Dr Tom Webb

School of Biosciences

Senior Lecturer

A photo of Tom Webb
Profile picture of A photo of Tom Webb
t.j.webb@sheffield.ac.uk
+44 114 222 4705

Full contact details

Dr Tom Webb
School of Biosciences
Room C215
Alfred Denny Building
Western Bank
91Ö±²¥
S10 2TN
Profile
  • Senior Lecturer, School of Biosciences, University of 91Ö±²¥ (2022 - present)
  • Lecturer, School of Biosciences, University of 91Ö±²¥ (2017- 2022)
  • Royal Society University Research Fellow, Animal and Plant Sciences, University of 91Ö±²¥ (2008 - 2017)
  • Leverhulme Early Career Research Fellow, Animal and Plant Sciences, University of 91Ö±²¥ (2007 - 2008)
  • NERC Postdoctoral Research Associate, Animal and Plant Sciences, University of 91Ö±²¥ (2006 - 2007)
  • UKPopNet Postdoctoral Research Associate, University of York (2004 - 2006)
  • NERC Postdoctoral Research Associate, University of Oxford (2003 - 2004)
  • Conservation International Postdoctoral Research Associate, Animal and Plant Sciences, University of 91Ö±²¥ (2002 - 2003)
Research interests

My primary research interest is in the macroecology of marine ecosystems. Particularly, in how and why marine biodiversity is unevenly distributed in space and time. This interest has led me into the realm of biodiversity informatics - using large databases of different facets of marine diversity in order to synthesise the state of knowledge of the world's oceans. My research is currently focused on four major areas:

  • Global patterns and trends in marine biodiversity - interrogating, linking, and extracting trends from major biodiversity databases using novel statistical methods
  • Comparative analysis of marine and terrestrial ecosystems - to what extent does ecological theory generalise across realms?
  • Dynamics of UK marine systems - integrating data and models to understand the provision of ecosystem services from UK seas
  • The role of energy in driving patterns of deep sea biodiversity
Publications

Show: Featured publications All publications

Journal articles

  • Simmons BI, Blyth PSA, Blanchard JL, Clegg T, Delmas E, Garnier A, Griffiths CA, Jacob U, Pennekamp F, Petchey OL , Poisot T et al (2021) . Nature Ecology & Evolution, 5(11), 1478-1489. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Bannister HJ, Blackwell PG, Hyder K & Webb TJ (2021) . Scientific Reports, 11. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Webb T & Vanhoorne B (2020) . Philosophical Transactions B: Biological Sciences, 375(1814). RIS download Bibtex download
  • Jacob U, Beckerman A, Antonijevic M, Dee LE, Eklöf A, Possingham HP, Thompson R, Webb TJ & Halpern BS (2020) . Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 375(1814). RIS download Bibtex download
  • Thompson MSA, Couce E, Webb TJ, Grace M, Cooper KM & Schratzberger M (2020) . Global Change Biology. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Webb TJ, Lines A & Howarth LM (2020) . Ecology and Evolution. RIS download Bibtex download
  • McClain CR, Webb TJ, Nunnally CC, Dixon SR, Finnegan S & Nelson JA (2020) . Frontiers in Marine Science, 7. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Burns F, Eaton MA, Hayhow DB, Outhwaite CL, Al Fulaij N, August TA, Boughey KL, Brereton T, Brown A, Bullock DJ , Gent T et al (2018) . Ecological Indicators, 94, 226-236. RIS download Bibtex download
  • McClain CR, Barry JP & Webb TJ (2018) . Ecology, 99(1), 184-195. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Webb TJ, Barry JP & McClain CR (2017) . Ecography, 40(11), 1339-1347. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Mindel BL, Neat F, Webb TJ & Blanchard JL (2017) . ICES Journal of Marine Science: Journal du Conseil. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Mindel B, Neat FC, Trueman CN, Webb TJ & Blanchard JL (2016) . PeerJ, 4. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Webb TJ (2016) . Current Biology, 26(12), R498-R500. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Marshall AM, Bigg GR, van Leeuwen SM, Pinnegar JK, Wei H-L, Webb TJ & Blanchard JL (2016) . Global Change Biology, 22(5), 1755-1768. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Mindel BL, Webb TJ, Neat FC & Blanchard JL (2016) . Journal of Animal Ecology, 85(2), 427-436. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Edgar GJ, Bates AE, Bird TJ, Jones AH, Kininmonth S, Stuart-Smith RD & Webb TJ (2016) . Annual Review of Marine Science, 8(1), 435-461. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Webb TJ & Mindel BL (2015) . Current Biology, 25(4), 506-511. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Selim SA, Blanchard JL, Bedford J & Webb TJ (2014) . Regional Environmental Change. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Webb TJ (2012) . Trends Ecol Evol, 27(10), 535-541. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Webb TJ, Dulvy NK, Jennings S & Polunin NVC (2011) . OIKOS, 120(4), 537-549. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Webb TJ, Freckleton RP & Gaston KJ (2011) Characterizing abundance-occupancy relationships: There is no artefact. Global Ecology and Biogeography. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Tyler EHM, Somerfield PJ, Berghe EV, Bremner J, Jackson E, Langmead O, Palomares MLD & Webb TJ (2011) Extensive gaps and biases in our knowledge of a well-known fauna: Implications for integrating biological traits into macroecology. Global Ecology and Biogeography. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Webb TJ, Vanden Berghe E & O'Dor R (2010) . PLoS One, 5(8), e10223. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Webb TJ, Aleffi IF, Amouroux JM, Bachelet G, Degraer S, Dounas C, Fleischer D, Gremare A, Herrmann M, Hummel H , Karakassis I et al (2009) . MAR ECOL-PROG SER, 382, 287-296. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Webb TJ, Tyler EHM & Somerfield PJ (2009) . MAR ECOL-PROG SER, 396, 293-306. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Webb TJ & Raffaelli D (2008) . J APPL ECOL, 45(4), 1198-1204. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Webb TJ & Freckleton RP (2007) . PLoS One, 2(9), e897. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Webb TJ, Noble D & Freckleton RP (2007) . J Anim Ecol, 76(1), 123-134. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Webb TJ, Gaston KJ, Hannah L & Woodward FI (2006) . Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 273(1587), 757-765. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Webb TJ, Woodward FI, Hannah L & Gaston KJ (2005) Forest cover-rainfall relationships in a biodiversity hotspot: The Atlantic forest of Brazil. ECOL APPL, 15(6), 1968-1983. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Webb TJ & Gaston KJ (2005) Heritability of geographic range sizes revisited: A reply to Hunt et al.. AM NAT, 166(1), 136-143. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Webb TJ & Gaston KJ (2003) . Am Nat, 161(4), 553-566. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Webb TJ & Gaston KJ (2000) . Proc Biol Sci, 267(1455), 1843-1850. RIS download Bibtex download

All publications

Journal articles

  • McClain CR, Webb TJ, Heim NA, Knope ML, Monarrez PM & Payne JL (2024) . Ecology and Evolution, 14(6). RIS download Bibtex download
  • Cooke R, Mancini F, Boyd RJ, Evans KL, Shaw A, Webb TJ & Isaac NJB (2023) . Biological Conservation, 278, 109884-109884. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Simmons BI, Blyth PSA, Blanchard JL, Clegg T, Delmas E, Garnier A, Griffiths CA, Jacob U, Pennekamp F, Petchey OL , Poisot T et al (2021) . Nature Ecology & Evolution, 5(11), 1478-1489. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Quell F, Schratzberger M, Beauchard O, Bruggeman J & Webb T (2021) . Aquatic Invasions, 16(4), 571-600. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Bannister HJ, Blackwell PG, Hyder K & Webb TJ (2021) . Scientific Reports, 11. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Jacob U, Beckerman AP, Antonijevic M, Dee LE, Eklöf A, Possingham HP, Thompson R, Webb TJ & Halpern BS (2021) . Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 376(1817), 20200452-20200452. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Webb T & Vanhoorne B (2020) . Philosophical Transactions B: Biological Sciences, 375(1814). RIS download Bibtex download
  • Jacob U, Beckerman A, Antonijevic M, Dee LE, Eklöf A, Possingham HP, Thompson R, Webb TJ & Halpern BS (2020) . Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 375(1814). RIS download Bibtex download
  • Thompson MSA, Couce E, Webb TJ, Grace M, Cooper KM & Schratzberger M (2020) . Global Change Biology. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Webb TJ, Lines A & Howarth LM (2020) . Ecology and Evolution. RIS download Bibtex download
  • McClain CR, Webb TJ, Nunnally CC, Dixon SR, Finnegan S & Nelson JA (2020) . Frontiers in Marine Science, 7. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Burns F, Eaton MA, Hayhow DB, Outhwaite CL, Al Fulaij N, August TA, Boughey KL, Brereton T, Brown A, Bullock DJ , Gent T et al (2018) . Ecological Indicators, 94, 226-236. RIS download Bibtex download
  • McClain CR, Barry JP & Webb TJ (2018) . Ecology, 99(1), 184-195. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Pettorelli N, Schulte to Bühne H, Tulloch A, Dubois G, Macinnis-Ng C, Queirós AM, Keith DA, Wegmann M, Schrodt F, Stellmes M , Sonnenschein R et al (2018) . Remote Sensing in Ecology and Conservation, 4(2), 71-93. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Webb TJ, Barry JP & McClain CR (2017) . Ecography, 40(11), 1339-1347. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Mindel BL, Neat F, Webb TJ & Blanchard JL (2017) . ICES Journal of Marine Science: Journal du Conseil. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Mindel B, Neat FC, Trueman CN, Webb TJ & Blanchard JL (2016) . PeerJ, 4. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Webb TJ (2016) . Current Biology, 26(12), R498-R500. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Marshall AM, Bigg GR, van Leeuwen SM, Pinnegar JK, Wei H-L, Webb TJ & Blanchard JL (2016) . Global Change Biology, 22(5), 1755-1768. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Mindel BL, Webb TJ, Neat FC & Blanchard JL (2016) . Journal of Animal Ecology, 85(2), 427-436. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Edgar GJ, Bates AE, Bird TJ, Jones AH, Kininmonth S, Stuart-Smith RD & Webb TJ (2016) . Annual Review of Marine Science, 8(1), 435-461. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Coro G, Webb TJ, Appeltans W, Bailly N, Cattrijsse A & Pagano P (2015) . Ecological Modelling, 312, 272-280. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Webb TJ & Mindel BL (2015) . Current Biology, 25(4), 506-511. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Selim SA, Blanchard JL, Bedford J & Webb TJ (2014) . Regional Environmental Change. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Webb TJ (2014) . Journal of Animal Ecology, 83(4), 741-743. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Schroeder J, Dugdale HL, Radersma R, Hinsch M, Buehler DM, Saul J, Porter L, Liker A, De Cauwer I, Johnson PJ , Santure AW et al (2013) . J Evol Biol, 26(9), 2063-2069. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Keith SA, Webb TJ, Böhning-Gaese K, Connolly SR, Dulvy NK, Eigenbrod F, Jones KE, Price T, Redding DW, Owens IPF & Isaac NJB (2012) . Biology Letters, 8(6), 904-906. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Webb TJ (2012) . Trends Ecol Evol, 27(10), 535-541. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Webb TJ, Dulvy NK, Jennings S & Polunin NVC (2011) . OIKOS, 120(4), 537-549. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Webb TJ & Poloczanska ES (2011) . Biol Lett, 7(3), 324-326. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Webb TJ, Freckleton RP & Gaston KJ (2011) Characterizing abundance-occupancy relationships: There is no artefact. Global Ecology and Biogeography. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Tyler EHM, Somerfield PJ, Berghe EV, Bremner J, Jackson E, Langmead O, Palomares MLD & Webb TJ (2011) Extensive gaps and biases in our knowledge of a well-known fauna: Implications for integrating biological traits into macroecology. Global Ecology and Biogeography. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Webb TJ, Olson VA, Szekely T & Freckleton RP (2010) . METHODS ECOL EVOL, 1(3), 221-230. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Webb T (2010) Getting to the bottom of biodiversity. Planet Earth(SPRING), 30-31. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Webb TJ, Vanden Berghe E & O'Dor R (2010) . PLoS One, 5(8), e10223. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Webb TJ (2009) . Biol Lett, 5(2), 145-147. RIS download Bibtex download
  • White RM, Fischer A, Marshall K, Travis JMJ, Webb TJ, di Falco S, Redpath SM & van der Wal R (2009) . LAND USE POLICY, 26(2), 242-253. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Olson VA, Webb TJ, Freckleton RP & Székely T (2009) . J Evol Biol, 22(4), 672-682. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Renaud PE, Webb TJ, Bjorgesaeter A, Karakassis I, Kedra M, Kendall MA, Labrune C, Lampadariou N, Somerfield PJ, Wlodarska-Kowalczuk M , Vanden Berghe E et al (2009) . MARINE ECOLOGY PROGRESS SERIES, 382, 239-252. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Webb TJ, Aleffi IF, Amouroux JM, Bachelet G, Degraer S, Dounas C, Fleischer D, Gremare A, Herrmann M, Hummel H , Karakassis I et al (2009) . MAR ECOL-PROG SER, 382, 287-296. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Webb TJ, Tyler EHM & Somerfield PJ (2009) . MAR ECOL-PROG SER, 396, 293-306. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Webb TJ & Raffaelli D (2008) . J APPL ECOL, 45(4), 1198-1204. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Webb TJ, O'Hara B & Freckleton RP (2008) . Trends Ecol Evol, 23(7), 351-353. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Webb TJ & Freckleton RP (2007) . PLoS One, 2(9), e897. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Webb TJ, Noble D & Freckleton RP (2007) . J Anim Ecol, 76(1), 123-134. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Freckleton RP, Noble D & Webb TJ (2006) . The American Naturalist, 167(2), 260-275. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Webb TJ, Gaston KJ, Hannah L & Woodward FI (2006) . Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 273(1587), 757-765. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Webb TJ, Woodward FI, Hannah L & Gaston KJ (2005) Forest cover-rainfall relationships in a biodiversity hotspot: The Atlantic forest of Brazil. ECOL APPL, 15(6), 1968-1983. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Webb TJ & Gaston KJ (2005) Heritability of geographic range sizes revisited: A reply to Hunt et al.. AM NAT, 166(1), 136-143. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Reynolds JD, Webb TJ & Hawkins LA (2005) . Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, 62(4), 854-862. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Raffaelli D, Solan M & Webb TJ (2005) Do marine and terrestrial ecologists do it differently?. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 304, 283-289. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Jones AG, Chown SL, Webb TJ & Gaston KJ (2003) . Systematics and Biodiversity, 1(2), 213-273. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Webb TJ & Gaston KJ (2003) . Am Nat, 161(4), 553-566. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Webb TJ & Gaston KJ (2000) . Proc Biol Sci, 267(1455), 1843-1850. RIS download Bibtex download
  • McClain CR, Webb TJ, Heim NA, Knope ML, Monarrez PM & Payne JL () . Oikos. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Pino L & Webb TJ () . Diversity and Distributions. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Johnson TF, Beckerman AP, Childs DZ, Webb TJ, Evans KL, Griffiths CA, Capdevila P, Clements CF, Besson M, Gregory RD , Thomas GH et al () . Nature. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Krystalli AD & Webb TJ () . Frontiers of Biogeography, 4(3). RIS download Bibtex download
  • Krystalli AD & Webb TJ () . Frontiers of Biogeography, 4(3). RIS download Bibtex download

Chapters

  • Webb TJ, Kershaw M & Gaston KJ (2001) , Biotic Homogenization (pp. 57-80). Springer US RIS download Bibtex download

Book reviews

  • Webb TJ (2016) . Trends in Ecology & Evolution. RIS download Bibtex download

Conference proceedings papers

  • Allen BJ, Lyon CJ, Hill DJ, Beckerman AP, Burke AM, O'Higgins P, Riel-Salvatore J, Saupe EE, Sporton D & Webb TJ (2019) . GSA Annual Meeting in Phoenix, Arizona, USA - 2019 RIS download Bibtex download

Software / Code

  • Webb T . RIS download Bibtex download
  • Webb T . RIS download Bibtex download
  • Webb T . RIS download Bibtex download

Posters

  • Putting biodiversity data to work for marine environmental policy. RIS download Bibtex download

Datasets

  • Webb T (2016) . RIS download Bibtex download
  • Webb T (2015) . RIS download Bibtex download
  • Webb T (2015) . RIS download Bibtex download
  • Webb T . RIS download Bibtex download
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  • Webb T . RIS download Bibtex download

Preprints

  • Thompson MSA, Preciado I, Maioli F, Bartolino V, Belgrano A, Casini M, Cresson P, Eriksen E, Hernandez-Milian G, Jónsdóttir IG , Neuenfeldt S et al (2024) , Copernicus GmbH. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Johnson TF, Beckerman AP, Childs DZ, Griffiths CA, Capdevila P, Clements CF, Besson M, Gregory RD, Delmas E, Thomas G , Evans K et al (2022) , Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. RIS download Bibtex download
Research group

PhD students

  • Loreto Pino - Environmental Drivers of Spatio-Temporal Variability in Chilean Marine Benthic Macrofauna, funded by Advanced Human Capital Program of the National Commission for Scientific and Technological Research CONICYT - Chile.
  • Francesca Quell - ACCE (NERC DTP) funded with Cefas (CASE partner), The macroecology of marine biological invasions in a changing envrionment: a trait-based approach
Teaching activities

As Director of Postgraduate Teaching, I coordinate masters degrees within APS, and I am programme director of our MSc Biodiversity and Conservation and MSc Biological Sciences.

I teach on masters modules APS603 Global Conservation Issues and APS6623 Changing Global Ecosystems, and I coordinate our PGT skills module APS6617 Scientific Skills and Project Management.

I also teach an advanced R module on spatial data and mapping. My undergraduate teaching focuses on marine conservation, biodiversity, and global change.

I lecture on APS349 Conservation Issues and Management, APS313 Global Change, APS231 Ecosystems in a Changing Global Environment, APS271 Conservation Principles, and APS124 Ecosystems, Climate and Environmental Change.

I run the Level 3 Marine Ecology field course to Anglesey. In addition I supervise research projects and dissertations / literature reviews at Level 3, Level 4, MSc and MRes level.

Professional activities and memberships
  • Member, UN Pool of Experts for the Ocean
  • Editorial Board Member, Biology Letters
  • Associate Editor, Global Ecology and Biogeography

Key collaborations

My work on marine biodiversity and macroecology relies on the existence of large databases collected by many individuals, but key existing collaborations and interactions involve: