Ailsa Hall

In 1989, Hall joined the Sea Mammal Research Unit. At the time, the Unit was based in Cambridge, and Hall joined as an epidemiologist.^[3] She investigated an outbreak of phocine distemper amongst harbour seals. She moved to the University of St Andrews in 1996, where she worked on the immune response of seals.^[3] She demonstrated that polychlorinated biphenyl contributed to the mortality of harbour seals in the North Sea.^[1][4][5] Whilst PCBs^[6] were banned in the late 1970s due to toxicity, they continue to be in circulation, and are able to resist extreme heat.^[5][7]

Hall investigates the impact of pathogens and contaminants on the health of marine mammals. She is interested in how contaminants and pathogens impact the early survival of animals.^[8] Hall focused her efforts on improving biodiversity in the ocean.^[9] She studied the impact of climate change on populations of humpback whales, showing a significant drop in breeding successes in the wild.^[10]

Hall was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2022 New Year Honours for services to environmental protection and epidemiology.^[11][9] She was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 2024.^[12]

Scholia has a profile for Ailsa J. Hall (Q56424648).

• Tero Härkönen; Rune Dietz; Peter Reijnders; et al. (1 January 2006). "The 1988 and 2002 phocine distemper virus epidemics in European harbour seals". Diseases of Aquatic Organisms. 68 (2): 115–130. doi:10.3354/DAO068115. ISSN 0177-5103. PMID 16532603. Wikidata Q33236217.
• Gina M Ylitalo; John E Stein; Tom Hom; et al. (1 January 2005). "The role of organochlorines in cancer-associated mortality in California sea lions (Zalophus californianus)". Marine Pollution Bulletin. 50 (1): 30–39. doi:10.1016/J.MARPOLBUL.2004.08.005. ISSN 0025-326X. PMID 15664031. Wikidata Q44635779.
• A J Hall; R J Law; D E Wells; et al. (1 April 1992). "Organochlorine levels in common seals (Phoca vitulina) which were victims and survivors of the 1988 phocine distemper epizootic". Science of the Total Environment. 115 (1–2): 145–162. doi:10.1016/0048-9697(92)90039-U. ISSN 0048-9697. PMID 1594930. Wikidata Q46036848.