Matthew Geary - Associate Professor In Conservation Biology

Prairie 104 Department of Biological Sciences
University of Chester
Parkgate Road
Chester
CH1 4BJ

Email: M.Geary@Chester.ac.uk
Phone: 01244 511276

Research

My research focuses on modelling populations in space and time. Currently I am working on using these models to identify vulnerable demographic features, investigate habitat associations and provide evidence-based advice for land managers and conservationists. I have projects involving birds, mammals, invertebrates and amphibians in the Great Britain, Ireland, South East Asia and the Caribbean. I have a keen interest in the use of computational methods in ecology and environmental science and believe that the use of novel computational techniques has the potential to answer many questions in ecology and conservation. I currently supervise several PhD and MRes students working on topics related to conservation biology and ecology. I also have experience as an examiner for PhD qualifications.

Academic Positions

• Associate Editor - Bird Study
• Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
• Department/School PGR Tutor (2018 - 2024)
• Senior Faculty PGR Tutor (2024 – Present)
• School Research Lead (2023 – Present)
• REF2029 Natural Sciences Co-Ordinator (2023 – Present)
• Chair of Natural Sciences Research Committee (2022 – 2025)
• Programme Leader MRes Biological Sciences (2018 – 2025)
• Programme Leader MSc Wildlife Conservation (2019 - 2026)
• Programme Leader for BSc (Hons) Conservation Biology (2014 - 2018)
• Module Leader for NA5012 Vertebrate Conservation, BI7158 - Conservation Ecology and BI7143 - Wildlife Research Methods
• External Examiner at Bangor University (2015 - 2019)
• External Examiner at NUI Galway (Environmental Science; 2018 - 2022)
• External Examiner at Newquay College (BSc (Hons) Applied Zoology (Top-up); 2022 - present)
• Faculty Research Ethics Committee (2015 - 2022)
• Management Board - Bioscience Horizons: The International Journal of Undergraduate Research (2014 - 2018)
• BES Review College
• Reviewer for Bird Study, Bird Conservation International, Ibis, PLOS One, Italian Journal of Zoology, Forest Ecology and Management, Ringing and Migration
• Design and run training courses (e.g. Species distribution modelling for Chester Zoo, Occupancy Modelling for the management of small populations)

Grants awarded

*Wise, C. & Geary M. (2024). Camera traps for detection and monitoring of a Critically Endangered Columbiforme: the Grenada Dove Leptotila wellsi – awarded £9311 (RO1: NAT24-03) *Geary, M. (2024). The impact of Climate Change on Capercaillie Populations in Scotland - awarded £3471 (RO1: NAT24-10) *Geary, M & Hosie, L. (2022). The impact of Forestry on Golden Eagles – awarded £63,203 PhD Funding by Natural Research Ltd. (RO1: BIO22-01) *Geary, M. & von Hardenberg, A. (2022). Using camera traps to assess mesocarnivore communities in East Africa. – awarded £4500 MRes fees sponsorship Chester Zoo (RO1: BIO21-09) *Geary, M. & von Hardenberg, A. (2021). Using camera traps to assess Aardvark distributions in East Africa. – awarded £4500 MRes fees sponsorship Chester Zoo (RO1: BIO20) *Geary, M. (2020). Modelling management Scenarios for Capercaillie - contract for report writing £605 (RO1: BIO20-11) *Geary, M. & von Hardenberg, A. (2019). Conservation Ecology of Giant Pangolin in Uganda – awarded £12,981 PhD fees sponsorship Chester Zoo (RO1: BIO19-09) *Geary, M. (2019). Modelling management Scenarios for Capercaillie – consultancy contract £3000 (RO1: BIO19-04)

• Marsden, S.J., Geary, M., Collar, N., Leon, Y. (2018) Towards the long-term survival of the endemic Hispaniolan Amazon, Parakeet and Trogon in Dominican Republic – awarded $131,850 Loro Parque Foundation
• Stanley C. and Geary, M. (2017) Primate Conservation in Ghana – awarded $880 Idea Wild Equipment Grant
• Geary, M., Davies, R. and von Hardenberg, A. (2016) Using multi-life-stage monitoring to assess the status of a dragonfly reintroduction project: White-faced Darter in Cheshire – awarded £250 British Dragonfly Society
• Nelson, H.P., Geary, M. Rusk, B. Lawrence A. (2014) Grenada Dove Conservation Programme: Sub-grant to University of Chester (UoC) - awarded $63,867 Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund

Qualifications

2014 - 2015
PGCert - Learning and Teaching in Higher Education
University of Chester
Postgraduate Certificate covering design and delivery of learning, evaluation methods, assessment, pedagogical research and student supervision.

