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
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.
Professor Richard Thompson OBE FRS
Director of the Marine Institute
Our research on an international stage
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
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:
- Towards net zero
- Sustainable blue economy
- Safe seas
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Latest news in marine and maritime
Blinded by the light: the effects of urban lighting on beach bugs
A new study further enhances the University's reputation as a global leader on the ecological effects of light pollution
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![LabEmbryoCam facility at Plymouth Science Park]()
Autonomous imaging robot plays a crucial role in assessing embryos’ response to environmental change
The opensource LabEmbryoCam uses 3D-printed components to form a robotic microscope and is the result of over a decade of research at the University
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![Matthew Faith]()
Researcher awarded place on prestigious Alan Turing Institute enrichment scheme
Matthew Faith is using the award to expand his work looking at changes among plankton communities in the Atlantic
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![Celtic Sea floating offshore wind]()
Ambitious study to explore effects of offshore wind farms on ocean life
Researchers from the University are involved in a new £3.5m project centred around the potential impacts of FLOW developments in the Celtic Sea
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![People in wetsuit and paddle boarding in Plymouth sound]()
Project explores possibilities for UK wetsuit recycling
The University will work with Circular Flow Ltd to examine the scope for developing a UK neoprene recycling facility
- More related news
Marine and maritime events
- Seaquest 12 January 2025 08:30 - 10:30
- Shoresearch Volunteer Survey 15 January 2025 12:00 - 14:00
- Ropes to Reefs Project Webinar 23 January 2025 10:00 - 12:00
- Wrasses complex and black seabream FMP workshop 27 January 2025 17:30 - 20:00
- International Shipwreck Conference 1 February 2025 09:00 - 17:00
Education and innovation
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.
Contact the Marine Institute
Marine Institute, Level 3, Marine Building, University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, Plymouth PL4 8AA
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.
