Understanding the primary drivers for seagrass (Zostera marina) recovery and regeneration

Director of Studies:  Dr Jennifer Rowntree  

2nd Supervisor: Dr Glen Wheeler, Marine Biological Association

3rd Supervisor:  Professor Martin Attrill  

Applications are invited for a 3.5 years PhD studentship. The studentship will start on 1 October 2025 

In the shallow coastal waters around the UK, we have been losing a globally important, but hidden, habitat. Seagrasses are the only angiosperm that live fully in the marine environment. They provide important nursery grounds for fish, can clean excess nutrients from the water and have the potential to sequester carbon to mitigate climate change. The Ocean Conservation Trust (OCT), based in the National Marine Aquarium, has been working to address seagrass habitat loss in the UK since 2013. They are leaders at growing subtidal seagrass for reintroduction and key partners in large-scale restoration projects. Restoring habitats that have been degraded or destroyed is difficult, especially when we have limited information about the processes that govern growth and survival of the organisms involved. In partnership between the OCT, the Marine Biological Association and the University of Plymouth, this project will examine the genetic diversity of intertidal seagrass communities (Zostera marina) to understand how this determines physiological responses to environmental factors and influences growth and regeneration. The research will be used to help improve restoration success in seagrass beds and enable a faster roll-out of restoration activities.   

Activities will be structured across the programme with an emphasis on gaining molecular skills in year one. There will be field activities throughout the project, coupled with plant growth experiments and application of physiological techniques from year two. The multidisciplinary supervisory team from three different institutes provide a unique opportunity to experience different research environments and work in an interdisciplinary team.  

Training will be provided in molecular, physiological and ecological techniques along with experimental design and statistical analysis. Activities will be undertaken across laboratory, plant-growth facilities and in the field. By working closely with the Ocean Conservation Trust, the PGR will be directly involved in active seagrass restoration efforts within the UK.   

We seek an enthusiastic individual with an interest in seagrass restoration. Prior experience of field work (especially in the marine environment), delivering practical conservation projects, a diving qualification (e.g. PADI Divemaster or equivalent), working in a laboratory setting and of molecular techniques would be desirable.   

Canty S.W.J, Kennedy J.P., Fox G., Matterson K., González V.L., Núñez-Vallecillo M.L., Preziosi R.F., Rowntree J.K. (2022) Mangrove diversity is more than fringe deep. Scientific Reports. 12:1695.  

Kennedy J.P., Johnson G.N., Preziosi R.F., Rowntree J.K. (2022) Genetically-based trait shifts at an expanding mangrove range margin. Hydrobiologia. 849:1777-1794.  

Alotaibi N.M., Kenyon E.J., Bertelli C.M., Al-Qthanin R.N., Mead J., Parry M., Bull J.C. (2022) Environment predicts seagrass genotype, phenotype, and associated biodiversity in a temperate system. Frontiers in Plant Science. 13:887474.  

McCoy S.J., Stanillán-Sarmiento A., Brown M.T., Widdicombe S., Wheeler G.A. (2020) Photosynthetic responses of turf-forming red macroalgae to high-CO2 conditions. Journal of Phycology, 56(1): 85-96.  

Smale D.A., Epstein G., Parry M., Attrill M.J. (2019). Spatiotemporal variability in the structure of seagrass meadows and associated macrofaunal assemblages in southwest England (UK): using citizen science to benchmark ecological pattern. Ecology and Evolution, 9: 3958-3972. 

Applicants should have a first or upper second class honours degree in an appropriate subject or a relevant Masters qualification. Also see Person Specification above. 

If your first language is not English, you will need to meet the minimum English requirements for the programme, IELTS Academic score of 6.5 (with no less than 5.5 in each component test area) or equivalent.  

Successful candidates who meet UKRI’s eligibility criteria will be awarded a fully-funded ARIES studentship of fees, maintenance stipend (£19,237 p.a. for 2024/25) and research costs.  

A limited number of ARIES studentships are available to International applicants. Please note however that ARIES funding does not cover additional costs associated with relocation to, and living in, the UK. 

NB: The studentship is supported for 3.5 years of the four-year registration period. The subsequent 6 months of registration is a self-funded ‘writing-up’ period. 

ARIES is committed to equality, diversity, widening participation and inclusion in all areas of its operation. We encourage applications from all sections of the community regardless of gender, ethnicity, disability, age, sexual orientation, and transgender status. Projects have been developed with consideration of a safe, inclusive, and appropriate research and fieldwork environment. Academic qualifications are considered alongside non-academic experience, with equal weighting given to experience and potential. 

For further information, please visit www.aries-dtp.ac.uk.

If you wish to discuss this project further informally, please contact  Dr Jennifer Rowntree .

Please see our apply for a postgraduate research programme page for a list of supporting documents to upload with your application. 

For more information on the admissions process generally, please visit our Apply for a postgraduate research programme page or contact the Doctoral College .

Shortlisted candidates will be invited for interview after the deadline. We regret that we may not be able to respond to all applications.  Applicants who have not received a response within six weeks of the closing date should consider their application has been unsuccessful on this occasion.