Personal profile
Research overview
I am a statistician based in the Centre for Research into Ecological and Environmental Modelling (CREEM) and School of Mathematics and Statistics (where I am joint head of the Division of Statistics). My research is motivated by ecological applications, particularly related to widlife conservation.
There are currently four main strands to my work:
- Development of methods and software for estimating the size, density and distribution of wild animal and plant populations. I mostly work on a group of related methods called distance sampling. A particular recent focus has been on the use of passive acoustics (i.e., recording sounds) to estimate the size of whale and dolphin populations.
- Use of computer intensive methods to fit and compare stochastic models of wildlife population dynamics. I mostly work on algorithms called particle filters.
- Inferences from animal-borne tags. This includes reconstructing animal tracks from noisy data about animal location, and inferring behavioural state from tag measurements.
- Development and application of methods for quantifying human-caused disturbance (particularly underwater sounds) on animal behaviour, and also the consequences of this disturbance for the animal populations.
For more information, please see my personal homepage.
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 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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Novel survey method finds dramatic decline of wild cotton-top tamarin population
Savage, A., Thomas, L., Leighty, K., Soto, L. & Medina, F., 29 Jun 2010, In: Nature Communications. 1Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Continuous-time modelling of behavioural responses in animal movement
Michelot, T., Glennie, R., Thomas, L., Quick, N. J. & Harris, C. M., 1 Dec 2023, In: Annals of Applied Statistics. 17, 4, p. 3570-3588 19 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile -
Population consequences of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on pelagic cetaceans
Marques, T. A., Thomas, L., Booth, C. G., Garrison, L. P., Rosel, P. E., Takeshita, R., Mullin, K. D. & Schwacke, L., 13 Jul 2023, In: Marine Ecology Progress Series. 714, 14 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile -
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
Open AccessFile -
Distance software: design and analysis of distance sampling surveys for estimating population size
Thomas, L., Buckland, S. T., Rexstad, E. A., Laake, J. L., Strindberg, S., Hedley, S. L., Bishop, J. R. B., Marques, T. A. & Burnham, K. P., 2010, In: Journal of Applied Ecology. 47, 1, p. 5-14Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Datasets
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Data used in paper "Mixture models for distance sampling detection functions" by David L. Miller and Len Thomas
Miller, D. L. (Creator) & Thomas, L. J. (Creator), Figshare, 23 Jan 2015
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.1293041.v2
Dataset
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A unifying model for capture-recapture and distance sampling surveys of wildlife populations (dataset)
Borchers, D. L. (Creator), Stevenson, B. (Creator), Kidney, D. (Creator), Thomas, L. J. (Creator) & Marques, T. A. L. O. (Creator), GitHub, 9 Jun 2017
https://github.com/b-steve/admbsecr/
Dataset
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Data from: Tracking marine mammals in 3D using electronic tag data
Laplanche, C. (Creator), Marques, T. A. L. O. (Creator) & Thomas, L. J. (Creator), Dryad, 19 Mar 2015
DOI: 10.5061/dryad.138cg
Dataset
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Estimation bias under model selection for distance sampling detection functions (dataset)
Prieto Gonzalez, R. (Creator), Thomas, L. J. (Creator) & Marques, T. A. L. O. (Creator), GitHub, 14 Sept 2016
https://github.com/Ro-PG/Distance-sampling-model-selection
Dataset
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Estimating effective detection area of static passive acoustic data loggers from playback experiments with cetacean vocalisations (dataset)
Nuuttila, H. K. (Creator), Brundiers, K. (Creator), Dähne, M. (Creator), Koblitz, J. C. (Creator), Thomas, L. (Creator), Courtene-Jones, W. (Creator), Evans, P. G. H. (Creator), Turner, J. R. (Creator), Bennell, J. D. (Creator) & Hiddink, J. G. (Creator), Zenodo, 18 Sept 2018
DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.1421093.svg
Dataset
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Is the British Indian Ocean Territory: Is the British Indian Ocean Territory one of the last tropical refuges for cetaceans?
