Dr Natalie Hold

I gained my MSc in Marine Environmental Protection at Bangor University in 2008 with a research project on the population genetics of the Caribbean spiny lobster in the western Antilles. I completed my PhD in 2012 which focused on the connectivity and spatial structure of the scallop fishery around the Isle of Man, funded by the Isle of Man Government. The project involved surveys on the research vessel Prince Madog as well as collaboration with stakeholders including fishermen and processors. Work included population genetics of scallops around the Isle of Man and across the wider European range, statistical modelling of environmental and anthropogenic drivers of spatial variation in scallop reproductive status and modelling of the impact of hatchery reared scallop seed on wild populations.

Post-doctoral research at Bangor University (2012-2015 and 2019- present) has focused on inshore, data poor, shellfish fisheries across Wales, requiring active engagement with the fishing industry for collaborative data collection. All research aims are closely aligned with fisheries management and policy evidence requirements in order to deliver meaningful research to impact sustainable fisheries management. A key framework for our sustainable fisheries research is to provide evidence for the management of key commercial fisheries within the Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries Management (EAFM), ensuring that single species approaches (such as stock assessment and single species reference points) are complemented with wider ecosystem evidence such as appropriate spatial scales, adjacent effects and long term effects.

I have also spent three years working as a fisheries scientist for a consultancy (2016-2019) where I worked on a range of projects including environmental baseline studies for energy developments, intertidal aquaculture developments and coastal realignment schemes. I have worked in collaboration with fishers and statutory conservation agencies to develop fisheries management plans for several order fisheries and to carry out annual stock status surveys on the fishery. I have also modelled the effect of river flow on salmonid up-stream migration including drought scenarios.

I am currently the project manager for the EMFF sustainable fisheries in Wales project. As well as project management I am the lead researcher for the component of the project using our long-standing relationships with the industry to develop innovative technology for maximising high quality, high resolution fishery-dependant data collection. In addition my current research is investigating the reproductive ecology of lobsters and how this can influence stock assessment and fishery management measures.

I am willing to supervise PhD students in the fields of fisheries science and fisheries management.

2024

• CyhoeddwydCatch yield and selectivity of a modified scallop dredge to reduce seabed impact
  Fenton, M., Szostek, C., Delargy, A., Johnson, A. F., Kaiser, M. J., Hinz, H., Hold, N. & Sciberras, M., 13 Mai 2024, Yn: PLoS ONE. 19, 5, t. e0302225
  Allbwn ymchwil: Cyfraniad at gyfnodolyn › Erthygl › adolygiad gan gymheiriaid
• CyhoeddwydDetection of Crabs and Lobsters Using a Benchmark Single-Stage Detector and Novel Fisheries Dataset.
  Iftikhar, M., Neal, M., Hold, N., Dal Toe, S. G. & Tiddeman, B., 11 Mai 2024, Yn: Computers. 13, 5
  Allbwn ymchwil: Cyfraniad at gyfnodolyn › Erthygl › adolygiad gan gymheiriaid
• E-gyhoeddi cyn argraffuEstimating common whelk (Buccinum undatum) abundance using baited remote underwater video (BRUV)
  Garratt, M., Bloor, I., Coleman, M., Colvin, C., Hiddink, J. G., Hold, N., Phillips, E., Ward, S. & Jenkins, S., 11 Medi 2024, (E-gyhoeddi cyn argraffu) Yn: ICES Journal of Marine Science.
  Allbwn ymchwil: Cyfraniad at gyfnodolyn › Erthygl › adolygiad gan gymheiriaid
• CyhoeddwydEstimating gear selectivity and population composition of common whelks Buccinum undatum from tagging experiments and comparative gear trials
  Colvin, C., Hold, N., Phillips, E., Hoenig, J. & Gross, J., Meh 2024, Yn: North American Journal of Fisheries Management. 44, 3, t. 693-705 13 t.
  Allbwn ymchwil: Cyfraniad at gyfnodolyn › Erthygl › adolygiad gan gymheiriaid
• CyhoeddwydPredicting potential spawning areas of European bass, Dicentrarchus labrax, in the Irish and Celtic Seas
  Lincoln, H., Robins, P., Wilmes, S.-B., Pérez-Mayol, S., Moore, A., Simpson, S., Goward Brown, A., Heney, C., Malham, S., Morales-Nin, B., Hold, N. & McCarthy, I., 1 Chwef 2024, Yn: Fisheries Research. 270, 106884.
  Allbwn ymchwil: Cyfraniad at gyfnodolyn › Erthygl › adolygiad gan gymheiriaid

