For World Oceans Day 2019 we are making our research more accessible

Our research through animation, video and open access papers
diver swims with fish

Understanding of our seas and coastlines

The University of Plymouth Marine Institute is committed to advancing knowledge and understanding of our seas and coastlines. Representing 3,000 staff, researchers and students, we provide the broadest portfolio of marine expertise within a single institute in Europe. Working together we provide and communicate the evidence to help underpin sustainable use of marine resources in the UK and internationally.

Research and study resources

Reverse-engineered computer model provides insights into larval behaviour

BIOBLOCKs show how coastal designs could benefit marine life

Scientists identify cause of the ‘sea fangle’ phenomenon

Fibres, fashion and the oceans

Caribbean lobster fisheries sustained by 'dark carbon'

‘Starballing’ starfish may hold clue to mystery of mass strandings

Open access to our research

Here is just a selection of open access (publicly available) research papers published by staff in the University of Plymouth's Marine Institute since 2018. The papers cover a range of key topics, including the problems of ocean acidification, climate change and plastic pollution, plus sustainable solutions for offshore renewable energy and fisheries.

Search open access papers

Recently published papers

  • Ostle, C., Thompson, R.C., Broughton, D., Gregory, L. Wootton, M. &Johns, D. (2019) The rise in ocean plastics: evidence from a 60-year timeseries. Nature Communications. Read the article
  • Fouz DM, Carballo R, Ramos V & Iglesias G 2019 'Hydrokinetic energy exploitation under combined river and tidal flow' Renewable Energy 143, 558-568, DOI
  • López I, Carballo R & Iglesias G 2019 'Site-specific wave energy conversion performance of an oscillating water column device' Energy Conversion and Management 195, 457-465, DOI
  • Rodriguez-Delgado C, Bergillos RJ & Iglesias G 2019 'Dual wave farms for energy production and coastal protection under sea level rise' Journal of Cleaner Production 222, 364-372, DOI
  • Bergillos RJ, Rodriguez-Delgado C, Allen J & Iglesias G 2019 'Wave energy converter geometry for coastal flooding mitigation' Science of The Total Environment 668, 1232-1241, DOI
  • James M, Polton J, Brereton A, Howell K, Nimmo-Smith A & Knights A 2019'Reverse-engineering field-derived vertical distribution profiles to infer larval swimming behaviours' Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, DOI PEARL
  • Giovos I, Stoilas V, Al-Mabruk SAA, Doumpas N, Marakis P, Maximiadi M, Moutopoulos D, Kleitou P, Keramidas I 2019 'Integrating local ecological knowledge, citizen science and long‐term historical data for endangered species conservation: Additional records of angel sharks (Chondrichthyes: Squatinidae) in the Mediterranean Sea' Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems, DOI PEARL
  • Bodden V & Puschendorf R 2019 'Morphological divergence and reduced ectoparasite prevalence in an introduced population of a Caribbean anole' Journal of Zoology, DOI PEARL
  • Bodden V & Puschendorf R 2019 'Morphological divergence and reduced ectoparasite prevalence in an introduced population of a Caribbean anole' Journal of Zoology PEARL
  • Lieber L, Nimmo Smith WAM, Waggitt J & Kregting L 2019 'Localised anthropogenic wake generates a predictable foraging hotspot for top predators'Communications Biology 2, DOI PEARL
  • Kleitou P, Giovos I, Wolf W & Crocetta F 2019 'On the importance of citizen-science: the first record of Goniobranchus obsoletus (Rüppell & Leuckart, 1830) from Cyprus (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Nudibranchia)' BioInvasions Records PEARL
  • Bergillos RJ, Rodriguez-Delgado C, Allen J & Iglesias G 2019 'Wave energy converter configuration in dual wave farms' Ocean Engineering 178, 204-214, DOI
