Dr Elizabeth Chadwick
Senior Lecturer
- chadwickea@cardiff.ac.uk
- +44 (0)29 2087 4948
- Sir Martin Evans Building, Museum Avenue, Cardiff, CF10 3AX
Overview
Research overview
My research focuses on freshwater aquatic systems, particularly the Eurasian otter and British amphibians. I head the Cardiff University Otter Project (CUOP), a research and monitoring project run collaboratively with the Environment Agency. Using the otter as a model species, we address fundamental questions about freshwater systems and population biology. For example, molecular genetic analysis is used to explore the influence of landscape on population connectivity, and to allow epidemiological modelling of recently introduced biliary parasites; stable isotope analysis is applied to investigate nutrient cycling, and volatile analysis of gland material is used to investigate scent communication. Research in amphibian ecology focuses particularly on phenology and climate change, and the effect of environmental cues on behaviour.
Related links
Biography
After a degree in Biology at Cardiff University (1997), I returned to Cardiff to undertake a PhD at the Llysdinam field centre with Dr F Slater (1998-2003). The study focused on the breeding phenology and winter behaviour of common British amphibians, looking at temporal and spatial variation in phenology, and assessing how changes in climate might influence behaviour and body condition.
Following a short post-doctoral position in 2003 conducting a scoping study for research in the Cape Verde islands, I took over as head of the Cardiff University Otter Project in 2004. While using the otter as the study species, this has enabled me to develop a diverse range of inter-related research projects. These both further our understanding of this elusive European protected species, and use it as a model organism to investigate key ecological principles and processes.
Publications
2024
- Alygizakis, N. et al. 2024. Network analysis to reveal the most commonly detected compounds in predator-prey pairs in freshwater and marine mammals and fish in Europe. Science of the Total Environment 950, article number: 175303. (10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.175303)
- Hinds, J. et al. 2024. Multiple novel caliciviruses identified from stoats (Mustela erminea) in the United Kingdom. Access Microbiology 6(7), article number: 813. (10.1099/acmi.0.000813.v4)
- O'Rourke, E. et al. 2024. Persistence of PFOA pollution at a PTFE production site and occurrence of replacement PFASs in English freshwaters revealed by sentinel species, the Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra). Environmental Science and Technology 58(23), pp. 10195–10206. (10.1021/acs.est.3c09405)
- Bean, T. G., Chadwick, E. A., Herrero-Villar, M., Mateo, R., Naidoo, V. and Ratter, B. A. 2024. Do pharmaceuticals in the environment pose a risk to wildlife?. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 43(3), pp. 595-610. (10.1002/etc.5528)
- Du Plessis, S., Chadwick, E. and Hailer, F. 2024. Could a couple of Thai otters have helped the UK’s otter population recover? Our study provides a hint. The Conversation
2023
- Apaa, T. et al. 2023. Lack of detection of SARS-CoV-2 in British wildlife 2020-21 and first description of a stoat (Mustela erminea) Minacovirus. Journal of General Virology 104(12), article number: 1917. (10.1099/jgv.0.001917)
- du Plessis, S. J., Blaxter, M., Koepfli, K., Chadwick, E. A. and Hailer, F. 2023. Genomics reveals complex population history and unexpected diversity of Eurasian otters (Lutra lutra) in Britain relative to genetic methods. Molecular Biology and Evolution 40(11), article number: msad207. (10.1093/molbev/msad207)
