Dr John Martin  

The Government aims to build 1.5 million new homes this Parliament. This report sets out a comprehensive analysis of how the Government can meet this ambition while achieving the targets that commit it to improving the natural environment and reversing nature’s decline.

Dr John Martin, the University's Head of Research Strategy and Operations, contributed valuable insight into local natural recovery strategies (LNRS) to the report, proposing a national observatory to group consistent data from a range of stakeholders, relieving the strain on local record centres to provide this data. Such a centralised data collection system would enable easier collaboration across government bodies to make LNRS successful.

Professor Sheela Agarwal  

The Centre for Coastal Communities has been cited extensively in a follow-up report from a major House of Lords inquiry in 2018-19, addressing the challenges faced by seaside towns and communities which have long been left behind. Although the issues in these communities are complex and interlinked, this report considers the following matters: coastal communities policy and coordination, funding and delivery of regeneration; connectivity, education, health and wellbeing.

Find out more about the Centre for Coastal Communities  

Professor Mark Fitzsimons  

The large-scale mortality of crabs and lobsters in the north-east of England in late 2021 prompted an investigation to identify the reason for this rare occurrence. Professor Mark Fitzsimons was invited to join the Crustacean Mortality Expert Panel which considered the likelihood of existing proposals to explain the deaths, including algal blooms and pyridine toxicity. The panel used all available data to assess possible causes for the unusual crustacean mortality, including identifying the most likely cause for the 2021 event.

Professor Richard Thompson and Dr Winnie Courtene-Jones  

Data indicates that marine litter is still common and not decreasing in the UK. Evidence in this report provides information on the sources of marine litter and the pathways in which they enter the marine environment to support the UK's 25 Year Plan, Litter Strategy England and Resources and Waste Strategy. Professor Thompson and Dr Courtene-Jones found that from the available data, public-sources were identified as having the greatest contribution to overall quantities of litter.

Professor Sheena Asthana and Dr Alex Gibson

The findings showed a higher burden of heart disease, diabetes, cancer, mental health and COPD in coastal areas. Evidence found life expectancy is significantly lower in coastal areas with lower participation in Higher Education, as well as higher rates of hospital admissions for young people with ‘health-risking behaviour’.

CAMERa research team  

This influential Committee report lays out how the large number of unfilled NHS job vacancies is posing a serious risk to patient safety and threatens the plans to tackle the backlog following the Covid-19 pandemic. The Plymouth team wrote about the particular difficulties international doctors have in joining the GP or specialist register, and the overall report said the large number of unfilled NHS job vacancies is posing a serious risk to patient safety.