  • Guscelli E, Spicer JI & Calosi P 2019 'The importance of inter‐individual variation in predicting species' responses to global change drivers' Ecology and Evolution9, (8) 4327-4339, DOI PEARL
  • Chaverra A, Wieters E, Foggo A & Knights AM 2019 'Removal of intertidal grazers by human harvesting leads to alteration of species interactions, community structure and resilience to climate change' Marine Environmental Research, DOI PEARL
  • Biber NFA, Foggo A & Thompson RC 2019 'Characterising the deterioration of different plastics in air and seawater' Marine Pollution Bulletin, DOI PEARL
  • Kleitou P, Savva I, Kletou D, Hall-Spencer J, Antoniou C, Christodoulides Y, Chartosia N, Hadjioannou L, Dimitriou AC 2019 'Invasive lionfish in the Mediterranean: Low public awareness yet high stakeholder concerns' Marine Policy, DOI PEARL
  • Masselink G, Tuck M, McCall R, van Dongeren A, Ford M & Kench P 2019'Physical and Numerical Modeling of Infragravity Wave Generation and Transformation on Coral Reef Platforms' Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, DOI PEARL
  • Raby AC, Jayaratne R, Bredmose H & Bullock G 2019 'Individual violent wave-overtopping events: behaviour and estimation' Journal of Hydraulic Research , DOI PEARL
  • Pappas A, D’Ayala D, Antonini A & Raby A 2019 'Finite Element Modelling and Limit Analysis of Fastnet Lighthouse Under Impulsive Ocean Waves' RILEM Bookseries Springer International Publishing 881-890, DOI 
  • Pemberton R & Stokoe EA 2018 Reeds Vol 4: Naval Architecture for Marine Engineers. Reeds Thomas S, Giassi M, Eriksson M, Goteman M, Isberg J, Ransley E, Hann MR & Engström J 2018 'A Model Free Control Based on Machine Learning for Energy Converters in an Array' Big Data and Cognitive Computing, DOI PEARL 
  • Macabuag J, Raby A, Pomonis A, Nistor I, Wilkinson S & Rossetto T 2018'Tsunami design procedures for engineered buildings: a critical review' Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers - Civil Engineering 171, (4) 166-178, DOI PEARL
  • Kyte A, Pass C, Pemberton R, Sharman M & McKnight JC 2018 'A Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) Based Method for Assessing the Hydrodynamic Impact of Animal Borne Data Loggers on Host Marine Mammals' Marine Mammal Science,DOI PEARL
  • Vigars P, Lee K, Shin S, Ekergard B, Leijon M, Torre-Enciso Y, Marina D & Greaves D 2018 'Project Development' Wave and Tidal Energy John Wiley & Sons, Ltd 533-586, DOI
  • Perez Del Postigo Prieto N, Raby A, Whittaker C & Boulton SJ 2019 'Parametric study of tsunamis generated by earthquakes and landslides' Journal of Marine Science and Engineering (Tsunami Science and Engineering II), DOI PEARL
  • Illuminati S, Annibaldi A, Truzzi C, Tercier-Waeber M-L, Nöel S, Braungardt CB, Achterberg EP, Howell KA, Turner D 2019 'In-situ trace metal (Cd, Pb, Cu) speciation along the Po River plume (Northern Adriatic Sea) using submersible systems' Marine Chemistry, DOI PEARL
  • Danise S, Clémence M-E, Price GD, Murphy DP, Gómez JJ & Twitchett RJ 2019'Stratigraphic and environmental control on marine benthic community change through the early Toarcian extinction event (Iberian Range, Spain)'Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 524, 183-200, DOI PEARL
  • Downs PW & Piegay H 2019 'Catchment-scale cumulative impact of human activities on river channels in the late Anthropocene: implications, limitations, prospect' Geomorphology 338, 88-104, DOI PEARL
  • Smart CW, Thomas E & Bracher CM 2019 'Holocene variations in North Atlantic export productivity as reflected in bathyal benthic foraminifera' Marine Micropaleontology 149, 1-18, DOI PEARL
  • Muller-Karanassos C, Turner A, Arundel W, Vance T, Lindeque PK & Cole M 2019'Antifouling paint particles in intertidal estuarine sediments from southwest England and their ingestion by the harbour ragworm, Hediste diversicolor' Environmental Pollution 249, 163-170, DOI PEARL
