Facultymember: Dr. Kimberly Bennet
Dr.Kimberly bennet is a lecture in marine biology and leader for BSc(Hons) Marine Biology at Plymouth. She has dedicated his research onbiological responses to stress and their energetic costs. She hasbeen able to find out that, through the diversion of the resourcesinto stress responses, the organisms have to shift their energyallocation. The changes of the energy balances can have consequencesthat affect fitness and survival. The exposure to stress according toDr. Kimberley is a strong selective pressure that acts on thepopulation level in order to shape history[ CITATION Ply16 l 1033 ].
Dr.Kimberly found out in her research that seals are very interestingand highly informative in the study of stress and its impacts onenergy balance. The seals were found to experience routinephysiological stress as a way of their daily and seasonal activities.While the seals are on land and away from their source of food, hencethey need to fast at this time, they also face the possibility ofoverheating due to the thick blubber. While the seals are fasting,they are often engaged in a highly metabolically cost activitieswhich include defending of pups, lactating, regeneration of hair, orjust undergoing of fats development. Even though the seals can finda quiet position, it is possible that the seals can experienceoxidative damage or even dehydration while on land[ CITATION Ply16 l 1033 ].
Thefact that the seals are fat, gives them a major advantage, Dr.Kimberly found out that the survival of the seal’s pups dependsmajorly on how fat they are. The stress they experience has negativeimpact on their energy balance, this is likely to lead to theirreduction in population levels. Dr. Kimberly is a very committedfaculty member who has contributed a lot on research and developmentwithin the field of psychology[ CITATION Ply16 l 1033 ].
References
Plymouth . (2016, June 07). Profiles: Dr. Kimberly Bennet . Retrieved from plymouth.ac.uk: https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/staff/kimberley-bennett