If you are seeking to deliver an impactful dissertation topic, with direct relevance to environmental policy makers or, simply looking for inspiration for your final year project, you can search for ideas below.
You can search the research questions that have been directly submitted to us, or browse other collections of research ideas from partner organisation such as Natural Resources Wales and Climate Cymru. We are still adding relevant keywords to the data, so try a different search term if nothing comes up or get in touch for support searching the database.
If you do find a question of relevance and decide to address it through your dissertation, we would really like to know about it. Please fill out the form that can be found here.
[Enter keyword and press ‘search’ or the return key]
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What are the flood-risk benefits provided by coastal habitats?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
This work would comprise spatial (GIS) mapping to identify the locations along the coast where habitats are providing flood risk benefits. It will also identify opportunities for the use of nature-based solutions, management and restoration activities that could help to support natural flood management activities at those localities identified in the spatial mapping and provide an analysis of the feasibility and effectiveness of their implementation at localities where possible. Next steps and progress: Evidence review completed in house and mapping and valuation contract underway.
Keywords (discipline, other): Flood-risk benefits, Coastal habitats, GIS mapping, Nature-based solutions, Flood management, Restoration activities
Website/URL links: 0
Looking for collaborators: No External Partner: Yes Organisation: Natural Resources Wales
Contact Details
Name: Email Address: Phone:
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What are the genetic links between different populations of Crawfish in Welsh and adjacent waters?,
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
For more, and updated information, please visit https://naturalresources.wales/evidence-and-data/research-and-reports/marine-biodiversity-collaborative-research-priorities/?lang=en
Keywords (discipline, other): Genetic links between Crawfish populations in Welsh and adjacent waters,”Crawfish, Genetic connectivity, Welsh waters, Marine species, Population studies”,
Website/URL links: https://naturalresources.wales/evidence-and-data/research-and-reports/marine-biodiversity-collaborative-research-priorities/?lang=en
Looking for collaborators: Yes External Partner: Yes Organisation: Natural Resources Wales
Contact Details
Name: Email Address: marinecoastalevidence@naturalresourceswales.gov.uk Phone: NA
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What are the high risk human and animal pathogens found in soils? Where are they present and what is their extent?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
Plant and animal diseases are predicted to change due to climate change. To assess potential risk to human, plant and animal health
Keywords (discipline, other): Land use and soil
Woodland
Freshwater
Coastal margins
Mountains, moorland, and heath
Enclosed farmland
Urban
Waste
Invasive non-native species
Semi-natural grassland
Website/URL links: https://naturalresources.wales/evidence-and-data/research-and-reports/state-of-natural-resources-report-sonarr-for-wales-2020/evidence-needs-table/?lang=en
Looking for collaborators: n/a External Partner: Y Organisation: Natural Resources Wales
Contact Details
Name: n/a n/a Email Address: Phone: NA
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What are the impacts of abandoned, lost and / or discarded fishing gear in Welsh waters?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
This evidence review will build on Defra Impacts Evidence Group funded review of abandoned, lost, discarded fishing gear (ALDFG). This review would provide an assessment of this issue in Welsh waters and would include sections such as number of pots/nets lost and collate evidence of currently known impacts in Welsh waters.
