PhD Studentship: Sea to Sky: leveraging AUVs and satellites to determine floating wind impacts on Celtic Sea key ecosystem drivers

Sea to Sky: leveraging AUVs and satellites to determine floating wind impacts on Celtic Sea key ecosystem drivers

Second Supervisor (External Lead): Dr Lilian Lieber (also at UoP)

Lead Supervisor (DoS): Professor Alex Nimmo-Smith

Third Supervisor: Dr Peter Miller

Applications are invited for a 3.5 year PhD studentship with Marine Research Plymouth – a collaborative partnership between the University of Plymouth, the Plymouth Marine Laboratory and the Marine Biological Association. The studentship is due to start on 1^st October 2025.

This project is one of three topics available for the studentship. We anticipate supporting one position, which will be allocated to the best combination of candidate and project as they emerge from interviews across the pool of available topics.

Project Description

The rapid expansion of floating offshore wind (FLOW) infrastructure into deeper, seasonally stratified shelf seas like the Celtic Sea could have profound consequences for ocean dynamics, such as stratification and mixing, through impacts on ocean fronts, and hence for key ecosystem drivers like phyto- and zooplankton, forage fish, and ultimately, top predators and fisheries. Ocean fronts form at the interface of tidally well-mixed and seasonally stratified waters, providing biological hotspots. Despite their recognized importance, frontal habitats remain poorly studied and FLOW impacts are virtually unknown, highlighting the imperative for innovative monitoring approaches.

This project will utilise autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), equipped with novel sensors, and high-resolution satellite remote sensing to understand FLOW interactions with ocean dynamics in the Celtic Sea. NERC’s Autosub Long-Range 1500 AUV will collect data on shelf-sea dynamics (stratification, currents, turbulence), biogeochemistry (oxygen, nutrients), phyto- and zooplankton diversity and abundance, and forage fish distribution. These measurements will be compared with satellite data on thermal and ocean colour fronts, providing insights into their location, timing, structure and persistence in relation to FLOW.

This project can be tailored to the student's interests, focusing on either physical oceanographic or lower trophic ecological dynamics. Training includes processing of satellite remote sensing data for front detection and the extraction of physical and/or biological data from multi-week AUV missions. Key skills gained include interpreting and linking multiple AUV-derived data streams, such as: turbulence, mixing and stratification; plankton imaging and classification; fisheries acoustics; and biogeochemistry. These skills will prepare the student for a career in marine science or environmental monitoring.

Eligibility

Applicants should have a first or upper second class honours degree in an appropriate subject such as Oceanography, Environmental Science, or Computer Science, or should have a relevant Masters qualification. We seek motivated candidates with a strong interest in oceanography, data science or environmental monitoring. Please see the project webpage for more eligibility requirements.

The studentship is supported for 3.5 years and includes full home tuition fees plus a stipend at the 2025/26 rate (to be confirmed; compare the 2024/25 UKRI rate of £19,237 per annum). The last 6 months of the four-year registration period is a self-funded ‘writing-up’ period. The studentship will only fully fund those applicants who are eligible for home fees with relevant qualifications. Applicants normally required to cover international fees will have to cover the difference between the home and the international tuition fee rates.

To apply for this position please visit click on the Apply button above.

The closing date for applications is 12 noon on Monday 6^th January 2025.

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