Personal profile
Research overview
My research interests are aimed at determining the effect that contaminant and pathogen exposure has on the risk of mortality and morbidity in marine mammals, both seals and cetaceans. I am particularly interested in the role of these factors in determining an animals early survival and reproductive capability and in how they interact with the species immune and endocrine systems. This interest has also led to more fundamental questions about how the immune system may be shaped by the life history strategy of marine mammals.
I am also now very interested in the physiolgical adaptations of mammals to a marne existence, particularly at the molecular level; such as the respiratory adaptations and strategies that allow animals to forage at depth and their adaptations to cope with long periods of fasting.
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
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SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being -
SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy -
SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth -
SDG 10 Reduced Inequalities -
SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production -
SDG 13 Climate Action -
SDG 14 Life Below Water -
SDG 15 Life on Land
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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
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Evidence for a genetic basis of urogenital carcinoma in the wild California sea lion
Browning, H. M., Acevedo-Whitehouse, K., Gulland, F. M. D., Hall, A. J., Finlayson, J., Dagleish, M. P., Billington, K. J., Colegrove, K. & Hammond, J. A., Dec 2014, In: Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 281, 1796, 10 p., 20140240.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile -
Detection and effects of harmful algal toxins in Scottish harbour seals and potential links to population decline
Jensen, S.-K., Lacaze, J.-P., Hermann, G., Kershaw, J., Brownlow, A., Turner, A. & Hall, A. J., Apr 2015, In: Toxicon. 97, p. 1-14 14 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Temporal changes in the dietary niche of sympatric seals provides insight into the role of competition in population declines
Langley, I., Hammond, P. S., Thompson, P. M., Pierce, G. J., Wilson, L. J., Hall, A. J., Hastie, G. D. & Russell, D. J. F., 2 Feb 2026, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Oikos. Early View, p. 1-14 14 p., e11875.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile -
Clinical chemistry reference intervals for health assessment in wild adult harbour seals
Hall, A. J., Russell, D. J. F., Thompson, P. M., Milne, R., Moss, S. E., Armstrong, H. C. & Kershaw, J. L., 27 Nov 2025, In: Animals. 15, 23, p. 1-13 13 p., 3429.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile -
Cognitive perception of circulating oxygen in seals is the reason they don’t drown
McKnight, J. C., Bønnelycke, E.-M., Balfour, S., Milne, R., Moss, S. E. W., Armstrong, H. C., Downie, C., Hall, A. J. & Kershaw, J. L., 21 Mar 2025, In: Science. 387, 6740, p. 1276-1280 5 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Datasets
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Cancer in California Sea Lions (dataset)
Hall, A. J. (Creator), University of St Andrews, 10 Dec 2020
DOI: 10.17630/5e96ccde-3814-47ed-960b-6e8991da68df
Dataset
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Toxins from harmful algae in fish from Scottish coastal waters (dataset)
Hall, A. J. (Creator), Kershaw, J. L. (Creator), Jensen, S.-K. (Creator), McConnell, B. J. (Creator), Fraser, S. (Creator), Lacaze, J.-P. (Creator), Hermann, G. (Creator), Dean, K. (Creator), Turner, A. (Creator) & Davidson, K. (Creator), University of St Andrews, 3 Aug 2021
DOI: 10.17630/bf2398af-68a5-451c-8ab4-0ddb28624f93
Dataset
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Perturbation drives changing metapopulation dynamics in a top marine predator (dataset)
Carroll, E. L. (Creator), Hall, A. J. (Creator), Onoufriou, A. (Creator), Gaggiotti, O. E. (Creator) & Russell, D. J. (Creator), Dryad, 10 Aug 2020
Dataset
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A comparative study of the fecal microbiota of gray seal pups and yearlings - a marine mammal sentinel species (dataset)
Hall, A. J. (Creator), European Nucleotide Archive (ENA), 2022
https://www.ebi.ac.uk/ena/browser/view/PRJEB35901 and one more link, https://www.ebi.ac.uk/ena/browser/view/PRJEB35983?show=reads (show fewer)
Dataset
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Reduced adult survival estimated in areas of decline of harbour seal populations in Scotland (dataset and R code)
Arso Civil, M. (Creator), Tapp, S. (Contributor), Dickens, J. (Contributor), Langley, I. (Contributor), Hiley, H. M. (Contributor), Terrapon, M. (Contributor), Hague, E. (Contributor), Hewitt, R. (Contributor), Cordes, L. (Contributor), Graham, I. (Contributor), Cheney, B. (Contributor), Thompson, P. (Contributor), Hall, A. J. (Creator) & Sparling, C. E. (Creator), University of St Andrews, 5 Jun 2025
DOI: 10.17630/bd7fe8db-10e3-45ee-b067-19c9182f23e5
Dataset
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Projects
- 16 Finished
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Selkie Boat Engine replacement: Selkie Boat Engine replacement
Hall, A. (PI)
1/12/18 → 31/12/19
Project: Standard
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EU Best 2.0: EU BEST Collaboration 2016
Hall, A. (PI)
European Commission Joint Research Centre
1/06/18 → 30/09/18
Project: Standard
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Long term science 2018/19: Sea Mammal Research Unit Allocation for 2018/19 - Long Term Science
Hall, A. (PI)
Natural Environment Research Council
1/04/18 → 31/03/19
Project: Standard
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NERC NC National Public Good 2018 - 2023: Sea Mammal Research Unit NC-NPG activities to fulfill NERC's statutory duties.
Sparling, C. (PI) & Hall, A. (CoI)
1/04/18 → 31/03/23
Project: Standard
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NERC Capital: NERC capital investment in new Gatty building
Hall, A. (PI)
Natural Environment Research Council
1/10/17 → 31/12/18
Project: Standard
Activities
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Independent Review Panel for the ex situ efforst for the conservation of the Vaquita (External organisation)
Hall, A. J. (Participant)
2016 → 2018Activity: Membership types › Membership of peer review panel or committee
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Advisory Group for the new National Marine Centre (External organisation)
Hall, A. J. (Participant)
2016 → 2018Activity: Membership types › Membership of public/government advisory/policy group or panel
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Plant and Animal Health UK - Defra/BBSRC Workshop
Hall, A. J. (Participant)
31 Jan 2015Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Participation in or organising a workshop, seminar, course
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International Whaling Commission (External organisation)
Hall, A. J. (Participant)
2015 → 2020Activity: Membership types › Membership of public/government advisory/policy group or panel
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British Ecological Society / Société Française d’Ecologie
Hall, A. J. (Participant)
9 Dec 2014Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Participation in or organising a conference