Laboratory exposures, field-to-laboratory experimental designs, modelling approaches to delineate mechanisms driving observed responses.

Field-based monitoring and mesocosm studies in a multi-species context, ecological modelling for effects on communities/biodiversity.

Monitoring strategies, to assess the impacts of multiple stressors on natural and non-natural systems, inform the design and success of mitigation strategies to address biodiversity objectives.

Identifying ecosystem biogeochemistry, hydrology and ecological functioning to understand state and change that alter the value of wetlands and transitional systems to human wellbeing.

Understanding the drivers (e.g. individual/community, institutional, legal) contributing to the presence/intensity of varied stressors and how these drivers affect ongoing sustainable management.

Supervisory Team:

Dr Leo Peskett – Heriot-Watt University
Mr Nick Everard – UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology
Ms Sarah Collins – British Geological Survey, Edinburgh

This project will investigate how land use and climate change pressures on upland wetland and floodplain systems, alter their role in modulating floods and droughts. You’ll develop innovative field-based and modelling methods, collaborating with a network of partners in Scotland’s wild and beautiful Southern Uplands, and working with leading research institutions as part of the UK’s new strategic Floods and Droughts Research Infrastructure (FDRI) Programme.
 
You’ll apply novel paired hydrometric and water tracer methods to this challenge. These approaches offer potential for a step change in how we conceptualise eco-hydrological processes and develop hydrological models that give the ‘right results for the right reasons’. However, they are still rarely used and have not been applied widely in the assessment of wetland systems and ecosystem service provision. The project will provide scope for innovation in how these methods can be mainstreamed and delivered at lower cost.
 
You’ll develop extensive field and modelling skills putting you at the forefront of global catchment hydrology research, wetland and water management policy, and the science of nature-based solutions. You’ll develop field skills in establishing hydrometric monitoring systems such as groundwater and soil water assessment through boreholes, time-domain, and potentially geophysical methods; river flow measurement using traditional and remote sensing (e.g. drone) techniques; and precipitation measurement. You’ll also develop skills in collecting and analysing water tracer data, such as stable isotopes (²H and ¹⁸O) and geochemistry used to identify water sources and flow paths. You’ll use these data to develop novel tracer-aided hydrological models (e.g. based on Dynamic Top model) exploring different scenarios and scaling questions.
 
Globally there is now huge awareness of the risks of increased floods and droughts due to climate and land use change. This is driving new interest among policy makers, civil society and the private sector, in the role of landscapes in storing water, and how humans influence this through nature-based solutions. But there remain huge uncertainties in quantifying these links, which is stifling investment and action. This project will test new approaches to this challenge, support local practitioners in the planning and implementation of practical actions in upland wetland systems, and contribute to wider societal impact by contributing to a major UK-wide strategic investment in flood and drought research that will inform future government policy.

Essential Skills, Field based skills, Data analysis

An interest in learning modelling methods and ability to drive (for visiting remote fieldwork locations) are highly desirable for this project.

https://www.hw.ac.uk/uk/schools/energy-geoscience-infrastructure-society/postgraduate-research/developing-novel-tracer-based-methods-to-investigate-how.htm

Supervisory Team:

Dr Alistair Lyndon – Heriot-Watt University
Prof. Teresa Fernandes – Heriot-Watt University
Dr Ross Alexander – Heriot-Watt University
Dr Helena Reinardy – University of the Highlands and Islands
Dr Hazel Selley – Natural England

This project examines how combinations of abiotic and biotic stressors affect germination and survival of seagrass seeds and seedlings, alongside use of synthetic materials (e.g. polyacrylamide) as a matrix for planting, which may protect against stressors, but may also constitute stressors on benthic infauna. This knowledge will help to understand the dynamic interannual changes in seagrass density and bed extent observed in nature and will help inform seagrass restoration efforts by allowing targeted planting of seeds in the best available areas.  It will involve seed collection, aquarium work, challenge of seedlings with combined stressors, verification of stressor levels in the field and mapping of these to predict in situ germination and survival rates. Work involved will include testing of different approaches for seed planting and sediment mixtures, including enrichment, and possible effects of these approaches on benthic biota.

Skills to be developed will include seagrass survey and seed collection, plant health assessment and growth protocols, field measurements of biotic and abiotic stressors, use of laboratory challenge protocols, chemical analytical techniques, statistical analyses, GIS mapping, networking and communication with agency and stakeholder groups.
 
No information is available on multi-stressor effects on seagrass germination and survival.  Work to date has looked at single environmental factors in isolation or at correlates of seagrass density or extent.  This project aims to directly determine the influence on seagrass establishment of combinations of abiotic and biotic stressors.  The combination of expertise in germination (derived from malting-related plant science) at Heriot-Watt (HWU), ecotoxicology (HWU and SAMS) and restoration (HWU and NE) brings together a unique blend of relevant experience.  The Forth, through work done by the PI,  is the best-studied marine/estuarine system for time-series of intertidal seagrass distribution in the UK, which makes it an ideal location for the proposed studies.
 
Seagrass is a threatened habitat worldwide which contributes to coastal stabilisation, fisheries production and maintenance of coastal biodiversity.  Understanding reasons for changes in natural seagrass distribution is essential to design and develop successful restoration efforts, including where they should be targeted and to predict where loss of seagrass might be likely, so as to optimise conservation efforts and to inform assessment of increased risks (e.g. erosion/sediment transport).  This information addresses problems in coastal erosion/stability, sustainable fisheries production and biodiversity conservation.

