Summary
Richard is an experienced researcher in the Hull International Fisheries Institute, specialising in the assessment, conservation and management of freshwater fish communities and habitats.
His role comprises a combination of research, consultancy and teaching. Current research covers ecohydrology, the assessment of conservation status of diadromous fish species, the response of fish to environmental management, river lamprey behaviour and the management of their exploitation, and fish-friendly innovative technologies for hydropower (FITHydro).
Richard's experience includes research for government agencies and water companies, together with pan-European projects that developed tools for the assessment of ecological status using fish (FAME and EFI+) and projects that developed qualitative modelling of concepts in ecology and ecosystems (Naturnet-Redime and DYNALEARN).
During his career, Richard has been involved in research that has contributed to national and international programs. This has ranged from research on fish communities in wetlands during his PhD for the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds under the LIFE-funded programme that has successfully protected and enhanced the status of bitterns in the UK, to contributions to the implementation of the Water Framework Directive through EU level research projects and direct contributions to the UK Technical Advisory Group. Richard recently led the first region red list assessment for freshwater and diadromous fishes in Great Britain and contributed to the global and UK sub populations reassessment of the extinction risk for Atlantic salmon.
Richard is an elected Fellow of The Institute of Fisheries Management, the professional body for fisheries management in the UK, and has recently been elected to the Board of Trustees.
Data
Two decades of body length measurements in size-structured larval and juvenile fish populations in English rivers
Ainsworth, R., Vickers, L., Bolland, J., Harvey, J., Taylor, M., Cowx, I., Noble, R., & Nunn, A. (2024). Two decades of body length measurements in size-structured larval and juvenile fish populations in English rivers. [Data]. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10552216
Journal Article
Two decades of body length measurements of larval and juvenile fish populations in English rivers
Ainsworth, R. F., Vickers, L. H., Bolland, J. D., Taylor, M. J., Harvey, J. P., Noble, R. A., Cowx, I. G., & Nunn, A. D. (2024). Two decades of body length measurements of larval and juvenile fish populations in English rivers. Scientific Data, 11, Article 1271. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-024-04127-w
Spatial ecology and population dynamics of brown trout Salmo trutta L. in reservoirs and headwater tributaries
Dodd, J. R., Noble, R. A., Nunn, A. D., Owen, H. M., Moccetti, P., Harvey, J. P., Wallace, L., Gillespie, B., Joyce, D. A., & Bolland, J. D. (online). Spatial ecology and population dynamics of brown trout Salmo trutta L. in reservoirs and headwater tributaries. Journal of fish biology, https://doi.org/10.1111/jfb.15814
Factors influencing European river lamprey passage at a tidal river barrier
Lothian, A. J., Bolland, J. D., Albright, A. J., Jubb, W. M., Bubb, D. H., Noble, R. A., Nunn, A. D., Dodd, J. R., Tummers, J. S., & Lucas, M. C. (2024). Factors influencing European river lamprey passage at a tidal river barrier. Hydrobiologia, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-024-05633-z
Research interests
Freshwater Fish
Fish Conservation
Ecohydrology
Hydropower
Qualitative Reasoning modelling
Fisheries and Aquatic management
Lead investigator
Project
Funder
Grant
Started
Status
Project
North York Moors National Park - Rye and Esk
Funder
North York Moors National Park
Grant
£49,438.00
Started
1 July 2021
Status
Ongoing
Project
YWS AMP7 Ecological Services Framework
Funder
APEM Ltd
Grant
£438,072.00
Started
1 April 2020
Status
Ongoing
Project
Effective Management and Restoration of the River Lamprey Stocks in the River Trent
Funder
Marine Management Organisation
Grant
£99,107.00
Started
1 August 2019
Status
Complete
Project
IUCN Red List Assessment
Funder
Natural England
Grant
£14,987.00
Started
30 November 2021
Status
Complete
Project
Site Condition Monitoring of Atlantic Salmon
Funder
NatureScot
Grant
£19,850.00
Started
26 September 2022
Status
Complete
Project
Migratory Fish Pathways & Barriers Literature Review
Funder
Natural England
Grant
£18,850.00
Started
31 July 2023
Status
Complete
Project
Collation of evidence and key points to support definitions of favourable conservation status for twaite shad Alosa fallax and allis shad Alosa alosa
Funder
Natural England
Grant
£8,800.00
Started
1 November 2023
Status
Complete
Project
Esk Fisheries Data Collation and Analysis
Funder
Environment Agency
Grant
£10,000.00
Started
1 December 2023
Status
Complete
Project
Juvenile Salmonid Surveys River Esk
Funder
North York Moors National Park
Grant
£4,075.00
Started
1 September 2018
Status
Complete
Co-investigator
Project
Funder
Grant
Started
Status
Project
Monitoring of Sites A and X Utilisation by Fish
Funder
DP World
Grant
£114,464.00
Started
1 October 2016
Status
Ongoing
Project
Returning Lamprey To The River Trent
Funder
Natural England
Grant
£111,719.00
Started
1 August 2023
Status
Ongoing
Project
EA Fisheries Framework
Funder
Environment Agency
Grant
£1,163,321.00
Started
1 August 2009
Status
Complete
Project
Spined Loach Survey of the Ouse Washes SAC and SSSI
Funder
Natural England
Grant
£17,816.00
Started
1 September 2023
Status
Complete
Project
Species Evidence Base v2 Fish Cost Centre
Funder
Natural England
Grant
£18,810.00
Started
23 October 2023
Status
Complete
Postgraduate supervision
Richard welcomes applications in any field related to freshwater fish ecology, ecological assessment of the response of fish populations / communities to environmental change, and fisheries management and conservation.
Current PhD supervisions
- Jack Wootton, Screening of eels