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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How can we best restore Welsh islands to benefit seabirds?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
Rat free islands are a great resource for seabirds due to the lack of predation by these invasive mammals. However, often after eradication populations of ground or burrow nesting birds do not increase due to lack of management, e.g. grazing. To increase resilience to climate change impacts, ensuring connectivity and adequate locations for these birds to breed is important. Different management techniques could be considered as an experiment to see what works best on different islands. Next steps and progress: Seek external funding (component of a candidate Wales Nature Recovery Plan project) and scope out a plan.
Keywords (discipline, other): Seabird restoration, Welsh islands, rat eradication, climate change, grazing, breeding, management techniques, 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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How can we calculate sustainable take for non-commercial species?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
Currently little is known about sustainable catch/collection levels for several living marine resources that are not covered by Total Allowable Catch / quota. Work could take the form of a stock assessment and might include species such as seaweeds, razor shells and winkles. Acceptable take limits could be developed. Ecosystem impacts as a result of removal of these species should also be investigated, although other options could also be explored in project development.
Suggested level of research: MSc and above
Keywords (discipline, other): Marine Sciences, sustainability, fishing, no-commercial species, stock assessment, seaweeds, razor shells, winkles, limits, ecosystem impacts
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: Kirsten Ramsay Email Address: kirsten.ramsay@cyfoethnaturiolcymru.gov.uk Phone: NA
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How can we effectively monitor river habitat structure and geomorphology?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
Physical modification is the main reason for rivers Welsh rivers failing to achieve Good Ecological Status. Modifications to floodplains have significant impacts on ecosystem health and flood risk. However limited information is available on the extent and specific impacts of these modifications. This information is required to inform ecosystem resilience and restoration opportunities.
Keywords (discipline, other): Freshwater
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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How can we improve models to predict medium to long term morphological changes from tidal range developments?,
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): Improving models for predicting morphological changes from tidal range developments,”Morphological changes, Tidal range, Models, Coastal 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
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How can we improve our knowledge of soils across Wales to supplement national monitoring to assess the spatial distribution of the sustainable use of soils? What platforms can be used to capture this?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
To improve our spatial understanding of the extent to which soils are managed and used sustainably.
Keywords (discipline, other): Land use and soil
Woodland
Mountains, moorland, and heath
Coastal margins
Urban
Semi-natural grassland
Enclosed farmland
Climate change
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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How can we improve our understanding regional and sub-regional sediment budgets?,
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): Improving understanding of regional and sub-regional sediment budgets,”Sediment budgets, Regional understanding, Coastal systems, Marine 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
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How can we manage saltmarsh to improve it as a habitat for fish?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
To identify opportunities.
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
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How can we measure the resilience of freshwater-dependent ecosystems to climate change?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
Keywords (discipline, other): Freshwater
Climate change
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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How can we predict the rate of sediment erosion, transport and deposition within and in between tidal lagoon developments?,
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): Predicting sediment erosion, transport, and deposition in tidal lagoon developments,”Sediment erosion, Tidal lagoons, Sediment transport, Coastal development”,
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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How can we predict the underwater noise from wave and tidal energy devices?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
The development of noise propagation models for use in tidal waters is required to further reduce uncertainty regarding the potential impacts of commercial scale arrays of wave and tidal energy devices.
Suggested level of research: Postdoc or research programme
Keywords (discipline, other): Marine science, underwater noise, wave energy, tidal energy, tidal models
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: Kirsten Ramsay Email Address: kirsten.ramsay@cyfoethnaturiolcymru.gov.uk Phone: NA
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