Suggested level of research: PhD
Keywords (discipline, other): Marine science, impact, abandoned, lost, discarded fishing gear, ALDFG, pots, nets
Website/URL links: https://naturalresources.wales/evidence-and-data/research-and-reports/marine-biodiversity-collaborative-research-priorities/?lang=en
Looking for collaborators: Yes External Partner: Yes Organisation: Natural Resources Wales
Contact Details
Name: Dr Kirsten Ramsay Email Address: kirsten.ramsay@cyfoethnaturiolcymru.gov.uk Phone: NA
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What are the impacts of abandoned, lost and / or discarded fishing gear in Welsh waters?,
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
For more, and updated information, please visit https://naturalresources.wales/evidence-and-data/research-and-reports/marine-biodiversity-collaborative-research-priorities/?lang=en
Keywords (discipline, other): Impacts of abandoned, lost and / or discarded fishing gear in Welsh waters,”Fishing gear, Marine pollution, Marine fauna, Welsh waters, Environmental impact”,
Website/URL links: https://naturalresources.wales/evidence-and-data/research-and-reports/marine-biodiversity-collaborative-research-priorities/?lang=en
Looking for collaborators: Yes External Partner: Yes Organisation: Natural Resources Wales
Contact Details
Name: Email Address: marinecoastalevidence@naturalresourceswales.gov.uk Phone: NA
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What are the impacts of acoustic surveys on marine fauna?,
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
For more, and updated information, please visit https://naturalresources.wales/evidence-and-data/research-and-reports/marine-biodiversity-collaborative-research-priorities/?lang=en
Keywords (discipline, other): Impacts of acoustic surveys on marine fauna,”Acoustic surveys, Marine fauna, Impact assessment, Marine life disturbance”,
Website/URL links: https://naturalresources.wales/evidence-and-data/research-and-reports/marine-biodiversity-collaborative-research-priorities/?lang=en
Looking for collaborators: Yes External Partner: Yes Organisation: Natural Resources Wales
Contact Details
Name: Email Address: marinecoastalevidence@naturalresourceswales.gov.uk Phone: NA
________________________________________________________________________________
What are the impacts of cable installation methodologies to reef habitats?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
An increase in offshore renewables is leading to an increase in cables and sometimes a difficulty in finding cable routes that avoid reef habitats. Current cable installation methodologies include trenching, horizontal directional drilling and pinning. A literature review would be carried out of the impacts of these installation methodologies on Habitats Regulations Annex I Reef types that occur in Welsh waters. Of particular interest is the impacts of pinning cables to reef as we have very limited information at present. This could start by investigating whether any monitoring has taken place on Annex I Reefs post-cable installation for the different methodologies. If there have been no studies, then monitoring could take place after discussions with developers to identify suitable sites. Next steps and progress: Likely to be a contract to carry out a literature review, possibly as part of a collaborative project.
Keywords (discipline, other): Offshore renewables, cable installation, reef habitats, Habitats Regulations Annex I, pinning, trenching, horizontal directional drilling, literature review, Welsh waters
Website/URL links: https://naturalresources.wales/evidence-and-data/research-and-reports/marine-biodiversity-collaborative-research-priorities/?lang=en
Looking for collaborators: No External Partner: Yes Organisation: Natural Resources Wales
Contact Details
Name: Email Address: Phone:
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What are the impacts of coastal defences on coastal habitats?,
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
For more, and updated information, please visit https://naturalresources.wales/evidence-and-data/research-and-reports/marine-biodiversity-collaborative-research-priorities/?lang=en
Keywords (discipline, other): Impacts of coastal defences on coastal habitats,”Coastal defences, Habitat impact, Coastal erosion, Habitat loss”,
Website/URL links: https://naturalresources.wales/evidence-and-data/research-and-reports/marine-biodiversity-collaborative-research-priorities/?lang=en
Looking for collaborators: Yes External Partner: Yes Organisation: Natural Resources Wales
Contact Details
Name: Email Address: marinecoastalevidence@naturalresourceswales.gov.uk Phone: NA
________________________________________________________________________________
What are the impacts of dredge disposal on subtidal habitats?,
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
For more, and updated information, please visit https://naturalresources.wales/evidence-and-data/research-and-reports/marine-biodiversity-collaborative-research-priorities/?lang=en
Keywords (discipline, other): Impacts of dredge disposal on subtidal habitats,”Dredge disposal, Subtidal habitats, Marine environment, Habitat impact, Environmental management”,
Website/URL links: https://naturalresources.wales/evidence-and-data/research-and-reports/marine-biodiversity-collaborative-research-priorities/?lang=en
Looking for collaborators: Yes External Partner: Yes Organisation: Natural Resources Wales
Contact Details
Name: Email Address: marinecoastalevidence@naturalresourceswales.gov.uk Phone: NA
________________________________________________________________________________
What are the impacts of intensive poultry units on water quality?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
Pollution from rural sources is the second biggest factor in preventing Welsh rivers from achieving Good Ecological Status. In order to address this issue we need to develop an improved understanding of the impact of intesive poultry units on water quality, given the growth of this agricultural sector in Wales in recent years.
Keywords (discipline, other): Freshwater
Marine
Enclosed farmland
Land use and soil
Website/URL links: https://naturalresources.wales/evidence-and-data/research-and-reports/state-of-natural-resources-report-sonarr-for-wales-2020/evidence-needs-table/?lang=en
Looking for collaborators: n/a External Partner: Y Organisation: Natural Resources Wales
Contact Details
Name: n/a n/a Email Address: Phone: NA
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