Essential Skills:, Field-based skills, Laboratory skills, Data analysis

Supervisory Team:

Dr Frances Orton – Heriot-Watt University
Dr Michelle Jackson – University of Oxford
Dr Andrew Smart – Froglife

This is an exciting project at the intersection of ecotoxicology and ecology to investigate the impacts of multiple stressors. A range of anthropogenic stressors will be investigated for their effects on UK native amphibian species, both in the context of single species exposures and as part of amphibian communities. These charismatic organisms are integral to wetland ecosystems, relying on both aquatic and terrestrial compartments to complete their life-cycle. The project will encompass both mesocoms and field-based approaches to answer fundamental questions central to developing a better understanding for the real-world impacts of multiple stressors. The supervisory team comprises: Multiple stressor/amphibian ecotoxicologist (Orton, Heriot-Watt), freshwater ecotoxicologist (Henry, Heriot-Watt), mesocosm/multiple stressor aquatic ecologist (Jackson, Oxford) and expertise in amphibian conservation and habitat restoration (Smart, Froglife).
 
Amphibians are declining globally, with 40% of species threatened with extinction, which is higher than for any other vertebrate taxa. The pattern of declines are also observed in the UK, where three species out of the seven native species (i.e. 43%): (natterjack toad [Epidalea calamita], common toad [Bufo bufo], great crested newt [Triturus cristatus]) have experienced considerable declines over the past 50 years (and are legally protected). Therefore, there is a need to better understand the role of multiple anthropogenic stressors in driving these declines.
 
The student will work across disciplines, and therefore, will gain a wide range of knowledge and skills. From the experimental design perspective, they will learn both the theory and practical application of designing and conducting multiple stressor experiments. Further, they will learn how to set-up and run mesocosm experiments effectively, in order to carry out these exposures, as well as the application of associated research questions using field-based approaches. Laboratory skills include: amphibian husbandry, molecular biology (eDNA, rt-qPCR) and analysis of behavioural responses. 

Essential Skills:, Field-based skills, Laboratory skills, Data analysis

Supervisory Team:

Dr Sandhya Patidar – Heriot-Watt University
Dr Cedric Laize – UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
Dr Michael Hutchins – UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
Dr Rob Collins – The Rivers Trust

Estuaries, essential for human well-being and socioeconomic development, are increasingly threatened by climate change, pollution, habitat loss, over-abstraction, and invasive species. These stressors often interact, creating complex and unpredictable impacts on estuarine health. While individual stressor effects are well studied, understanding their combined impacts is crucial for effective management. This PhD project addresses this gap using a holistic approach that integrates data science (Dr Sandhya Patidar, HWU), hydro-ecological modelling (Dr Cedric Laize, UKCEH), and water quality modelling (Dr Michael Hutchins, UKCEH), with collaboration from partners Dr Rob Collins (The Rivers Trust) and stakeholders at SEPA and RSPB.
 
The student will gain expertise in interdisciplinary research, combining data science (statistical, time-series, machine learning), hydro-ecology, and water quality modelling, with a focus on climate change and environmental impact assessment. They will develop programming skills in R or Python to process diverse hydro-ecological, water quality, climate, and flow datasets. By integrating data science with physics/process-based models, they will study multi-stressor impacts. The student will also enhance critical thinking, problem-solving, and communication skills, while collaborating with partner, stakeholders and professionals from various fields. They will have opportunities to present work through seminars, publications, and media outreach.
 
This project is novel in its holistic approach to understanding how multiple stressors interact to impact estuarine resilience. Unlike previous studies that focus on individual factors, it combines data science and physics/process-based modelling to analyse complex interplay of various stressors using diverse dataset. The innovative tools will assess estuarine dynamics, identify long-term trends and short-term fluctuations, and conduct scenario-based impact analysis. Collaborating with partners and stakeholders, students will create scenarios for risk mitigation and management strategies, which will be evaluated using the diagnostic tool. The project’s outcomes will provide critical insights to support sustainable decision-making for estuarine conservation.
 
Estuaries are under siege from multiple stressors, pollution, including habitat degradation, and climate change, with stressors often interacting in unpredictable ways. Our limited understanding of these cumulative impacts makes it challenging to develop effective risk mitigation strategies. To address this, the project will advance data modelling to better understand estuarine responses to stressors and create predictive models for impact assessment. These models will inform evidence-based risk mitigation and management strategies for estuarine protection and restoration. Engaging policymakers, environmental managers, and coastal communities is crucial, though aligning research with their needs presents a challenge that the project is designed to overcome.

Essential Skills: Data analysis, Modelling, Communication skills across a broad range of stakeholders

Supervisory Team:

Dr Ian Pattison – Heriot-Watt University
Dr Kelly Redeker – University of York
Prof. Chris Spray – Tweed Forum

The agricultural landscape is a patchwork of different land covers. Fields are often separated by artificial drainage ditches, dug historically to make land more productive. However, as we move to more balanced multi-functional landscapes, with a greater emphasis on ecosystem services, the role these ditches play is crucial at a network and catchment scale. Management and maintenance e.g. vegetation cutting, ditch blocking, can provide flood and water quality control. This project brings together expertise in relevant topics in an experienced and supportive supervisor team to investigate the problems/stressors, hydrological functioning, and management solutions that ditches can provide in agricultural landscapes.
 
The project will provide opportunity for the student to gain knowledge and skills relating to agricultural and ditch systems. Fieldwork skills will be developed to collect a range of hydrological and chemical related data, including experimental design, fieldwork campaign planning and sensor technology aspects. There is also opportunity for the student to develop numerical modelling skills e.g. hydrological/hydraulic models, to upscale from local ditches to ditch networks and catchment scale impacts. Most importantly, the project will provide the relaxed environment for the student to be creative, show initiative and build confidence in their ability to lead a research project.
 
