Richard Stillman

Professor Richard Stillman

Richard has a passion for understanding the natural world

Richard joined BU from the Natural Environment Research Council’s Centre for Ecology and Hydrology. He completed his BSc and PhD at the University of East Anglia and is a Member of the British Ecological Society and Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour.

Richard has a passion for understanding the natural world and he’s motivated by ensuring we all learn more about the threats to wildlife posed by habitat loss, climate change and disturbance from people: “I'd find it difficult to stay enthusiastic about a job that didn't have such relevance to the natural world,” he says. His research into coastal ecology is important – coastal habitats and species are facing the impact of both sea level rises and increasing pressure from human disturbance, both in the UK and globally.

He has a particular interest in birds and fish, and first became interested in ecology through bird watching and fishing. He says that he “never stops gaining inspiration for his research from watching how such animals behave and interact with each other.”  Richard likes working on animals that people are familiar with as he feels “it makes it easier to explain the relevance of his research.” One of the best things about his job is that it’s also his hobby. He feels very satisfied now that he works on the animals which first got him interested in ecology.