Dr Simon Oliver | University of Chester

Associate Professor & Programme Leader MSc Marine and Coastal Resource Management

Simon's doctoral work focused on the behaviour, biology and conservation of pelagic thresher sharks with particular emphasis on their cleaning and hunting strategies. In 2013 his work in this area gained recognition in the scientific community from Nature, Science, and Scientific American, and has attracted considerable media attention (BBC, The Guardian, NERC Planet Earth, National Geographic etc.).

In 2008 Simon founded the Thresher Shark Research and Conservation Project (TSRCP) and its field station in the Philippines to promote and disseminate shark research, education and conservation to a broad local, regional and international public and scientific outreach. TSRCP, which is ongoing and has sustained itself since its inception, regularly hosts BSc and MSc students who join its expeditions to assimilate data for their thesis projects. These have enabled Simon to expand the scope of his research interests to encompass the relevance and impact of conservation on local communities, and foster international collaborations.

Simon's current teaching responsibilities include leading and team teaching on undergraduate modules that are associated with Marine Biology , Zoology, Animal Behaviour, Animal Behaviour and Welfare, Biovet, and Biology degree programmes. At the postgraduate level he leads a programme in Marine and Coastal Resource Management, which is IEMA accredited, and team teaches on a range of MSc and MRes modules across environmental, biological, and conservation specialisms.

Simon's research interests revolve around using integrated approaches to understanding animal behaviour in the context of their use of habitats, ecological services, cooperation, and predator-prey interactions. He is particularly interested in the behavioural ecology of oceanic sharks in response to their cleaning, hunting, and migration strategies, and applying associated behavioural knowledge to address conservation problems.

Murie CJG*, OLIVER SP*, Gavard L, Lebrato M, Brown J and Lawrence A (2024) Environmental factors modulate the distribution of elasmobranchs in southern Mozambique. Front. Mar. Sci. 11:1408727. doi: 10.3389/fmars.2024.1408727

IUCN SSC Shark Specialist Group. 2024. Monad & Kimud Shoals ISRA Factsheet. Dubai: IUCN SSC Shark Specialist Group.

Murie CJG*, Lebrato M, Lawrence A, Brown J, Gavard L, Bowles K, Jije M, Dicken M, Oliver SP* (2023) A Mozambican marine protected area provides important habitat for vulnerable pelagic sharks. Scientific Reports 13, 6454.

Kennedy, Ruth; Biro, Mariann; Oliver, Simon* (2023) First records of benthic foraminifera in the surface sediments of the Little Neston saltmarsh of the Dee Estuary in England, UK. PANGAEA, doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.956788.

Kennedy, Ruth; Biro, Mariann; Marret-Davis, Fabienne; Oliver, Simon* (2023) New records of benthic foraminifera in the surface sediments of the Dulas Bay saltmarsh in North Wales, UK. PANGAEA, doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.956787.

Oliver SP*, Grothues TM, Mayo ZJ,Williams AL, Silvosa M, Cases G (2023) Depth and temperature profiles reflect individual differences in the daytime diving behaviours of pelagic thresher sharks. Frontiers in Marine Science 10:1128473. doi: 10.3389/fmars.2023.1128473.

Rambahiniarison J, Agustines A, Alexopoulos K, Araujo G, Armstrong A, Arnold S, Barruga A, Cañete T, Conales Jr. S, Delijero K, Enolva NP Flam AL, Keane E, Labaja J, Legaspi C, Murie C, Murray R, Oliver SP, Pierce SJ, Ponzo A, Rohner CA, Schifferer R, Snow S, Spakowski M, Stevens GM, Tilgel T, Wong JN, Yaptinchay AA, Barr Y (2022) Distribution of the reef manta ray Mobula alfredi and the oceanic manta ray Mobula birostris in the Philippines: A collaborative effort for conservation. Journal of Fish Biology. doi: 10.1111/jfb.15283.

Murie C, Spencer M, Oliver SP* (2020) Current strength, temperature, and bodyscape modulate cleaning services for giant manta rays. Marine Biology 167: 54. doi: 10.1007/s00227-020-3674-2.

Oliver SP*, Grothues TM, Williams AL, Cerna V, Silvosa M, Cases G, Reed M, Christopher S (2019) Risk and resilience: high stakes for sharks making transjurisdictional movements to use a conservation area. Biological Conservation 230: 58-66. doi: 10.1016/j.biocon.2018.11.013.

Hood FE, Klinger B, Newlaczyl AU, Sieber A, Dorel M, Oliver SP, Coulson JM, Blüthgen N, Prior IA (2019) Isoform-specific Ras signaling is growth factor dependent. Molecular Biology of the Cell. mbcE18100676. National Library of Medicine. Scientific Society Publisher Alliance.

Oliver S* (2016), Integrating role-play with case study and carbon footprint monitoring; A transformative approach to enhancing learners' behaviour for a more sustainable environment. International Journal of Environmental and Science Education 11(6), 1323-1335. doi: 10.12973/ijese.2016.346a,

Oliver SP*, Bicskos AE (2014) A pelagic thresher shark (Alopias pelagicus) gives birth at a cleaning station in the Philippines. Coral Reefs. doi: 10.1007/s00338- 014-1249-8.

Cadwallader HF, Turner JR, Oliver SP* (2014), Cleaner wrasse forage on ectoparasitic digeneans (phylum Platyhelminthes) that infect pelagic thresher sharks (Alopias pelagicus). Marine Biodiversity do:i10.1007/s12526-014-0290-8.

Balabanova S, Holmberg C, Steele I, Ebrahimi B, Rainbow L, Burdyga T, McCaig C, Tiszlavicz L, Lertkowit N, Giger OT, Oliver S, Prior I, Dimaline R, Simpson D, Beynon R, Hegyi P, Wang TC, Dockray GJ, Varro A (2014), The neuroendocrine phenotype of gastric myofibroblasts and its loss with cancer progression. Carcinogenesis. 35(8):1798-806. doi: 10.1093/carcin/bgu086.

Oliver SP*, Turner J R, Gann K, Silvosa M, D’Urban Jackson T (2013), Thresher Sharks Use Tail-Slaps as a Hunting Strategy. PLoS ONE 8(7): e67380. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0067380.

Oliver SP*, Hussey N E, Turner J R, Beckett A J (2011), Oceanic Sharks Clean at Coastal Seamount. PLoS ONE 6(3): e14755. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0014755.

Cocks D, King J, Oliver S, Turner J, Roberts G (2008), A software package for Environmental Impact Assessments. Centre for Applied Marine Sciences. Report 2008-06. (id:1682).