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
Room C215, Alfred Denny Building

Full contact details

Dr Tom Webb
School of Biosciences
Room C215
Alfred Denny Building
Western Bank
Sheffield
S10 2TN
Profile
  • Senior Lecturer, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield (2022 - present)
  • Lecturer, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield (2017- 2022)
  • Royal Society University Research Fellow, Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield (2008 - 2017)
  • Leverhulme Early Career Research Fellow, Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield (2007 - 2008)
  • NERC Postdoctoral Research Associate, Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield (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 Sheffield (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

  • Bannister HJ, Blackwell PG, Hyder K & Webb TJ (2021) . Scientific Reports, 11.
  • Thompson MSA, Couce E, Webb TJ, Grace M, Cooper KM & Schratzberger M (2021) . Global Change Biology, 27(3), 521-535.
  • Webb TJ & Vanhoorne B (2020) . Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 375(1814).
  • 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).
  • Webb TJ, Lines A & Howarth LM (2020) . Ecology and Evolution, 10(14), 7050-7061.
  • McClain CR, Webb TJ, Nunnally CC, Dixon SR, Finnegan S & Nelson JA (2020) . Frontiers in Marine Science, 7.
  • 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(1), 226-236.
  • McClain CR, Barry JP & Webb TJ (2018) . Ecology, 99(1), 184-195.
  • Mindel BL, Neat F, Webb TJ & Blanchard JL (2018) . ICES Journal of Marine Science: Journal du Conseil, 75(1), 113-121.
  • Webb TJ, Barry JP & McClain CR (2017) . Ecography, 40(11), 1339-1347.
  • Mindel BL, Neat FC, Trueman CN, Webb TJ & Blanchard JL (2016) . PeerJ, 4.
  • Webb TJ (2016) . Current Biology, 26(12), R498-R500.
  • Marshall AM, Bigg GR, van Leeuwen SM, Pinnegar JK, Wei HL, Webb TJ & Blanchard JL (2016) . Global Change Biology.
  • Mindel BL, Webb TJ, Neat FC & Blanchard JL (2016) . Journal of Animal Ecology, 85(2), 427-436.
  • Edgar GJ, Bates AE, Bird TJ, Jones AH, Kininmonth S, Stuart-Smith RD & Webb TJ (2016) . Annual Review of Marine Science, 8, 435-461.
  • Webb TJ & Mindel BL (2015) . Current Biology, 25(4), 506-511.
  • Selim SA, Blanchard JL, Bedford J & Webb TJ (2014) . Regional Environmental Change.
  • Webb TJ (2012) . Trends Ecol Evol, 27(10), 535-541.
  • Webb TJ, Freckleton RP & Gaston KJ (2011) Characterizing abundance-occupancy relationships: There is no artefact. Global Ecology and Biogeography.
  • 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.
  • Webb TJ, Dulvy NK, Jennings S & Polunin NVC (2011) . OIKOS, 120(4), 537-549.
  • Webb TJ, Vanden Berghe E & O'Dor R (2010) . PLoS One, 5(8), e10223.
  • Webb TJ, Tyler EHM & Somerfield PJ (2009) . MAR ECOL-PROG SER, 396, 293-306.
  • 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.
  • Webb TJ & Raffaelli D (2008) . J APPL ECOL, 45(4), 1198-1204.
  • Webb TJ & Freckleton RP (2007) . PLoS One, 2(9), e897.
  • Webb TJ, Noble D & Freckleton RP (2007) . J Anim Ecol, 76(1), 123-134.
  • Webb TJ, Gaston KJ, Hannah L & Woodward FI (2006) . Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 273(1587), 757-765.
  • 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.
  • Webb TJ & Gaston KJ (2005) Heritability of geographic range sizes revisited: A reply to Hunt et al.. AM NAT, 166(1), 136-143.
  • Webb TJ & Gaston KJ (2003) . Am Nat, 161(4), 553-566.
  • Webb TJ & Gaston KJ (2000) . Proc Biol Sci, 267(1455), 1843-1850.
  • Simmons BI, Blyth PSA, Blanchard JL, Clegg T, Delmas E, Garnier A, Griffiths CA, Jacob U, Pennekamp F, Petchey OL , Poisot T et al () . Nature Ecology & Evolution, 5(11), 1478-1489.

