Tom Smart
I am a PhD student in the Conservation Ecology Group at Durham University, and I have a particular interest in how the conservation potential of global zoos can be maximised. In 2019, I completed my Master’s degree in Biodiversity and Conservation at the University of Leeds, where I conducted a research project on the educational potential of immersive zoo exhibit design at Chester Zoo. My PhD work builds on this research by looking at how global zoo collections can be made more strategic and resilient in the face of climate change. Zoo collections need to balance attracting visitors with conserving threatened species, but future threats to species are not always considered. My aim is to highlight species that may become threatened by climate change, which are not currently considered for conservation in zoos. To do this, I am investigating the species traits that are attractive to zoo visitors and wildlife tourism more generally, while using species distribution modelling to predict range shifts and extinction risk for species likely to become threatened by climate change in the coming decades. My research also looks at wildlife tourism in the field. In many parts of the world, conservation is highly dependent on income from wildlife tourism, and I will investigate the impact of climate change and potential range-shifts of species important to this industry. I will use this knowledge to assess the implications for conservation funding streams and protected area planning. Position: PhD Student in the Department of Biosciences
Supervised by: Prof. Stephen Willis and Dr. Andrew Moss (Chester Zoo) Memberships: Conservation Ecology Group Contact details: Department of Biosciences, Durham University, South Road, Durham, DH1 3LE Email: tom.f.smart@durham.ac.uk |
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Education
2020 - Present PhD Biological Sciences, Durham University
2018 - 2019 MSc Biodiversity and Conservation, University of Leeds
2013 - 2016 BA (Hons)French and Italian, University of Bristol
2020 - Present PhD Biological Sciences, Durham University
2018 - 2019 MSc Biodiversity and Conservation, University of Leeds
2013 - 2016 BA (Hons)French and Italian, University of Bristol
Selected Awards and Fellowships
Hazel Aitken Prize, University of Leeds 2019
Dean's List, University of Leeds 2019
Bryce Prize, University of Bristol 2016
Hazel Aitken Prize, University of Leeds 2019
Dean's List, University of Leeds 2019
Bryce Prize, University of Bristol 2016
