Dr Penelope Watt

School of Biosciences

Senior Lecturer in Zoology

p.j.watt@sheffield.ac.uk

Alfred Denny Building

Full contact details

Dr Penelope Watt
School of Biosciences
Alfred Denny Building
Western Bank
Sheffield
S10 2TN

Profile

Senior Lecturer in Zoology (2014-)
Lecturer, University of Sheffield (1998-2014)
Lecturer, De Montfort University, Leicester (1993-1998)
Post Doctoral Research Assistant, Imperial College at Silwood Park (1989-1993)
PhD Zoology (Leeds) (1989)
BSc (Hons) Zoology (Newcastle) (1986)

Research interests: I am a behavioural ecologist with interests in the genetic control of behaviour and responses to stress. My research has focused on aquatic systems (fish, amphibians) and terrestrial invertebrates (earthworms). We use environmental DNA to assess species diversity in terrestrial systems, specifically soil managed under different regimes, and aquatic habitats.

Publications

Show: Featured publications All publications

Featured publications

Journal articles

Berthon K, Wade R, Chapman P, Jaworski CC, Leake JR, McHugh N, Collins L, Daniell T, Zhao Y, Watt P , Doherty B et al (2025) Measuring the socio-economic and environmental outcomes of regenerative agriculture across spatio-temporal scales. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 380(1935). View this article in WRRO
Llanos J, Hipperson H, Horsburgh G, Lappage MG, Maher KH, Burke T, Leake JR & Watt PJ (2025) Environmental DNA is more effective than hand sorting in evaluating earthworm biodiversity recovery under regenerative agriculture. Science of The Total Environment, 968. View this article in WRRO
Berthon K, Jaworski CC, Beacham JD, Jackson P, Leake J, McHugh NM, Capstick L, Daniell T, Krzywoszynska A, Cameron D , Holland J et al (2024) Measuring the transition to regenerative agriculture in the UK with a co-designed experiment: design, methods and expected outcomes. Environmental Research: Food Systems, 1(2). View this article in WRRO
Kitson JE, Ord J & Watt PJ (2022) Maternal chronic ethanol exposure decreases stress responses in zebrafish offspring. Biomolecules, 12(8).
Alfakih A, Watt PJ & Nadeau NJ (2022) The physiological cost of colour change: evidence, implications and mitigations. Journal of Experimental Biology, 225(10). View this article in WRRO
Berdeni D, Turner A, Grayson RP, Llanos J, Holden J, Firbank LG, Lappage MG, Hunt SPF, Chapman PJ, Hodson ME , Helgason T et al (2021) Soil quality regeneration by grass-clover leys in arable rotations compared to permanent grassland: Effects on wheat yield and resilience to drought and flooding. Soil and Tillage Research, 212. View this article in WRRO
Ord J, Heath PR, Fazeli A & Watt PJ (2020) Paternal effects in a wild‐type zebrafish implicate a role of sperm‐derived small RNAs. Molecular Ecology, 29(14), 2722-2735.

