Alastair Grant - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Alastair Grant

Research paper thumbnail of Differential responses of sexual and asexual Artemia to genotoxicity by a reference mutagen: Is the comet assay a reliable predictor of population level responses?

Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, May 1, 2013

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Research paper thumbnail of Biodiversity climate change impacts report card technical paper:10. Implications of climate change for coastal and inter-tidal habitats in the UK

Living With Environmental Change, 2015

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Research paper thumbnail of Diet composition of starry smooth‐hound Mustelus asterias and methodological considerations for assessing the trophic level of predatory fish

Journal of Fish Biology, 2020

The stomach contents of 640 starry smooth‐hound Mustelus asterias from the north‐east Atlantic we... more The stomach contents of 640 starry smooth‐hound Mustelus asterias from the north‐east Atlantic were examined. The diet was dominated by crustaceans (98.8% percentage of index of relative importance, %IRI), with the two main prey species being hermit crab Pagurus bernhardus (34% IRI) and flying crab Liocarcinus holsatus (15% IRI). Ontogenetic dietary preferences showed that smaller individuals [20–69 cm total length (LT) n = 283] had a significantly lower diversity of prey than larger individuals (70–124 cm LT, n = 348); however, 18 prey species were found exclusively in smaller individuals and eight prey taxa were found exclusively in larger individuals. Larger commercially important brachyurans such as edible crab Cancer pagurus and velvet swimming crab Necora puber were more prevalent in the diet of larger individuals. Specimens from the North Sea ecoregion had a lower diversity of prey types for a given sample size than fish from the Celtic Seas ecoregion. Whilst cumulative prey ...

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Research paper thumbnail of Is saltmarsh restoration success constrained by matching natural environments or altered succession? A test using niche models

Journal of Applied Ecology, 2017

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Research paper thumbnail of Author response: Seasonal shift in timing of vernalization as an adaptation to extreme winter

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Research paper thumbnail of Multigenerational demographic responses of sexual and asexual Artemia to chronic genotoxicity by a reference mutagen

Aquatic Toxicology, Nov 1, 2013

Genotoxins are capable of multigenerational impacts on natural populations via DNA damage and mut... more Genotoxins are capable of multigenerational impacts on natural populations via DNA damage and mutations. Sexual reproduction is assumed to reduce the long term consequences of genotoxicity for individual fitness and should therefore reduce population level effects. However, rather few empirical studies have quantified the magnitude of this effect. We tried to analyse the multigenerational demographic responses of sexual Artemia franciscana and asexual Artemia parthenogenetica due to chronic genotoxicity by a reference mutagen, ethyl methane sulfonate (EMS). A prospective (elasticity analysis) and retrospective (differences and contributions) perturbation analysis was carried out to understand the interactions of life history traits with population growth rate λ by comparing elasticities, differences and contributions of vital rates to λ. None of the previous studies have compared the effects of chronic genotoxicity using prospective and retrospective perturbation analyses in a sexual and asexual species over generations. The behaviour of a population with lower growth rate in the presence of genotoxicants in the field was studied by simulating reduced fertilities in the LTRE design. The results of prospective and retrospective perturbation analyses of effects on λ showed that population growth rate was proportionally more sensitive to juvenile survival whereas the effect of EMS on juvenile fertility contributed more to the variations in population growth rate in both the species and this effect was due to the high growth rate of Artemia. Simulations of lower population growth rate in the model showed that adult fertility and survival are also of importance. Sexual reproduction substantially mitigated the long term consequences of genetic damage, although these would be greater if population growth rate were lower. So multigenerational population level consequences of genotoxicity were much greater in an asexual species. So asexual species, and those with a parthenogenetic phase in their life cycle, may be particularly vulnerable to the effects of environmental mutagens. Ecological risk assessments should include information from multigenerational studies, as responses to genotoxicity may vary depending on the life history strategies and reproductive modes of the species under consideration. Single generation studies may under or over-estimate risks.

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Research paper thumbnail of Environmental and social impacts of the 2013 Storm Surge on the North Norfolk coast

The combination of high tides, strong winds and low pressure between the 5th and 7th of December ... more The combination of high tides, strong winds and low pressure between the 5th and 7th of December 2013 caused a devastating storm surge that reached the North Norfolk coast (fig. 1a). Tides along parts of the North Norfolk coast reached higher levels than the devastating floods of 1953. Natural and man made sea defences were breached (fig. 1c, 2a) and large areas of the coastal ecosystem were flooded (fig. 2b) . This coastline is a mosaic of natural and semi-natural habitats and farmland, supporting significant wildlife populations, protecting the coastline against erosion and are widely used for recreation. The extent and duration of the impacts is still unclear and uncertain.

