UK marine science researches ‘green’ applications

This infrastructure includes institutions of national and international repute in Plymouth, Bangor and Newcastle, which offer new standards of excellence in marine research.

The School of Marine Science and Technology at Newcastle University, for example, is the largest of its kind in Europe and, in 2008, launched its first overseas campus in Singapore.

The University of Plymouth Marine Institute, meanwhile, has served industrial partners including international technology company QinetiQ and BAE Systems, and its consultancy clients have included The United Nations Office for Project Services.

Scientists at OceanLab, at the University of Aberdeen, have collaborated on projects with the University of California Scripps Institute and research contracts with the Falkland Islands government and South Georgia government. The University of Hull's Institute of Estuarine and Coastal Studies has worked with clients including Fortum O&M UK, the UK subsidiary of Finnish energy company, Fortum.

Scottish marine research

A new alliance of leading Scottish marine institutions was announced in November which will receive funding of £74.7million over the next seven years from the Scottish Further and Higher Education Funding Council. The Marine Alliance for Science and Technology for Scotland (MASTS) will “provide Scotland with a globally-competitive platform from which to carry out world-class scientific research, training and knowledge exchange.”

Geographically speaking, Scotland is an obvious location for a world-leading leading marine biotech industry. It has over 18,000 km of coastline, and its seas are among the most biologically productive in the world, containing over 40,000 species.

At the launch of MASTS, Richard Lochhead, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Environment, said: “As we move towards an era where renewable energy will be even more vital in our fight against climate change, our seas will only become more important. It’s clear that our leading research institutions have a vital role to play in placing Scotland at the forefront of international marine research.”

As we move towards an era where renewable energy will be even more vital in our fight against climate change, our seas will only become more important.

Richard Lochhead

Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Environment

What is marine biotechnology?

The definition of 'marine biotechnology' is broad: as a study or marine life, it is a science that has been used to make strides in everything from vaccine development and cancer treatments to pharmaceuticals and chemicals. Research is also being undertaken to find ‘green’ applications for ‘blue biotech’ (as it is known), such as extracting energy from seaweed. UK centres are also involved in world-leading tidal power generation research in an effort to boost sustainable technologies.

The new observatory allows continuous observation and archiving of data, which is accessible from anywhere in the world.

Underwater video observatory

UK marine scientists are working on projects around the world on ground-breaking technological innovations. In September, for example, the first live-streamed underwater video observatory for scientific research was opened in a fjord on the west coast of Sweden - and UK expertise was called upon to co-create it.

This "permanent window into the undersea world" was developed in partnership with the Scottish Association for Marine Science, the University of Gothenburg, Maritime Museum & Aquarium Gothenburg, OceanLab Aberdeen, Bangor University and The Natural History Museum in London. The underwater observatory consists of a live camera and instruments mounted on a frame, and is currently sited in waters approximately 30metres deep. The camera is being streamed live onto the internet and is used for scientific experimental studies.

Says researcher Dr Adrian Glover: “Even something simple like the decomposition of a small whale in shallow water is very poorly known. Until now we had to make do with 'one-off' visits using submersibles, remotely operated-vehicles or scuba divers. The new observatory allows continuous observation and archiving of data, which is accessible from anywhere in the world. Understanding processes occurring over time with experiments like the whale carcass can provide clues as to how marine ecosystems respond to environmental perturbations, such as oil spill.”

Studying oceans and changing climates

In Chile, meanwhile, researchers from the renowned Plymouth Marine Laboratories (PML) are currently leading a fact-finding mission to investigate how the world’s oceans are changing. Scientists from the National Oceanography Centre in Southampton are also on the mission, as are researchers from marine institutes in the Philippines and the USA. During the project, data will be collected for the UK Met Office and the Laboratorio Nacional de Energia e Geologia, Portugal.

With its state-of-the-art research facilities, PML’s mission is to “pursue world-class, innovative research in marine science and technology.” It also works on a wide range of climate-related research projects.

In 2009, PML announced that it had been selected as a partner in a £1.1 billion project to battle climate change, funded by The Energy Technologies Institute, a unique partnership between global industries and the UK Government. Project ReDAPT (Reliable Data Acquisition Platform for Tidal) is led by Rolls-Royce and includes PML, Tidal Generation Limited, Garrad Hassan, the University of Edinburgh, EDF Energy, a subsidiary of French-owned EDF SA, German-headquartered E.ON, and the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC).

The aim of the project is to install and test a 1 mega-watt tidal turbine at the EMEC in Orkney. PML’s contribution will be to limit biofouling - the build up of living organisms on structures and equipment in contact with water in the marine environment.

Dr Annie Linley from PML said: “Biofouling from marine algae (seaweeds) and animals such as barnacles will be familiar to boat owners and is well known in the shipping industry where accumulations can cause considerable drag, leading to greater fuel use, increased costs and ultimately even more carbon dioxide being put into the atmosphere. The problem may be as serious for wave energy devices and could lead to significant reductions in their efficiency.

“Our job, in the Project ReDapt, is to look at all possible ways of reducing or managing biofoulants… We will be looking for an efficient, environmentally friendly and cost effective solution.”