Marine Institute projects

Examples of marine research at the University of Plymouth
Projects

The South West Partnership for Environment & Economic Prosperity (SWEEP)

SWEEP will bring together a diverse range of groups from academia, business and other sectors to look at how we enhance our natural capital, how we preserve and restore it, and maximise the economic return.
Funder: NERC (2017-2022) | Co-I: Professor Martin Attrill
Coastal processes research group google earth plugin image

Partnership for Research In Marine Renewable Energy

PRIMaRE brings together a Network of Excellence of Marine Renewable Energy (MRE) from across academia, research and industry who undertake research and development to address challenges facing the MRE sector.
Funder: EPSRC (2017-2022) | PI: Professor Deborah Greaves
CETO 6 under testing in the ocean tank

Blue Communities

Blue Communities will work with scientists and local communities in SE Asia, focussing on these countries' UNESCO Biosphere Reserves, and marine protected areas to support their development, implementation and ongoing management.
Funder: Global Challenges Research Fund (2017-2021) | Co-I: Professor Sabine Pahl
Malaysia [shutterstock_144941848]

BLUE Coast Project

BLUE Coast aims to inform coastal management by reducing uncertainties in the prediction of medium-term and long-term regional sediment budgets, morphological change and how the coast recovers after sequences of storms.
Funder: NERC (2016-2021) | PI: Professor Gerd Masselink
Coastal Processes Research Group Perranporth beach

STORMLAMP – Structural behaviour Of Rock Mounted Lighthouses At the Mercy of imPulsive waves

STORMLAMP is characterising wave loading and structural performance of rock lighthouses, combining field measurements, laboratory studies and analytical and numerical investigations that will support management of lighthouses
Funder: EPSRC (2016–2020) | PI: Dr Alison Raby
Longships lighthouse in Cornwall

ReLionMed

University of Plymouth scientists are working with counterparts in Cyprus to stem a lionfish invasion in the Mediterranean Sea, including the development and implementation of an early surveillance and detection system, and a removal response strategy.
Funder: EU LIFE (2017-2020) | PI: Professor Jason Hall Spencer, Co-I: Dr Sian Rees
Lionfish

Marine-i

The University of Plymouth are proud to be a partner on Marine-i, designed to help the marine technology sector in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly grow through research, development and innovation.
Funder: European Regional Development Fund (2017-2020) | Co-I: Professor Deborah Greaves
Marine-i project

Reserve Effects Tested and Understood to validate Return

The RETURN project will extend the University of Plymouth's Lyme Bay MPA monitoring programme through to 2019, building on what is already the most comprehensive dataset for temperate reef ecosystems globally.
Funder: European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (2017-2019) | PI: Dr Emma Sheehan
Lyme Bay Marine Protected Area. Credit: Dr Luke Holmes

I-BASS

The I-BASS project investigates how European bass use nursery areas through the tagging of juvenile bass and installation of acoustic arrays in three bass nursery areas in the southwest of England.
Funder: European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (2017-2019) | PI: Dr Emma Sheehan
Sea Bass by Erlend Bjørtvedt

Clean Energy From Ocean Waves (CEFOW)

As a partner in this consortium project, we are undertaking environmental monitoring to aid the understanding of the ecological consequences of wave-energy devices.
Funder: EU Horizon 2020 (2017-2020 ) | Co-I: Dr Emma Sheehan
WELLO Penguin wave energy converter device. CEFOW Project

Distinguishing the realistic environmental risks of nanoplastics by investigating fate and toxicology in real-world scenarios (RealRiskNano)

This project is focused on providing critical information to enhance the environmental risk assessment of nanoplastics, and is based on real-world exposure scenarios.
Funder: NERC (2015-2019) | PI: Professor Richard Thompson
Pollution problem - plastic bag in the ocean. Image courtesy of Shutterstock

The Deep Links Project

Deep Links is investigating how patterns of population connectivity vary with depth in the deep sea around the UK, and how this influences species diversity.
Funder: NERC (2015-2018) | PI: Dr Kerry Howell
Deep Links Project

Trojan Horses – Elucidating the potential interaction of manufactured nanoparticles with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons: An integrated toxicogenomics approach

This interdisciplinary project aims to test the hypothesis that environmentally relevant carbon nanomaterials can interact to simultaneously modify potential toxicity in the marine mussel.
Funder: NERC (2014-2018) | PI: Professor Awadhesh Jha
Mussels in jar

Hybrid Set-theoretic Approaches for Applications to Autonomous Sailing Boats

This project will pioneer the engineering applications of set-theoretic methods for control and the developed control and estimation algorithms will be tested on an autonomous sailing boat.
Funder: EPSRC (2017-2018) | PI: Dr Jian Wan
Springer's first open water trials, Autonomous Marine Systems

Surface Mixed Layer Evolution at Submesoscales

The SMILES project is a combined observational and numerical modelling experiment that aims to improve our understanding of the role played by submesoscale processes at the subantarctic front in the Southern Ocean.
Funder: NERC (2014-2017) | PI: Dr Philip Hosegood
SMILES project

Marine Protected Areas: understanding how levels of protection mediate the flow of marine ecosystem services

Marine protected areas (MPAs) are a key management tool to halt the global decline in marine biodiversity and fish stocks. This project aims to increase understanding of how the level of management of MPAs can influence the delivery of marine ecosystems.
Funder: Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation (2014-2017) | PI: Dr Olivia Langmead
Seahorse image courtesy of Mike Pallett

PLUTO webcam

Out of sight, out of mind is a perennial problem in marine conservation. The PLUTO project aims to engage people with marine life in Plymouth Sound special area of conservation by providing an ‘eye in the sea’, accessible to anyone.
The Plymouth Underwater Teaching Observatory (PLUTO) streams live from Plymouth Sound, providing a unique view into the underwater habitat.
Plymouth Sound