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Research paper thumbnail of An Alternative Theory of Grasshopper Life Cycles

Oikos, 1993

Sibly and Monk proposed a model of grasshopper life histories based upon the assumption that ther... more Sibly and Monk proposed a model of grasshopper life histories based upon the assumption that there is a trade-off between egg size and time taken to reach adulthood. They concluded that the length of the breeding period was the key environmental variable characterising ...

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Research paper thumbnail of Discarding in the North Sea and on the historical efficacy of gear-based technical measures in reducing discards

Fisheries Research, 2009

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Research paper thumbnail of Marine and estuarine pollution

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Research paper thumbnail of Can we project changes in fish abundance and distribution in response to climate?

Global Change Biology, 2020

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Research paper thumbnail of Dynamics of COVID-19 epidemics: SEIR models underestimate peak infection rates and overestimate epidemic duration

Compartment models of infectious diseases, such as SEIR, are being used extensively to model the ... more Compartment models of infectious diseases, such as SEIR, are being used extensively to model the COVID-19 epidemic. Transitions between compartments are modelled either as instantaneous rates in differential equations, or as transition probabilities in discrete time difference or matrix equations. These models give accurate estimates of the position of equilibrium points, when the rate at which individuals enter each stage is equal to the rate at which they exit from it. However, they do not accurately capture the distribution of times that an individual spends in each compartment, so do not accurately capture the transient dynamics of epidemics. Here we show how matrix models can provide a straightforward route to accurately model stage durations, and thus correctly reproduce epidemic dynamics. We apply this approach to modelling the dynamics of a COVID-19 epidemic. We show that a SEIR model underestimates peak infection rates (by a factor of three using published parameter estimat...

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Research paper thumbnail of Cataloging Cowries: A Standardized Strategy to Record Six Key Species of Cowrie Shell from the West African Archaeological Record

African Archaeological Review, 2019

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Research paper thumbnail of Linking heavy metal exposure with ecological change in estuarine sediment microbial communities using Pollution Induced Community Tolerance (PICT) and T-RFLP: A microcosm study

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Research paper thumbnail of Coral reef decline in the Caribbean-Response

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Research paper thumbnail of Detecting ecological effects of pollutants in the aquatic environment

Ecology of Industrial Pollution, 2009

CHAPTER SEVEN Detecting ecological effects of pollutants in the aquatic environment ALASTAIR GRAN... more CHAPTER SEVEN Detecting ecological effects of pollutants in the aquatic environment ALASTAIR GRANT Introduction In the marine environment a widely used definition of pollution is the 'intro-duction by man, directly or indirectly, of substances or energy into the marine ...

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Research paper thumbnail of Reply from T. Benton and A. Grant

Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 2000

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Research paper thumbnail of How to Keep Fit in the Real World: Elasticity Analyses and Selection Pressures on Life Histories in a Variable Environment

The American Naturalist, 1996

ABSTRACT

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Research paper thumbnail of Indoor and Deep Sub-Tidal Intermediate Culture ofTrochus niloticusfor Restocking

Reviews in Fisheries Science, 2013

... SPC Trochus Information Bulletin 14: 7-11 Hoang DH, Tuan VS, Hoa NX, Sang HM, Lu HD, Tuyen HT... more ... SPC Trochus Information Bulletin 14: 7-11 Hoang DH, Tuan VS, Hoa NX, Sang HM, Lu HD, Tuyen HT (2007) Experiments on ... Biology and Ecology 140: 173-185 Marshall PA, Keough MJ (1994) Asymmetry in intraspecific competition in the limpet Cellana tramoserica (sowerby). ...

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Research paper thumbnail of Effects of genotoxicity and its consequences at the population level in sexual and asexual Artemia assessed by analysis of inter-simple sequence repeats (ISSR)

Mutation Research/Genetic Toxicology and Environmental Mutagenesis, 2013

There is considerable evidence that genetic damage in organisms occurs in the environment as a re... more There is considerable evidence that genetic damage in organisms occurs in the environment as a result of exposure to genotoxins and ionising radiation, but we have limited understanding of the extent to which this results in adverse consequences at a population level. We used inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers to quantify genotoxic effects of the mutagen ethylmethane sulfonate (EMS) on a sexual (Artemia franciscana) and an asexual (Artemia parthenogenetica) species of brine shrimp. The method provides information similar to that obtained with assessment of RAPD (random amplification of polymorphic DNA) but is more robust. Genetic damage was transmitted to the F1 generation in both Artemia species, but the sexual species showed a greater degree of recovery, as shown by higher values of genomic template stability. There was a strong correlation between DNA damage and effects on individual fitness parameters: size, survival, reproduction and population growth. These effects persisted into the F2 generation in A. parthenogenetica, but in the sexual A. franciscana only effects on fecundity continued beyond the exposed generation, even though there were substantial alterations in ISSR patterns in the F1 generation. Genetic biomarkers can thus be indicative of effects at the population level, but sexually reproducing species have a considerable assimilative capacity for the effects of genotoxins.

