Noémie Engel

Current Focus

I have recently finished my PhD at the University of Bath carrying out research on a Kentish plover island population in Cabo Verde, West Africa. This population has been monitored yearly since 2007 making it the longest running shorebird monitoring project in Cabo Verde and one of my current interests is to understand how we can better promote and execute such studies. I am interested in showing the value of such studies to science but also to conservation and how both fields can mutually benefit from each other. 

Previous Research and Other Interests

I have recently finished my PhD that encompassed different aspects of demography and behaviour of a tropical Kentish plover (Charadrius alexandrinus) island population in West Africa. I analysed individual life history data of this genetically unique, resident island population. I found that this population is well-adapted to living in an island environment. They are long-lived and produce small clutches. Furthermore, although nest survival has been declining over the past decade, high adult survival rates might be able to offset low reproductive success. Second, I was interested in how different weather conditions might affect demographic rates. I found that climatic conditions affect survival and growth rates. Finally, I was interested in the ecological role that habitat might play and found that demographic rates as well as behaviour showed great variation between distinct habitats. 

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Curriculum Vitae

Education

  • 2019-2023: Doctor of Philosophy in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Bath, United Kingdom

  • 2014-2018: Bachelor of Science in Biology, University of Bath, United Kingdom

Appointments

  • Jan-Aug 2019: Research Assitant, University of Debrecen, Hungary

  • Jul-Dec 2018: Fieldwork Team Leader, Fundação Maio Biodiversidade (FMB), Cape Verde

Publications

Engel, N., Sandercock, B.K., Kosztolányi, A., Adrião, A., Tavares, A., Rice, R. & Székely, T. (2024), Climatic variation influences annual survival of an island-breeding tropical shorebird. Journal of Avian Biology, e03191. DOI: 10.1111/jav.03191 📄

Székely, T., Carmona‐Isunza, M. C., Engel, N., Halimubieke, N., Jones, W., Kubelka, V., N., Rice, R., Tanner, C. E., Tóth, Z, Valdebenito, J. O., Wanders, K. & McDonald, G. C. & McDonald, G. C. (2023). The causes and implications of sex role diversity in shorebird breeding systems. Ibis. DOI: 10.1111/ibi.13277 📄

Engel, N., McDonald, G., Sandercock, B. K., Rice, R., Moreno, R., Ratão, S., & Székely, T. (2023). Long-term decline in nest survival of a ground-nesting shorebird on a tropical island. Global Ecology and Conservation, 45, e02522. DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2023.e02522 📄

Rice, R., Hejmadi, M., Silva, H., Kelsh, R. N., Agues, J., Engel, N., & SzÉkely, T. (2023). Environmental education in the classroom: pilot study in Cabo Verde suggests differing impacts on students' local knowledge and environmental attitudes. Oryx. DOI: 10.1017/S0030605323000303 📄

McDonald, G. C., Engel, N., Ratão, S. S., Székely, T., & Kosztolányi, A. (2020). The impact of social structure on breeding strategies in an island bird. Scientific Reports, 10(1), 13872. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-70595-w 📄

Engel, N., Végvári, Z., Rice, R., Kubelka, V., & Székely, T. (2020). Incubating parents serve as visual cues to predators in Kentish plover (Charadrius alexandrinus). PLoS One, 15(7), e0236489. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0236489 📄

Rice, R., Valdebenito, J. O., Ottensmann, M., Engel, N., Adrião, A., & Székely, T. (2020). Breeding ecology of the Cream-coloured Courser in Cape Verde. Ostrich, 91(1), 65-73. DOI: 10.2989/00306525.2019.1704900 📄