Dr Kate Grellier (Research Scientist)
Kate started working on marine mammals in 1992. She has worked on wild and captive cetaceans and pinnipeds both at home and abroad.
Most of her experience was gained during her seven years at the University of Aberdeen’s Lighthouse Field Station (Cromarty) working on the seals and dolphins of the Moray Firth.
Further expertise on Scottish seals comes from eight and a half years at the Sea Mammal Research Unit (University of St Andrews) during which time she carried out a PhD. Specific marine mammal research expertise includes:
- Abundance, distribution, movements, behaviour and genetics. Techniques used include carrying out boat and aerial surveys and analysing the data, photo-identification of bottlenose dolphins, tissue sampling and telemetry
- Diet composition and prey consumption estimation (mainly of grey seals in the North Sea) in relation to fish stock biomass estimates and catch data
- Animal training and husbandry
Publications
Grellier, K. and Hammond, P.S. 2006. Robust digestion and passage rate estimates for hard parts of grey seal prey. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 63:1982-1998.
Grellier, K. and Hammond, P.S. 2005. Feeding method affects otolith digestion in captive gray seals: implications for diet composition estimation. Marine Mammal Science 21:296-306.
Grellier, K., Hammond, P.S., Wilson, B., Sanders-Reed, C.A. and Thompson, P.M. 2003. Use of photo-identification data to quantify mother-calf association patterns in bottlenose dolphins. Canadian Journal of Zoology 81:1421-1427.
Grellier, K. and Wilson, B. 2003. Bottlenose dolphins using the Sound of Barra, Scotland. Aquatic Mammals 29:378-382.
Grellier, K., Thompson, P. M. and Corpe, H. M. 1996. The effect of weather conditions on harbour seal (Phoca vitulina) haul-out behaviour in the Moray Firth, N. E. Scotland. Canadian Journal of Zoology 74:1806-1811.Hammond, P.S., Gordon, J.C.D.,
