PhD Opportunity: Advancing Plankton Imaging & Machine Learning to Transform Marine Biodiversity Monitoring (University of Plymouth)

Job title

PhD Opportunity: Advancing Plankton Imaging & Machine Learning to Transform Marine Biodiversity Monitoring.

Company

Marine Research Plymouth (University of Plymouth, Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Marine Biological Association).

Description of the job

Marine Research Plymouth is offering a 3.5 year PhD studentship to advance plankton imaging and machine learning to transform marine biodiversity monitoring. The studentship is due to start on 1 October 2026.

Plankton play essential roles in marine food webs and global carbon cycles, acting as sensitive indicators of environmental change and enabling predictions of climate impacts on ocean biodiversity. However, current plankton monitoring is insufficient, limiting the ability to detect biodiversity shifts, model ocean responses to climate stressors, and inform effective conservation policies. Although advances in imaging technologies have enhanced the spatio-temporal resolution of plankton sampling, these data remain virtually unused in biodiversity assessments and policy frameworks.

This studentship addresses this critical gap by leveraging recent advancements in plankton imaging data classifiers' translatability across multiple instruments' output. The project will apply existing biodiversity policy indicators to new plankton image data, significantly expanding available datasets and directly improving biodiversity assessments under the UK Marine Strategy and OSPAR frameworks.

Research Activities:

• Collect plankton images using an innovative benchtop flow-through imaging sensor, integrating them with existing datasets from established platforms.
• Conduct fieldwork at sea in collaboration with Cefas (opportunity to work on the Cefas RV Endeavour).
• Visit the University of British Columbia to field test the new instrument.
• Apply a novel machine learning image classifier tool to classify plankton taxa and quantify essential ecological traits such as size and biovolume.
• Use combined data to characterise plankton spatio-temporal ecological change in the Northeast Atlantic.
• Contribute to the UK and OSPAR Pelagic Habitats Expert Groups.

Skills Development:

The candidate will acquire skills in machine learning, plankton taxonomy, ecological trait analysis, and biodiversity indicator development. Professional development will be supported through UoP's Plankton and Policy Research Unit and Marine Research Plymouth's early career network.

Supervision Team:

• Professor Abigail McQuatters-Gollop (Lead Supervisor, Director of Studies).
• Dr Clare Ostle (Second Supervisor).
• Professor Adrien Desjardins (Third Supervisor).
• Dr James Scott (Fourth Supervisor).
• Dr Saskia Rühl (Fifth Supervisor).

Marine Research Plymouth is a collaborative partnership between the University of Plymouth, the Plymouth Marine Laboratory and the Marine Biological Association. Plymouth has been at the forefront of global marine research for more than a century and is home to the largest concentration of marine researchers in the UK.

This project is one of three topics available for the studentship. One position will be allocated to the best combination of candidate and project as they emerge from interviews across the pool of available topics. This project is also eligible for a SERVO PhD studentship, which has different funding arrangements.

Requirements

• A first or upper second class honours degree or a Master's qualification in ecology, marine biology, data science, environmental sciences, or related fields.
• Candidates with interdisciplinary backgrounds and strong quantitative skills are particularly encouraged.
• If first language is not English: IELTS Academic score of 6.5 (with no less than 5.5 in each component test area) or equivalent.

Location

Plymouth, United Kingdom.

Salary

Not specified.

How to apply

Applicants should apply online via the University of Plymouth application system for PhD Marine Sciences. In the application form, add "MRP 26-10 McQuatters-Gollop" as the proposed project title and "Professor Abigail McQuatters-Gollop" as proposed supervisor. The application must include: CV/résumé, personal statement (outlining academic interests, prior research experience and reasons for wishing to undertake the project), degree certificates and transcripts, contact information for two referees, and proof of English language competency if applicable.

A research proposal is not needed – upload a blank document when asked.

For informal enquiries, contact Professor Abigail McQuatters-Gollop.

Deadline

08/04/2026.

Disclaimer

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