2023

• CyhoeddwydA standardized assessment of geographic variation in size at maturity of European lobster (Homarus gammarus L.) in the North East Atlantic
  Coleman, M., Jenkins, S., Garratt, M., Hold, N., Bloor, I., Porter, J., Tully, O. & Bell, M., Mai 2023, Yn: ICES Journal of Marine Science. 80, 4, t. 911-922 fsac234.
  Allbwn ymchwil: Cyfraniad at gyfnodolyn › Erthygl › adolygiad gan gymheiriaid
• CyhoeddwydAutomated Video-Based Capture of Crustacean FIsheries Data Using Low-Power Hardware
  Dal Toe, S. G., Neal, M., Hold, N., Heney, C., Turner, B., McCoy, E., Iftikhar, M. & Tiddeman, B., 15 Medi 2023, Yn: Sensors. 23, 18, 7897.
  Allbwn ymchwil: Cyfraniad at gyfnodolyn › Erthygl › adolygiad gan gymheiriaid
• CyhoeddwydBycatch in northeast Atlantic lobster and crab pot fisheries (Irish Sea, Celtic Sea and Bristol Channel)
  Moore, A., Heney, C., Lincoln, H., Colvin, C., Newell, H., Turner, B., McCarthy, I. & Hold, N., 1 Medi 2023, Yn: Fisheries Research. 265, 106745.
  Allbwn ymchwil: Cyfraniad at gyfnodolyn › Erthygl › adolygiad gan gymheiriaid

2022

• CyhoeddwydDetection and quantification of differences in catch rates among research vessel gears and commercial vessels
  Delargy, A., Hold, N., Heney, C., Cann, R., Bhandari, K., Colvin, C., Moore, A., Lincoln, H., Hiddink, J. G. & McCarthy, I., 1 Hyd 2022, Yn: Fisheries Research. 254, 106371, 106371.
  Allbwn ymchwil: Cyfraniad at gyfnodolyn › Erthygl › adolygiad gan gymheiriaid
• CyhoeddwydSpatial and Temporal variation of size at maturity in an intensive crustacean fishery with limited management
  Moore, A., Delargy, A., Cann, R., Heney, C., Le Vay, L., Lincoln, H., McCarthy, I. & Hold, N., 1 Tach 2022, Yn: Fisheries Research. 255, November 2022, 106450.
  Allbwn ymchwil: Cyfraniad at gyfnodolyn › Erthygl › adolygiad gan gymheiriaid

2021

• CyhoeddwydUsing bio-physical modelling and population genetics for conservation and management of an exploited species, Pecten maximus L.
  Hold, N., Robins, P., Szostek, C., Lambert, G., Lincoln, H., Le Vay, L., Bell, E. & Kaiser, M., Tach 2021, Yn: Fisheries Oceanography. 30, 6, t. 740-756 17 t.
  Allbwn ymchwil: Cyfraniad at gyfnodolyn › Erthygl › adolygiad gan gymheiriaid

2020

• CyhoeddwydNew insights on the population genetic structure of the great scallop (Pecten maximus) in the English Channel coupling microsatellite data and demogenetic simulations.
  Handal, W., Szostek, C., Hold, N., Andrello, M., Thiébaut, E., Ewan, H., Lefebvre, G., Elodie, B., Jolivet, A., Nicolle, A., Boyé, A., Foucher, E., Boudry, P. & Charrier, G., 31 Hyd 2020, Yn: Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems. 30, 10, t. 1841-1853
  Allbwn ymchwil: Cyfraniad at gyfnodolyn › Erthygl › adolygiad gan gymheiriaid

2017

• CyhoeddwydDefining thresholds of sustainable impact on benthic communities in relation to fishing disturbance
  Lambert, G., Murray, L., Hiddink, J., Hinz, H., Lincoln, H., Hold, N., Cambie, G. & Kaiser, M., 2017, Yn: Scientific Reports. 7, 5440.
  Allbwn ymchwil: Cyfraniad at gyfnodolyn › Erthygl › adolygiad gan gymheiriaid

2015

• CyhoeddwydVideo capture of crustacean fisheries data as an alternative to on-board observers
  Hold, N., Murray, L. G., Pantin, J. R., Haig, J. A., Hinz, H. & Kaiser, M. J., 6 Maw 2015, Yn: ICES Journal of Marine Science. 72, t. 1811-1821
  Allbwn ymchwil: Cyfraniad at gyfnodolyn › Erthygl › adolygiad gan gymheiriaid

2013

• CyhoeddwydDevelopment of microsatellite markers from 454 transcriptome derived sequences for the scallop Pecten maximus
  Hold, N., Dawnay, L. & Taylor, M. I., Medi 2013, Yn: Conservation Genetics Resources. 5, 3, t. 663-666
  Allbwn ymchwil: Cyfraniad at gyfnodolyn › Erthygl › adolygiad gan gymheiriaid
• CyhoeddwydEnvironmental drivers of small scale spatial variation in the reproductive schedule of a commercially important bivalve mollusc
  Hold, N., Murray, L. G., Hinz, H., Neill, S. P., Lass, S., Lo, M. & Kaiser, M. J., 1 Rhag 2013, Yn: Marine Environmental Research. 92, t. 144-153
  Allbwn ymchwil: Cyfraniad at gyfnodolyn › Erthygl › adolygiad gan gymheiriaid
• CyhoeddwydPotential effects of stock enhancement with hatchery-reared seed on genetic diversity and effective population size
  Hold, N., Murray, L. G., Kaiser, M. J., Hinz, H., Beaumont, A. R. & Taylor, M. I., 2 Chwef 2013, Yn: Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences. 70, 2, t. 330-338
  Allbwn ymchwil: Cyfraniad at gyfnodolyn › Erthygl › adolygiad gan gymheiriaid
• CyhoeddwydThe effectiveness of using CPUE data derived from Vessel Monitoring Systems and fisheries logbooks to estimate scallop biomass
  Murray, L. G., Hinz, H., Hold, N. & Kaiser, M. J., 1 Tach 2013, Yn: ICES Journal of Marine Science. 70, 7, t. 1330-1340
  Allbwn ymchwil: Cyfraniad at gyfnodolyn › Erthygl › adolygiad gan gymheiriaid

2024

• ICES Workshop on Whelk Fisheries

  ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Whelk and other gastropod fisheries are key species in small-scale artisanal and commercially valuable fisheries worldwide. Within the eastern Atlantic, the whelk Buccinum undatum is commercially important however there is minimal management in most countries.

  This inaugural meeting aims to bring together scientists already working on whelk fisheries from across Europe, North America, and the rest of the world to share best practice, spark collaborations, and review recently published work as well as that underway.

  The workshop will focus on:

  - whelk aging techniques, error and use in routine data collection and stock assessment

  - current stock assessment approaches and challenges, and direction of research/travel for whelk stock assessment​

  8 Gorff 2024 – 9 Gorff 2024

  Cysylltau:

  • https://www.ices.dk/community/groups/Pages/WKWF.aspx
  Gweithgaredd: Cymryd rhan mewn gweithdy, seminar, cwrs Academaidd (Trefnydd)

2022

• John Hoenig

  John and his PhD student Julie Gross visited for a 2 week collaborative working visit. We worked on two papers and John gave 3 seminars

  Hyd 2022

  Gweithgaredd: Gwesteio ymwelydd academaidd (Gwesteiwr)
• BU-IIA Funded Project: Maximising Impact from Fisheries Research

  Bangor’s sustainable fisheries team currently carries out research into baseline biology of commercially important species, fisheries science and how these data can be applied to achieve sustainable fisheries management in Wales. This research has potential to create impact through policy change, guidance to fisheries management and change within the fishing industry through providing and disseminating evidence in support of sustainable fishing practices. It is expected that a range of research carried out by the sustainable fisheries team will come together to create a single impact case study concerning the management of shell fisheries in Wales.

