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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Where are the most suitable locations for marine and coastal restoration (saltmarsh, native oysters and seagrass) in Wales?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
We need to build on 2021 work that mapped opportunities for restoration of native oysters, seagrass, Sabellaria, Modiolus modiolus, saltmarsh and mudflats (NRW Evidence Report No 554). This next phase should refine previous mapping to identify the most suitable locations for restoration of saltmarsh, native oysters and seagrass and take account of the opportunities to deliver wider benefits (e.g. flood defence, improved water quality, blue carbon etc.). This work could include engagement with local communities and should consider biodiversity implications on existing features in those locations.
Next steps and progress: Likely to be contracted out.
Keywords (discipline, other): Marine science, location, marine and coastal restoration, saltmarsh, native oysters, seagrass, Sabellaria, Modiolus modiolus, mudflats, benefit, flood defense, improved water quality, blue carbon
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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Where are the most suitable locations for marine and coastal restoration (saltmarsh, native oysters and seagrass) in Wales?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
Build on 2021 work that mapped opportunities for restoration of native oysters, seagrass, Sabellaria, Modiolus modiolus, saltmarsh and mudflats (NRW Evidence Report No 554). This next phase should refine previous mapping to identify the most suitable locations for restoration of saltmarsh, native oysters and seagrass and take account of the opportunities to deliver wider benefits (e.g. flood defence, improved water quality, blue carbon etc.). This work could include engagement with local communities and should consider biodiversity implications on existing features in those locations. Next steps and progress: Deliver through collaboration, contract being developed, some work done in house.
Keywords (discipline, other): Marine restoration, saltmarsh, native oysters, seagrass, biodiversity, flood defence, blue carbon, community engagement, Wales
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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Where are the opportunities and barriers to maintaining and restoring arable plant assemblages?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
Arable plant communities are the ecosystem foundation for many farmland specialist species and are vanishing rapidly from Wales – along with the animals they support. An understanding of what caused poor uptake of beneficial Glastir options could be used to inform future policy for the Sustainable Farming Scheme. In addition, an exploration of other mechanisms to support beneficial management would inform wider policy.
Keywords (discipline, other): Enclosed farmland
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
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Where are the opportunities for heathland ecosystem restoration?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
Many upland heathlands are reduced to acid grassland but can be restored by appropriate grazing. Many lowland heathlands are fragments of former extent. Can we identify target areas for connection and restoration? What soil conditions would permit this and can we achieve them?
Keywords (discipline, other): Mountains, moorland, and heath
Land use and soil
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: External Partner: Organisation: Natural Resources Wales
Contact Details
Name: Email Address: Phone: NA
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Where are the opportunities to achieve management to improve condition?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
Highlighting locations from condition data will enable prioritisation for actions to improve resilience.
Keywords (discipline, other): Coastal margins
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
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Where are the opportunities to restore and reconnect coastal habitats, increase extent to reverse fragmentation and to reconnect the coastal margins with terrestrial networks and the marine ecosystem to improve resilience?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
Connectivity is a basic measure of stocks of natural resources and resilience. Identification of vulnerable areas would enable identification and prioritisation of opportunities.
Keywords (discipline, other): Coastal margins
Marine
Freshwater
Urban
Semi-natural grassland
Enclosed farmland
Land use and soil
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
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Where are there constraints to habitat rollback, including development and intensive agriculture?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
The rollback of coastal habitats in response to climate change and sea level rise is expected where conditions allow, however, where there are hard coastal defences, other structures and land management issues, this will not be possible. Spatial evidence in relation to the physical constraints to rollback are required to provide a better understanding of where the coast is likely to be most vulnerable and to take action. Next steps and progress: Seek external funding (component of a candidate project for future Nature Networks funding).
Keywords (discipline, other): Habitat rollback, Coastal change, Physical constraints, Coastal defences, Land management, Vulnerable areas, External funding
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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Where are there opportunities to remove constraints to enable habitat ‘rollback’ allowing coastal habitats to respond naturally to sea level rise and increased erosion rates?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
Evaluate extent of pressure and identify areas for intervention. Inform resilience.
Keywords (discipline, other): Coastal margins
Semi-natural grassland
Enclosed farmland
Land use and soil
Ecosystem resilience
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
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Where does the sediment in the Milford Haven Waterway come from?,
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): Source of sediment in Milford Haven Waterway,”Sediment sources, Milford Haven, Waterway, Coastal erosion”,
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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Where have there been changes in habitat extent, or where are there ongoing declines, or changes in distribution of habitat in enclosed farmland?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
Stocks of natural resources are a basic measure of sustainable management of natural resources. The majority of the habitat extent data is based on partial surveys such as for parkland, traditional orchards, extensive arable, hedgerows, out of date surveys such as for improved and semi-improved grassland or has no baseline extend data at all such as for wood pasture, veteran trees.
Keywords (discipline, other): Enclosed farmland
Woodland
Urban
Biodiversity
Land use and soil
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
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