Most hydrological studies on ditches focus on local scale processes and impacts. The novelty of this PhD is the focus on ditches as a network and system rather than isolated features. Questions such as (1) how water propagates through the network, in terms of lag times and flow volumes, are important in understanding how they function; (2) how ditches contribute water to main watercourses, where, when and what relative proportions? will allow greater understanding of the system; and (3) how ditches can be used as Nature-based Solutions, and how their design, management and maintenance can optimise these functions.
 
Flood Risk and watercourse pollution are growing challenges in the 21st century due to climate change, agricultural intensification and urbanisation stressors. Ditches may look small, minor components of a river network, but dynamic expansion during storms results in them acting as rapid conveyors of large amounts of water, pollutants and sediment from over a wide proportion of catchments into main rivers causing flooding and related problems downstream. Flooding damages alone are up to £1.1billion per year on average in the UK.  Nature-based Solutions, such as managing ditches, can help mitigate these challenges and work with nature to develop sustainable solutions.

Essential Skills: Field-based skills, Modelling, Communication skills across a broad range of stakeholders

It is noted that you don’t need experience of all three of these skills as the project is flexible to work with the successful student to tailor it to their experience, current skills and interests, providing training opportunities to address any needs.

Supervisory Team:

Prof. Theodore Henry – Heriot-Watt University
Dr Frances Orton – Heriot-Watt University
Dr Helena Reinardy – University of the Highlands and Islands
Dr Stewart Owen – AstraZeneca
Prof. Gisela Umbuzeiro – University of Campinas, Limeira, SP, Brazil

Tropical wetlands are especially vulnerable habitats in global climate models that predict temperatures will increase substantially, extreme storm events will occur more frequently, changes in riverine discharge (i.e., leading to changes in salinity of estuaries) will become more dramatic, and negative anthropogenic factors (pollution, shipping, overfishing) will become more severe as human populations increase.  Our established ecotoxicology tropical amphipod (Parhyale hawaiensis) model enables cross-laboratory experimentation (UK-Brazil) and field research within our existing field sites in São Paulo state Brazil.  The supervisory team is composed of experts in field and laboratory ecotoxicology, pathophysiology and in the investigation of multiple stressors.
 
Experimentation will include both laboratory and field studies and consider organism responses to stressors at molecular (genotoxicology, target gene and transcriptome), tissue (histopathology), whole organism (behaviour, reproduction), and community (genetic polymorphisms) levels of biological organisation.  Laboratory experimentation will utilize the established colonies of P. hawaiensis at Heriot-Watt University and University of Campinas, and field research including deployment of amphipods in purpose-built cages in mangrove habitats of São Paulo state Brazil.  The project supervisor (TB Henry) has long established research collaboration with supervisor in Brazil (GA Umbuzeiro) and a joint academic appointment at the University of Campinas (Campinas, Brazil). 
 
Biodiversity is under threat from the combination of climate change and pollution, and, in the context of mangrove wetlands, is a United Nations Triple Planetary Crisis.  However, we know almost nothing about how these multiple stressors will affect fundamental biology of critical ecosystem enablers such as amphipods.  Near 30% of the world’s mangroves are in UK Commonwealth countries.  This studentship will increase understanding of pathophysiology in the poly-crisis facing these critical wetland ecosystems, and project novelty includes interlaboratory (UK-Brazil) comparison of ecotoxicology results with the P. hawaiensis model and field experimentation to facilitate validation of laboratory results.
 
Tropical mangrove wetlands are frequently exposed to multiple stressors including both natural variations and anthropogenic factors (e.g., pollution, shipping, habitat alteration, overfishing); however, the understanding of how these ecosystems respond to multiple stressors is largely unknown.  Projections of future global environmental changes (e.g., climate change) indicate that tropical regions are likely to be struck most acutely by stressful events including temperature, changes in discharge of freshwaters (i.e., salinity changes), extreme storm events, and pollution from rapidly expanding human population growth in these areas.  These vulnerable ecosystems are critical to the maintenance and health of neighbouring marine environments. 

Essential Skills: Field-based skills, Laboratory skills

Supervisory Team:

Prof. David Spurgeon – UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
Dr John Wilkinson – University of York
Dr Nico Van Den Brink – UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
Dr Emily Eagles – UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
Dr Kelly Widdicks – UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
Dr Rob Collins – The Rivers Trust


Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) (also known as “forever chemicals”) are widespread and very persistent pollutants. Because of their mobility, PFAS are expected to reach wetland environments. In these biodiverse habitats, the toxicity of PFAS on invertebrates has a high probability to differ with temperature, given that both stressors can modify the metabolic rate of organisms. To understand these complex and interacting effects, this project will assess how PFAS exposure in ponds/ditches affects biodiversity under the prevailing climate conditions in different regions (Mediterranean, N/S UK, Arctic). The study will collate known information on pond and stream pollution and will sample locations nationally and internationally for PFAS. Species living in these habitats will be studied to see how much they take up PFAS, how these chemicals modify feeding, affect metabolism and have population effects under different temperature (extremes).

Detailed project plan and student experience
This project will assess how the presence and effects of PFAS in ponds and ditches, vary across different climatic regions (Mediterranean, Northern/Southern UK, Arctic). It will examine the effects of PFAS and study how temperature and associated stressors linked to hydrological conditions modify the effects of these persistent pollutants. The student will systematically review existing data on PFAS in small waterbodies. Fieldwork will be conducted across Europe to sample ephemeral ponds/ditches in different climates for PFAS measurements using cutting edge analysis methods. In parallel, laboratory experiments will be conducted to assess how PFAS are absorbed by aquatic organisms (e.g., Daphnia, algal biofilms), modify feeding or photosynthesis, influence metabolic rates, and cause population-level effects under multi-stressor conditions.