2008-2012
PhD - The long term viability of black grouse (Tetrao tetrix) populations in a changing upland landscape
Manchester Metropolitan University, Division of Biology and Conservation Ecology

Using modelling approaches to investigate population change and long-term viability in a black grouse population. Habitat suitability models, primarily MaxEnt, are used to investigate the effect of habitat change on this population. Original models, written in R, are used to simulate and assess future habitat scenarios for black grouse conservation.

2007-2008
MRes Ecology and Environmental Management
University of York

2004-2007 BSc (Hons) Biology (2.i)
University of Newcastle Upon Tyne

Employment History

2024 - Present
Associate Professor in Conservation Biology/Animal Behaviour, University of Chester

2014 - 2024
Lecturer/Senior Lecturer in Conservation Biology/Animal Behaviour, University of Chester

2013 - 2014 Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University Of Southampton

2011-2012
Student Experience Tutor, Manchester Metropolitan University

2008-2012
Associate Lecturer, Manchester Metropolitan University

2010 Consultant Researcher for the European Space Agency & Manchester Airport

2008-2012
Ecological Surveyor, Highland Ornithology

Output

Publications

Zatrak, M., Shaw, K. J., Geary, M., Ilderton, R., & Grant, R. A. 2026. Behavioural and faecal cortisol metabolite monitoring of harbour (Phoca vitulina) and grey seal pups (Halichoerus grypus) in rehabilitation centres. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 106910.

Summers, M., Geary, M., Tasirin, J. S., Djuni, N., Summers, L. J., Kresno, P. A., Laya A., Sawuwu S.M., Bawotong, A., Abas, W., Oga, V.T., Nur, A.M., Isfandri, M., Robertson, P., McGowan, P.K.J. & Collar, N. J. 2025. Massive declines and local recoveries: First range-wide assessment spotlights ending egg-taking as key to the survival of the Macrocephalon maleo (Maleo). Ornithological Applications, duaf022.

Peters, C., Muir, A., Hosie, C., Nelson, H., & Geary, M. (2025). Assessing threats and conservation action using population viability analysis for the Critically Endangered Grenada Dove Leptotila wellsi. Journal for Nature Conservation, 127052.

de Freitas, D., Gray, J., Geary, M., & Downs, C. 2025. Cape vultures (Gyps coprotheres) on camera: Assessing the behaviour of a vulnerable, colonially nesting raptor with temperature and time of day at nest sites in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Journal of Ornithology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-024-02249-x

Gardner M.A., Pereira D.J., Geary M., Collar N.J., Bell D.J. 2024. Gone with the wind: the proximate and ultimate causes of the decline and extinction of the Bahama Nuthatch Sitta insularis. Bird Conservation International. 2024;34:e28. doi:10.1017/S0959270924000236

Boiani, M. V., Dupont, P., Bischof, R., Milleret, C., Friard, O., Geary, M., Avanzinelli, E., von Hardenberg, A., & Marucco, F., 2024. When enough is enough: Optimising monitoring effort for large-scale wolf population size estimation in the Italian Alps. Ecology and Evolution, 14, e70204. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.70204

Peters, C., Geary, M., Hosie, C., Nelson, H., Rusk, B., & Muir, A., 2023. Non-invasive sampling reveals low mitochondrial genetic diversity for an island endemic species: The critically endangered Grenada Dove Leptotila wellsi. Ecology and Evolution, 13, e10767. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.10767

Lawton Roberts, J., Jones M.S. and Geary, M., 2023. Correlates of Breeding Success in Buzzards Buteo buteo in North-east Wales 1975 – 2011. Milvus, 2(1), 48-57.