Harris, D. (PI) & Thomas, L. (CoI)
1/03/22 → 28/02/26
Project: Standard
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Ensuring ongoing impact of distance samp: Ensuring ongoing impact of distance sampling methods and software for wildlife population assessment
Thomas, L. (PI), Marshall, L. (CoI) & Rexstad, E. (CoI)
3/04/23 → 2/04/24
Project: Standard
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Bycatch Monitoring Programme: Defra Tender Submission - Bycatch Monitoring Programme
Northridge, S. (PI) & Thomas, L. (CoI)
1/06/22 → 31/05/25
Project: Standard
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Understanding The Evolution: Understanding the Evolution and Conservation Consequences of Extreme Longevity in Arctic Marine Mammals.
Thomas, L. (PI)
31/03/22 → 30/03/24
Project: Standard
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Improving effectiveness of naval enviro: Improving effectiveness of naval environmental impact assessments for marine mammals
Thomas, L. (PI)
1/12/20 → 30/06/21
Project: Standard
Activities
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International Statistical Ecology Conference
Thomas, L. (Keynote/Plenary speaker)
6 Jul 2012Activity: Talk or presentation types › Invited talk
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Establishing Epigenetic Techniques for Use in Endangered Cetaceans
Barratclough, A. (Speaker), Schwacke, L. (Speaker), Gomez, F. (Speaker), Photopoulou, T. (Speaker), Pirotta, E. (Speaker), Takeshita, R. (Speaker), Thomas, L. (Speaker), Tatsch, A. (Speaker), Secchi, E. (Speaker), Fruet, P. (Speaker), Parry, C. (Speaker), McClain, A. (Speaker), Zoller, J. (Speaker), Horvath, S. (Speaker) & Smith, C. (Speaker)
31 Aug 2021 → 2 Sept 2021Activity: Talk or presentation types › Presentation
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International Statistical Ecology Conference
Buckland, S. T. (Organiser), Rexstad, E. (Chair of organising committee), Thomas, L. (Member of organising committee), Borchers, D. L. (Member of organising committee) & Illian, J. B. (Member of organising committee)
2 Jul 2018 → 6 Jul 2018Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Participation in or organising a conference
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International Statistical Ecology Conference
Buckland, S. T. (Chair of organising committee), Rexstad, E. (Chair of organising committee), Borchers, D. L. (Organiser), Brewer, M. (Organiser), Burt, M. L. (Organiser), Estevinho Santos Faustino, C. (Organiser), Harris, D. V. (Organiser), Illian, J. B. (Organiser), Bortolotto de Oliveira, G. A. (Organiser), King, R. (Organiser), Marques, T. A. (Organiser), Papathomas, M. (Organiser), Rodger, R. (Organiser), Thomas, L. (Organiser), Scott-Hayward, L. A. S. (Organiser) & Paxton, C. G. M. (Organiser)
2 Jul 2018 → 6 Jul 2018Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Participation in or organising a conference
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European Cetacean Soceity Annual Conference
Thomas, L. (Keynote/Plenary speaker)
10 Apr 2013Activity: Talk or presentation types › Invited talk
Impacts
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Distance sampling surveys: enabling better decision-making by wildlife managers (REF 2014)
Buckland, S. (Participant), Borchers, D. (Participant), Thomas, L. (Participant) & Rexstad, E. (Participant)
Impact: Public Policy Impact, Environmental Impact
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New statistical methods result in better marine environmental monitoring and impact assessment (REF2014)
MacKenzie, M. (Participant), Rexstad, E. (Participant), Buckland, S. (Participant) & Thomas, L. (Participant)
Impact: Environmental Impact
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New statistical methods result in better marine environmental monitoring and impact assessment (REF2014).
Thomas, L. (Participant), Buckland, S. (Participant), MacKenzie, M. (Participant) & Rexstad, E. (Participant)
Impact