By working on the above aspects, the student will gain experience in environmental sampling, PFAS analysis, and ecotoxicological experimentation, along with skills in data analysis, FAIR data management, digital science, and scientific communication. The work will be supervised by experts in PFAS ecotoxicology (Prof David Spurgeon, Dr Emily Eagles) of the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (www.ceh.ac.uk) (located at Wallingford, Oxfordshire) – an Independent Charitable Environmental Science Research Institute sponsored by NERC (the ultimate funder of the PhD program). The student will also be affiliated to, and be able to use the facilities of, the University of York (the institute that will ultimately award their PhD degree). Through partnerships, the student will also work with researchers at a stakeholder project collaborator (The Rivers Trust) and with an ecotoxicologist experienced in working in extreme environment (Prof Nico Van Den Brink, Wageningen University).

Essential Skills: Field-based skills, Laboratory skills, Data analysis

It is noted that you don’t need significant experience of all three of these skills. However, these are the areas where you must believe you have demonstrated some potential and that you wish to further develop as they are a core part of the project.

Supervisory Team:

Dr Cedric Laize – UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
Prof. David Spurgeon – UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
Dr Frances Orton – Heriot-Watt University
Mr Charles George – UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
Dr Hannah Robson – Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust
Dr Melanie Fletcher – Natural England

This project seeks to harness the potential of recent development in spatial information and earth observation (e.g. drones) to map ponds and to quantify the occurrence of environmental stressors on these mapped ponds. These miniature wetlands are often overlooked but support exceptionally high biodiversity. The project will involve both field work and advanced computer-based analysis of geodata. Led by UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology in partnership with Heriot-Watt University, CASE partner Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, and Natural England. The student will be based primarily at UKCEH (lead supervision) and registered with Heriot-Watt (academic supervision).

The student will develop (i) strong general data science and numerical skills, and (ii) advanced specialist skills in spatial information, earth observation and drone operation; and (iii) understanding of the distribution of environmental stressors. The student will benefit from access to the full portfolio of training available to UKCEH staff. Relevant training will include advanced coding and data analysis (e.g. R, Python), statistics, machine learning, GIS, remote sensing software, field work practices, first aid. The student will be supported to learn how to pilot drones as far as practical and appropriate for the project (e.g. working towards a GVC certification).

Due to their small size, identifying and surveying ponds is essentially done via field visits, which are time and resource intensive. In this project we will address this issue by capitalising on the recent development in spatial information and earth observation using drones. We will both map these mini-wetlands and quantify the occurrence of multiple stressors using available land use/water quality data. The project will require developing state-of-the-art technical skills and approaches capitalising on the recent developments in earth observation products (e.g. open-source Lidar data), techniques (e.g. drone-based data collection) and their analytical routes (e.g. AI-based image classification).

While there are data available on ponds from various organisations or research groups, there is no actual comprehensive pond geodatabase comparable to those available for lakes or reservoirs at UK level. This hinders all aspects of research on ponds, starting with understanding baseline conditions or site selection for a study. Primarily, the project would contribute to developing such geodata sets, as well as to easing re-surveying through time. Additionally, data on the occurrence of environmental stressors will provide an invaluable dataset to anyone working on health of ponds and/or their resident biota in the UK.

Supervisory Team:

Dr Holly Tipper – UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
Dr Michelle Jackson – University of Oxford
Dr Susheel Bhanu Busi – UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
Prof. Jason Weeks – JNCC

This exciting and collaborative PhD project combines contemporary molecular techniques with a field-based approach to investigate the effects of multiple chemical stressors and climate on natural microbial community composition, functionality and ecosystem service delivery in wetland systems. The project will be hosted at the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH), Wallingford, in collaboration with the University of Oxford, our CASE partner Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC), and project partner UK Water Industry Research (UKWIR).

Microorganisms play an essential role in wetland biogeochemical processes. Pollution by chemical mixtures poses a significant threat to these communities and their function, potentially disrupting ecosystem services and putting environmental health at risk. Further, climate change is causing highly variable and more extreme climatic conditions, affecting both managed and natural wetland systems. This will likely modify key biogeochemical processes (e.g., nutrient cycling and biodegradation) and microbial community composition, which may affect how such wetlands deliver ecosystem benefits (e.g., water treatment). Wastewater treatment wetlands are widely implemented as ‘nature-based solutions’ offering a low-energy/low-cost reduction in contaminant loads during treatment or the impact from combined sewer overflows on waterbodies. However, research on the combined effects of chemical and climatic stressors (e.g., temperature) on wetland microbial communities and functions remains limited. This project explores how these multiple stressors influence wetland microbial communities and their critical effects on pollutant degradation and water quality through laboratory and field experiments. The project findings will aid in informing water industry practices and in designing sustainable, low-cost nature-based water treatment systems. This project tackles multiple real-world stressors, investigating the combination of chemical pollution and climatic impacts on ecosystems and ecosystem services, water quality and public health, and sustainable environmental management.

During the project, the student will gain expertise in the design and analysis of multi-stressor laboratory and mesocosm experiments, including key skills in microbiology, molecular biology (including metagenomic sequencing and qPCR techniques), experimental design, data analysis and visualisation, scientific writing, and presenting. The cross-disciplinary supervisory team spans academia, policy, and the water industry to elevate this research into a valuable contribution to environmental and public health, whilst also supporting the student’s research and career aspirations. UKCEH Wallingford will host the PhD, providing access to cutting-edge molecular and microbiological resources. The student will also be affiliated with, and be able to use the facilities of, the University of Oxford (the institute that will ultimately award their PhD degree). The student will receive valuable experience by working closely with the project CASE partner, JNCC which will provide policy-facing experience through working with environmental pollution policy teams and presenting work to a wide range of stakeholders, with the opportunity to undertake a placement of at least three months with financial T&S support. Our project partners, UKWIR, will also offer invaluable industry insight and technical guidance in management and engineering of treatment wetlands. The student will also have the chance to participate in a range of opportunities at the host and partner organisations and through the ECOWILD CDT. 

