Marine Institute

A strategic research institute with one of the largest marine and maritime portfolios in Europe, and an international reputation for world-leading, transdisciplinary research
Close-up wave
 

Our mission is to advance sustainable use of the marine environment through our systems-thinking approach to research, education and innovation.

Plymouth has been a focus for marine science for over 100 years. Our research and partnerships are fundamental in helping us understand the marine environment and how best to tackle the challenges it currently faces.

Richard Thompson OBE FRSProfessor Richard Thompson OBE FRS
Director of the Marine Institute

 
 

Our research on an international stage

Underwater environment beneath the ocean surface with seaweed and kelp beds
COP29, 11–22 November: Driving research and innovation for the responsible use of the ocean
INC-5, 25 November – 1 December: Supporting the Global Plastics Treaty
Aerial view of Plymouth Hoe
Coastal Futures, 29–30 January: Platinum sponsors of the largest ocean conference of its kind in the UK

Research priorities

Our planet is facing an unprecedented number of substantial global environmental challenges. With support from our partners and collaborators, the Marine Institute has identified five research themes to help address these challenges. Within each theme, we are developing and optimising positive interventions and training the scientists and business leaders of the future.
Our world-leading research aligns to a range of United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Adopted by United Nations Member States in 2015, the SDGs are a call for action by all countries in a global partnership to tackle climate change, preserve our oceans and forests in hand with addressing inequalities and deprivations.
Our four research priority themes are:
  1. Towards net zero
  2. Sustainable blue economy
  3. Safe seas
  4. Healthy oceans
The fifth cross-cutting theme, Digital ocean, underpins all our research with technological innovation.
 
 
 
  • Life on Earth is threatened by increasing temperature, rising sea levels and more extreme weather events, resulting in flooding and wildfires.
  • Our oceans absorb a substantial proportion of CO2 from the atmosphere, mitigating the rise in greenhouse gases to some extent, but this leads to ocean acidification.
  • Changes are occurring at a faster rate than nature can adapt to.
We are pioneering the use of marine renewable energy to restore the global carbon balance, driving clean maritime through green shipping and autonomous systems, while increasing natural carbon capture, to minimise harmful effects of human activity.
Celtic Sea floating offshore wind
 
  • 40% of the world’s population live in coastal areas, with many relying on the ocean for their livelihoods.
  • The marine environment is a major contributor to food security and 80% of global trade uses the seas, yet human activity is the primary cause for environmental degradation, putting those same livelihoods at risk.
We are shaping positive change in the way humans interact with the ocean by providing the scientific evidence to underpin, design and implement safeguards for its sustainable exploitation. Our research informs policies that ensure the long-term viable provision of ecosystem services, such as food, recreation and tourism, maritime shipping and heritage, and health and wellbeing.
Fishing port of Brixham, Devon.
 
  • Technological, societal and environmental threats can result directly from human reliance on the ocean, as well as from natural hazards such as earthquakes and tsunamis.
  • Threats ranging from cyber attacks to coastal erosion or flooding all have the potential to cause major disruption.
Our world-leading expertise and facilities in cyber security drive innovative solutions to protect infrastructure at sea, while our forecasting and analysing of extreme natural events, alongside ground-breaking numerical modelling and novel engineering solutions, underpin impact mitigation of flooding and other coastal hazards.
Huge wave hitting the seawall at Porthleven, Cornwall
 
  • Accelerated industrial development, coupled with a progressively throw-away society, has played a significant role in the degradation of our oceans through pollution.
  • These societal trends have serious negative effects for marine ecosystems, reducing our ability to rely on them as a source of food.
Our researchers study the sources and impacts of factors that degrade the marine environment, including pollution and habitat destruction, in order to help develop and test practical solutions.
Ocean water and plastic trash, aerial view 1280 - 720
 
  • We urgently need to optimise the sustainable use of our oceans for food and energy security, while protecting and improving planetary health
  • To achieve our objectives, we need rapid acceleration in the development of digital technology.
Our world-leading expertise in the application of secure marine autonomous systems has the potential to underpin a wide range of activities, including scientific monitoring, observation, deep-sea exploration, and the generation of renewable energy. Furthermore, innovative AI techniques for biological image analysis are being used to inform environmental management.
USV CETUS is a C-Worker 4 unmanned surface vehicle developed and supplied by L3Harris Technologies (Credit University of Plymouth)
 
 
 

Taking a multidisciplinary approach to global challenges

The Marine Institute has one of the largest marine and maritime portfolios in Europe, with an international reputation for our research and its impacts.
Our portfolio spans all areas within the marine realm, including physical, environmental and biological sciences, engineering and maritime business, but also human health, social science, coastal geography, economy, art, history and law. We adopt a transformative, systems thinking, multidisciplinary approach, identifying the issues behind the global challenges of the 21st century, evidencing the solutions, and provoking change.
Our aim is to help guide the way to sustainable approaches that will enable future generations to enjoy the environmental, economic and social benefits of the marine realm. We communicate our findings widely and, through our teaching, we help train the next generation.
Plymouth has been a focal point for marine research for over a hundred years and – together with the many other organisations based in Britain’s Ocean City – we are part of the largest cluster of marine science capabilities in the world.
 
 
 
 

Latest news in marine and maritime

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Scientists call for efforts to protect habitats of critically endangered shark species

The whitefin swellshark will be forced to move and adapt under the future ocean conditions presently forecast as a result of climate change

20 February 2025
 
 
 
 

Education and innovation

Divers returning from a dive - Oceanography and Coastal Processes

Study marine at Plymouth

Maritime Simulation Laboratory

Explore our facilities and field equipment

The COAST Lab

Collaborate with the Marine Institute

Research centres

Abstract image of a hand holding planet earth with symbols around it. 

Centre for Decarbonisation and Offshore Renewable Energy

Plymouth, UK: Marina Drone Photos, credit: Drone Motion Stock, courtesy of ShutterstockCentre for Systems Thinking lead image

Centre for Systems Thinking: Ocean, Land and Society

Coastal Communities coastal definition, the Hoe, seafront, waves, Plymouth sound

Centre for Coastal Communities

Industry support

We support both small and medium-sized businesses, and large multi-nationals, regionally, nationally, and across the world, through:
  • long-term strategic partnerships to help with product and performance testing, workforce development, and ongoing research and development support
  • support to access public funds
  • and access to a large talent pool of students and PhDs.

University student and staff opportunities

We support students and early-career researchers to maximise their potential by providing access to funding, training and external opportunities through partnerships.
We support senior academic colleagues with financial support and training.
 
 
Marine Building
 
 
 


The Marine Institute: an integral part of the University's strategic research for the future

Enhanced by creative contributions from the arts, humanities and business, the University’s research spans three research institutes that are committed to finding solutions to some of the biggest global challenges.
View of Roland Levinsky building from The House