Research output per year
Research output per year
Personal profile
Research overview
My work focuses on the ecology, conservation and management of marine mammal populations, with particular emphasis on understanding population status and trends, assessing human impacts, and developing evidence to support policy and management. My work spans long-term monitoring, population dynamics, conservation science and applied research on issues including disturbance, underwater noise and predator–prey interactions. I have extensive experience in delivering policy-relevant science for government and other stakeholders, with a strong interest in linking high-quality research to practical conservation outcomes.
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):
-
SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being -
SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy -
SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth -
SDG 13 Climate Action -
SDG 14 Life Below Water -
SDG 15 Life on Land
Fingerprint
Dive into the research topics where Carol Sparling is active. These topic labels come from the works of this person. Together they form a unique fingerprint.
- 1 Similar Profiles
Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
Recent external collaboration on country/territory level. Dive into details by clicking on the dots or
-
Accumulation of CO2 limits energy gain in freely diving grey seals
Bønnelycke, E.-M. S., Kershaw, J. L., Hastie, G. D., Sparling, C., Balfour, S., Milne, R., Moss, S. E. W., Wright, P. F. C. & McKnight, J. C., May 2026, In: Journal of Experimental Biology. 229, 9, 14 p., jeb251718.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile -
Evaluating the risk of collision of seals swimming within metres of operating tidal turbines
Montabaranom, J., Gillespie, D., Sparling, C., Longden, E. & Hastie, G., 3 Feb 2026, In: Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems. 36, 2, e70326.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile -
Marine Mammal Scientific Support Programme: Phase IV, Year 1 Annual Report
Sparling, C., Russell, D. J., Kershaw, J., Harris, R., Gillespie, D., Langley, I. & Hastie, G., 31 May 2026, 26 p.Research output: Book/Report › Commissioned report
File -
Marine mammals in the anthropocene: developing a systematic evidence base of threats to nineteen species
Hague, E. L., Sinclair, R. R., Kershaw, J. L., Derous, D., Culloch, R. M., Sparling, C. E., Baker‐Horne, N., Sciberras, M., Fernandes, T. F. & McWhinnie, L. H., 1 Mar 2026, In: Mammal Review. 56, 1, 24 p., e70024.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile -
Movement responses of seals during pile driving for offshore wind farm construction
Whyte, K. F., Hastie, G. D., Sparling, C. E., Binnerts, B. & Russell, D. J. F., 31 Aug 2026, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Animal Conservation. Early View, p. 1-13 13 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile
Datasets
-
Passive acoustic methods for tracking the 3D movements of small cetaceans around marine structures (dataset)
Gillespie, D. M. (Creator), Palmer, L. E. (Contributor), MacAulay, J. D. J. (Contributor), Sparling, C. E. (Contributor) & Hastie, G. D. (Creator), University of St Andrews, 2 Apr 2020
DOI: 10.17630/de341ca6-6754-43ed-b1ac-a55aae6ccfaa
Dataset
File -
Harbour porpoises exhibit localized evasion of a tidal turbine (dataset)
Gillespie, D. M. (Creator), Palmer, L. E. (Creator), MacAulay, J. D. J. (Creator), Sparling, C. E. (Creator) & Hastie, G. D. (Creator), University of St Andrews, 31 May 2021
DOI: 10.17630/c3daebc2-0dfb-4702-941a-3a4e038951de
Dataset
File -
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
File -
Fine-scale harbour seal usage for informed marine spatial planning (dataset)
Jones, E. L. (Creator), Sparling, C. E. (Creator), McConnell, B. J. (Creator), Morris, C. (Creator) & Smout, S. C. (Creator), University of St Andrews, 23 Nov 2017
DOI: 10.17630/4f86d1c0-f999-4ca2-b6a8-6ea63a83400b
Dataset
File
-
SMRU NERC NC NPG Round 2 2024-2029
Sparling, C. (PI) & Russell, D. J. (CoI)
Natural Environment Research Council
1/04/24 → 31/03/29
Project: Standard
-
-
-
NERC Camera for SMRU: NERC Camera for SMRU
Sparling, C. (PI)
Natural Environment Research Council
30/09/22 → 31/03/23
Project: Standard
-
NERC Open Access Funding: NERC Open Access Funding
Sparling, C. (PI)
Natural Environment Research Council
1/04/22 → 31/03/25
Project: Standard
-
Marine mammals and tidal turbines: insights from recent monitoring in Scotland
Sparling, C. E. (Speaker)
18 Feb 2022Activity: Talk or presentation types › Invited talk
-
Advice to Police Scotland
Sparling, C. E. (Consultant)
10 Dec 2021Activity: Consultancy types › Consultancy and expert advice
-
External Examiner for PhD thesis
Sparling, C. E. (External examiner)
1 Sept 2021Activity: Examination types › External examination
-
Reducing uncertainty around interactions between marine mammals and tidal turbines
Hastie, G. D. (Speaker), Gillespie, D. M. (Speaker), Palmer, L. E. (Speaker) & Sparling, C. E. (Speaker)
Dec 2020 → …Activity: Talk or presentation types › Invited talk
-
Tracking marine mammals around operational tidal turbines; lessons learned and future directions
Palmer, L. E. (Speaker), Gillespie, D. M. (Speaker), MacAulay, J. D. J. (Speaker), Onoufriou, J. (Speaker), Oswald, M. (Speaker), Sparling, C. E. (Speaker), Thompson, D. (Speaker) & Hastie, G. D. (Speaker)
19 Sept 2019Activity: Talk or presentation types › Presentation
Press/Media
-
Feature on Michael Portillo's Great Coastal Railway Journeys
Sparling, C. E. & McKnight, C.
27/01/22
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Relating to Research