Kateřina Schiffnederová
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Email
katerina.schiffnederova@essex.ac.uk -
Location
Colchester Campus
Profile
- Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)
- Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs)
- Harbour Porpoises
- Marine Mammals
Biography
I earned my BSc in Marine Biology with First Class Honours from the University of Essex in 2023. Following this, I undertook a taught Masters degree in Marine Ecosystem Management at the University of St Andrews. After completing my studies there, I chose to return to Essex to embark on a Research Masters degree under the supervision of Dr. Anna Sturrock, with whom I had previously collaborated on my undergraduate project. My MSD project focuses on the Concentration patterns of unintentionally produced Polychlorinated biphenyls in Harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) stranded along the British coast.
Qualifications
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MSc Marine Ecosystem Management University of St Andrews (2024)
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BSc Marine Biology University of Essex (2023)
Research and professional activities
Thesis
Concentration patterns of unintentionally produced Polychlorinated biphenyls in Harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) stranded along the British coast.
PCBs are man-made persistent organic pollutants that were banned in the 1980s due to their toxicity. These contaminants remain in the environment and biomagnify in organisms through food web transfer. Due to their bioaccumulate nature, elevated POPs concentrations are associated with species at the top of the trophic chain. This is especially concerning for top marine predators such as odontocetes. Cetaceans possess a thick layer of fat called the blubber which aids in thermoregulation, but also
Supervisor: Dr Anna Sturrock , Dr Rosie Williams , Dr Boyd McKew
