Research areas
I am a quantitative ecologist based in the Centre for Research into Ecological and Environmental Modelling (CREEM) and the School of Biology.
I work on multiple aspects of the ecology, behaviour, physiology and population biology of marine mammals and other marine predators, at the interface between biology and statistics. I am interested in developing and applying robust analytical tools to quantify the relationships of these species with their environment and their interactions with human activities. In particular, a lot of my research so far has focused on the assessment of the effects of both natural and anthropogenic stressors on marine mammals, ranging from individual responses through to consequences for populations.
I strive for my work to inform policy makers, managers, and the industry, and therefore to support the sustainable use of marine resources and the long-term conservation of marine wildlife.
Selected publications
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Open access
Decreasing body size is associated with reduced calving probability in critically endangered North Atlantic right whales
Pirotta, E., Tyack, P. L., Durban, J. W., Fearnbach, H., Hamilton, P., Harris, C. M., Knowlton, A., Kraus, S. D., Miller, C., Moore, M., Pettis, H., Photopoulou, T., Rolland, R., Schick, R. & Thomas, L., 28 Feb 2024, In: Royal Society Open Science. 11, 2, 8 p., 240050.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Open access
Assessing variation in faecal glucocorticoid concentrations in gray whales exposed to anthropogenic stressors
Pirotta, E., Fernandez Ajó, A., Bierlich, KC., Bird, C., Buck, C. L., Haver, S., Haxel, J., Hildebrand, L., Hunt, K., Lemos, L., New, L. & Torres, L., 11 Nov 2023, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Conservation Physiology. 11, 1, 20 p., coad082.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Open access
Assessment of a non-invasive approach to pregnancy diagnosis in gray whales through drone-based photogrammetry and faecal hormone analysis
Fernandez Ajó, A., Pirotta, E., Bierlich, K. C., Hildebrand, L., Bird, C. N., Hunt, K. E., Buck, C. L., New, L., Dillon, D. & Torres, L. G., 19 Jul 2023, In: Royal Society Open Science. 10, 7, 21 p., 230452.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Open access
Estimating body mass of sperm whales from aerial photographs
Glarou, M., Gero, S., Frantzis, A., Brotons, J. M., Vivier, F., Alexiadou, P., Cerdà, M., Pirotta, E. & Christiansen, F., 1 Jan 2023, In: Marine Mammal Science. 39, 1, p. 251-273 23 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Open access
Estimating energetic intake for marine mammal bioenergetic models
Booth, C. G., Guilpin, M., Darias-O'Hara, A-K., Ransijn, J., Ryder, M., Rosen, D., Pirotta, E., Smout, S. C., McHuron, E., Nabe-Nielsen, J. & Costa, D., 4 Feb 2023, In: Conservation Physiology. 11, 1, 22 p., coac083.Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review
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Open access
Estimating the effects of stressors on the health, survival and reproduction of a critically endangered, long-lived species
Pirotta, E., Schick, R., Hamilton, P., Harris, C. M., Hewitt, J., Knowlton, A. R., Kraus, S., Meyer-Gutbrod, E., Moore, M. J., Pettis, H., Photopoulou, T., Rolland, R., Tyack, P. L. & Thomas, L., 4 May 2023, In: Oikos. 2023, 5, 15 p., e09801.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Open access
Growth in marine mammals: a review of growth patterns, composition and energy investment
Adamczak, S. K., McHuron, E. A., Christiansen, F., Dunkin, R., McMahon, C. R., Noren, S., Pirotta, E., Rosen, D., Sumich, J. & Costa, D. P., 21 Jun 2023, In: Conservation Physiology. 11, 19 p., coad035.Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review
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Open access
Using individual-based bioenergetic models to predict the aggregate effects of disturbance on populations: a case study with beaked whales and Navy sonar
Hin, V., de Roos, A. M., Benoit-Bird, K. J., Claridge, D. E., DiMarzio, N., Durban, J. W., Falcone, E. A., Jacobson, E. K., Jones-Todd, C. M., Pirotta, E., Schorr, G. S., Thomas, L., Watwood, S. & Harwood, J., 31 Aug 2023, In: PLoS ONE. 18, 8, e0290819.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Open access
A review of bioenergetic modelling for marine mammal populations
Pirotta, E., 2022, In: Conservation Physiology. 10, 1, 16 p., coac036.Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review
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Open access
A sampling, exposure and receptor framework for identifying factors that modulate behavioural responses to disturbance in cetaceans
Booth, C. G., Brannan, N., Dunlop, R., Friedlander, A., Isojunno, S., Miller, P., Quick, N., Southall, B. & Pirotta, E., 9 Aug 2022, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Journal of Animal Ecology. 91, 10, p. 1948-1960 13 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review