- Du Plessis, S. J., Hong, S., Lee, B., Koepfli, K., Chadwick, E. A. and Hailer, F. 2023. Mitochondrial genome-based synthesis and timeline of Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) phylogeography. Animal Cells and Systems 27(1), pp. 366-377. (10.1080/19768354.2023.2283763)
- Raymond, S., Spencer, M., Chadwick, E. A., Madden, J. R. and Perkins, S. E. 2023. The impact of the COVID-19 lockdowns on wildlife-vehicle collisions in the UK. Journal of Animal Ecology 92(6), pp. 1244-1255. (10.1111/1365-2656.13913)
- Hayes, L. et al. 2023. The occurrence and zoonotic potential of Cryptosporidium species in freshwater biota. Parasites and Vectors 16, article number: 209. (10.1186/s13071-023-05827-9)
- Apaa, T. et al. 2023. Sarbecoviruses of British horseshoe bats; sequence variation and epidemiology. Journal of General Virology 104(6), article number: 1859. (10.1099/jgv.0.001859)
- Drake, L. E., Cuff, J. P., Bedmar, S., McDonald, R., Symondson, W. O. C. and Chadwick, E. A. 2023. Otterly delicious: spatiotemporal variation in the diet of a recovering population of Eurasian otters ( Lutra lutra ) revealed through DNA metabarcoding and morphological analysis of prey remains. Ecology and Evolution 13(5), article number: e10038. (10.1002/ece3.10038)
- Basuony, A. et al. 2023. Paraphyly of the widespread generalist red fox (Vulpes vulpes): introgression rather than recent divergence of the arid-adapted Rüppell's fox (Vulpes rueppellii)?. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 138(4), pp. 453-469. (10.1093/biolinnean/blad001)
2022
- Thomas, N. E., Hailer, F., Bruford, M. W. and Chadwick, E. A. 2022. Country-wide genetic monitoring over 21 years reveals lag in genetic recovery despite spatial connectivity, in an expanding carnivore (Eurasian otter, Lutra lutra) population. Evolutionary Applications 15(12), pp. 2125-2141. (10.1111/eva.13505)
- Gkotsis, G. et al. 2022. Assessment of contaminants of emerging concern in European apex predators and their prey by lc-qtof ms wide-scope target analysis. Environment International 170, article number: 107623. (10.1016/j.envint.2022.107623)
- Russo, L. F., Meloro, C., De Silvestri, M., Chadwick, E. A. and Loy, A. 2022. Better sturdy or slender? Eurasian otter skull plasticity in response to feeding ecology. PLoS ONE 17(9), article number: e0274893. (10.1371/journal.pone.0274893)
- Drake, L. E., Cuff, J. P., Young, R. E., Marchbank, A., Chadwick, E. A. and Symondson, W. O. C. 2022. An assessment of minimum sequence copy thresholds for identifying and reducing the prevalence of artefacts in dietary metabarcoding data. Methods in Ecology and Evolution 13(3), pp. 694-710. (10.1111/2041-210X.13780)
- O'Rourke, E. et al. 2022. Anthropogenic drivers of variation in concentrations of perfluoroalkyl substances in otters (Lutra lutra) from England and Wales. Environmental Science and Technology 56(3), pp. 1675-1687. (10.1021/acs.est.1c05410)
- Androulakakis, A. et al. 2022. Determination of 56 per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in top predators and their prey from Northern Europe by LC-MS/MS. Chemosphere 287(P2), article number: 131775. (10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.131775)
2021
- Raymond, S., Schwartz, A. L. W., Thomas, R. J., Chadwick, E. and Perkins, S. E. 2021. Temporal patterns of wildlife roadkill in the UK. PLoS ONE 16(10), article number: e0258083. (10.1371/journal.pone.0258083)
- Kean, E. F., Shore, R. F., Scholey, G., Strachan, R. and Chadwick, E. A. 2021. Persistent pollutants exceed toxic thresholds in a freshwater top predator decades after legislative control. Environmental Pollution 272, article number: 116415. (10.1016/j.envpol.2020.116415)
