, Norman ORCIDORCID record for Norman Ratcliffe, Takahashi, Akinori, Oulton, Colin, Fukuda, Michio, Fry, Bridget, Crofts, Sarah, Brown, Ruth, Adlard, Stacey, Dunn, Michael J. ORCIDORCID record for Michael J. Dunn, Trathan, Philip N. ORCIDORCID record for Philip N. Trathan. (2014) A leg-band for mounting geolocator tags on penguins. Marine Ornithology, 42 (). pp.

2011

Dunn, M. J. ORCIDORCID record for M. J. Dunn, Silk, J.R.D., Trathan, P.N. ORCIDORCID record for P.N. Trathan. (2011) Post-breeding dispersal of Adélie penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae) nesting at Signy Island, South Orkney Islands. Polar Biology, 34 (). pp. 10.1007/s00300-010-0870-4

2010

Waluda, Claire M. ORCIDORCID record for Claire M. Waluda, Gregory, Susan, Dunn, Michael J. ORCIDORCID record for Michael J. Dunn. (2010) Long-term variability in the abundance of Antarctic fur seals Arctocephalus gazella at Signy Island, South Orkneys. Polar Biology, 33 (). pp. 10.1007/s00300-009-0706-2

2009

Chong, Chun Wie, Dunn, Michael J. ORCIDORCID record for Michael J. Dunn, Convey, Peter ORCIDORCID record for Peter Convey, Tan, G.Y. Annie, Wong, Richard C.S., Tan, Irene K.P.. (2009) Environmental influences on bacterial diversity of soils on Signy Island, maritime Antarctic. Polar Biology, 32 (). pp. 10.1007/s00300-009-0656-8

2004

Takahashi, A., Sato, K., Naito, Y., Dunn, M.J. ORCIDORCID record for M.J. Dunn, Trathan, P.N. ORCIDORCID record for P.N. Trathan, Croxall, J.P.. (2004) Penguin-mounted cameras glimpse underwater group behaviour. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, Series B, 271 (). pp. 10.1098/rsbl.2004.0182

2003

Takahashi, A., Dunn, M.J. ORCIDORCID record for M.J. Dunn, Trathan, P.N. ORCIDORCID record for P.N. Trathan, Sato, K., Naito, Y., Croxall, J.P.. (2003) Foraging strategies of chinstrap penguins at Signy Island, Antarctica: importance of benthic feeding on Antarctic krill. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 250 (). pp. 10.3354/meps250279

2023

How many penguins are in Antarctica?
Blog 25 April, 2023