PhD studentships with Solutions for the Marine Environment (SERVO) – six available topics for a 2026 start

Join a world-leading hub for marine science and innovation in Plymouth
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PhD studentships with Solutions for the Marine Environment (SERVO) – six available topics for a 2026 start

Join a world-leading hub for marine science and innovation in Plymouth
Applications are invited for three 3.5 year PhD studentships with the Marine Institute at the University of Plymouth. The studentships are due to start on 1 October 2026.
Eight topics are being considered for an anticipated three studentships. Six topics are inviting candidates from open recruitment, with the remaining two following a different route to interview. The studentships will be allocated to the best combinations of candidate and project as they emerge from the interviews across all topics.
Plymouth has been at the forefront of global marine research for more than a century, and today it is home to the largest concentration of marine researchers in the UK. Come and join our vibrant community of marine PhD students.
 
 

Explore the following available projects:

Understanding plankton biodiversity and ecosystem change by applying machine learning – A CASE studentship (SERVO)

Plankton play essential roles in marine food webs and global carbon cycles, acting as sensitive indicators of environmental change and enabling predictions of climate impacts on ocean biodiversity. However, current plankton monitoring is insufficient, limiting our ability to detect biodiversity shifts, model ocean responses to climate stressors, and inform effective conservation policies. Although advances in imaging technologies have enhanced the spatio-temporal resolution of plankton sampling, these data remain virtually unused in biodiversity assessments and policy frameworks.
This studentship addresses this critical gap by leveraging recent advancements in plankton imaging data classifiers’ translatability across multiple instruments’ output. It will apply existing biodiversity policy indicators to new plankton image data, significantly expanding available datasets and directly improving biodiversity assessments under the UK Marine Strategy and OSPAR frameworks. This approach is timely, as improvements in machine learning (ML) applications now allow researchers without extensive programming backgrounds to implement advanced image-processing techniques using accessible programming languages and annotation platforms.
This project is also eligible for a Marine Research Plymouth PhD studentship, which has different funding arrangements. Find out more . 
 

Ocean biomass catalysis: Enzyme-catalyst hybrids for renewable chemical production from invasive seaweed species (OCEANCAT) 

The UK’s coastal waters are increasingly affected by invasive seaweed species such as Sargassum muticum (wireweed), which disrupts marine habitats and threatens biodiversity. Yet these fast-growing, nutrient-rich organisms represent a vast, renewable feedstock for sustainable chemical and fuel production. Converting this underused biomass into valuable products could simultaneously protect ecosystems and advance the UK’s transition to a low-carbon, circular economy. However, current methods for processing seaweed carbohydrates are inefficient, relying on separate enzymatic and chemical steps that lack integration, selectivity, and process control.
This project will pioneer a biomimetic hybrid catalytic platform that unites the precision of enzymes with the robustness of hierarchically structured heterogeneous catalysts. By mimicking natural compartmentalisation and metabolic pathways, the approach will enable efficient, selective conversion of invasive seaweed into renewable platform chemicals and low-emission marine fuels. The work directly supports UK priorities in bioscience discovery, sustainable manufacturing, and biodiversity restoration, transforming an environmental challenge into a valuable green opportunity.
 

Developing and evaluating design criteria to end microplastic pollution (End-Microplastic)

Microplastics are highly diverse contaminants with a wide range of environmental impacts. This studentship will target the main sources - those generated by wear of products such as tyres and textiles during use. Microplastic from these sources are both prevalent and toxic. Potential solutions, which are the focus of this PhD, require upstream measures to drive better design. 
This research is novel, timely, and highly impactful. It aligns directly with implementation of the UN global treaty to end plastic pollution and regional measures (e.g. Euro-7 regulations 2028-32). The goal is to reduce microplastic pollution from textiles and tyres by developing and evaluating comprehensive frameworks and criteria to drive safer and more sustainable design.
Research will be predominantly desk-based, including systematic reviews of microplastic shedding, circularity, and chemical composition to produce a synthesis and a database of life-cycle characteristics for contrasting design options. Supported by Life Cycle Assessment and circular-economy assessment, the project will cover the entire value chain using published data and expert input to develop frameworks evaluating the essentiality, safety and sustainability of contrasting product formulations. Findings will be assessed for their broader applicability to other sectors such as plastics in agriculture and packaging.
 