All publications

Journal articles

Berthon K, Wade R, Chapman P, Jaworski CC, Leake JR, McHugh N, Collins L, Daniell T, Zhao Y, Watt P , Doherty B et al (2025) Measuring the socio-economic and environmental outcomes of regenerative agriculture across spatio-temporal scales. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 380(1935). View this article in WRRO
Llanos J, Hipperson H, Horsburgh G, Lappage MG, Maher KH, Burke T, Leake JR & Watt PJ (2025) Environmental DNA is more effective than hand sorting in evaluating earthworm biodiversity recovery under regenerative agriculture. Science of The Total Environment, 968. View this article in WRRO
Berthon K, Jaworski CC, Beacham JD, Jackson P, Leake J, McHugh NM, Capstick L, Daniell T, Krzywoszynska A, Cameron D , Holland J et al (2024) Measuring the transition to regenerative agriculture in the UK with a co-designed experiment: design, methods and expected outcomes. Environmental Research: Food Systems, 1(2). View this article in WRRO
Kitson JE, Ord J & Watt PJ (2022) Maternal chronic ethanol exposure decreases stress responses in zebrafish offspring. Biomolecules, 12(8).
Ord J, Fazeli A & Watt PJ (2022) Brief exposures to conspecific-derived alarm substance are sufficient to induce paternal intergenerational effects in zebrafish. Environmental Biology of Fishes, 105(6), 741-751.
Alfakih A, Watt PJ & Nadeau NJ (2022) The physiological cost of colour change: evidence, implications and mitigations. Journal of Experimental Biology, 225(10). View this article in WRRO
Berdeni D, Turner A, Grayson RP, Llanos J, Holden J, Firbank LG, Lappage MG, Hunt SPF, Chapman PJ, Hodson ME , Helgason T et al (2021) Soil quality regeneration by grass-clover leys in arable rotations compared to permanent grassland: Effects on wheat yield and resilience to drought and flooding. Soil and Tillage Research, 212. View this article in WRRO
Ord J, Heath PR, Fazeli A & Watt PJ (2020) Paternal effects in a wild‐type zebrafish implicate a role of sperm‐derived small RNAs. Molecular Ecology, 29(14), 2722-2735.
Ord J, Holmes KE, Holt WV, Fazeli A & Watt PJ (2020) Premature birth stunts early growth and is a possible driver of stress‐induced maternal effects in the guppy Poecilia reticulata. Journal of Fish Biology, 96(2), 506-515.
Eachus H, Bright C, Cunliffe VT, Placzek M, Wood JD & Watt PJ (2018) 1.4 Disrupted-in-Schizophrenia-1 is essential for normal hypothalamic-pituitary-interrenal (HPI) axis function. ESPE Yearbook of Paediatric Endocrinology, 15. View this article in WRRO
Eachus H, Bright C, Cunliffe VT, Placzek M, Wood JD & Watt PJ (2017) Disrupted-in-schizophrenia-1 is essential for normal hypothalamic-pituitary-interrenal (HPI) axis function. Human Molecular Genetics, 26(11), 1992-2005. View this article in WRRO
Ariyomo TO & Watt PJ (2015) Effect of hunger level and time of day on boldness and aggression in the zebrafish Danio rerio. Journal of Fish Biology, 86(6), 1852-1859.
Ariyomo TO & Watt PJ (2013) Aggression and sex differences in lateralization in the zebrafish. Animal Behaviour.
Ariyomo TO & Watt PJ (2013) Disassortative mating for boldness decreases reproductive success in the guppy. Behavioral Ecology, 24(6), 1320-1326.
Ariyomo TO, Carter M & Watt PJ (2013) Heritability of boldness and aggressiveness in the zebrafish.. Behav Genet, 43(2), 161-167.
Ariyomo TO & Watt PJ (2012) The effect of variation in boldness and aggressiveness on the reproductive success of zebrafish. Animal Behaviour, 83(1), 41-46.
Ariyomo TO & Watt PJ (2011) The effect of variation in boldness and aggressiveness on the reproductive success of zebrafish. Animal Behaviour.
Watt PJ, Skinner A, Hale M, Nakagawa S & Burke T (2011) Small Subordinate Male Advantage in the Zebrafish. Ethology.
Watt PJ, Skinner A, Hale M, Nakagawa S & Burke T (2011) Small Subordinate Male Advantage in the Zebrafish. Ethology, 117(11), 1003-1008.
Guevara-Fiore P, Stapley J, Krause J, Ramnarine IW & Watt PJ (2010) Male mate-searching strategies and female cues: how do male guppies find receptive females?. ANIM BEHAV, 79(6), 1191-1197.
Guevara-Fiore P, Rosenqvist G & Watt PJ (2010) Inbreeding level does not induce female discrimination between sibs and unrelated males in guppies. BEHAV ECOL SOCIOBIOL, 64(10), 1601-1607.
Guevara-Fiore P, Stapley J & Watt PJ (2010) Mating effort and female receptivity: how do male guppies decide when to invest in sex?. BEHAV ECOL SOCIOBIOL, 64(10), 1665-1672.
Guevara-Fiore P, Stapley J, Krause J, Ramnarine IW & Watt PJ (2010) Male mate-searching strategies and female cues: How do male guppies find receptive females?. Animal Behaviour, 79(6), 1191-1197.
Guevara-Fiore P, Rosenqvist G & Watt PJ (2010) Inbreeding level does not induce female discrimination between sibs and unrelated males in guppies. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 1-7.
Shohet AJ & Watt PJ (2009) Female guppies Poecilia reticulata prefer males that can learn fast. J FISH BIOL, 75(6), 1323-1330.
Guevara-Fiore P, Skinner A & Watt PJ (2009) Do male guppies distinguish virgin females from recently mated ones?. ANIM BEHAV, 77(2), 425-431.
Romey WL, Walston AR & Watt PJ (2008) Do 3-D predators attack the margins of 2-D selfish herds?. BEHAV ECOL, 19(1), 74-78.
Skinner AMJ & Watt PJ (2007) Strategic egg allocation in the zebra fish, Danio rerio. BEHAV ECOL, 18(5), 905-909.
Skinner AMJ & Watt PJ (2007) Phenotypic correlates of spermatozoon quality in the guppy, Poecilia reticulata. BEHAV ECOL, 18(1), 47-52.
Shohet AJ & Watt PJ (2004) Female association preferences based on olfactory cues in the guppy, Poecilia reticulata. BEHAV ECOL SOCIOBIOL, 55(4), 363-369.
Watt PJ & Shohet AJ (2003) Female preferences based on olfactory cues in the guppy (Poecilia reticulata). Journal of Fish Biology, 63(s1), 258-258.
Watt PJ, Shohet AJ & Renshaw K (2001) Female choice for good genes and sex-biased broods in guppies. J FISH BIOL, 59(4), 843-850.
Woodward MA, Winder LA & Watt PJ () Enrichment Increases Aggression in Zebrafish. Fishes, 4(1), 22-22.
Ord J, Fazeli A & Watt PJ () Long-Term Effects of the Periconception Period on Embryo Epigenetic Profile and Phenotype: The Role of Stress and How This Effect Is Mediated. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, 1014, 117-135. View this article in WRRO

