Our research in Marine Science ranges from molecular and cellular processes of marine organisms to large-scale ecosystem responses to global changes as well as the chemical processes driving them. Our programmes have a multidisciplinary approach: molecular techniques underpin much of the research, but field based studies and modelling projects are also aspects of the research strategy, so that postgraduates are well qualified for professional careers.
MSc, MRes, MPhil and PhD programmes provide training in the most modern techniques which will allow scientists and engineers to play a leading role in the maritime sector and in the management of coastal environments worldwide. Each year research students contribute to the Postgraduate Conference, participate in the seminar series and have opportunities for special training which will equip them for independent careers.
Major international agreements and policy documents including those of the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD), OSPAR and the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive have signalled substantial increases in the commitment to better management of the global marine environment. In the UK, the Marine & Coastal Access Act has instigated major changes to the way the UK will manage its seas.
Whether the concern be for endangered species, biodiversity as a whole, marine protected areas, pollution impacts, or effects of offshore wind farms, we have entered a new era. But it is clear that there are many unanswered questions in the science. Thus, what are the consequences of the global removal of large predatory species from the oceans? How has the full range of human activities (shipping, pollution, fishing etc) affected marine life? While some ecosystems such as coral reefs and the rocky intertidal have been quite intensively studied, what of the suite of ecosystems (deep sea floor, continental shelf, open ocean pelagic) that cover nearly all the global marine area?
There are also hundreds more questions relating to how best to manage the seas. For example, how can we predict that a fishery is becoming unsustainable? How can we quantify the full value to society of the marine environment and how should this be incorporated into marine spatial planning? How best to achieve compliance with new environmental regulations? Can we develop satisfactory practical indicators of good environmental status? Is ecosystem-based management feasible and if so how? How can we ensure that the best science is used to reliably inform policy?
We provide first-class taught and research-based postgraduate programmes within a thriving, friendly postgraduate community.
If you would like to know more about research opportunities in the School of Marine Science and Technology please explore the links on this page, request a postgraduate brochure, or call us on Telephone: +44 (0)191 222 6661 or E-mail: marine@ncl.ac.uk.