Projects per year
Personal profile
Research expertise
I am interested in the effects of human activities on marine organisms at behavioural and physiological levels.
As humans change the face of our planet so animals have to adapt or go extinct – I hope even in a small way to help avoid the latter.
Underlying my work is a fascination of clock biology or chronobiology i.e. how animals tell the time. This has led me from studying the chronobiology of worms in muddy estuaries to zooplankton across the entire Arctic Ocean – I have surprisingly found that both demonstrate an uncanny knack for being in the right place at the right time.
I see myself as a 'practical' scientist and enjoy answering difficult questions by developing new technologies, often in very hostile places, in order to better link the biology with the physics of the natural environment.
Consultancy and industry experience
I have led a number of commercial projects over the last ten years with a value totaling >£600K. Initial work focused on assessing the consequences of anthropogenic sediments from aggregate dredging on benthic macroinvertebrates (funded by the MALSF programme). As part of this a novel mesocosm was built, the Vortex Resuspension Tank (VORTs), with the capacity to simulate sediment plumes. Using this system two further projects (SabSPIN / SabALV) were commissioned, this time assessing the impacts of seawater chlorination on sensitive and protected biogenic reef habitats. Following this, four further projects (TROMyt1-4) were commissioned by CEFAS/EDF Energy all aimed at determining the impact of chlorination/sediment on the fouling blue mussel. Collectively these projects have provided highly relevant and scientifically robust data to the marine aggregate industry (where the UK is the largest producer in the world) and a multi-billion pound new UK nuclear power station development. The VORT mesocosms were also used as part of a large multi-partner study (MaREE) to assess the impacts of sediment from the marine renewable industry.
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Network
Projects
- 1 Finished
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CACHE: Calcium in a Changing Environment
Michalek, K., Last, K., Wilding, T. & Green, D.
1/11/13 → 31/10/17
Project: Research
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Annual transcriptome of a key zooplankton species, the copepod Calanus finmarchicus
Payton, L., Noirot, C., Last, K. S., Grigor, J., Hüppe, L., Conway, D. V. P., Dannemeyer, M., Suin, A. & Meyer, B., 22 Feb 2022, In: Ecology and Evolution. 12, 2, 11 p., e8605.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile8 Downloads (Pure) -
Towards an Understanding of Circatidal Clocks
Rock, A., Wilcockson, D. & Last, K. S., 25 Feb 2022, In: Frontiers in Physiology. 13, 7 p., 830107.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile -
Can a key boreal Calanus copepod species now complete its life-cycle in the Arctic? Evidence and implications for Arctic food-webs
Tarling, G. A., Freer, J. J., Banas, N. S., Belcher, A., Blackwell, M., Castellani, C., Cook, K. B., Cottier, F. R., Daase, M., Johnson, M. L., Last, K. S., Lindeque, P. K., Mayor, D. J., Mitchell, E., Parry, H. E., Speirs, D. C., Stowasser, G. & Wootton, M., 29 Nov 2021, In: AMBIO. 2021, 12 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile2 Citations (Scopus)2 Downloads (Pure) -
Elevated toxicity of resuspended mine tailings over time
Ramdial, K. S., Abell, R. & Last, K. S., 1 Oct 2021, In: Marine Environmental Research. 171, 13 p., 105471.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
1 Citation (Scopus) -
Mytilus trossulus introgression and consequences for shell traits in longline cultivated mussels
Michalek, K., Vendrami, D., Bekaert, M., Green, D., Last, K., Telesca, L., Wilding, T. & Hoffman, J., 10 May 2021, In: Evolutionary Applications. 14 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile6 Downloads (Pure) -
Photophysiological cycles in Arctic krill are entrained by weak midday twilight during the Polar Night
Cohen, J. H., Last, K. S., Charpentier, C. L., Cottier, F., Daase, M., Hobbs, L., Johnsen, G., Berge, J. & Hedenström, A. (ed.), 19 Oct 2021, In: PLoS Biology. 19, 10, 16 p., e3001413.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile42 Downloads (Pure) -
Widely rhythmic transcriptome in Calanus finmarchicus during the high Arctic summer solstice period
Payton, L., Hüppe, L., Noirot, C., Hoede, C., Last, K. S., Wilcockson, D., Ershova, E., Valière, S. & Meyer, B., 22 Jan 2021, In: iScience. 24, 1, 31 p., 101927.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile2 Citations (Scopus)10 Downloads (Pure)
Prizes
Activities
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Synchronized swimming in the sea? It¿s not all moonshine.
Kim Last (Contributor)
2011Activity: Other › Types of Public engagement and outreach - Media article or participation
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P3-5 Workshop - The Sea - making Scotland Greener
Kim Last (Participant)
2010 → …Activity: Other › Types of Public engagement and outreach - Schools engagement
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SAC Student Visit
Kim Last (Participant)
2010 → …Activity: Other › Types of Public engagement and outreach - Festival/Exhibition
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Little Learners Nursery - visit to SAMS Aquarium
Kim Last (Participant)
2009 → …Activity: Other › Types of Public engagement and outreach - Schools engagement
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Unknown workshop
Kim Last (Participant)
2008 → …Activity: Participating in or organising an event › Participation in workshop, seminar, course
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Hosting 2 bursary pupils from HIgh schools in LOmand and Edinburgh
Kim Last (Participant)
2008 → …Activity: Other › Types of Public engagement and outreach - Schools engagement
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Unknown workshop
Kim Last (Participant)
2007 → …Activity: Participating in or organising an event › Participation in workshop, seminar, course
Press / Media
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Arctic voyage shines light on some cold, hard truths
28/01/21
2 items of Media coverage
Press/Media: Research
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Biological clocks keep ticking in the high Arctic summer
22/07/20
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Research
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-Aberystwyth University: Biological clocks keep ticking in the high Arctic summer
16/07/20
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Research
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Aberystwyth University: Biological Clocks Keep Ticking in the High Arctic Summer
15/07/20
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Research
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Moonlight shapes how some animals move, grow and even sing
8/07/19
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Research
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Why oysters close on the full moon—and more odd lunar effects on animals
17/04/19
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Research
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-University of Stirling: New study into impact of climate change on Arctic marine life
16/07/18
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Research