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Research paper thumbnail of Differential responses of sexual and asexual Artemia to genotoxicity by a reference mutagen: Is the comet assay a reliable predictor of population level responses?

Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, May 1, 2013

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Research paper thumbnail of Biodiversity climate change impacts report card technical paper:10. Implications of climate change for coastal and inter-tidal habitats in the UK

Living With Environmental Change, 2015

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Research paper thumbnail of Diet composition of starry smooth‐hound Mustelus asterias and methodological considerations for assessing the trophic level of predatory fish

Journal of Fish Biology, 2020

The stomach contents of 640 starry smooth‐hound Mustelus asterias from the north‐east Atlantic we... more The stomach contents of 640 starry smooth‐hound Mustelus asterias from the north‐east Atlantic were examined. The diet was dominated by crustaceans (98.8% percentage of index of relative importance, %IRI), with the two main prey species being hermit crab Pagurus bernhardus (34% IRI) and flying crab Liocarcinus holsatus (15% IRI). Ontogenetic dietary preferences showed that smaller individuals [20–69 cm total length (LT) n = 283] had a significantly lower diversity of prey than larger individuals (70–124 cm LT, n = 348); however, 18 prey species were found exclusively in smaller individuals and eight prey taxa were found exclusively in larger individuals. Larger commercially important brachyurans such as edible crab Cancer pagurus and velvet swimming crab Necora puber were more prevalent in the diet of larger individuals. Specimens from the North Sea ecoregion had a lower diversity of prey types for a given sample size than fish from the Celtic Seas ecoregion. Whilst cumulative prey ...

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Research paper thumbnail of Is saltmarsh restoration success constrained by matching natural environments or altered succession? A test using niche models

Journal of Applied Ecology, 2017

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of Author response: Seasonal shift in timing of vernalization as an adaptation to extreme winter

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of Multigenerational demographic responses of sexual and asexual Artemia to chronic genotoxicity by a reference mutagen

Aquatic Toxicology, Nov 1, 2013

Genotoxins are capable of multigenerational impacts on natural populations via DNA damage and mut... more Genotoxins are capable of multigenerational impacts on natural populations via DNA damage and mutations. Sexual reproduction is assumed to reduce the long term consequences of genotoxicity for individual fitness and should therefore reduce population level effects. However, rather few empirical studies have quantified the magnitude of this effect. We tried to analyse the multigenerational demographic responses of sexual Artemia franciscana and asexual Artemia parthenogenetica due to chronic genotoxicity by a reference mutagen, ethyl methane sulfonate (EMS). A prospective (elasticity analysis) and retrospective (differences and contributions) perturbation analysis was carried out to understand the interactions of life history traits with population growth rate λ by comparing elasticities, differences and contributions of vital rates to λ. None of the previous studies have compared the effects of chronic genotoxicity using prospective and retrospective perturbation analyses in a sexual and asexual species over generations. The behaviour of a population with lower growth rate in the presence of genotoxicants in the field was studied by simulating reduced fertilities in the LTRE design. The results of prospective and retrospective perturbation analyses of effects on λ showed that population growth rate was proportionally more sensitive to juvenile survival whereas the effect of EMS on juvenile fertility contributed more to the variations in population growth rate in both the species and this effect was due to the high growth rate of Artemia. Simulations of lower population growth rate in the model showed that adult fertility and survival are also of importance. Sexual reproduction substantially mitigated the long term consequences of genetic damage, although these would be greater if population growth rate were lower. So multigenerational population level consequences of genotoxicity were much greater in an asexual species. So asexual species, and those with a parthenogenetic phase in their life cycle, may be particularly vulnerable to the effects of environmental mutagens. Ecological risk assessments should include information from multigenerational studies, as responses to genotoxicity may vary depending on the life history strategies and reproductive modes of the species under consideration. Single generation studies may under or over-estimate risks.

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Research paper thumbnail of Environmental and social impacts of the 2013 Storm Surge on the North Norfolk coast

The combination of high tides, strong winds and low pressure between the 5th and 7th of December ... more The combination of high tides, strong winds and low pressure between the 5th and 7th of December 2013 caused a devastating storm surge that reached the North Norfolk coast (fig. 1a). Tides along parts of the North Norfolk coast reached higher levels than the devastating floods of 1953. Natural and man made sea defences were breached (fig. 1c, 2a) and large areas of the coastal ecosystem were flooded (fig. 2b) . This coastline is a mosaic of natural and semi-natural habitats and farmland, supporting significant wildlife populations, protecting the coastline against erosion and are widely used for recreation. The extent and duration of the impacts is still unclear and uncertain.