  Funding awarded through the Bangor University Innovation and Impact Award (Research Wales Innovation Funding). Value = £42,335

  4 Mai 2022 – 30 Ebr 2023

  Gweithgaredd: Arall (Cyfrannwr)

• CEFAS FMP delivery - 110 Pot Fisheries Data collection

  01/07/2024 – 15/04/2025 (Wrthi'n gweithredu)

• CEFAS FMP delivery - 96 Scallop Fisheries Target Harvest Rate

  01/07/2024 – 15/04/2025 (Wrthi'n gweithredu)

• PhD Student Placement extension for Saniye Smith

  05/03/2024 – 18/06/2024 (Wedi gorffen)

• Welsh Government Sea Services Contract

  01/01/2024 – 31/03/2025 (Wrthi'n gweithredu)

• Review of Jersey fisheries data collection, surveys, and assessment approaches

  01/10/2023 – 15/11/2024 (Wedi gorffen)

• Environmental Assessment of Scallop Innovation Gear (EASIG)

  01/06/2023 – 30/04/2025 (Wrthi'n gweithredu)

• CEFAS Whelk Survey

  01/03/2023 – 30/06/2024 (Wedi gorffen)

• Whelk growth and climate change

  01/01/2023 – 31/12/2024 (Wrthi'n gweithredu)

• ‘Addressing key evidence gaps to support English and Welsh crustacean FMPs’

  01/12/2022 – 15/01/2025 (Wrthi'n gweithredu)

• C039/2022/2023 -Marine Evidence Framework Agreement (MEFA) Whelk Stock Assessment 2022 - (lead FEC 008545)

  01/06/2022 – 14/08/2023 (Wedi gorffen)

• Combined whelk data improvement project (Heriot-Watt University led)

  01/06/2022 – 31/01/2025 (Wrthi'n gweithredu)

• FISP - Camera

  01/02/2022 – 08/11/2024 (Wedi gorffen)

• C194/2018/2019 – Marine Evidence Framework Agreement (MEFA) – Lot 1 - Whelk Stock Assessment 2021 contract (lead FEC 008545)

  01/01/2022 – 11/08/2023 (Wedi gorffen)

• Whelk Landing Caps – Science/Policy Rationale - Lot 5 Marine Evidence Framework Agreement (lead FEC 008545)

  01/04/2021 – 01/08/2022 (Wedi gorffen)

• Whelk: A Baseline Stock Assessment MEFA01/20/21 Marine Evidence Framework Agreement (lead FEC 008545)

  01/09/2020 – 01/08/2022 (Wedi gorffen)

• Whelks: a standardised survey methodology /C194/2018/2019 Marine Evidence Framework Agreement (lead FEC 008545)

  01/02/2020 – 30/09/2020 (Wedi gorffen)

EFF funded "Sustainable use of fisheries resources in Welsh waters" - lead role in application for £300K for an 18 month extension to the project. (2013-2015)

EMFF funded "Fisher-Scientist collaboration" - during an NRN grant writing fellowhsip I developed the grant proposal capturing £1.2m in funding for this 4 year project. (2019-2022)

EMFF funded "Video and electronic fisheries data collection" - during and NRN grant writing fellowship I wrote the grant proposala capturing £140K in funding for the 2 year project. (2019-2021)

EMFF funded "Bass and Ray ecology in Liverpool Bay". This project extends the Welsh bass and ray science across the political boundary into north west English waters. £86K (2019-2020).

Welsh Government Marine Evidence Framework Agreement "Standardised stock assessment survey for whelk fisheries". £11,000 (2020)

I am a member of the UK whelk management group and Crab and Lobster management group, providing scientific input alongisde scientists from CEFAS and Scotland. The group is a multi-stakholder group with representivies from industry, DEFRA, Welsh Government, Seafish and academia.

I sit on the ICES working groups for crab, lobster and scallop.