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In the design of protected areas for cetaceans, spatial maps rarely take account of the life-history and behaviour of protected species relevant to their spatial ambit, which may be important for their management. In this study, we examined the distribution and feeding behaviours of adult versus juvenile minke whales (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) from long-term studies in the Moray Firth in northeast Scotland, where a Marine Protected Area (MPA) has recently been designated. Data were collected during dedicated boat surveys between 2001 and 2022 inclusive, from which 784 encounters with 964 whales of confirmed age-class (471 juveniles and 493 adults) were recorded from 56,263 km of survey effort, resulting in 238 focal follows. Adults and juveniles were occasionally seen together, but their distributions were not statistically correlated, and GIS revealed spatial separation / habitat partitioning by age-class―with juveniles preferring shallower, inshore waters with sandy-gravel sediments, and adults preferring deeper, offshore waters with greater bathymetric slope. GAMs suggested that the partitioning between age-classes was predominantly based on the differing proximity of animals to the shore, with juveniles showing a preference for the gentlest seabed slopes, and both adults and juveniles showing a similar preference for sandy gravel sediment types. However, the GAMs only used sightings data with available survey effort (2008 to 2022) and excluded depth due to collinearity issues. Whilst adult minkes employed a range of “active” prey-entrapment specialisations, showing inter-individual variation and seasonal plasticity in their targeted prey, juveniles almost exclusively used “passive” (low energy) feeding methods targeting low-density patches of inshore prey. These findings corroborate the need to incorporate demographic and behavioural data into spatial models when identifying priority areas for protected cetacean species. Not all areas within an MPA have equal value for a population and a better knowledge of the spatial preferences of these whales within the designated Scottish MPAs, appointed for their protection, is considered vital for their conservation.

The Photon Doppler Velocimetry (PDV) technique is used to capture simultaneously propagating elastic waves of longitudinal and shear nature in a Tension-Torsion Hopkinson Bar (TTHB) apparatus. The system uses a pair of probes per velocity measurement, which were taken on the opposite sides of the TTHB bar with a laser irradiated spot size of ~35 µm. The collected data were compared to the measurements obtained from the conventional strain gauge technique, and were in good agreement. The PDV method was effective in separating longitudinal and rotation signals even when they were superimposed on each other at the gauge location. This approach is also shown to be effective in detecting and accounting for the presence of bending waves in the TTHB bars.

The relationship between fibre structural adaptation to strength and endurance training and the fibre physiological adaptations to these training procedures has been unexplored in humans. Methodological difficulties in fibre identification have prevented these investigations since traditional fibre classification techniques utilize various enzymes which are inactivated during fixation for electron microscopy. However, myoglobin is unaffected by glutaraldehyde fixation. In this study, structural and functional properties of the triceps surae were studied to determine the effects of endurance and strength training on: 1. the relationship between the fibre volume of sarcoplasmic reticulum and transverse tubules (SR) to the time to peak torque (TPT) of the isometric twitch; and 2. the relationship between fibre volume of mitochondria to muscle fatiguability. Needle biopsies were obtained from the gastrocnemii and soleus muscles and fibre types were classified for electron microscopy analysis on the basis of their myoglobin content. Electron micrographs were taken from the interior of 35 type I and 35 type II fibres of each muscle and were analyzed blindly by a stereological short-line test. Contractile properties were obtained from the isometric twitch in the triceps surae complex and separately from the gastrocnemii and soleus. Structural and contractile properties were examined in two subject groups: 1. a cross-sectional group made up of 6 subjects each of active controls, strength athletes and endurance athletes (N=18); and 2. a longitudinal training group (N=7) whom, in a unilateral training model, exercised one leg with a strength protocol and the other leg with an endurance protocol for 16 weeks. The results indicated that TPT was greater (p It was concluded that functional adaptation to strength or endurance training may occur independent of fibre organelle volume adaptation to these training programs. Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)