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 is the value of citizen science and community action in the control of invasive non-native species?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
Restoration of freshwater ecosystems is key to improving their resilience to multiple pressures and addressing the climate and nature emergencies. Knowledge and tools are required to facilitate sucessful and cost effective ecosystem restoration.
Keywords (discipline, other): Freshwater
Invasive non-native species
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 is the value of Good Ecological Status (GES) under the Water Framework Directive (WFD)?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
We need to determine the monetary value on GES for the cost-benefit analysis which is part of the WFD derogations. This would include developing methods to carry out this analysis.
Next steps and progress: Likely to be contracted out
Keywords (discipline, other): Economics, Good Ecological Status, GES, Water Framework Directive, WFD, monetary value, cost-benefit analysis
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 is the viability and applicability of carbon capture techniques such as enhanced weathering to land in Wales?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
To assess options for enhancing and accelerating through using natural processes the removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
Keywords (discipline, other): 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 is the Wales-wide carbon footprint?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
To improve the assessment of Wales’s ecological and carbon footprint
Keywords (discipline, other): Regenerative economy
Stocks of natural resources
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 makes up the diet of marine mammals in Wales and adjacent waters?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
Knowledge of diet in marine mammals in Wales is minimal and/or dated. There is no stomach content samples from bottlenose dolphins in Wales but a proposed project to biopsy dolphins will allow forensic techniques to examine diet (stable isotope analysis). There is stomach content information from stranded and bycaught harbour porpoise but data is not analysed. Grey seal diet work in Wales is from a single report from 1996 in Pembrokeshire (Strong 1996) and requires updating. Diet is an important descriptor of prey changes in the ecosystem. As diet is intricately linked to habitat, knowledge of diet will inform our assessments of the condition of marine mammal habitats. This project will primarily involve desk based collation of existing data.
Keywords (discipline, other): Marine, mammals
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: Kirsten Ramsay Email Address: marinecoastalevidence@naturalresourceswales.gov.uk Phone: NA
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What makes up the diet of marine mammals in Wales 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): Seals’ diet in Welsh waters,”Seals, Diet, Welsh waters, Marine mammals, Prey species”,
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 makes up the diet of seabird species in Welsh waters?,
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
Monitoring of seabird diet is already in place at some colonies around the Welsh coast but could be expanded to other areas, especially where the colonies are easily accessed. This project will involve practical research work to investigate the prey species being returned to colonies. Species of particular interest would include shags, cormorants and puffins.
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): Seabirds, Diet, Welsh waters, Marine ecosystem, Prey species, birds
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: marinecoastalevidence@naturalresourceswales.gov.uk Phone: NA
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What measures are the most effective at reducing the rapid decline in invertebrates in the enclosed farmland landscape?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
Invertebrates are critical to the functioning of ecosystems, without them essential functions will collapse. There are many causes for the massive loss of invert biomass in the landscape. We require a literature review of the interventions that have been shown to have a positive impact on invert populations. The next steps in seeking the answer to this question would depend upon the review conclusions.
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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What mechanisms are needed to restore semi-natural grassland condition inside statutory sites?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
Condition is a basic measure of stocks of natural resources and resilience. Different mechanisms need to be investigated, including funding streams
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 mechanisms are needed to restore semi-natural grassland condition outside statutory sites?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
Condition is a basic measure of stocks of natural resources and resilience. Different mechanisms need to be investigated, including funding streams
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
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