2020
- Brand, A. et al. 2020. Biological and anthropogenic predictors of metal concentration in the Eurasian otter, a sentinel of freshwater ecosystems. Environmental Pollution 266(Part 3), article number: 115280. (10.1016/j.envpol.2020.115280)
- Farnell, D. J. J., Khor, C., Nishio Ayre, W., Doyle, Z. and Chadwick, E. 2020. Initial Investigations of the cranial size and shape of adult Eurasian otters (Lutra lutra) in Great Britain. Journal of Imaging 6(10), article number: 106. (10.3390/jimaging6100106)
- Moorhouse-Gann, R. J., Kean, E. F., Parry, G., Valladares, S. and Chadwick, E. A. 2020. Dietary complexity and hidden costs of prey switching in a generalist top predator. Ecology and Evolution 10(13), pp. 6395-6408. (10.1002/ece3.6375)
- Mead, D. et al. 2020. The genome sequence of the Eurasian river otter, Lutra lutra Linnaeus 1758 [version 1; peer review: 2 approved]. Wellcome Open Research 5, pp. 33. (10.12688/wellcomeopenres.15722.1)
2018
- Williams Schwartz, A., Williams, H. F., Chadwick, E., Thomas, R. J. and Perkins, S. E. 2018. Roadkill scavenging behaviour in an urban environment. Journal of Urban Ecology 4(1), article number: juy006. (10.1093/jue/juy006)
2017
- Kean, E. F., Bruford, M. W., Russo, I. M., Muller, C. T. and Chadwick, E. A. 2017. Odour dialects among wild mammals. Scientific Reports 7, article number: 13593. (10.1038/s41598-017-12706-8)
- Smallbone, W., Chadwick, E. A., Francis, J., Edward, G., Perkins, S., Sherrard-Smith, E. and Cable, J. 2017. East-West divide: temperature and land cover drive spatial variation of Toxoplasma gondii infection in Eurasian otters (Lutra lutra) from England and Wales. Parasitology 144(11), pp. 1433-1440. (10.1017/S0031182017000865)
2016
- Sherrard-Smith, E. et al. 2016. Distribution and molecular phylogeny of biliary trematodes (Opisthorchiidae) infecting native Lutra lutra and alien Neovison vison across Europe. Parasitology International 65(2), pp. 163-170. (10.1016/j.parint.2015.11.007)
2015
- Rizzoli, A. et al. 2015. Understanding West Nile virus ecology in Europe: Culex pipiens host feeding preference in a hotspot of virus emergence. Parasites & Vectors 8, article number: 213. (10.1186/s13071-015-0831-4)
- Marcantonio, M., Rizzoli, A., Metz, M., Rosà, R., Marini, G., Chadwick, E. A. and Neteler, M. 2015. Identifying the environmental conditions favouring West Nile Virus outbreaks in Europe. Plos One 10(3), article number: e0121158. (10.1371/journal.pone.0121158)
- Kean, E., Chadwick, E. A. and Muller, C. T. 2015. Scent signals individual identity and country of origin in otters. Mammalian Biology 80(2), pp. 99-105. (10.1016/j.mambio.2014.12.004)
- Sherrard-Smith, E., Perkins, S. E., Chadwick, E. A. and Cable, J. 2015. Spatial and seasonal factors are key determinants in the aggregation of helminths in their definitive hosts: Pseudamphistomum truncatum in otters (Lutra lutra). International Journal for Parasitology 45(1), pp. 75-83. (10.1016/j.ijpara.2014.09.004)
- Sherrard-Smith, E., Chadwick, E. and Cable, J. 2015. The impact of introduced hosts on parasite transmission: opisthorchiid infections in American mink (Neovison vison). Biological Invasions 17(1), pp. 115-122. (10.1007/s10530-014-0709-y)
- Pountney, A., Filby, A. L., Thomas, G. O., Simpson, V. R., Chadwick, E. A., Stevens, J. R. and Tyler, C. R. 2015. High liver content of polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) in otters (Lutra lutra) from England and Wales. Chemosphere 118, pp. 81-86. (10.1016/j.chemosphere.2014.06.051)
2014
- Stanton, D. W. G. et al. 2014. Contrasting genetic structure of the Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) across a latitudinal divide. Journal of Mammalogy 95(4), pp. 814-823. (10.1644/13-MAMM-A-201)
