PhD studentships with the Marine Institute

Forever in a moment: Seaweed-based nanomaterials for ecotoxin remediation

Lead Supervisor (DoS): Dr Lee Durndell
Second Supervisor: Professor Karen Wilson
Third Supervisor: Dr Thierry Tonon
Fourth Supervisor: Dr Leonardo Gomez
Fifth Supervisor: Dr James Chapman

Global demand for safe, clean drinking water is growing, and while high-throughput sewage and wastewater treatments enable water recirculation in urban areas, they often fail to remove all contaminants, especially complex organic pollutants like polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). These "forever chemicals," known for their stability and resistance to degradation, persist in the environment, posing significant risks to marine life. PFAS contamination is a growing concern due to its cancer links in humans and its detrimental effect on marine ecosystems, where it disrupts phytoplankton growth and photosynthesis, leading to bioaccumulation in aquatic food chains. This project provides a low-carbon solution by developing ultra-selective functionalised magnetic nanomaterials, derived from naturally abundant seaweed, designed to remove such pollutants from contaminated wastewater. By understanding the role of nanomaterial surface and bulk properties in pollutant capture / destruction, this research seeks to revolutionise next-generation, water decontamination technologies.

Wave-induced transport and maritime pollution

Lead Supervisor (DoS): Dr Raphael Stuhlmeier
Second Supervisor: Professor Henrik Kalisch
Third Supervisor: Professor Alison Raby

This project will advance our understanding of wave-driven particle transport in the ocean by combining mathematical modelling, flume experiments, and numerical simulation. It will provide valuable insight into the underlying equations that describe particle movement on and under waves, contributing to our understanding of the dispersion of ocean pollutants such as microplastics and harmful bacteria. These findings will be critical for improving particle-tracking and other predictive models and informing future efforts to mitigate ocean pollution.

Predicting marine biodiversity heatwave vulnerability at management relevant scales: A novel approach for adaptive conservation

Lead Supervisor (DoS): Dr Manuela Truebano
Second Supervisor: Professor Michael Burrows
Third Supervisor: Dr Oliver Tills
Fourth Supervisor: Professor Pippa Moore
Fifth Supervisor: Dr Fernando Lima
Sixth Supervisor: Dr Hannah Wood

Heatwaves are becoming frequent and severe, with devastating consequences for human health, economies, and ecosystems. Recent record-breaking global temperatures and multiple regional heatwaves across the globe highlight the urgent need to predict the vulnerability of natural populations to heatwaves. This vulnerability is determined by the level of heat challenge, and crucially, but overlooked, the physiological sensitivity of the organisms constituting a population. These determinants vary significantly locally due to microclimates, microhabitats, and local adaptation. Yet, they are not factored into predicting heatwave impacts, identifying high- and low-risk areas, or ultimately determining conservation strategies. Fine-scale data at the regional level, and spatially explicit models to identify vulnerable areas will be paramount in ensuring the persistence of species by protecting thermal refugia and mitigating ecological traps. This transformative studentship will pioneer approaches to predicting the impact of heatwaves on biodiversity at regional scales, identifying critical areas for conservation of rocky shore communities, using the diversity of sites across the Southwest of the UK as a model. In so doing, it will help support adaptive management of our shorelines.

Tools to understand energy use in wild fish populations: Habitat solutions for sustainable fisheries

Lead Supervisor (DoS): Dr Benjamin Ciotti
Second Supervisor: Professor Clive Trueman
Third Supervisor: Dr Keiron Fraser

Partitioning of energy among interlinked processes of growth and metabolism is central to an organism’s performance. Commonly measured in the laboratory, few options exist to quantify growth and metabolic rate in the field, but this is essential for assessing the status of wild populations and therefore identifying approaches to safeguard biodiversity, mitigate climate change and sustainably manage marine resources. Coastal fisheries are dominated by species that rely on vulnerable inshore habitats (e.g. seagrass, saltmarsh) as juveniles. Despite initiatives to protect and restore nurseries supporting high juvenile abundances, the extent to which different habitats support growth is often unknown. Scientists in Plymouth and Southampton are pioneering novel techniques to measure growth and metabolic rate in wild juvenile fishes. This project is an exciting first opportunity to experimentally validate and integrate these state-of-the-art tools towards an integrated understanding of growth and metabolism in situ, as a solution for identifying fish nurseries.

Integrating novel fishery-independent techniques to monitor the recovery of Atlantic Bluefin Tuna in Southwest UK waters

Lead Supervisor (DoS): Dr Lilian Lieber
Second Supervisor: Dr Bryce Stewart
Third Supervisor: Professor Michael Cunliffe
Fourth Supervisor: Dr Peter Miller

Once overexploited, Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus; BFT) have reappeared in UK waters with particularly frequent seasonal sightings in the Southwest. The Marine Management Organisation and Defra have recently launched a trial UK commercial BFT fishery. However, little is known about the impact of new fisheries on populations which have only recently recovered. Therefore, early BFT monitoring is essential to ensure sustainable management and continued recovery. Renowned for their speed, power and size (reaching over 3 metres in length), BFT are highly valuable economically, and play a key ecological role as apex predators. In the Southwest, multi-species foraging aggregations involving BFT, forage fish, seabirds and sometimes marine mammals are common and understanding these trophic interactions will inform ecosystem-based management. Quantifying key underlying biophysical drivers will lead to a more predictive understanding of BFT distributional trends in our changing ocean experiencing both ‘tropicalization’ (ocean warming) and ‘marine urbanisation’ (offshore energy). This project will work with recreational fishers in the Southwest and will utilise aerial drone mapping, oceanographic profiling, satellite remote sensing, as well as water sampling.

Sustainable lighting for coastal cities

Lead Supervisor (DoS): Dr Thomas Davies
Second Supervisor: Dr Olivia Rendón
Third Supervisor: Professor Tim Smyth
Fourth Supervisor: Phil Bellamy

Artificial Light at Night (ALAN) has demonstrated impacts on biological processes in the sea. Opportunities exist to reduce the ecological harm caused by street lighting using a variety of alternative lighting strategies. This project will provide critical information for reducing natural capital losses caused by existing street lighting infrastructure as it is replaced over the next ten years. The student will undertake an interdisciplinary, holistic studentship involving natural and social sciences in collaboration with Plymouth City Council. The student will develop and deploy skills in social science, community ecology and hydrological modelling to quantify the social and ecological trade-offs of coastal city lighting.