Essential Skills: Field-based skills, Laboratory skills, Data analysis.

It is noted that you don’t need significant experience in all three of these skills. However, these are the areas where you must believe you have demonstrated some potential and that you wish to further develop as they are a core part of the project.

Supervisory Team:

Dr Michelle Jackson – University of Oxford
Dr Clayton Magill – Heriot-Watt University
Mrs Sarah Brockless – Spains Hall Estate
Mr Graham Hart – Essex Bat Group

The flux of energy and materials across terrestrial-aquatic boundaries is a key characteristic of wetlands which creates important food web links between organisms. However, these so-called ‘trophic subsidies’ will be affected by multiple stressor scenarios, with implications for the wider wetland food web and biodiversity. In this project you will quantify how these stressors interact to alter trophic subsidies in wetlands. You will then explore the impacts of any multiple stressor driven changes in subsidies on the biodiversity and diet of wetland species. You will be supervised by an interdisciplinary team with expertise in food webs, bat conservation, ecological management, and isotopes.

The successful student will broadly quantify trends in the single and combined impacts of anthropogenic stressors on subsidies in freshwater and marine wetlands using a meta-analysis, before focusing on a case-study at Spains Hall Estate (Essex). Here, you will directly quantify trophic subsidies (e.g. insect emergence) in wetlands across a gradient of stress, from established and newly restored beaver wetlands to actively farmed sites. You will then establish the consequence of any changes in subsidy timing, quantity, or quality on the bats that rely on this wetland resource.

Supervisory Team:

Dr Michelle Jackson – University of Oxford
Dr Tim Szewczyk – Scottish Association for Marine Science / University of the Highlands and Islands
Dr Louise Lactivore – Freshwater Biological Association

Marine and freshwater wetlands support exceptionally high biodiversity, especially for invertebrates. This diversity is threatened by extreme events, including drought, heatwaves, and chemical spills (e.g., in sewage from storm overflows). This PhD will quantify how these pulsed multiple stressor events interact over time and space to affect wetland invertebrates using a range of techniques (including experiments and population modelling). You will then use this information to develop a species conservation and recovery programme for some of the most at-risk invertebrates in the UK. Field work in both floodplains and marine wetlands (lagoons, dunes) will be a key part of this project.

You will be supervised by Dr Michelle Jackson at the University of Oxford (the host institute), Dr Louise Lactivore (Freshwater Biological Association in the Lake District), and Dr Tim Szewczyk (Scottish Association for Marine Science).

This supervisory team has expertise in multiple stressors, conservation, and quantitative ecology. The student will develop broad field biology, laboratory, experimental, and data analysis skills. There will include invertebrate sampling, chemical testing, experimental design, demographic modelling, and meta-analyses. They will learn how to apply these skills to real-world conservation plans and gain hands-on experience in both academic and NGO settings.

Supervisory Team:

Dr Helena Reinardy – University of the Highlands and Islands
Prof. Alistair Boxall – University of York
Ms Isabella Gosetto – JNCC
Dr Lucy Turner – University of Plymouth

Christmas Island is a unique and vulnerable habitat dominated by evolutionary expansion in land crabs exploiting the absence of predatory threats common on other tropical island habitats. Two of the wetland systems on Christmas Island are internally recognised for their importance through the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, the mangroves at Hosnies Springs, and The Dales wetland system. Phosphate mining was established on the island over a century ago, and open cast mining areas and phosphate stockpiles are scattered across the island and provide a potential source of contaminants such as cadmium and other metals to the wider island environment.

Understanding complex multi-stressor conditions in light of climate change and increasing pollution pressure on crab reproduction and early life stages will provide valuable insight into their vulnerability or resilience to future climate conditions and deepen our understanding into the mechanisms of their adaptive success at a genetic and physiological level. The project will be a combined approach of multistressor challenges in a controlled environment, working with a model lab-reared tropical freshwater crab, a field campaign to Christmas Island, and application of science in policy and conservation. Use of a model lab system will enable training and method development in embryophenomics and molecular mechanisms of adaptive responses to combined stressors (e.g. cadmium and elevated temperatures). The field campaign will focus on Hosnies Springs and The Dales. Water, sediment, and biota (crabs) samples will be collected for contaminant profiling. Sampling will be carried out in the rainy season during the yearly crab migration from various pristine and potentially contaminated sites. Parks Australia will act as stakeholder and provide data on contaminant profiles of selected island sites. Pre-release fertilised embryos will be collected and exposed to an acute multistressor challenge before analysis by embryophenomics, and tissue will be collected for molecular and genetic methods.

Protection and understanding of wetlands under multistressor conditions is at the heart of the ECOWILD CDT and this project is built around its aims and goals. This project addresses two of the five main goals of the program. Firstly, it directly assesses multiple stressor effects on individual species at wetland sites on Christmas Island. Secondly, generating conservation policy relevant science by working within a protected area to directly influence monitoring and management and partnering with JNCC who are UK Focal Centre for the Ramsar Scientific and Technical Review Panel to consider translatability for island nations. JNCC will act as CASE Partner and stakeholder, with Isabella Gosetto as their lead named person. They will provide CASE contribution to the RTSG and a 3-month placement within their Environmental Pollution team. Parks Australia will join as an external stakeholder, engaging in field planning and project meetings as needed. Additionally, in-kind support will include on-island costs of accommodation, field support, access to protected sites, and necessary permits. Support and engagement has been agreed with Ramsar directly.