- Rosà, R. et al. 2014. Early warning of West Nile virus mosquito vector: climate and land use models successfully explain phenology and abundance of Culex pipiens mosquitoes in North-Western Italy. Parasites & Vectors 7, article number: 269. (10.1186/1756-3305-7-269)
- Muller, C. T., Kean, E., Chadwick, E. A., Spadafora, D. and Rogers, H. J. 2014. Scents and scentsivity - what scents (may) spell out and ways to read it. Flavour 3(Supp 1), pp. 11-11. (10.1186/2044-7248-3-S1-P11)
2013
- O'Neill, D., Turner, P. D., O'Meara, D. B., Chadwick, E. A., Coffey, L. and O'Reilly, C. 2013. Development of novel real-time TaqMan®PCR assays for the species and sex identification of otter (Lutra lutra) and their application to noninvasive genetic monitoring. Molecular Ecology Resources 13(5), pp. 877-883. (10.1111/1755-0998.12141)
- Sherrard-Smith, E., Chadwick, E. A. and Cable, J. 2013. Climatic variables are associated with the prevalence of biliary trematodes in otters. International Journal for Parasitology 43(9), pp. 729-737. (10.1016/j.ijpara.2013.04.006)
- Chadwick, E. A. et al. 2013. Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in the Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) in England and Wales. Parasites & Vectors 6, article number: 75. (10.1186/1756-3305-6-75)
- Grant, R., Halliday, T. and Chadwick, E. A. 2013. Amphibians’ response to the lunar synodic cycle—a review of current knowledge, recommendations, and implications for conservation. Behavioral Ecology 24(1), pp. 53-62. (10.1093/beheco/ars135)
- Kean, E., Gwynne, L. and Chadwick, E. A. 2013. Persistent organic pollutants and indicators of otter health. Project Report. [Online]. CHEMTrust. Available at: http://www.chemtrust.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/Otter-Health-Pollutants-V8-DesignedV4-FINAL.pdf
2012
- Sherrard-Smith, E., Chadwick, E. A. and Cable, J. 2012. Abiotic and biotic factors associated with tick population dynamics on a mammalian host: Ixodes hexagonus infesting otters, Lutra lutra. PLoS ONE 7(10), article number: e47131. (10.1371/journal.pone.0047131)
- Kean, E. and Chadwick, E. A. 2012. Mammal records verification rule sets for NBN Record Cleaner and recommendations on species whose records should be treated as sensitive. Mammal Society and NBN. Available at: http://www.nbn.org.uk/nbn_wide/media/Documents/Defra/Mammal-Society-NBN-Report-30-04-2012.pdf
2011
- Hobbs, G. I., Chadwick, E. A., Bruford, M. W. and Slater, F. M. 2011. Bayesian clustering techniques and progressive partitioning to identify population structuring within a recovering otter population in the UK. Journal of Applied Ecology 48(5), pp. 1206-1217. (10.1111/j.1365-2664.2011.02028.x)
- Kean, E., Müller, C. T. and Chadwick, E. A. 2011. Otter scent signals age, sex, and reproductive status. Chemical Senses 36(6), pp. 555-564. (10.1093/chemse/bjr025)
- Chadwick, E. A., Simpson, V. R., Nicholls, A. E. L. and Slater, F. M. 2011. Lead levels in Eurasian otters decline with time and reveal interactions between sources, prevailing weather, and stream chemistry. Environmental Science and Technology 45(5), pp. 1911-1916. (10.1021/es1034602)
2010
- Chadwick, E. A. and Sherrard-Smith, E. 2010. Pregnancy among otters (Lutra lutra) found dead in England and Wales: foetal development and lack of seasonality. IUCN Otter Specialist Bulletin 27(1), pp. 33-41.
- Sherrard-Smith, E. and Chadwick, E. A. 2010. Age structure of the otter (Lutra lutra) population in England and Wales, and problems with cementum ageing. IUCN Otter Specialist Bulletin 27(1), pp. 42-49.
