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“Our strategic partnership with UEA supports us in tackling the serious global problems of climate change, marine litter, over-fishing and pollution to secure a sustainable blue future for all.” Prof. John K. Pinnegar, Cefas
A strategic partnership with the University of East Anglia (UEA) is helping a government agency to protect our oceans and rivers. We spoke to John K. Pinnegar, Principal Scientist and Lead Advisor in Climate Change for the Centre for Environment, Fisheries, and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) to find out more.
Tell us about Cefas. How long has the organisation been involved in UEA’s postgraduate research?
“We are the leading government agency responsible for monitoring and surveillance of the seas and marine life – so we provide evidence and advice needed to help the UK meet its commitments to the global environment. We have a large laboratory with over 400 members of staff based in Lowestoft, only 30 kilometres away from UEA on the Suffolk coast. Our partnership with UEA dates back to 1965, shortly after the university was formed."
What are the ways that you work with UEA?
“Our partnership with UEA enables us to benefit from cutting-edge collaborative research and the university’s world-leading expertise. Since 2018, we’ve worked with UEA to support thirteen new collaborative PhD projects. At the time of writing (summer 2024), some of these have been completed, while some are ongoing."
“For many of these PhD projects, we received external funding from the Natural Environment Research Council through the Advanced Research and Innovation in Environmental Sciences (ARIES) Doctoral Training Partnership."
What are these PhD studies looking at?
“They are looking at a range of subjects and issues related to climate change, marine litter, over-fishing and pollution – helping us to understand more about the problems we face and to look at possible solutions."
“To give a recent example, Professor Andrew Mayes from UEA worked on a collaborative project with Cefas that involved PhD studentships – developing a new technique to detect microplastics in the water. By using a special dye, it’s possible to make the microplastics glow and therefore easier to spot. We’re now using this technique across the world to identify where plastic along the coasts and in the open ocean is coming from – so that targeted actions can be taken to address the problem."
What are the other benefits of collaborating with UEA?
“On a practical level, it’s useful for us to share facilities. UEA has a high performance computing (HPC) system that we can use to carry out complex modelling work, and we also use the university’s cutting-edge laboratory facilities. Conversely, UEA students and staff sometimes use the large ocean-going ship that we operate out of Lowestoft, RV Cefas Endeavour, to carry out field studies at sea."
“Many Cefas staff do their PhDs with the university. Additionally, staff who have academic backgrounds can also act as supervisors on PhD projects, which means they maintain their research skills – allowing us to be more outward-looking as an organisation. Indeed, by working with UEA, we are part of a thriving research community that works across geographical and subject boundaries. We are also helping to promote the next generation of critical thinkers, whose academic skills will be vital in creating a better future for us all."