The Department of Life Sciences

Dr Amy E. Deacon

Senior Lecturer in Zoology

Qualifications

• Ph.D. Behavioural Ecology, University of St Andrews, Scotland, U.K.
• M.Sc. Marine Biology, University of Bangor, Wales, U.K.
• B.A. Biological Sciences, University of Oxford, U.K.

Fellowships and Training

• Postdoctoral Research Fellow (2010-2015), ERC-funded ‘BioTIME’ project, University of St Andrews.
• Certificate in University Teaching and Learning (2016-2017), UWI

Research Interests

• Temporal patterns of biodiversity
• Effects of human disturbance on aquatic biodiversity
• The Trinidadian guppy as an invasive species.
• Behavioural ecology of invasive species
• Accessibility of Caribbean Biodiversity Data

Professional Experience

• Assistant Editor (2004-2005), Nature Publishing Group, London.

Featured Work

• Campus Biodiversity Week: https://sta.uwi.edu/uwitoday/article6.asp
• Caribbean Bioblitz: https://sta.uwi.edu/uwitoday/archive/february_2023/article4.asp
• International Year of the Reef http://sta.uwi.edu/uwitoday/archive/may_2018/article9.asp
• River Limes Affect Fish: http://www.guardian.co.tt/lifestyle/2016-02-18/river-limes-do-affect-fish-and-their-homes
• Single Wild Female: https://sta.uwi.edu/uwitoday/archive/january_2012/article1.asp

Honours and Awards

• Best Faculty Researcher - Principal's Research Awards (2025)
• Guardian/UWI Premium Teaching Award (2022)
• FSBI Medal for Excellence in Fish Biology (2022)

UWI Service

• Faculty Representative, AQAC
• Subject Leader- Biology (with Dr Luke Rostant)
• Faculty Representative, Campus Community Engagement Advisory Committee
• Member, Campus Environmental Committee
• Environmental Officer, EMA

Public Service

• Editor, Animal Behaviour (2024-present)
• Associate Editor, Aquatic Invasions and Bioinvasions Record (2016 - 2024)
• Scientific Coordinator, Bioblitz Organising Committee (2012-present)
• Editor, Living World, Journal of the TTFNC (2016 - present)
• Lead Author, National Ecosystem Assessment of Grenada (2020-2023)
• Secretary, Trinidad and Tobago Field Naturalists' Club (2015 - 2019)

Professional Memberships

• Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour (ASAB)
• British Ecological Society (BES)
• Caribaea Initiative
• Fisheries Society of the British Isles (FSBI)

Courses Taught

• BIOL3462 - Ecology of Freshwaters
• BIOL2262 - Evolutionary Biology
• BIOL3867 - Animal Behaviour

Graduate Students

• Bryan Ramdeen (MPhil, with Prof Chris Starr) 2025- present
• Renoir Auguste (PhD, with Dr Mark Hulme) 2021-present
• Ada Fontrodona-Eslava (PhD, with Prof Anne Magurran & Prof Indar Ramnarine) 2019-2024
• Sawdah Ali (MSc with distinction) 2023
• Haley Arnold (PhD, with Prof Anne Magurran) 2018-2022
• Guy Marley (PhD, following the death of Dr Dawn Phillip) 2017-2020
• Luberson Joseph (MSc, with Dr Ryan Mohammed) 2020
• James Josaphat (MSc) 2019

Grants

• GBIF-BID Strengthening biodiversity data management and mobilization capacity in the Caribbean (2026-2028)
• FAO-EMA BioREACH
• GBIF-BID Improving national biodiversity data accessibility in Trinidad and Tobago (2021-2023)