  • Pittman S, Rodwell L, Shellock R, Williams M, Attrill M, Bedford J, Curry K, Fletcher S, Gall S 2019 'Marine parks for coastal cities: A concept for enhanced community well-being, prosperity and sustainable city living' Marine Policy, DOI PEARL
  • Roberts CN, Woodbridge-Fisher J, Palmisano A, Bevan A, Fyfe RM & Shennan S2019 'Mediterranean landscape change during the Holocene: synthesis, comparison and regional trends in population, land cover and climate' Holocene, DOI PEARL
  • Worsfold P, Achterberg E, Birchill A, Clough R, Leito I, Lohan M, Milne A & Ussher S2019 'Estimating Uncertainties in Oceanographic Trace Element Measurements'Frontiers in Marine Science, DOI PEARL 
  • Abbasi S, Keshavarzi B, Moore F, Turner A, Kelly FJ, Dominguez AO & Jaafarzadeh N 2019 'Distribution and potential health impacts of microplastics and microrubbers in air and street dusts from Asaluyeh County, Iran' Environmental Pollution 244, 153-164, DOI
  • Lemasson A & Knights A 2019 'Preferential parasitism of native oyster Ostrea edulis over non-native Magallana gigas by a Polydorid worm' Estuaries and Coasts, DOI PEARL
  • Carballo R, Arean N, Álvarez M, López I, Castro A, López M & Iglesias G 2019'Wave farm planning through high-resolution resource and performance characterization' Renewable Energy 135, 1097-1107, DOI
  • He F, Zhang H, Zhao J, Zheng S & Iglesias G 2019 'Hydrodynamic performance of a pile-supported OWC breakwater: An analytical study' Applied Ocean Research, DOI PEARL
  • Hanley M, sanders S, Stanton H-M, Billington R & Boden R 2019 'A pinch of salt: response of coastal grassland plants to simulated seawater inundation treatments'Annals of Botany, DOI PEARL
  • Wiggins M, Scott T, Masselink G, Russell P & Valiente NG 2019 'Regionally-Coherent Embayment Rotation: Behavioural Response to Bi-Directional Waves and Atmospheric Forcing' Journal of Marine Science and Engineering 7, (4) 116-116, DOI
  • Serra CR, Almeida EM, Guerreiro I, Santos R, Merrifield DL, Tavares F, Oliva-Teles A & Enes P 2019 'Selection of carbohydrate-active probiotics from the gut of carnivorous fish fed plant-based diets' Scientific Reports 9, (1), DOI
  • Piechaud N, Hunt C, Culverhouse PF, Foster NL & Howell KL 2019 'Automated identification of benthic epifauna with computer vision' Marine Ecology Progress Series 615, 15-30, DOI PEARL
  • Peyton J, Martinou AF, Pescott OL, Demetriou M, Adriaens T, Arianoutsou M, Bazos I, Bean CW, Booy O 2019 'Horizon scanning for invasive alien species with the potential to threaten biodiversity and human health on a Mediterranean island'Biological Invasions, DOI PEARL
  • Zheng S, Zhang Y & Iglesias G 2019 'Coast/breakwater-integrated OWC: A theoretical model' Marine Structures 66, 121-135, DOI PEARL
  • Davison J, van Haren H, Hosegood PJ, Piechaud N & Howell K 2019 'The distribution of deep-sea sponge aggregations (Porifera) in relation to oceanographic processes in the Faroe-Shetland Channel' Deep Sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers, DOI PEARL
  • Bergsma E, Conley DC, Davidson MA, O'Hare TJ & Almar R 2019 'Storm event to seasonal evolution of nearshore bathymetry derived from shore-based video imagery' Remote Sensing, DOI PEARL
  • Hendry KR, Cassarino L, Bates SL, Culwick T, Frost M, Goodwin C & Howell KL2019 'Silicon isotopic systematics of deep-sea sponge grounds in the North Atlantic' Quaternary Science Reviews 210, 1-14, DOI
  • Kenchington E, Callery O, Davidson F, Grehan A, Morato T, Appiott J, Davis A, Dunstan P, Du Preez C 2019 Use of Species Distribution Modeling in the Deep Sea. Author Site PEARL
  • Schmidt K, Pearson RG, Alford RA & Puschendorf R 2019 'Tadpole species have variable roles in litter breakdown, sediment removal, and nutrient cycling in a tropical stream' Freshwater Science, DOI
  • Ciotti BJ & Planes S 2019 'Within‐generation consequences of post‐settlement mortality for trait composition in wild populations: An experimental test' Ecology and Evolution, DOI PEARL
  • Collins KM, Stripling S, Simmonds D & Greaves D 2018 'Quantitative metrics for evaluation of wave fields in basins' Ocean Engineering 169, 300-314, DOI PEARL