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Research paper thumbnail of An Alternative Theory of Grasshopper Life Cycles

Oikos, 1993

Sibly and Monk proposed a model of grasshopper life histories based upon the assumption that ther... more Sibly and Monk proposed a model of grasshopper life histories based upon the assumption that there is a trade-off between egg size and time taken to reach adulthood. They concluded that the length of the breeding period was the key environmental variable characterising ...

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Research paper thumbnail of Discarding in the North Sea and on the historical efficacy of gear-based technical measures in reducing discards

Fisheries Research, 2009

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of Marine and estuarine pollution

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of Can we project changes in fish abundance and distribution in response to climate?

Global Change Biology, 2020

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of Dynamics of COVID-19 epidemics: SEIR models underestimate peak infection rates and overestimate epidemic duration

Compartment models of infectious diseases, such as SEIR, are being used extensively to model the ... more Compartment models of infectious diseases, such as SEIR, are being used extensively to model the COVID-19 epidemic. Transitions between compartments are modelled either as instantaneous rates in differential equations, or as transition probabilities in discrete time difference or matrix equations. These models give accurate estimates of the position of equilibrium points, when the rate at which individuals enter each stage is equal to the rate at which they exit from it. However, they do not accurately capture the distribution of times that an individual spends in each compartment, so do not accurately capture the transient dynamics of epidemics. Here we show how matrix models can provide a straightforward route to accurately model stage durations, and thus correctly reproduce epidemic dynamics. We apply this approach to modelling the dynamics of a COVID-19 epidemic. We show that a SEIR model underestimates peak infection rates (by a factor of three using published parameter estimat...

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Research paper thumbnail of Cataloging Cowries: A Standardized Strategy to Record Six Key Species of Cowrie Shell from the West African Archaeological Record

African Archaeological Review, 2019

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Research paper thumbnail of Linking heavy metal exposure with ecological change in estuarine sediment microbial communities using Pollution Induced Community Tolerance (PICT) and T-RFLP: A microcosm study

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of Coral reef decline in the Caribbean-Response

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of Detecting ecological effects of pollutants in the aquatic environment

Ecology of Industrial Pollution, 2009

CHAPTER SEVEN Detecting ecological effects of pollutants in the aquatic environment ALASTAIR GRAN... more CHAPTER SEVEN Detecting ecological effects of pollutants in the aquatic environment ALASTAIR GRANT Introduction In the marine environment a widely used definition of pollution is the 'intro-duction by man, directly or indirectly, of substances or energy into the marine ...

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Research paper thumbnail of Reply from T. Benton and A. Grant

Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 2000

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of How to Keep Fit in the Real World: Elasticity Analyses and Selection Pressures on Life Histories in a Variable Environment

The American Naturalist, 1996

ABSTRACT

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of Indoor and Deep Sub-Tidal Intermediate Culture ofTrochus niloticusfor Restocking

Reviews in Fisheries Science, 2013

... SPC Trochus Information Bulletin 14: 7-11 Hoang DH, Tuan VS, Hoa NX, Sang HM, Lu HD, Tuyen HT... more ... SPC Trochus Information Bulletin 14: 7-11 Hoang DH, Tuan VS, Hoa NX, Sang HM, Lu HD, Tuyen HT (2007) Experiments on ... Biology and Ecology 140: 173-185 Marshall PA, Keough MJ (1994) Asymmetry in intraspecific competition in the limpet Cellana tramoserica (sowerby). ...

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of Effects of genotoxicity and its consequences at the population level in sexual and asexual Artemia assessed by analysis of inter-simple sequence repeats (ISSR)

Mutation Research/Genetic Toxicology and Environmental Mutagenesis, 2013

There is considerable evidence that genetic damage in organisms occurs in the environment as a re... more There is considerable evidence that genetic damage in organisms occurs in the environment as a result of exposure to genotoxins and ionising radiation, but we have limited understanding of the extent to which this results in adverse consequences at a population level. We used inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers to quantify genotoxic effects of the mutagen ethylmethane sulfonate (EMS) on a sexual (Artemia franciscana) and an asexual (Artemia parthenogenetica) species of brine shrimp. The method provides information similar to that obtained with assessment of RAPD (random amplification of polymorphic DNA) but is more robust. Genetic damage was transmitted to the F1 generation in both Artemia species, but the sexual species showed a greater degree of recovery, as shown by higher values of genomic template stability. There was a strong correlation between DNA damage and effects on individual fitness parameters: size, survival, reproduction and population growth. These effects persisted into the F2 generation in A. parthenogenetica, but in the sexual A. franciscana only effects on fecundity continued beyond the exposed generation, even though there were substantial alterations in ISSR patterns in the F1 generation. Genetic biomarkers can thus be indicative of effects at the population level, but sexually reproducing species have a considerable assimilative capacity for the effects of genotoxins.

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact