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 benefits and impacts on ecosystem services of using maize crops grown for biomass to feed anaerobic digesters for sustainable energy production?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
Maize crops have both negative and positive impacts on ecosystem services. The crop provides biomass for anaerobic digesters but potentially creates soil erosion and water quality issues. Should we promote this land use? Do the benefits outweigh the disbenefits?
Keywords (discipline, other): Enclosed farmland
Land use and soil
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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What are the best Collision Risk Models and parameters to assess impacts on marine mammals?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
Existing collision risk models and encounter rate models and their input parameters used in our advice should be reviewed to ensure the best available evidence/techniques are being used, and are applicable to Wales. Other collision risk models have been/are being developed, especially to accommodate different/unusual tidal turbine designs, and a review (with recommendations) of available models/techniques would be valuable.
Next steps and progress: Likely to be contracted out.
Keywords (discipline, other): Marine science, Collision Risk Models, impacts on marine mammals, encounter rate models, input parameters, tidal turbine design
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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What are the best Collision Risk Models and parameters to assess impacts on marine mammals?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
Existing collision risk models and encounter rate models and their input parameters used in our advice should be reviewed to ensure the best available evidence/techniques are being used, and are applicable to Wales. Other collision risk models have been/are being developed, especially to accommodate different/unusual tidal turbine designs, and a review (with recommendations) of available models/techniques would be valuable. Next steps and progress: Possible collaboration. Potential contract (review), and workshop. Also possible PhD.
Keywords (discipline, other): Collision risk models, marine mammals, tidal turbines, encounter rate models, impact assessment, review, 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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What are the causes of the decline in Milford Haven maerl bed?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
To inform our understanding of and advice on building resilient marine ecosystems. Monitoring has shown a decline in the health of the maerl bed in Milford Haven. Work is needed to identify the cause or causes of this decline.
Keywords (discipline, other): Marine
Freshwater
Coastal margins
Biodiversity
Ecosystem resilience
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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What are the costs and benefits of carrying out mitigation and enhancement to hydro-morphological processes where these have been modified in the past?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
Aid identification of areas of focus.
Keywords (discipline, other): Coastal margins
Marine
Ecosystem resilience
Biodiversity
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
________________________________________________________________________________
What are the critical inshore and coastal migration routes and marine habitats used by diadromous fish in Wales?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
Based on recommendations in NRW Evidence reports; ‘Feasibility Study of Methods to Collect Data on the Spatial and Temporal Distribution of Diadromous Fish in Welsh Waters’ and ‘Acoustic tracking in Wales – designing a programme to evaluate Marine Renewable Energy impacts on Diadromous fish’. The project would hydroacoustically tag and track diadromous fish from a selection of Welsh rivers, to collect data on their distribution, particularly in marine energy resource areas. The evidence would be used to inform modelling tools to establish risk to salmon, sea trout, eel and shad populations from tidal range and tidal stream developments in Wales.
Next steps and progress: Strategic evidence which needs large scale funding. However, some progress is being made notably for shad in the Bristol Channel through working with research partners. Large gaps remain for other species and regions of Wales
Keywords (discipline, other): Marine science, inshore and coastal migration routes, marine habitats, diadromous fish, acoustic tracking, marine renewable energy, rivers, data, distribution, risk to salmon, sea trout, eel, shad, tidal range
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
________________________________________________________________________________
What are the critical inshore and coastal migration routes and marine habitats used by diadromous fish in Wales?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
Keywords (discipline, other): Diadromous fish, migration routes, coastal habitats, marine energy, hydroacoustic tracking, salmon, sea trout, eel, shad, Wales, tidal developments
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 critical loads for nitrogen deposition & sea cliff 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): Critical loads for nitrogen deposition & sea cliff habitats,”Nitrogen deposition, Sea cliffs, Critical loads, Marine habitats, 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
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What are the different soil management practices and systems used in Wales and are these practices sustainable?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
To assess the extent to which soils are managed sustainably for tackling the Climate and Nature Emergency and to help inform future policy changes. Sustainable Soil management is an increasing concern for society.
Keywords (discipline, other): Land use, soil, sustainable management, soil management, , agriculture, farming
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: No External Partner: Yes Organisation: Natural Resources Wales
Contact Details
Name: Email Address: Phone: NA
________________________________________________________________________________
What are the distributions, abundances, and population structures of marine fish species in Welsh waters?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
Data on marine fish is lacking for this assessment. We need data on the abundance, distribution, population structure and movements of fish in Welsh waters to develop a baseline for the SoNaRR assessment. The evidence need would build on Ellis et al (2012) and would inform our work in many areas
Keywords (discipline, other): Marine
Freshwater
Coastal Margins
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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