  • Bibuli M, Singh Y, Sharma S, Sutton R, Hatton D & Khan A 2018 'A Two Layered Optimal Approach towards Cooperative Motion Planning of Unmanned Surface Vehicles in a Constrained Maritime Environment' IFAC-PapersOnLine 51, (29) 378-383 Publisher Site, DOI PEARL
  • Ransley E, Brown SA, Xie N, Greaves D, Nicholls-Lee R, Johanning L, Weston P & Guerrini E 2018 'Concept development for deployment of a modular, floating, tidal-stream device' RENEW Lisbon, Portugal 08/10/2018 10/10/2018 PEARL
  • Xie N, Ransley E, Brown SA, Greaves D, Nicholls-Lee R, Johanning L, Weston P & Guerrini E 2018 'Wave tank experiments of a floating, tidal-stream energy device'RENEW Lisbon, Portugal 08/10/2018 10/10/2018 PEARL
  • Perez-Collazo C, Deborah G & Gregorio I 2018 'Proof of concept of a novel hybrid wind-wave energy converter' ASME 2018 37th International Conference on Ocean, Offshore and Arctic Engineering Madrid, Spain 17/06/2018 22/06/2018 1-11 Publisher Site, DOI PEARL
  • Mai T, Raby A & Greaves D 2018 'Experimental Investigation of Elasticity Effects on Slamming' Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering Springer Singapore 443-449, DOI
  • Singh Y, Sharma S, Sutton R, Hatton DC & Khan A 2018 'A constrained A* approach towards optimal path planning for an unmanned surface vehicle in a maritime environment containing dynamic obstacles and ocean currents' Ocean Engineering 169, 187-201 Publisher Site, DOI PEARL
  • Thomas S, Giassi M, Göteman M, Hann MR, Ransley EJ, Isberg J & Engström J2018 'Performance of a Direct-Driven Wave Energy Point Absorber with High Inertia Rotatory Power Take-off' Energies (11) 2332-2332, DOI PEARL
  • Singh Y, Sharma S, Hatton DC & Sutton R 2018 'Optimal path planning of unmanned surface vehicles' Indian Journal of Geo Marine Sciences 47, (7) 1325-1334 Publisher Site PEARL
  • Dalla Valle L, Jane R, Simmonds D, Gouldby B, Simm J & Raby A 2018 'Exploring the Potential for Multivariate Fragility Representations to Alter Flood Risk Estimates' Risk Analysis, DOI PEARL
  • Brown SA, Musiedlak P-H, Ransley E & Greaves D 2018 'Numerical simulation of focused wave interactions with a fixed FPSO using OpenFOAM 4.1' 28th International Ocean and Polar Engineering Conference (ISOPE) Sapporo, Japan10/06/2018 15/06/2018 International Society of Offshore and Polar Engineers PEARL
  • Perez-Collazo C, Greaves D & Iglesias Rodriguez JG 2018 'Hydrodynamic response of the WEC sub-system of a novel hybrid wind-wave energy converter Energy Conversion and Management' Energy Conversion and Management 171,307-325 Author Site, DOI PEARL
  • Rontani JF, Smik L & Belt ST 2019 'Autoxidation of the sea ice biomarker proxy IPSO <inf>25</inf> in the near-surface oxic layers of Arctic and Antarctic sediments' Organic Geochemistry 129, 63-76, DOI PEARL
  • Turner A 2019 'Trace elements in laundry dryer lint: A proxy for household contamination and discharges to waste water' Science of the Total Environment665, 568-573 Author Site, DOI PEARL
  • Birchill AJ, Hartner NT, Kunde K, Siemering B, Daniels C, Gonzalez-Santana D, Milne A, Ussher SJ, Worsfold PJ 2019 'The eastern extent of seasonal iron limitation in the high latitude North Atlantic Ocean' Scientific Reports 9, Author Site, DOI PEARL
  • Turner A, Wallerstein C & Arnold R 2019 'Identification, origin and characteristics of bio-bead microplastics from beaches in western Europe' Science of the Total Environment 664, 938-947 Author Site, DOI PEARL
  • Apine E, Turner LM, Rodwell LD & Bhatta R 2019 'The application of the sustainable livelihood approach to small scale-fisheries: The case of mud crab Scylla serrata in South west India' Ocean and Coastal Management 170, 17-28 Author Site, DOI PEARL
  • Hart M, Leighton A, Hampton M & Smart CW 2019 'Global bioevents and the Cretaceous/Paleogene boundary in Texas and Alabama: Stratigraphy, correlation and ocean acidification' Global and Planetary Change, DOI PEARL