All publications

Journal articles

  • Simons D, Hipperson H, Webb TJ, Spencer M, Horsburgh GJ & Mieszkowska N (2025) . Environmental DNA, 7(5).
  • 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 (2025) . Earth System Science Data, 17(6), 2447-2462.
  • McClain CR, Heim NA, Knope ML, Monarrez PM, Payne JL, Santos IT & Webb TJ (2025) . Global Ecology and Biogeography, 34(6).
  • Maureaud AA, Kitchel Z, Fredston A, Guralnick R, Palacios‐Abrantes J, Palomares MLD, Pinsky ML, Shackell NL, Thorson JT, Alemany D , Amador K et al (2025) . Conservation Science and Practice, 7(6).
  • Webb TJ, Beja J, Bejarano SJF, Ramos E, Sainz-Villegas S, Soetaert K, Stolte W, Troupin C & Weigel B (2025) . Marine Policy, 173.
  • McClain CR, Webb TJ, Heim NA, Knope ML, Monarrez PM & Payne JL (2025) . Oikos, 2025(1).
  • McClain CR, Webb TJ, Heim NA, Knope ML, Monarrez PM & Payne JL (2024) . Ecology and Evolution, 14(6).
  • Pino L & Webb TJ (2024) . Diversity and Distributions, 30(6).
  • Johnson TF, Beckerman AP, Childs DZ, Webb TJ, Evans KL, Griffiths CA, Capdevila P, Clements CF, Besson M, Gregory RD , Thomas GH et al (2024) . Nature, 628, 788-794.
  • Cooke R, Mancini F, Boyd RJ, Evans KL, Shaw A, Webb TJ & Isaac NJB (2023) . Biological Conservation, 278, 109884-109884.
  • Quell F, Schratzberger M, Beauchard O, Bruggeman J & Webb T (2021) . Aquatic Invasions, 16(4), 571-600.
  • Bannister HJ, Blackwell PG, Hyder K & Webb TJ (2021) . Scientific Reports, 11.
  • Thompson MSA, Couce E, Webb TJ, Grace M, Cooper KM & Schratzberger M (2021) . Global Change Biology, 27(3), 521-535.
  • 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.
  • Webb TJ & Vanhoorne B (2020) . Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 375(1814).
  • 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).
  • Webb TJ, Lines A & Howarth LM (2020) . Ecology and Evolution, 10(14), 7050-7061.
  • McClain CR, Webb TJ, Nunnally CC, Dixon SR, Finnegan S & Nelson JA (2020) . Frontiers in Marine Science, 7.
  • 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(1), 226-236.
  • McClain CR, Barry JP & Webb TJ (2018) . Ecology, 99(1), 184-195.
  • 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.
  • Mindel BL, Neat F, Webb TJ & Blanchard JL (2018) . ICES Journal of Marine Science: Journal du Conseil, 75(1), 113-121.
  • Webb TJ, Barry JP & McClain CR (2017) . Ecography, 40(11), 1339-1347.
  • Mindel BL, Neat FC, Trueman CN, Webb TJ & Blanchard JL (2016) . PeerJ, 4.
  • Webb TJ (2016) . Current Biology, 26(12), R498-R500.
  • Marshall AM, Bigg GR, van Leeuwen SM, Pinnegar JK, Wei HL, Webb TJ & Blanchard JL (2016) . Global Change Biology.
  • Mindel BL, Webb TJ, Neat FC & Blanchard JL (2016) . Journal of Animal Ecology, 85(2), 427-436.
  • Edgar GJ, Bates AE, Bird TJ, Jones AH, Kininmonth S, Stuart-Smith RD & Webb TJ (2016) . Annual Review of Marine Science, 8, 435-461.
  • Coro G, Webb TJ, Appeltans W, Bailly N, Cattrijsse A & Pagano P (2015) . Ecological Modelling, 312, 272-280.
  • Webb TJ & Mindel BL (2015) . Current Biology, 25(4), 506-511.
  • Webb TJ (2014) . Journal of Animal Ecology, 83(4), 741-743.
  • Selim SA, Blanchard JL, Bedford J & Webb TJ (2014) . Regional Environmental Change.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Webb TJ (2012) . Trends Ecol Evol, 27(10), 535-541.