Supervisory team: Dr Helena Reinardy is a molecular and genetic ecotoxicologist, with broad experience in multistressor experiments (e.g. metals, temperature challenge) and effects analysis in a range of vertebrate and invertebrate aquatic species. Her specialism is in genetic toxicology of environmental stressors, and she will lead on supporting the DNA damage response systems and metal detoxification. Genotoxicology and gene expression methodology will be based in her laboratory at SAMS, and she will lead the supervisory team and act as Director of Studies.

Prof Alistair Boxall is an environmental chemist with extensive experience in understanding the fate, occurrence and accumulation of chemical contaminants in the natural environment. Alistair will provide expertise on the analytical and environmental chemistry aspects of the project.

Dr Lucy Turner is an expert in land crab ecophysiology and has led and conducted fieldwork on Christmas Island since 2007 (six previous field campaigns). She has expertise and will provide training in the ecophysiological including developmental (embryophenomics) techniques needed for this project. Her group in Plymouth holds stocks of lab-reared freshwater land crabs Geosesarma sp. which will be used as the lab model organism enabling the perfection of experimental design and techniques before any fieldwork. She will be a co-supervisor.

Essential skills include: molecular biology and/or physiological laboratory experience, experimental aquatic biology, field work, and data analyses.

Supervisory Team:

Dr Mark Taggart – University of the Highlands and Islands
Dr M. Gloria Pereira – UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
Dr Clayton Magill – Heriot-Watt University
Dr Tony Sainsbury – Institute of Zoology, affiliated with University College, London
Dr Suzane Qassim – Natural England

Eurasian beavers are semi-aquatic herbivorous rodents which became extinct in England around the 16th Century. Populations are beginning to return within some catchments in England and the DRAHS programme (an Institute of Zoology – Natural England partnership) has been set up to enable pathological investigations, tissue sample archiving, and background data collation from beaver carcasses.

This PhD will tap into this established program – and begin to build a holistic understanding of the exposure and impacts of a mixture of chemical pollutants (i.e., heavy metals, POPs, emerging pollutants) and disease agents (infectious agents, e.g., viruses, bacteria; non-infectious agents, e.g., nutrient deficiencies) within beavers, to inform future recovery. Likewise, it will help identify potential threats to other biota in the context of a One Health approach. Beavers represent a priority species for recovery and a ‘new’ semi-aquatic herbivorous biomonitoring sentinel.

This project will involve targeted and non-targeted chemical analysis of new and archived sample tissues (using a variety of tissue types) – employing techniques including ICP-OES/MS for inorganics and GC-FID/MS, GC-MS/MS and LC-MS/MS for organics (e.g., POPs, agrochemicals, emerging pollutants). State of the art instruments and facilities for such analysis exist within the host institutes (UHI, HWU, UKCEH). In terms of disease detection, the PhD student will work with the DRAHS group which currently delivers all beaver post-mortem examinations, diagnostic pathology, and sample archiving. The wider stakeholder group (i.e., the Environment Agency) will also facilitate access to other potentially valuable metadata such as relevant catchment water quality.

The PhD can begin to explore a range of questions, potentially including:
– Are there spatial (i.e., catchment) or temporal differences in disease presence and/or chemical pollution levels that could impact on beaver population recovery?

– What are the priority chemical substances of concern within (beaver created) wetlands in England?
– Is there a link between levels of chemicals and pathological findings in the beavers?
– What is the risk from disease transmission between beavers and other biota?
– Are there new chemical indicators that could be further developed and reported on (in future) to inform environmental policy?

The student will develop expertise in analytical chemistry, the diagnosis of disease, chemical fate and biomonitoring, statistical analyses, policy and regulation – all within the context of a broader ecological understanding of freshwater ecosystems and wildlife health. They will benefit from the opportunity to work with project supervisors at Natural England (expertise in ecotoxicology and mammal ecology), at the Institute of Zoology (Disease Risk Analysis and Health Surveillance; DRAHS) and with several academic partners (biogeochemists/wildlife toxicologists).   

Supervisory Team:

Dr Helena Reinardy – University of the Highlands and Islands
Prof. Laurence Jones – UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
Mr Dave Bromwich – Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust
Dr Anissia Halwyn – Natural England
Miss Marina Pugh – Natural England

Climate change has multiple and complex impacts on coastal wetlands. Sea level rise will increase the height of the fresh groundwater table, but coastal erosion will lower it. At the same time, management decisions about coastal defences may change the boundary between fresh and salt. The dynamics between freshwater and saline habitats will be increasingly fluid in future, and the conservation implications of this are unclear. The project will use a mix of palaeo-ecological and ecological techniques to understand from past habitats what future conditions might look like. The supervisory team consists of experts on dune ecology, palaeo-environmental reconstruction and nature conservation bodies to establish evidence-based guidance on coastal wetland management.

This project will investigate the effects of climate change on coastal wetlands using the Lincolnshire Coastal Grazing Marshes and other sites as a living laboratory, where removal of sea banks, re-excavated dune slacks and managed realignment have created a dynamic fresh/saline interface which will cause changes in the vegetation, invertebrate and wetland vertebrate communities.

Using field and laboratory techniques, it will examine current hydrological and ecological changes and those in the past, to understand the interplay between freshwater and saline controls on the ecology of these systems in order to inform future conservation and management strategies developed by Natural England (NE) and Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust (LWT). The project will address two key questions:

 1.     Is there evidence in the palaeo-ecological record of a fluctuating and dynamic brackish interface, before shoreline protection and coastal defences enforced a separation of freshwater and saline habitats?

2.     What are the key biological and hydrological markers and can they help understand ecological responses to the current rapidly changing conditions?