And a few more...

Are Some Natural Environments More Psychologically Beneficial Than Others? 


The Importance of Type and Quality on Connectedness to Nature and Psychological Restoration 

Holocene hydro-climatic variability in the Mediterranean: A synthetic multi-proxy reconstruction 

Temporal changes in phytoplankton biomass and cellular properties; implications for the IMO ballast water convention 

Using a portable luminescence reader for rapid age assessment of aeolian sediments for reconstructing dunefield landscape evolution in southern Africa 

Connecting organic to mineral: How the physiological state of an ecosystem-engineer is linked to its habitat structure 

What controls submarine channel development and the morphology of deltas entering deep-water fjords? 

What do IP25 and related biomarkers really reveal about sea ice change? 

Westernmost record of the diamondback puffer, Lagocephalus guentheri (Tetraodontiformes: Tetraodontidae) in the Mediterranean Sea: First record from Greek waters 

From ocean sprawl to blue-green infrastructure – A UK perspective on an issue of global significance

Abiotic degradation of highly branched isoprenoid alkenes and other lipids in the water column off East Antarctica

Changes in marine phytoplankton diversity: Assessment under the Marine Strategy Framework Directive

Early Ipswichian (last interglacial) sea level rise in the channel region: Stone Point Site of Special Scientific Interest, Hampshire, England

Changes in the biochemical and nutrient composition of seafood due to ocean acidification and warming

Nonlinear dispersion for ocean surface waves

Identification, origin and characteristics of bio-bead microplastics from beaches in western Europe

Plankton lifeforms as a biodiversity indicator for regional-scale assessment of pelagic habitats for policy

Assessing relative sensitivity of marine and freshwater bivalves following exposure to copper: Application of classical and novel genotoxicological biomarkers

Internal lee waves and baroclinic bores over a tropical seamount shark ‘hot-spot’

Genetic analysis of a recently established Undaria pinnatifida (Laminariales: Alariaceae) population in the northern Wadden Sea reveals close proximity between drifting thalli and the attached population

Cadmium and/or copper excess induce interdependent metal accumulation, DNA methylation, induction of metal chelators and antioxidant defences in the seagrass Zostera marina