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
Matthew Faith
Matthew Faith, a PhD researcher from the University of Plymouth, has been awarded a place on the prestigious enrichment scheme of The Alan Turing Institute.
The Enrichment Scheme Placement award will enable him to spend nine months at the renowned institute in London, working alongside leading experts from the UK’s growing data science and AI research community.
Matthew will use the fellowship to broaden the scope of his PhD – co-funded by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and the University – which is looking into the societal consequences of climate change impacts on plankton.
He is aiming to generate more accurate data about plankton in the North East Atlantic but also new insights into species such as jellyfish, for which current information is surprisingly limited.
Collaborating with University of Edinburgh Turing Fellow Dr Oisin Mac Aodha, he will be using recent advances in machine learning to improve the utility of various datasets, including citizen science projects and historical surveys.
He is also looking at how modelling can be directly linked to people’s health and wellbeing, and the environment.

I am delighted to have been given the opportunity to work with the Alan Turing Institute.

It has an amazing network of world-leading experts, and early career researchers like me, and I am excited to see how it might benefit my work. It presents an opportunity to work with people from very different fields, and to see how their expertise can benefit my research on plankton and the marine environment.

Matthew FaithMr Matthew Faith

Before embarking on his PhD, Matthew studied for a marine biology and oceanography degree at the University, graduating with a First in 2022.
His dissertation centred around plankton and he began his PhD later the same year, working alongside Associate Professor of Marine Conservation, Dr Abigail McQuatters-Gollop .
This work has so far involved analyses of existing datasets compiled by organisations including the Marine Conservation Society and the Marine Biological Association.
Now approaching his final year of studies, Matthew hopes his existing work – and any lessons learned through his time at the Turing Institute– can be used to inform enhanced management of the marine environment and more effective regional, national and international policies.
 
Man fishing in small boat above coral reef. 

Marine Conservation Research Group

Plankton

Plankton science for supporting the implementation of marine ecosystem-based management and conservation

Deploying equipment on a boat

Careers in marine biology and oceanography