Welcome to the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology

Dr Ian J Winfield

Current work

My work focuses on the ecology and management of freshwater fish and benefits from a broad, integrative approach facilitated by being undertaken within a Lake Ecosystem Group. Although such work is conducted throughout the UK and overseas, a large component of it involves the continuation of long-term netting and trapping studies of Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus), perch (Perca fluviatilis) and pike (Esox lucius) in Windermere, which began during the 1940s and now constitute time series of unparalleled duration, detail and quality. This work is augmented by the use of state-of-the-art hydroacoustics to investigate fish abundance, distribution and size structure, together with aspects of their biotic and abiotic environments. I frequently undertake commissioned research for a wide range of regional, national and international customers. I also sit on regional, national and international advisory bodies, I have frequent contacts with local and national media, and I am currently the President of the Fisheries Society of the British Isles (FSBI).

Research interests

• Population dynamics and community ecology of freshwater fish
• Roles of fish in lake ecosystems
• Effects of climate change on freshwater fish populations and communities
• Development of hydroacoustics for studies of freshwater fish and their habitats
• Conservation of rare fish species
• Freshwater fisheries management
• Lake management

Brief CV

• 2003 to date: Lake Ecologist at CEH's Lancaster site
• 1990-2003: Fish Ecologist at CEH Windermere (formerly the Institute of Freshwater Ecology)
• 1985-1990: Lecturer in Fish Biology at the University of Ulster
• 1984: Research Fellow in Freshwater Fish Ecology at the University of Lund, Sweden

Recent publications

See also the NERC Open Research Archive.

Miller, H., Bull, J. M., Cotterill, C. J., Dix, J. K., Winfield, I. J., Kemp, A. E. S. & Pearce, R. B. (2013).  Lake bed geomorphology and sedimentary processes in glacial lake Windermere, UK.  Journal of Maps.  DOI:  10.1080/17445647.2013.780986.

Volta, P., Jeppesen, E., Leoni, B., Campi, B., Sala, P., Garibaldi, L., Lauridsen, T. L.  & Winfield, I. J.  (2013).  Recent invasion by a non-native cyprinid (common bream Abramis brama) is followed by major changes in the ecological quality of a shallow lake in southern Europe.  Biological Invasions.  DOI:  10.1007/s10530-013-0433-z.

Ohlberger, J. Otero, J., Edeline, E., Winfield, I. J., Stenseth, N. Chr. & Vøllestad, L. A.  (2012).  Biotic and abiotic effects on cohort size distributions in fish.  Oikos.  DOI:  10.1111/j.1600-0706.2012.19858.x.

Argillier, C., Caussé, S., Gevrey, M., Pédron, S., De Bortoli, J., Brucet, S., Emmrich, M., Jeppesen, E., Lauridsen, T., Mehner, T., Olin, M., Rask, M., Volta, P., Winfield, I. J., Kelly, F., Krause, T., Palm, A. & Holmgren, K. (2012). Development of a fish-based index to assess the eutrophication status of European lakes. Hydrobiologia. DOI:  10.1007/s10750-012-1282-y.

Emmrich, M., Winfield, I. J., Guillard, J., Rustadbakken, A., Vergés, C., Volta, P., Jeppesen, E., Lauridsen, T. L., Brucet, S., Holmgren, K., Argillier, A. & Mehner, T.  (2012).  Strong correspondence between gillnet catch per unit effort and hydroacoustically derived fish biomass in stratified lakes.  Freshwater Biology 57, 2436-2448.  DOI:10.1111/fwb.12022.

Jeppesen, E., Mehner, T., Winfield, I. J., Kangur, K., Sarvala, J., Gerdeaux, D., Rask, M., Rask, M., Malmquist, H. J, Holmgren, K., Volta, P., Romo, S., Eckmann, R., Sandström, A., Blanco, S., Kangur, A., Ragnarsson Stabo, H., Tarvainen, M., Ventelä, A.-M., Søndergaard, M., Lauridsen, T. L. & Meerhoff, M. (2012).  Impacts of climate warming on the long-term dynamics of key fish species in 24 European lakes.  Hydrobiologia 694, 1-39. DOI:  10.1007/s10750-012-1182-1.

Tsouvalis, J., Waterton, C. & Winfield, I. J.  (2012).  Intra-actions in Loweswater, Cumbria: New Collectives, Blue-Green Algae, and the Visualisation of Invisible Presences Through Sound and Science.  In:  Rose, G. & Tolia-Kelly, D. P. (editors)  Visuality/Materiality:  Images, Objects and Practices.  Ashgate Publishing, Farnham, U.K.  pp. 109-132.

Winfield, I. J., Adams, C. E., Bean, C. W., Durie, N. C. Fletcher, J. M., Gowans, A. R., Harrod, C., James, J. B., Lyle, A. A., Maitland, P. S., Thompson, C. & Verspoor, E.  (2012).  Conservation of the vendace (Coregonus albula), the U.K.'s rarest freshwater fish.  Advances in Limnology 63, 547-559.