Benefits and impacts of use of light in UK fisheries and their wider effect on the marine environment 

Lights are increasingly being used in marine environments to augment catches of fish and shellfish. However, there is currently only a very superficial understanding of how lights may affect the wider ecosystem, and whether they prove to be a more sustainable methodology than existing fishing gear types. In the UK, Fishtek Marine have developed the scallop pot (Enever et al. 2022) which - through a world first discovery - uses lights inside adapted crab and lobster pots to attract king scallops (Pecten maximus) in commercial quantities. This method is thought to have a much lower environmental impact than the currently widespread approach of dredging and has attracted significant interest from other countries such as Norway, France, Canada and Australia. However, development of the fishery is still at an early stage and questions remain over the way in which the lights attract scallops and the potential effects of this method of fishing on scallop stocks, other species and the wider ecosystem.
Through analysis of existing data, aquarium and field-based experiments, and modelling of populations, the candidate will address the following research topics:
  • Cascade effects of pot lights on scallops and other marine species using remote cameras
  • Effects of lights on scallop movement using tagging in relation to density and environmental conditions
  • Effects of lights on scallop reproduction and population dynamics
 

Developing viable solutions to reduce ghost fishing and plastic pollution through innovation in fisheries 

Plastics are a key contributor to the Triple Planetary Crisis, and there is scientific consensus that taking steps to reduce plastic production and its accumulation in the ocean are essential to protecting planetary health and a safe and sustainable future. The fishing industry is a key contributor to plastic pollution, with fishing gear posing a risk from ghost fishing and from degradation of polymer materials generating microplastics, which accumulate in the environment. Despite prevention of biodiversity loss and reduction of plastic pollution being priority areas for Sustainable Development Goals, the risks from plastics in fisheries have been largely overlooked.
The PhD is supported by a partnership between academia, fishers and marine managers. Its results are intended to fill evidence gaps and will mark a fundamental step towards informing development of a viable solution to reducing plastic pollution in fisheries. Through field, lab, and modelling studies and close working with stakeholders, the student will:
  1. review global use of natural materials (historic and current) in marine applications and identify focus gear types;
  2.  test durability and suitability of natural materials;
  3. work with fishers to develop and test gear which meets fisheries requirements whilst reducing risk from plastic pollution and ghost fishing;
  4. use socio-ecological modelling to evaluate ecological and economic outcomes of a transition away from plastics at a variety of scales within the industry;
  5. identify regulatory pathways and develop recommendations for effecting positive change.
 

Can Nanotechnology Help Fight Climate Change? 

Iron is a limiting nutrient for algal growth in >25% of the world ocean. Increased addition (‘iron fertilisation’) can increase algal growth and photosynthesis, using up dissolved CO2 and drawing down atmospheric CO2. Low iron input is needed for a large drawdown, offering a feasible route to help reduce climate change. Algae and resulting detritus sink to the ocean floor, locking carbon up permanently. However, real-world investigations have shown: 1) marine processes rapidly make added iron unavailable for algae; 2) co-limitation with other vital elements can mean that iron addition alone is ineffective; and 3) algae are rapidly recycled in oceans and carbon is released.
This solution-focussed project asks the question: can a new nanotechnological approach perform more effectively and more sustainably? The solution requires the design and fabrication of doped, Fe-based nanoparticles with tightly constrained physico-chemical properties that enhance biouptake. The physical removal of nanoparticle-algae complexes will be investigated, overcoming issues of algal cycling, allowing waste valorisation, and adding to the circular economy.
The studentship is an innovative laboratory-based opportunity, providing key data to demonstrate feasibility for climate mitigation. The student will optimise nanoparticle synthesis and transformations of an array of iron nanoparticles. This also requires culturing algae, performing exposure studies and detailed analytical measurements such as novel single particle and single cell ICP-MS.

Eligibility

Applicants should have a first or upper second class honours degree in an appropriate subject or a relevant Masters qualification. Also, if your first language is not English, you will need to meet the minimum English requirements for the relevant PhD programme. Please refer to the individual projects for full details.
The studentships are supported for 3.5 years and include full Home or International tuition fees plus a stipend at the 2026/27 UKRI rate (to be confirmed; compare the 2025/26 UKRI rate of £20,780 per annum). The last 6 months of the four-year registration period is a self-funded ‘writing-up’ period. The studentships will only fully fund applicants with relevant qualifications. There is no additional funding available to cover NHS Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) costs, visa costs, flights, etc.
If you wish to discuss any of the projects further informally, please contact the relevant lead supervisor.
The closing date for applications is 12 noon on Monday 2 February 2026.
Shortlisted candidates will be informed as soon as possible after the deadline, with interviews likely to take place in the second half of February. We regret that we may not be able to respond to all applications. Applicants who have not received a response within six weeks of the closing date should consider that their application has been unsuccessful on this occasion.
 
 
 

About SERVO

The SERVO (Solutions for thE maRine enVirOnment) PhD studentships have been developed by the Marine Institute to deliver progress on key global challenges that align with the Institute’s research priorities: towards net zero, sustainable blue economy, safe seas, healthy oceans, and digital ocean. It seeks to harness global expertise in pursuit of world-leading, high impact marine and maritime science for a sustainable future.
 
 
 

Marine Research Plymouth PhD studentship

If you're interested in the SERVO PhD studentships, you may also be interested to learn more about the Marine Research Plymouth PhD studentship.
This studentship brings together research staff from across Marine Research Plymouth, providing a springboard for collaborative research excellence and student prospects.
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