PhD studentships
Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML) works with a number of University partners to train tomorrow’s leaders in Environmental Science. These collaborations, known as Doctoral Training Partnerships (DTPs), offer postgraduate studentships and training across the full range of multidisciplinary environments, helping to enrich the student experience.
Each DTP will create a strong and active community of students that are able - and encouraged - to integrate, work, and learn together. Students will receive in-depth, advanced research training, as well as training in the professional and transferable skills essential in today's economy.
PML is a multidisciplinary, internationally renowned, strategic marine research centre. We have a number of prestigious and exciting opportunities for outstanding students wishing to conduct PhD projects in our areas of research excellence: Earth Observation Science & Applications, Marine Systems Modelling, Marine Ecology and Biodiversity, Marine Biogeochemistry and Observations and Sea and Society.
These PhD opportunities are often developed with partners from several DTPs. Further details on each partnership can be found here:
- ARIES (formerly EnvEast) (with the Universities of East Anglia, Essex, Kent, Plymouth and Royal Holloway University of London)
- NERC GW4+ (with the Universities of Bristol, Bath, Exeter and Cardiff)
- SWBio (with the Universities of Bristol, Bath, Cardiff and Exeter, alongside Rothamsted Research)
- SuMMer (with Bangor University) CDTS303
New PhD opportunities will be listed on this page when they become available, to be kept informed of new opportunities you may wish to follow us on Twitter or Facebook.
Understanding the spatiotemporal origin of the warming in the Southern Ocean. Oceanography – PhD (Funded) Ref: 5176
PML co-supervised funded PhD project
Project Description
This project aims to shed light on the spatiotemporal origin of the warming of the Atlantic part of the Southern Ocean by tracking back in time and space the heat uptake and redistribution by the world ocean using oceanic biogeochemical and transient tracers.
Knowledge about the ocean's absorption of 'excess' heat i.e., the heat that has accumulated in the Earth system as a result of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, is essential for estimating future global warming. The oceans have absorbed ~90% of this excess heat. Of these, although they only occupy a quarter of the world's ocean surface, the seas surrounding Antarctica, known as the Southern Ocean (SO), are responsible for ~3/4 of this excess heat absorption. This important role of the SO in controlling ocean heat reservoirs is due to its unique circulation pattern and its role in ventilating a large part of the world ocean by forming the subtropical mode, the intermediate waters and the bottom waters. However, there are uncertainties about the history and redistribution of the excess heat, particularly in the deep ocean, which is poorly sampled below 2000 m depth and still mainly explored by ship hydrographic surveys.
You will use existing observational data from ship hydrographic surveys, world ocean data bases and synthetic data (General Circulation Model) and learn how to reconstruct historical Ocean Heat Content (OHC) change along those SO surveyed lines (Figure 1, Meijers et al., 2023) with state-of-the-art methodology and high-performance computers. The method assumes that tracer propagation in the ocean can be modelled by a Green’s Function that relates time-and-space by varying the surface boundary conditions to interior tracer distributions (Messias and Mercier, 2022).
You will quantify the associated uptake, transport and storage of heat. The analysis will provide insight into both 1) the time scales and the dynamics of the SO ventilation and 2) the regions of uptake and the redistribution of excess heat contributing to warming in the SO for past and future changes. The results of the tracer-based method will be analysed in synergy with other OHC inventories and the Coupled Model Intercomparison Projects Phase 5/6 models.
This is an exciting multidisciplinary opportunity to contribute to leading-edge research in an important part of the world. The student will get a solid knowledge base from worldwide recognised scientists studying the ocean dynamics, polar ocean circulation and biogeochemistry, relating to our changing planet. In particular, the student will have the opportunity to collaborate with the Laboratory for Ocean Physics and Satellite remote sensing abroad and participate to conferences.
Entry requirements:
- Applicants for this studentship must have obtained, or be about to obtain at least a UK 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent in oceanography, physics, mathematics or computer sciences.
Supervisors:
Dr Marie-Jose Messias - University of Exeter - Faculty of Environment, Science and Economy
Dr Malcolm Woodward - Plymouth Marine Laboratory
The closing date for applications is midnight on 23rd July 2024.
Advanced Modelling of Two-Way Coupling Effects in Floating Offshore Wind Farms (FLOW): Integration and Impacts on Marine and Atmospheric Systems (FLOW-IIMAS)
PML co-hosted PhD project
Project Description
The "Advanced Modelling of Two-Way Coupling Effects in Floating Offshore Wind Farms (FLOW): Integration and Impacts on Marine and Atmospheric Systems (FLOW-IIMAS)" PhD offers an innovative opportunity for those interested in pursuing research at the forefront of renewable energy technology. The programme's groundbreaking research initiative explores the intricate interactions between floating offshore wind farms and their surrounding marine and atmospheric environments. The FLOW-IIMAS programme employs state-of-the-art modelling techniques and access to laboratory and field data to optimise the sustainability and efficiency of FLOW technologies, thereby advancing the understanding of how wind power can be harnessed above and below the ocean's surface.
Aims:
- Enhance Environmental Modelling: Develop sophisticated models to accurately depict the complex two-way interactions between FLOW installations and their environments.
- Optimize FLOW Design: Use these models to improve the design and operation of FLOW farms, ensuring they are more efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly.
- Advance Policy and Practice: Generate insights that will inform policy recommendations and best practices for the deployment of offshore wind technologies globally.
Training:
Participants in the FLOW-IIMAS program will receive comprehensive training in:
Advanced Computational Modelling: Learn to use and develop state-of-the-art simulation models that integrate atmospheric and oceanic dynamics, including but not limited to FVCOM, WRF, SWAN, OpenFAST
Interdisciplinary Research Skills:
Gain expertise across oceanography, atmospheric sciences, environmental engineering, and data analysis.
Stakeholder Engagement: Engage with a broad network of industry experts, policymakers, and community groups to ensure research relevance and impact.
2nd Supervisor: Matthew Palmer (mpa@pml.ac.uk)
Associate Partner: Met Office
The project will be supervised by Deborah Greaves (with Jiaxin Chen and Lars Johanning at the University of Plymouth), Matthew Palmer (with Ricardo Torres at Plymouth Marine Laboratory), Ségolène Berthou (Met Office), Michael Blair (The Crown Estate).
The closing date for applications is 16:00 hrs BST on 27 June 2024.
See what some of our past PhD students, now both Visiting Postdoctoral Fellows, did during their time at PML:
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