Preprints

Llanos J, Hipperson H, Horsburgh G, Lappage MG, Maher KH, Burke T, Leake JR & Watt PJ (2023) Environmental DNA is more effective than hand sorting in evaluating earthworm biodiversity recovery under regenerative agriculture, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.

Research group

Current graduate students

2025 - Sabina Schneider. Using environmental DNA to assess soil
health bioindicators and their relationship to crop nutrition and
production under different agricultural regimes. PhD.
2023 - Ghada Fhaid. Monitoring European ell populations using eDNA. PhD.
2022 - Naiyou Xu. Impact of early life stress on zebrafish behaviour. PhD.
2022 - Yu Zhao. Monitoring earthworm populations using eDNA. PhD.
2021 - Roberta Bray. Drivers and costs of aestivation in earthworms. PhD.
2021- Abdullah Alsulaiman. Assessing marine diversity in the eastern
province of Saudi Arabia using eDNA. PhD.
2020 - Ali Alamri. Population ecology of great crested newts. PhD.

Teaching activities

In L2, I teach BIS204 (Invertebrates) and BIS216 (Vertebrates), and on the L2 Mediterranean field course in France and the L3 marine field course in Anglesey. As a zoologist, I have a real passion for animals, and I hope to put this across in my teaching.

I supervise L3 and L4 projects in behaviour and ecology.

Professional activities and memberships

Chair of Faculty of Science Senior Tutor Group (2019-)
Member of the University Discipline, Appeals and Faculty Student Review Committees
Member of Inner International Assessment Board, Irish Research Council, Dublin (2017-)
External Examiner, University of Nottingham (Zoology) (from 2017-2022)
Member of the Field Studies Council Executive Committee (from 2011-17)
Member of the Field Studies Council Education Committee (from 2011-17) & Chair (2016-17)