Effects of wetland management on aquatic biodiversity and water quality of Sites of Special Scientific Interest on the Somerset Levels and Moors

Join an ambitious PhD project addressing real-world environmental challenges in one of the UK’s most ecologically important landscapes – the Somerset Levels and Moors. You’ll be co-supervised by leading researchers at the University of Plymouth and experts from Wessex Water, gaining hands-on experience at the intersection of science, industry, and policy.

Your research will explore how nutrients move through river systems and wetlands, with a focus on their impact on water quality and aquatic biodiversity. Fieldwork (1–2 days/week) will involve surveying aquatic plants and invertebrates, while lab work includes processing water and sediment samples using state-of-the-art analytical facilities. You’ll also be trained in advanced techniques such as drone-based macrophyte surveys and remote autosamplers for phosphorus monitoring.

This PhD combines ecology, chemistry, and data science to understand plant macronutrient sequestration and seasonal nutrient cycling in riverine peat and sediment. It will compare aquatic biodiversity and nutrient transfer between bed sediments and the water column in dredged versus unmanaged ditches. Your findings will support the development of nature-based solutions for nutrient mitigation in heavily modified wetland systems – critical for maintaining biodiversity at protected sites (Ramsar, SPA, SSSI).

A three-month placement with Wessex Water’s Environmental Quality team will deepen your experience in applied water management. Collaboration with the Somerset Catchment Partnership (including Natural England, the Internal Drainage Board, Somerset Wildlife Trust, and the Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group) offers a unique opportunity to contribute to innovative wetland restoration trials alongside key project stakeholders.

Applicants should have a first or upper second-class honours degree in an appropriate biological or environmental subject or a relevant masters qualification.

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.

The studentship is supported for 3.5 years and includes full home tuition fees plus a stipend of £20,780 per annum 2025/26 rate (UKRI). 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.

There is no additional funding available to cover NHS Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) costs, visa costs, flights etc.

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

If you wish to discuss this project further informally, please contact Dr Paul Lunt .

To apply, please select the ‘Online application’ link above. Please include the following documents with your application:

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 . Applications will not be considered if information is missing.