University Marine Biological Station Millport
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Dr Fiona Hannah
Senior Lecturer in Marine Microbiology
Deputy Director, UMBSM
Research interests
My interests in marine biology are "small" I am currently the lecturer in marine microbiology at UMBSM. From a zoological background my interest in the microscopic world began with my Ph.D study into the ecological role of autotrophic nanoplankton in the marine environment. Attempts at bigger things resulted in a study of the deep sea bivalves, visible to the naked eye but only just (!). However my fascination with the diversity, adaptability and significance of single cell organisms brought me back to microscopic world of protists and their prey in a study of recycling role of foraminifera and other amoebae in marine sediments. I was hooked basically!
My current research interests include:
- the role of heterotrophy in diatoms
- toxic algae in particular those affecting finfish aquaculture
- the ecology and significance of amoebae in benthic sediments
- the diversity and systematics of several groups of little researched amoebae, such as marine testate, reticulate and 'attached' amoebae
Marine microbial ecology is taught on intensive field courses at UMBSM to students from the Universities of London, Glasgow and Sussex. As well as being responsible for organising and teaching these courses, I also teach on other courses such as marine biology and aquatic biosciences.
Selected recent publications
Leftley, J.L. & Hannah, F.J. (2008) Phycotoxins in seafoods. Ch. 3 In Bioactive compounds in foods – natural toxicants and process contaminants. (eds Gilbert, J. & Senyuva, H.Z.). Blackwell Publishing Ltd, Oxford.
Cowie, P.R. & Hannah, F. (2007) Impact of laboratory-imposed physical disturbance on the abundance of four isolates of marine amoebae. Marine Biology, 151: 675–686.
Cowie, P.R., Smith, J.M., Hannah, F., Cowling, M. & Hodgkeiss, T. (2006) The prevention of microfouling and macrofouling on hydrogels impregnated with either Arquad 2C-75® or benzalkonium chloride. Biofouling, 22: 173–185.
Cowie, P.R. & Hannah, F. (2006) Impact of hydrodynamic disturbance on the generation times of four species of marine amoebae. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, 86: 39–42.
Cowie, P.R. & Hannah, F. (2006) Responses of four isolates of marine naked amoebae to reductions in salinity. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecolology, 337: 196–204.
Ghazala, B., Ormond, R. & Hannah, F. (2006) Phytoplankton communities of Pakistan: I. Dinophyta and Bacillariophyta from the Coast of Sindh. International Journal of Phycology and Phycochemistry, 2: 183–196
Cowie, P.R. & Hannah, F. (2003) Abundance of naked amoebae in sandy sediments of Kames Bay, Isle of Cumbrae, Scotland. Journal of Eukaryotic Microbiology, 50: Abstract No. 46.
Treasurer, J., Hannah, F. & Cox, D. (2003) Impact of a phytoplankton bloom on mortalities and feeding response of farmed Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar, in west Scotland. Aquaculture, 218: 103–113.