Phil Buckley

I am responsible for teaching ecology and animal behaviour within the Section of Life Sciences.

I believe in involving undergraduate students in research, and actively seek ways to involve undergraduates in the research lab and in the field.

As the Erasmus co-ordinator for the department it is my job to persuade students to travel abroad and spend some of their degree studying with some of our brilliant partner universities in countries such as Spain, France, Germany, Sweden and Belgium. I travelled on Erasmus and it was life changing (in a good way!).

I have a diverse range of research and personal interests such as the ecology of invasive species, intertidal ecology and the ecology of rare species. My taxonomy specific interests include crustacea (which formed the basis for my Phd), rare mammals such as the hazel dormouse, and rare molluscs, such as the shining ramshorn snail.

Supervisory interests

ecology of invasive species
ecology of rare and endangered species
interrogation of archive multivariate datasets.

Module director

Level 4: The Organism and its Environment
Level 5: Animal Care and Behaviour
Level 5: Earth as a Planetary System
Level 6: Ecology and Conservation
Level 6: Practical Ecology

Current research

Invasive species ecology
Freshwater ecology
Rare species ecology, including captive breeding of the shining Ramshorn Snail Segmentina nitida

PhD supervision

1st supervisor

Graham Earl - Ecohydrology and management of fixed sand dune systems in East Kent
Tim Smith - Ecology and distribution of Crassula helmsii in th UK

2nd supervisor

Jamie Morris - Biodiversity mapping of past megafauna in equatorial Africa

Undergraduate internships 2012

Harriet Gausden and Dion Garrett - Ecology and captive breeding of the Shining ramshorn snail Segmentina nitida
- This project was carried out with funding secured by Kent Wildlife trust from the BBC wildlife fund
Leah Lewington Pearce and Jane Adeyemi - Commercial Algae investigation
- This project was funded by Algacytes, a local biotech company.

Research Projects

An Investigation into a Suitable Reintroduction Location for the Red-billed Chough (Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax) Using Habitat Analysis and Population Modelling.. Researcher(s): Miss Jodie May. Supervisor(s): Dr Phil Buckley, Dr Rodrigo Vega. [Postgraduate Research Project]
Benefits, effects, and mitigation of a returning wetland ecosystem engineer in Southeast England. Researcher(s): Mr Ben Morris. Supervisor(s): Dr Phil Buckley, Caroline Sanders, Dr Rodrigo Vega. [Postgraduate Research Project]
DNA-Barcoding of non-biting midge larvae (Chironomidae) from the River Stour in Canterbury. Researcher(s): Miss Vikki Mcconkey. Supervisor(s): Dr Rodrigo Vega, Dr Phil Buckley. [Postgraduate Research Project (past)]
Doctoral Research Project. Researcher(s): Dr Ibtissam Jabre. Supervisor(s): Dr Naeem Syed, Dr Phil Buckley. [Postgraduate Research Project (past)]
Doctoral Research Project. Researcher(s): Mr Stephen Backshall. Supervisor(s): Dr Carol Trim, Professor Simon Harvey, Dr Phil Buckley. [Postgraduate Research Project (past)]
Doctoral Research Project. Researcher(s): Mr Stuart Harris. Supervisor(s): Dr Chris Harvey, Dr Phil Buckley. [Postgraduate Research Project (past)]
Effects of chromium contamination on the soil microbiome and phytoremediation potential of crop plants. Researcher(s): Mr CHRISTOPHER FERGUSON. Supervisor(s): Dr Naomi Rintoul-Hynes, Professor Peter Vujakovic, Dr Phil Buckley. [Postgraduate Research Project]
Exploring the use of mussels to remove excess phosphate in rivers to return phosphate levels to normal, preventing eutrophication, thus reducing the impact on an environmental and ecological level.. Researcher(s): Mrs Patricia Childs. Supervisor(s): Dr Naomi Rintoul-Hynes, Dr Phil Buckley. [Postgraduate Research Project]
From Romans to Roaming: Cultural Heritage and Rewilding in the UK. Researcher(s): Mr Mark Williams. Supervisor(s): Dr Naomi Rintoul-Hynes, Dr Jay Ingate, Dr Phil Buckley. [Postgraduate Research Project]
Investigating elements of ‘nature deficit disorder’. Looking into children’s knowledge of local and global environments, and teachers understanding of the importance of nature in learning. Researcher(s): Miss Ruth Nulty. Supervisor(s): Dr Phil Buckley. [Postgraduate Research Project (past)]
Maternal effects in Heterorhabditis downesi nematodes.. Researcher(s): Ms Beverley Cooper. Supervisor(s): Dr Chris Harvey, Dr Phil Buckley. [Postgraduate Research Project (past)]
Slipper Limpet populations around the East Kent Coast. Researcher(s): Mrs Tracy Bailitis. Supervisor(s): Dr Phil Buckley, Dr Chris Harvey. [Postgraduate Research Project (past)]
The ecology, life cycle, population genetics and habitat of the Shining Ramshorn Snail, Segmentina nitida.. Researcher(s): Dr Christopher Hobbs. Supervisor(s): Dr Chris Harvey, Dr Phil Buckley. [Postgraduate Research Project (past)]
The epidemiology of chytridiom ycosis ( Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis) and its relationship to the population biology and ecology of three species of endangered tree frog in Cusuco National Park, Honduras.. Researcher(s): Mr Christopher Phipps. Supervisor(s): Dr Phil Buckley, Dr Rodrigo Vega. [Postgraduate Research Project]
The Impact of Beaver on Aufwuchs communities. Researcher(s): Mr Daniel McCourt. Supervisor(s): Dr Phil Buckley, Dr Chris Harvey. [Postgraduate Research Project]
The suitability of habitat in Kent for Reintroduction of Pine Marten (Martes martes). Researcher(s): Miss NICOLA SHEPPARD. Supervisor(s): Dr Phil Buckley, Dr Rodrigo Vega. [Postgraduate Research Project]
Use and treatment of roadside plant waste as a bio-fertiliser. Researcher(s): Miss Csenge Mocsonoky. Supervisor(s): Dr Naomi Rintoul-Hynes, Dr Phil Buckley. [Postgraduate Research Project]
Using PMI experiments and expert witnesses experience to consider the standards and reliability of evidence.. Researcher(s): Miss Rachael Flood. Supervisor(s): Dr Naomi Rintoul-Hynes, Dr Phil Buckley. [Postgraduate Research Project]
Using population modelling to understand the dynamics of the Sussex peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus) population.. Researcher(s): Mr Ashley Walker. Supervisor(s): Dr Rodrigo Vega, Dr Phil Buckley. [Postgraduate Research Project]