Summers, M., Geary, M., Djuni, N., Kresno, P.A., Laya, A., Sawuwu, S., Bawotong, A., Abas, W., Tan Oga, V.M., Nur, A.M. and Isfandri, M., 2023. Degree of egg-taking by humans determines the fate of maleo (Macrocephalon maleo) nesting grounds across Sulawesi. Biodiversity and Conservation, 32(3), 899-919.

Pereira, D., Gardner, M., Geary, M., Bell, D. and Collar, N., 2023. Distribution and habitat requirements of the Bahama Warbler Setophaga flavescens on Grand Bahama in 2018. Bird Conservation International, 33, e46.

Geary, M., Hartley, M., Ball, Z., Wilkes, S., Khean, M., Ball, R. J., Peters, C. M., & Muir A. P., 2023. Camera traps and genetic identification of faecal samples for detection and monitoring of an endangered ungulate. Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 71:120–127.

Zatrak, M., Brittain, S., Himmelreich, L., Lovick-Earle, S., Pizzi, R., Shaw, K.J., Grant, R.A. & Geary, M., 2023. Factors affecting the survival of harbor (Phoca vitulina) and gray seal (Halichoerus grypus) juveniles admitted for rehabilitation in the UK and Ireland. Marine Mammal Science, 39(2), 462-480.

Matthews, N., Nixon, S., von Hardenberg, A., Isoke, S. & Geary, M. 2023. Targeting burrows improves detection in giant pangolin Smutsia gigantea camera trap surveys. Oryx, 1-9.

Peters, C.M., Geary, M., Nelson, H.P., Rusk, B. von Hardenberg, A. & Muir, A.P., 2023. Phylogenetic placement and life history trait imputation for Grenada Dove Leptotila wellsi. Bird Conservation International, 1-11. doi:10.1017/S0959270922000065

Geary, M. Cooper, J.R. & Collar, N.J. 2022. Anthropogenic influences on habitat use by African Houbaras Chlamydotis undulata on Lanzarote, Canary Islands. Journal for Nature Conservation 68, 126231.

Fielding, A.H., Anderson, D., Benn, S., Dennis, R., Geary, M., Weston, E. and Whitfield, D.P., 2022. Responses of dispersing GPS‐tagged Golden Eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) to multiple wind farms across Scotland. Ibis, 164(1), pp.102-117.

Ball, R.J., Kitchiner, A., Davison, N.J., Brownlow, A., Berrow, S., McKeown, N.J., IJsseldijk, L.L., Geary, M., McDowall, I. and Muir, A.P., 2021. New haplotypes found in stranded long-finned pilot whales (Globicephala melas) in the eastern North Atlantic and adjacent waters. Marine Mammal Science.

Fielding, A. H., Anderson, D., Benn, S., Dennis, R., Geary, M., Weston, E., & Whitfield, D. P., 2021. Non-territorial GPS-tagged golden eagles Aquila chrysaetos at two Scottish wind farms: Avoidance influenced by preferred habitat distribution, wind speed and blade motion status. PloS one, 16(8), e0254159.

Geary, M., Brailsford, C.J., Hough, L.I., Baker, F., Guerrero, S., Leon, Y.M., Collar, N.J. and Marsden, S.J., 2021. Street-level green spaces support a key urban population of the threatened Hispaniolan parakeet Psittacara chloropterus. Urban Ecosystems https://doi.org/10.1007/s11252-021-01119-1

Geary, M. and von Hardenberg, A., 2020. White-faced Darter distribution is associated with coniferous forests in Great Britain. Insect Conservation and Diversity

Phillips, S., Geary, M., Allmark, M., Bennett, S., Norman, K., Ball, R.J., Peters, C.M. and Muir, A.P., 2020. The importance of long-term genetic monitoring of reintroduced populations: inbreeding in the natterjack toad (Epidalea calamita). Herpetological Journal, 30(3).

Nelson, H.P., Devenish-Nelson, E.S., Rusk, B.L., Geary, M. and Lawrence, A.J., 2020. A review of tropical dry forest ecosystem service research in the Caribbean–gaps and policy-implications. Ecosystem Services, 43, p.101095.

