Voyage aims to highlight the possibilities of autonomous ocean science

Marine mammal detection

The University will use the data supplied by the MAS project to build on its existing research into the monitoring of marine mammals, their behaviour and the impacts on them from human activity.

Scientists from the Marine Vertebrate Research Group, working in partnership with IBM, hope to detect marine mammals in the open ocean, in locations that are otherwise hard to survey and where very little is known about distributions or behaviour.

A hydrophone sensor secured from RS Aqua Ltd has been mounted to the vessel, and using Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology developed by IBM, whale and dolphin vocalisations will be automatically identified and reported in real-time back to Plymouth, along with short samples of sound.

These will be validated and analysed by Associate Professor in Marine Ecology Dr Clare Embling and Associate Professor of Marine Conservation Dr Simon Ingram, supported by a combination of undergraduate and postgraduate students.

The University’s previous research in this field has used acoustics to examine the distribution and behaviour of cetaceans and fish to aid in conservation and management.

It has also developed new methods of modelling to demonstrate the impacts on marine mammals of increasing noise in the sea from shipping routes and marine renewable energy devices.

Dr Embling said:

“The overall aim is to explore new methods of monitoring marine mammals far from land where knowledge is sparse. This will be essential for ensuring that ever-expanding human activity in the marine environment does not adversely impact on its many and varied species.

“The use of autonomous marine vessels, combined with hydrophone sensors, represents an exciting next step and could potentially offer exciting insights into the behaviour of mammals, and demonstrate how advanced technology could be used to pioneer research in this field in the future.”

Watch a video below of Dr Embling discussing her research in the field

Find out more about our Marine Vertebrate Research Group

Marine plastics

Furthering the world-leading expertise of the University of Plymouth, the MAS project will enable scientists to gather data on levels of microplastics found across the Atlantic and any particular hotspots of plastic pollution.

This will be done using pioneering holographic cameras developed by Associate Professor in Marine Physics, Dr Alex Nimmo-Smith, and supplied by Sequoia Scientific, Inc.

Connected to the ship’s water sampling device, it will capture footage of tiny particles being encountered by the vessel and distinguish whether they are plankton, microplastics or other types of ocean debris.

The findings will then be assessed by Dr Nimmo-Smith and Professor Richard Thompson OBE, Head of the International Marine Litter Research Unit, and added to the expertise body of microplastics research led by the University.

The University of Plymouth is a world leader in marine litter science, and received the Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education in 2020 in recognition of its work to demonstrate the abundance of microplastics in our oceans.

Professor Thompson, the first scientist to coin the phrase microplastics in relation to marine litter, said:

“Plastic pollution is recognised as a global crisis and the MAS project will help to further a deeper understanding of this global issue and ways in which it can be addressed. With over 700 species coming into contact with marine litter and it being found from the poles to the equator, greater understanding is critical.

“The MAS project will offer the opportunity to reveal data about plastic levels in specific locations once the voyage itself has finished, but also demonstrate the potential for autonomous vessels to assess plastic debris in various parts of the world’s oceans.”

Watch a video below of Professor Thompson and Dr Winnie Courtene-Jones discussing their research

Find out more about our award-winning marine litter research

Ocean chemistry

The University is part of an international team brought together by IBM to develop cutting edge Hypertaste sensors that will be deployed on the Mayflower Autonomous Ship.

Combining multi-electrode sensors with IBM artificial intelligence, it will provide real-time assessments of the major ions present in sea water at various locations across the Atlantic.

Dr Simon Ussher, Associate Professor of Marine and Analytical Chemistry, is working as a consultant with the team and hopes to use its data to build on his existing research into the nutrients in sea water and how they are changing.

Dr Ussher and colleagues at the University played a key role in the £10.5 million UK Shelf Sea Biogeochemistry (SSB) research programme, co-funded by the Natural Environment Research Council and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

The team showed that lowered summer concentrations of iron in the shallow seas overlying our continental shelf could be having a detrimental effect on the growth of phytoplankton, the living ‘canopy’ of the marine environment and the base of the marine food web.

Dr Ussher said:

“Having a clear appreciation of the elements present within seawater – and how concentrations might be shifting – has never been more important. Human-induced climate change is having a marked impact on all areas of the marine environment, and the shifts in ocean chemistry are causing significant change to populations of plankton – the base of the marine food web.

“The MAS project unites aspects of analytical chemistry and artificial intelligence, and will provide us with daily data and trends that help to assess the impact of climate change and the health of the oceans.”

Watch a video below of Dr Ussher discussing his research in the lab.

Find out more about our work on Marine Biogeochemistry