Ariel Heswall
A little birdy told me....
Check out all my projects both past and current ones!
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Seabird ocular transmission
As part of my PhD and in collaboration with Peter Hadden from the Optometry department we are exploring the part of the colour spectrum which different seabird species can detect.
Seabird Necropsies
In collaboration with BirdCare Aotearoa I have been researching why some seabirds died at the rehabilitation facility and whether it was induced the secondary affects of light pollution i.e. collisions and groundings.
Seabird fallout in Auckland
As part of my PhD I am researching and mapping where seabirds in Auckland, New Zealand are becoming grounded due to disorientation from lights. I am collaborating with BirdCare Aotearoa and future collaborations will involve BirdsNZ.
Seabird colour trials
As part of my PhD I am researching which colours are preferred by different seabirds. With ethics approval I work with seabirds from Kelly Tarltons and BirdCare Aotearoa.
Seabird sensory analysis
Since my Honour's project I have been exploring the sensory features of the seabirds. This is to understand why some seabirds are attracted towards lights and fishing vessels while others are not despite them inhabiting the same habitat. This includes performing morphometric analysis, MicroCT scan and spectrometry of the seabird eye lens.
Seabird plastic ingestion
As part of my PhD I have been conducting literature reviews on the colours of plastics found in the guts of seabirds as well as performing dissections of seabirds at the Auckland Museum and BirdCare Aotearoa.
I am also co-supervising Msc student Kamya Patel with her work in plastic ingestion in gannets, shags and albatrosses
Seabird attraction towards lights
In collaboration with the University of Auckland and the Northern New Zealand Seabird Trust we performed lighting experiments examining whether different types and colours of lights were more attractive to seabirds. These experiments took place in remote areas of the Hauraki Gulf including the Mokohinaus, Te-Hauturu-O-Toi, Tiritiri Matangi and Tawharanui.
Seabird sensory ecology and morphology in relation to bycatch
At the University of Auckland under the supervision of Dr. Anne Gaskett and Dr. Megan Friesen I conducted an Honours project. This involved a metanalysis of the wider literature observing correlations between morphology and life history in relation to bycatch risk. Also, I would use museum specimens to take skull measurements and measure the eye socket and nostril socket volumes of seabirds with varying bycatch risks. These seabirds all coinhabited the same area however, potentially a difference in the size of sensory features could explain a difference in bycatch numbers.
Pukeko: Dominance and Cognition
Under the supervision of Dr. Kristal Cain and PhD student Aileen Sweeney at the University of Auckland I studied the behaviour of pukekos in relation to dominance and hierarchy. I would perform video analyses and note down any unusual behaviours displayed at the feeding stations set up at Ambury Park in Auckland New Zealand.