Developing Your Dissertation Ideas
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.
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 contribution do sandeels make to Welsh marine mammal, bird and piscivorous fish diets?,
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): Sandeels’ contribution to marine mammal, bird, and piscivorous fish diets,”Sandeels, Marine mammals, Birds, Piscivorous fish, Diet, Marine food web”,
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 contribution do Welsh saltmarshes make as supporting habitat for non commercial and commercial fish populations and what is the economic value of this service for the commercial species?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
This evidence would enable evaluation of a potentially important ecosystem service of which there is little known for the Welsh context. Identify opportunities for enhancement.
Keywords (discipline, other): Coastal margins
Marine
Biodiversity
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
________________________________________________________________________________
What data are available to update the current distribution of invasive non-native species in Welsh waters?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
This would improve data sets on the distribution of marine non-native species in Welsh Waters and inform our understanding of the impact of this pressure on the marine ecosystem
Keywords (discipline, other): Marine
Coastal Margins
Invasive non-native species
Biodiversity
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
________________________________________________________________________________
What do existing data and evidence sets tell us about the condition of ancient woodland in Wales?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
Ancient woodlands are some of our most valuable and biologically diverse. More information on their condition of both statutory and non-statutory woodlands would help inform future policy and management options.
Keywords (discipline, other): Woodland
Ecosystem resilience
Biodiversity
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
________________________________________________________________________________
What does marine habitat connectivity look like in Wales?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
Ecosystem resilience evidence needs encompass several needs from the other ecosystem and theme chapters.
Keywords (discipline, other): Ecosystem Resilience
Marine
Biodiversity
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
________________________________________________________________________________
What economic levers can be used to enable resource efficient and circular use of nutrients to land?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
To help incentivise sustainable use and management of nutrients to land.
Keywords (discipline, other): Land use and soil
Enclosed farmland
Waste
Climate change
Biodiversity
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
________________________________________________________________________________
What evidence is needed to ensure the effective conservation of semi-natural grassland species?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
Diversity is a basic measure of sustainable management of natural resources. Some species require specific management for populations to be stable or expand, but there are gaps in knowledge for some species
Keywords (discipline, other): Semi-natural grassland
Ecosystem resilience
Biodiversity
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
________________________________________________________________________________
What funding would be required to restore a number of poorly/under restored coal mining sites around South Wales?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
This would provide a point around which delivering on the restoration standards originally promised to surrounding communities could be campaigned for by CAN and other groups.
Keywords (discipline, other): Coal, politics, energy
Website/URL links:
Looking for collaborators: Yes External Partner: Yes Organisation: Coal Action
Contact Details
Name: Daniel Therkelsen Email Address: daniel@coalaction.org.uk Phone: NA
________________________________________________________________________________
What has changed in the extent and distribution of semi-natural grassland since the Phase 1 habitat survey of late last century?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
Stocks of natural resources is a basic measure of sustainable management of natural resources. The Phase 1 Habitat survey is old and remote sensing is mostly poor as recording grassland extent
Keywords (discipline, other): Semi-natural grassland
Mountains, moorland, and heath
Biodiversity
Coastal margins
Enclosed farmland
Ecosystem resilience
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
________________________________________________________________________________
What impact could climate change have on marine ecosystem services?,
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): Impact of climate change on marine ecosystem services,”Climate change, Ecosystem services, Marine ecosystems, Impact assessment”,
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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