Abrahams, C., Geary, M., 2020 Combining bioacoustics and occupancy modelling for improved monitoring of rare breeding bird populations. Ecological Indicators (112). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2020.106131

Nolan, R., Welsh, A., Geary, M., Hartley, M., Dempsey, A., Mono, J.C., Osei, D. & Stanley, C.R. 2019. Camera Traps Confirm the Presence of the White-naped Mangabey Cercocebus lunulatus in Cape Three Points Forest Reserve, Western Ghana, Primate conservation (33).

Davies, R., von Hardenberg, A. & Geary, M., 2018. Recapture rates and habitat associations of White-faced Darter Leucorhinnia dubia on Fenn’s and Whixall Moss, Shropshire, UK Journal of the British Dragonfly Society 34 (2), 89-101

Geary, M., Haworth, P.H. & Fielding, A.H., 2018. Hen harrier Circus cyaneus nest sites on the Isle of Mull are associated with habitat mosaics and constrained by topography, Bird Study, DOI: 10.1080/00063657.2017.1421611

Nelson, H.P., Devenish-Nelson, E.S., Rusk, B.L., Geary, M. and Lawrence, A.J., 2018. A call to action for climate change research on Caribbean dry forests. Regional Environmental Change, 18(5)

Allen, D., Geary, M. & Anderson, R., An Assessment of Prey Availability in Lough Neagh with Reference to Wintering Diving Ducks, Macro-invertebrates and Sand Dredging. Report to the Northern Ireland Environment Agency 2015.

Fielding, A., Haworth, P. & Geary, M., Mull Breeding Hen Harrier and Land Use Model. Report to Scottish Natural Heritage 2015.

Geary, M., Fielding, A. H., McGowan, P. J. K. & Marsden, S.J., 2015. Scenario-Led Habitat Modelling of Land Use Change Impacts on Key Species. PloS one 10.

Geary, M., Fielding, A.H., Marsden, S.J., 2015. Both habitat change and local lek structure influence patterns of spatial loss and recovery in a black grouse population. Population Ecology 57, 421–431. doi:10.1007/s10144-015-0484-3

Reiner, R.C., Geary, M., Atkinson, P.M., Smith, D.L., Gething, P.W., 2015. Seasonality of Plasmodium falciparum transmission: a systematic review. Malaria Journal 14, 343.

Wardrop, N.A., Geary, M., Osborne, P.E., Atkinson, P.M., 2014. Interpreting predictive maps of disease: highlighting the pitfalls of distribution models in epidemiology. Geospatial Health 9, 237–246.

Geary, M., Fielding, A. & Marsden, S.J., 2013. Designing mosaic landscapes for Black Grouse Tetrao tetrix using multi-scaled models. Ibis, 155: 792–803. doi: 10.1111/ibi.12090

Geary, M., Fielding, A. H., & Marsden, S. J., 2012. The anatomy of population change in a black grouse population 1992-2008. Oecologia, (168), 73-81. doi:10.1007/s00442-011-2062-5

Marsden, S.J., Geary, M. & Thomas, C., 2010. Report for European Space Agency on reducing bird-strike risk at Manchester Airport

Geary, M., 2009. Black grouse in Perthshire. Grouse News: Newsletter of the Grouse Group of the IUCN/SSC-WPA Galliformes Specialist Group, Issue 38, p34

Conferences and Presentations

• Latin American Congress for Conservation Biology 2020 – Presentation: “Concrete Jungle: Parakeets, habitat loss and the urban environment”
• International Hen Harrier and Short-eared Owl meeting 2018 – Invited attendance funded by conference organisers
• British Ornithologists Union Conference 2018 - Poster - “SUPPORTING THE ATLAS: Using the Data Behind Bird Atlas Projects to Produce Estimates of Habitat Specific Densities” - Geary, M. & von Hardenberg, A.
• British Ecological Society Annual Meeting 2016 – “Hen harrier Circus cyaneus nest sites on the Isle of Mull are associated with habitat mosaics and constrained by topography”
• British Ornithologists Union Conference 2013 - “Landscape simulation of an upland bird population”

PGR Supervision