2009
- Grant, R. A., Chadwick, E. A. and Halliday, T. 2009. The lunar cycle: a cue for amphibian reproductive phenology?. Animal Behaviour 78(2), pp. 349-357. (10.1016/j.anbehav.2009.05.007)
- Sherrard-Smith, E., Cable, J. and Chadwick, E. A. 2009. Distribution of Eurasian otter biliary parasites, Pseudamphistomum truncatum and Metorchis albidus (Family Opisthorchiidae), in England and Wales. Parasitology 136(9), pp. 1015-1022. (10.1017/S0031182009006362)
- Stanton, D. W. G., Hobbs, G. I., Chadwick, E. A., Slater, F. M. and Bruford, M. W. 2009. Mitochondrial genetic diversity and structure of the European otter (Lutra lutra) in Britain. Conservation Genetics 10(3), pp. 733-737. (10.1007/s10592-008-9633-y)
2006
- Hobbs, G., Chadwick, E. A., Slater, F. M. and Bruford, M. W. 2006. Landscape genetics applied to a recovering otter (Lutra lutra) population in the UK: Preliminary results and potential methodologies. Hystrix : the Italian Journal of Mammalogy 17(1) (10.4404/hystrix-17.1-4364)
- Chadwick, E. A., Slater, F. M. and Ormerod, S. J. 2006. Inter- and intraspecific differences in climatically mediated phenological change in coexisting Triturus species. Global Change Biology 12(6), pp. 1069-1078. (10.1111/j.1365-2486.2006.01156.x)
2005
- Chadwick, E. A. and Slater, F. M. 2005. A population of skinks (Mayuba spp) and the gecko Hemidacylus bouvieri boavistensis behind coastal dunes on Boa Vista, Cape Verde Islands. Herpetological Bulletin 92, pp. 14-18.
Cardiff University Otter Project is a national scheme collecting otters found dead in England and Wales for post mortem examination. The project was established in 1992 with the aim of using tissues collected from this top predator to monitor aquatic contamination. The opportunities presented by national collection of a European protected species are considerable, and while contaminant monitoring remains a key aspect of the project, a wide diversity of additional research is now undertaken under the umbrella of CUOP.
As a nocturnal and elusive species, the Eurasian otter is extremely difficult to study in the wild. Samples collected from animals found dead therefore form a key resource, enabling us to investigate aspects of their ecology and health that would otherwise be inaccessible. In addition to an intrinsic interest in the species from a conservation perspective, the otter has an interesting ecological role at the interface between terrestrial and aquatic habitats, and is at the top of the freshwater aquatic food chain. It is therefore a useful model organism, and can be used to investigate key ecosystem and population processes.
The project now receives >200 otters each year, from which we collect and archive a wide range of tissues and data. These form an ever-expanding collection of material that is used by national and international collaborators and PhD students.
Further details of our research projects on landscape genetics, chemical communication, parasitology, toxicology, diet, and other aspects of otter biology can be seen on the Otter Project website.
PhD students
Eleanor Sherrard Smith (2009-2013) Macroparasites of the Eurasian otter: distribution, life-cycles and population dynamics.
Eleanor Kean (2008-2012) Scent communication in the Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) and potential applications for population monitoring.
Geoff Hobbs (2005-2009) Population genetic structure of a recovering otter (Lutra lutra) population in the UK
Collaborations
Key collaborations include:
WILDCOMS (the Wildlife Disease & Contaminant Monitoring and Surveillance network) is a collaborative network formed between the various UK surveillance schemes that monitor disease and contaminants in vertebrate wildlife
Contaminant research is carried out in collaboration with the Predatory Bird Monitoring Scheme(PBMS), particularly with Prof R Shore and Dr Lee Walker, Centre for Ecology and Hydrology.
Research into parasitology is in collaboration with various members of CRIPES, particularly Dr Joanne Cable and Dr Sarah Perkins, Prof Richard Birtles (University of Salford) and Prof Ed Guy (Toxoplasma Reference Unit, National Health Wales).
Research into molecular genetics is in collaboration with Prof Mike Bruford (Cardiff University), and research into chemical communication is in collaboration with Dr Carsten Muller (Cardiff University).
Grants
Recent / current funders include:
- NERC
- Environment Agency
- Natural Resources Wales
- RWE NPower
- Somerset Otter Group