You will gain an understanding in key ecological and hydrological processes affecting biological communities in dune slacks, saltmarsh and grazing marsh. You will learn palaeo-ecological techniques such as diatom analysis to establish pH, salinity and trophic status. Field work will involve taking sediment cores and water sampling. Laboratory skills will include diatom identification, preparation of samples for radiometric dating, analysis of water and soil samples. The data will be used to understand the timing and impact of shifts between saline and freshwater conditions over time. You will also have the opportunity to develop your presentation skills at conferences and written skills through publishing scientific papers.

This project will be based at the University of York (lead supervisor Dr Katherine Selby), with visits to UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH) in Bangor (co-supervisor Prof Laurence Jones) and 3 months working with Natural England, the CASE partner. Fieldwork will be primarily in Lincolnshire, but will make use of other relevant coastal sites e.g. in Scotland or Wales.

Essential Skills: Field-based skills; Laboratory skills; Data analysis.

Supervisory Team:

Prof. Alistair Boxall – University of York
Dr Frances Orton – Heriot-Watt University
Prof. Tom Hutchinson – Reckitt

Freshwater wetlands are increasingly threatened by a complex mix of chemicals, which can have harmful effects on the health of resident species. With climate change driving significant changes in the physico-chemical environment (e.g., temperature shifts, changes in pH, wet-drying cycles), the risks posed by these chemicals could alter in ways that we currently do not fully understand. This PhD project will investigate how climate change could alter the risks of chemical exposure in wetland ecosystems and develop new models to forecast these risks under future climate scenarios.

Supported by a CASE award with Reckitt, an international leader in consumer hygiene and healthcare, this research will explore how climate-induced environmental changes impact the fate, uptake, and toxicity of chemical contaminants in wetland invertebrate species.

What You Will Do:

You will conduct innovative research to understand the interactions between chemical exposure and climate change in wetland ecosystems. Specifically, you will:

Conduct a systematic review exploring how key environmental parameters (e.g., temperature, pH, wet-drying cycles) impacted by climate change influence the fate, uptake, and effects of chemical pollutants in wetland ecosystems.
Design and carry out experiments to test how climate-induced changes (e.g., heatwaves, pH fluctuations) affect the distribution, degradation, bioavailability, and toxicity of various chemicals in wetland environments.
Develop predictive models to estimate the future risks of chemical exposure for wetland species, helping to shape strategies for ecosystem protection under changing climate conditions.
Collaborate with Reckitt during a secondment to explore the implications of your findings for environmental risk assessment methodologies, particularly for chemicals used in consumer products.

What You Will Learn:

As part of this PhD, you will gain hands-on experience in a wide range of research techniques, including:

Environmental analytical chemistry (e.g., LC-MS-MS)
Environmental fate testing (e.g., sorption and persistence studies)
Ecotoxicology assessments to evaluate the impact of chemicals on wetland invertebrates
Modelling the bioaccumulation and ecological effects of chemical contaminants
Risk assessment methodologies relevant to environmental policies and regulatory frameworks

Essential Skills: Field-based skills and laboratory experience, Strong data analysis and modelling capabilities, Excellent communication skills for working with diverse stakeholders

Supervisory Team:

Dr Jon Hill – University of York
Dr Elizabeth Masden – University of the Highlands and Islands
Dr Tim Szewczyk – Scottish Association for Marine Science / University of the Highlands & Islands
Dr Lucy Wright – RSPB Centre for Conservation Science
Dr Aly McCluskie – RSPB Centre for Conservation Science

Tidal energy holds great promise for advancing our global transition towards zero-carbon energy sources. The UK has sites with some of the world’s best tidal energy sources but these sites are situated in ecologically sensitive areas, e.g. Severn Estuary. Extracting tidal-range energy using, for example tidal barrages or lagoons, will inevitably trigger ecological impacts: positive and negative. Moreover, climate change and other anthropogenic activities will create impacts in non-linear ways as sea-level rise alters tidal conditions and creates tidal zone squeeze, but tidal energy may increase the tidal zone area. Moreover, rivers input pollutants (e.g. sewerage), but tidal barriers may reduce dissipation, concentrating the impacts. Here, we propose to adjust energy extraction by optimising the layout or the operation of tidal energy devices, such that it could be possible to “tune” energy extraction to optimise biodiversity outcomes given these multiple stressors. Current work focuses on single species impacts with little work to quantify overall biodiversity change, including propagation of impacts through trophic levels. Here, we will use numerical models with machine learning to adjust the layout and operation of energy systems in order to engineer a net gain in outcomes for birds across multiple scales and taxa, evaluated through a comprehensive set of metrics, including restorations of populations in Special Protection Areas.

The project will be based in the Environment and Geography Department at the University of York, which offers an outstanding, dynamic and multidisciplinary environment in which to carry out PhD research. Our current PhD students come from many countries around the world and are well supported by a comprehensive programme of training and an inclusive supervision network.

We are looking for an enthusiastic person to join a growing research team in York that uses numerical methods to tackle environmental problems. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds, particularly those under-represented in science, who have curiosity, creativity and a drive to learn new skills. You should have a background in mathematics, physical sciences or computer science with a passion to develop physical oceanography and ecological knowledge. There is opportunity to participate in fieldwork with the RSPB to gain valuable insight into data collection methods.

Essential Skills: Data analysis; Numerical Modelling; Coding/Programming

Supervisory Team:

Prof. Jason Snape – University of York
Dr Isobel Stanton – UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
Prof. Russell Davenport – Newcastle University
Dr John Wilkinson – University of York
Dr Chris Jones – Northumbrian Water Group (member of UKWIR)

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has existed in the natural environment for millennia, however the increased use, and poor stewardship of antibiotics has resulted in the rapid development of AMR to the point where it is threatening modern healthcare, animal husbandry, and food security. The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has just had a special session dedicated to tackling this complex issue as it is predicted that AMR will be the leading cause of morbidity by 2050, and result in >$1 trillion in increased healthcare costs and lost productivity.

