Category

Autonomy, technology and digitisation

Science group

Nature-based solutions

Nature-based Solutions (NbS) are environmental management approaches that protect nature whilst helping to address societal problems, such as climate change and pollution. By making people a key recipient of nature conservation benefits, NbS accelerate action and facilitate buy-in for approaches li...

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Science group

Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS)

Carbon (dioxide) Capture and Storage (CCS) is used as a mitigation strategy for addressing the increasing levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. We are working to deliver new approaches, methodologies and tools for the safe and efficient operation of offshore storage sites.

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Science group

Autonomous sampling

PML is working to progress the technological transition towards autonomous measurements and platforms to collect environmental and biological data using our fleet of autonomous ocean robots.

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Science group

Artificial intelligence and machine learning

We apply artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques to address environmental challenges

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Science group

Autonomy, technology and digitisation

Advances in marine technology can deliver economic benefits and improve the management, sustainability and governance of marine and coastal environments. Our scientists, modellers and technologists operate at the forefront of marine technology development.

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  Deep Vision: AI-enabled Mapping of Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems in the Atlantic

  Co-led by Plymouth Marine Laboratory and the University of Plymouth, this project uses artificial intelligence and high-resolution seabed data to map vulnerable marine ecosystems across the Atlantic Basin. The resulting evidence supports the design of legal protections for deep-sea biodiversity, inc...
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  Ocean ICU: Improving Carbon Understanding

  The Horizon EU OceanICU is a five year project that seeks to gain a new understanding of the biological carbon pump and its processes in order to provide fundamental knowledge and tools to help policy makers, regulators and Ocean industry–fishing and mining, along with the wider blue econo...
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  Monitoring Integrated Digital Support Tool – for CO2 and hypersaline brine monitoring applied to UK

  In MIDST-UK, an open source, user friendly, pre-operational Decision Support Tool (DST) will be extended to also included brine release (high salinity, high temperature and varied contaminants) for impact assessment, monitoring, and detection criteria. Case studies are then to be developed within po...
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  Smart AUVs for detection and quantification of greenhouse gas seepage in the oceans

  SmartAUVs will dramatically improve the monitoring capabilities of AUVs, by applying artificial intelligence (AI) in concert with specialized signal processing techniques to enable AUV decision autonomy, i.e., the ability to take intelligent action in real time based on sensor input, enabling sound ...
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  AgZero+ Towards sustainable, climate-neutral farming

  Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML) is a partner in a major five-year £13.8 million research programme, named “AgZero+’, to support the UK’s transition towards home-grown food production that is sustainable, carbon-neutral and has a positive effect on nature.
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  APICS

  The Automated, in situ Plankton Imaging and Classification System (APICS) will radically improve the understanding of how environmental changes are affecting plankton, the microscopic organisms at the foundation of the marine food chain.

07 May 2026

PML backs call for safeguards on emerging ocean carbon removal technologies 

Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML) has joined international organisations in backing a new joint statement calling for robust governance, transparency, and public participation and trust in the development of engineered marine carbon dioxide removal (mCDR) approaches. 

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  MEDIA: PML’s research on ‘Mighty mangroves’ in Asia Research News 2026

  Plymouth Marine Laboratory’s research on mangrove ecosystems has been featured in Asia Research News 2026, highlighting ongoing collaborations between the UK and Malaysia.

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  PML hosts the South West Marine Ecosystems Annual Conference

  This years’ conference, titled ‘Past & Future Change’, brought together marine researchers, conservationists, regulators and citizen scientists to share knowledge, strengthen collaborations and inform future monitoring and management of the South West marine environment.

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  International team of scientists launch Atlantic-wide coral mapping project

  Coral Cartography is being formally launched at the All-Atlantic Ocean Research and Innovation Alliance in Brazil.

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  Satellites, ships and robotic floats: tracking ocean carbon more accurately

  PML researchers have developed a new approach to com...