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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- 6 Similar Profiles
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
Research output
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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 AccessFile10 Downloads (Pure) -
A global assessment of the vulnerability of shellfish aquaculture to climate change and ocean acidification
Stewart‐sinclair, P. J., Last, K. S., Payne, B. L. & Wilding, T., 12 Mar 2020, In: Ecology and Evolution. 17 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile7 Citations (Scopus)16 Downloads (Pure) -
Artificial light during the polar night disrupts Arctic fish and zooplankton behaviour down to 200 m depth
Berge, J., Geoffroy, M., Daase, M., Cottier, F., Priou, P., Cohen, J. H., Johnsen, G., Mckee, D., Kostakis, I., Renaud, P. E., Vogedes, D., Anderson, P., Last, K. S. & Gauthier, S., 5 Mar 2020, In: Communications Biology. 3, 1, 8 p., 102 (2020).Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile7 Citations (Scopus)88 Downloads (Pure) -
Daily transcriptomes of the copepod Calanus finmarchicus during the summer solstice at high Arctic latitudes
Payton, L., Noirot, C., Hoede, C., Hüppe, L., Last, K., Wilcockson, D., Ershova, E. A., Valière, S. & Meyer, B., 24 Nov 2020, In: Scientific Data. 7, 1, 9 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile1 Citation (Scopus)7 Downloads (Pure) -
Deciphering mollusc shell production: the roles of genetic mechanisms through to ecology, aquaculture and biomimetics
Clark, M. S., Peck, L. S., Arivalagan, J., Backeljau, T., Berland, S., Cardoso, J. C. R., Caurcel, C., Chapelle, G., De Noia, M., Dupont, S., Gharbi, K., Hoffman, J. I., Last, K. S., Marie, A., Melzner, F., Michalek, K., Morris, J., Power, D. M., Ramesh, K., Sanders, T. & 10 others, , 31 Jul 2020, In: Biological Reviews. 26 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile2 Citations (Scopus)11 Downloads (Pure) -
Evidence for oscillating circadian clock genes in the copepod Calanus finmarchicus during the summer solstice in the high Arctic
Hüppe, L., Payton, L., Last, K., Wilcockson, D., Ershova, E. & Meyer, B., 29 Jul 2020, In: Biology Letters. 16, 7, 5 p., 20200257.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile4 Citations (Scopus)13 Downloads (Pure) -
Survival strategies and molecular responses of two marine mussels to gradual burial by sediment
Hutchison, Z. L., Green, D. H., Burrows, M. T., Jackson, A. C., Wilson, B. & Last, K. S., 2 Apr 2020, In: Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology. 527, 13 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile
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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SAC Student Visit
Kim Last (Participant)
2010 → …Activity: Other › Types of Public engagement and outreach - Festival/Exhibition
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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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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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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)
2008 → …Activity: Participating in or organising an event › Participation in workshop, seminar, course
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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