Whilst AMR is a One Health issue with interconnected human, animal and environmental components, the significance of natural and engineered wetlands as reservoirs for the evolution, selection, enrichment and removal of AMR and antibacterial resistance genes (ARGs) is understudied, as is the impact of temperature and rainfall on AMR dynamics. This project will examine the impact of multi stressor effects (temperature, precipitation, chemical mixtures and gradients) on AMR, microbial species, populations and communities in natural and engineered wetlands and the ecosystem services they provide. The objectives of this project are to:Use microbiological and molecular methods to quantify changes in the diversity and relative abundance of ARGs, and their host bacteria, over an 18-month period in natural and engineered wetlands, with increased sampling frequencies at high temperatures and periods of high or low rainfall.
Compare the ARG burden, type and microbial hosts between natural and engineered wetlands and their dynamics with changes in temperature and rainfall.
Explore the spatial variability of ARGs, their hosts, and chemical exposure within engineered wetlands (trickling filter beds and reedbeds) where significant chemical gradients exist.   The impact of temperature and rainfall on these gradients will also be explored.
Determine the role that engineered reedbeds have in reducing the environmental burden of ARGs and antibiotics.
Investigate how these multiple stressors impact ecosystem services (e.g. nitrogen and phosphorus removal) provided by the natural and engineered wetlands. 

The student will have access to state of the art full-scale and pilot wastewater treatment facilities at the Northumbrian Water Group BE:WISe facility, engineered wetlands for enhanced nitrogen and phosphorus removal, molecular biology, analytical chemistry and microbiology facilities. This student will have a balance of field and laboratory work on an issue of increasing global significance.

Essential Skills: Field-based skills; Laboratory skills; Data analysis; Communication skills across broad range of stakeholders; Policy and/or regulation

Supervisory Team:

Prof. Kathryn Arnold – University of York
Dr Niall Burnside – University of the Highlands and Islands
Dr Lucy Mason – Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB)
Dr Mark Wilson – British Trust for Ornithology (BTO)

The coastal machair and farmed peatland landscape of the Uist islands in the Outer Hebrides supports internationally important densities of breeding waders, but populations have declined by 25% since 1983. An important driver of these declines is egg predation by introduced hedgehogs, but recent declines in areas without hedgehogs suggest that other stressors, including land-use and agricultural intensification are also involved. This project aims to better understand the extent and interactivity of these multiple stressors potentially driving machair shorebird declines. Supported by experienced supervisors, the Uist Native Wildlife Project team and RSPB conservation scientists, policy staff and land managers, the student will experience how scientific research is applied to directly influence and inform conservation management.

The student will develop expertise and skills in avian ecology, field data collection, wetland ecological quality analysis, radio telemetry, GIS analysis of animal movement data and modelling land use change, remote sensing and statistical analysis. They will become experienced in engagement as they work with a variety of stakeholders (e.g. farmers, land managers, conservation scientists, policy makers). These skills are transferable to academic, policy or industry careers. The candidate will carry out intensive periods of isolated fieldwork on the Outer Hebrides (North Uist, Benbecula, South Uist), so requires a clean UK driving licence. Ideally, they would have experience of fieldwork on waders, ground-nesting birds and bird ringing, but training will be provided.

Through fieldwork, the student will gain experience in a range of techniques which could include:

–         wader nest survival monitoring,
–         bird handling, ringing and radio tag attachment,
–         assessing fledging success, fine-scale habitat use and predation risk through radio-telemetry,
–         predator activity and habitat use monitoring (hedgehogs, small mustelids, gulls, raptors) using trail cameras, tracking sign and observation-based surveys,
–         habitat surveys to assess conditions suitable for waders (indicators of soil chemistry, moisture level, sward structure).
–         UAV surveys and drone handling

The student could also utilise GIS, and remote sensing methods using multi-spectral satellite and UAV data to further assess changes in land-use and habitat condition, ground-truthing these data using information recorded in the field. The proposed project will make the most of opportunities to monitor wader breeding success across a gradient of hedgehog densities during hedgehog removal through the Uist Native Wildlife Project. Existing landscape-scale and site-based shorebird and hedgehog datasets will be used to further assess the influence of multiple stressors on shorebird breeding success over time.

Hedgehog translocation is planned over the next few years, so this project is very timely and will monitor the effects of removing this key stressor, and provides a unique opportunity for student involvement in a large-scale conservation experiment. Unique to this project is the plan to integrate chick survival and productivity monitoring with a large-scale predator removal to determine the interacting pressures from predation and other stressor driving machair wader declines. Fine scale assessments of machair habitat use by waders and their predators, and therefore how habitat and land-use changes could be influencing predation rates, have never been done, so the student will be filling a key knowledge gap.

This project is a collaboration between the RSPB, University of York, University of the Highlands and Islands, with input from NatureScot and BTO. It will inform the direction and design of future conservation interventions for machair breeding shorebirds following the removal of invasive hedgehogs. Site-level research has hinted at associations between machair land-use, soil chemistry and changes in breeding wader assemblages, but more information about waders’ use of machair habitat mosaics is required to understand and manage the mechanisms underlying these associations. We urgently need to better understand population drivers at a landscape scale to inform conservation management and complement plans for hedgehog translocation if machair wader population recovery is to be achieved.

Essential Skills: Field-based skills; Data analysis; Communication skills across broad range of stakeholders;