  • Webb TJ, Freckleton RP & Gaston KJ (2011) Characterizing abundance-occupancy relationships: There is no artefact. Global Ecology and Biogeography.
  • 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.
  • Webb TJ, Dulvy NK, Jennings S & Polunin NVC (2011) . OIKOS, 120(4), 537-549.
  • Webb TJ & Poloczanska ES (2011) . Biol Lett, 7(3), 324-326.
  • Webb TJ, Vanden Berghe E & O'Dor R (2010) . PLoS One, 5(8), e10223.
  • Webb TJ, Olson VA, Szekely T & Freckleton RP (2010) . METHODS ECOL EVOL, 1(3), 221-230.
  • Webb T (2010) Getting to the bottom of biodiversity. Planet Earth(SPRING), 30-31.
  • Webb TJ, Tyler EHM & Somerfield PJ (2009) . MAR ECOL-PROG SER, 396, 293-306.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Olson VA, Webb TJ, Freckleton RP & Székely T (2009) . J Evol Biol, 22(4), 672-682.
  • Webb TJ (2009) . Biol Lett, 5(2), 145-147.
  • Webb TJ & Raffaelli D (2008) . J APPL ECOL, 45(4), 1198-1204.
  • Webb TJ, O'Hara B & Freckleton RP (2008) . Trends Ecol Evol, 23(7), 351-353.
  • Webb TJ & Freckleton RP (2007) . PLoS One, 2(9), e897.
  • Webb TJ, Noble D & Freckleton RP (2007) . J Anim Ecol, 76(1), 123-134.
  • Freckleton RP, Noble D & Webb TJ (2006) . The American Naturalist, 167(2), 260-275.
  • Webb TJ, Gaston KJ, Hannah L & Woodward FI (2006) . Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 273(1587), 757-765.
  • Raffaelli D, Solan M & Webb TJ (2005) Do marine and terrestrial ecologists do it differently?. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 304, 283-289.
  • 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.
  • Webb TJ & Gaston KJ (2005) Heritability of geographic range sizes revisited: A reply to Hunt et al.. AM NAT, 166(1), 136-143.
  • Reynolds JD, Webb TJ & Hawkins LA (2005) . Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, 62(4), 854-862.
  • Webb TJ & Gaston KJ (2003) . Am Nat, 161(4), 553-566.
  • Jones AG, Chown SL, Webb TJ & Gaston KJ (2003) . Systematics and Biodiversity, 1(2), 213-273.
  • Webb TJ & Gaston KJ (2000) . Proc Biol Sci, 267(1455), 1843-1850.
  • Simmons BI, Blyth PSA, Blanchard JL, Clegg T, Delmas E, Garnier A, Griffiths CA, Jacob U, Pennekamp F, Petchey OL , Poisot T et al () . Nature Ecology & Evolution, 5(11), 1478-1489.
  • Krystalli AD & Webb TJ () . Frontiers of Biogeography, 4(3).
  • Krystalli AD & Webb TJ () . Frontiers of Biogeography, 4(3).

Book chapters

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

Book reviews

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

Conference proceedings

  • Allen BJ, Lyon CJ, Hill DJ, Beckerman AP, Burke AM, O'Higgins P, Riel-Salvatore J, Saupe EE, Sporton D & Webb TJ (2019) . Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs

Software, code or databases

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Posters

  • Webb T Putting biodiversity data to work for marine environmental policy.

Datasets

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  • Webb T (2015) .
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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.
  • 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.
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 Conservation Issues and Management,  Global Change,  Ecosystems in a Changing Global Environment,  Conservation Principles, and  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:

Links