Our mission is to advance sustainable use of the marine environment through our systems-thinking approach to research, education and innovation.
Plymouth has been a focus for marine science for over 100 years. Our research and partnerships are fundamental in helping us understand the marine environment and how best to tackle the challenges it currently faces.
Richard Thompson OBE FRS
Director of the Marine Institute
Research priorities
- Towards net zero
- Sustainable blue economy
- Safe seas
- Healthy oceans
- Life on Earth is threatened by increasing temperature, rising sea levels and more extreme weather events, resulting in flooding and wildfires.
- Our oceans absorb a substantial proportion of CO2 from the atmosphere, mitigating the rise in greenhouse gases to some extent, but this leads to ocean acidification.
- Changes are occurring at a faster rate than nature can adapt to.
- 40% of the world’s population live in coastal areas, with many relying on the ocean for their livelihoods.
- The marine environment is a major contributor to food security and 80% of global trade uses the seas, yet human activity is the primary cause for environmental degradation, putting those same livelihoods at risk.
- Technological, societal and environmental threats can result directly from human reliance on the ocean, as well as from natural hazards such as earthquakes and tsunamis.
- Threats ranging from cyber attacks to coastal erosion or flooding all have the potential to cause major disruption.
- Accelerated industrial development, coupled with a progressively throw-away society, has played a significant role in the degradation of our oceans through pollution.
- These societal trends have serious negative effects for marine ecosystems, reducing our ability to rely on them as a source of food.
- We urgently need to optimise the sustainable use of our oceans for food and energy security, while protecting and improving planetary health
- To achieve our objectives, we need rapid acceleration in the development of digital technology.
Latest news in marine and maritime
A letter from members of the Scientists’ Coalition for an Effective Plastics Treaty has been published in the journal Science
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Seychelles beach cleans demonstrate potential for citizen science to tackle marine litter
New research by the University details how volunteers collected almost 9,000kg of waste during beach cleans on the islands between 2019 and 2023
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Retention ponds can deliver a substantial reduction in tyre particle pollution
New research has analysed the mass of tyre wear particles found in drainage systems alongside some of the busiest roads in the UK
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Initiative increases awareness of the threats posed by light pollution to the global ocean
The Global Ocean Artificial Light at Night Network has been launched at the United Nations Ocean Decade Conference in Barcelona
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University features on BBC’s Great Coastal Railway Journeys
Series presenter Michael Portillo spent time in the COAST Lab and at the Marine Station
- More related news
Marine and maritime events
- Supergen ORE Hub Early Career Researcher Forum 23 April 2024 08:30 - 17:00
- Supergen Offshore Renewable Energy Hub Annual Assembly 24 April 2024 08:30 - 17:00
- 20th MBA Postgraduate Conference 23 April 2024 - 25 April 2024
- University of Plymouth side event at INC-4 26 April 2024 13:00 - 15:00
- South West Marine Ecosystems Conference 2024 26 April 2024 09:00 - 19:00
Education and innovation
Industry support
- long-term strategic partnerships to help with product and performance testing, workforce development, and ongoing research and development support
- support to access public funds
- and access to a large talent pool of students and PhDs.
University student and staff opportunities
Contact the Marine Institute
Marine Institute, Level 3, Marine Building, University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, Plymouth PL4 8AA