Projects

You can choose from a range of projects that staff at Newcastle University and partners are interested in, to complement their existing research and address needs. Please click on the project that interests you and contact us or the respective member of staff if you want to discuss specifics. You can also develop your own project. To apply, follow instructions here: 4871f – Ecology MRes – Postgraduate – Newcastle University (ncl.ac.uk). Specify your project choice, if you know already, when applying. We look forward to hearing from you.

Project: Mapping and delineating conservation priority interventions in the northern Kilombero Valley. You will join the lab of Dr Marion Pfeifer, Miss Eleanor Moore. Project partners: Dr Deo Shirima (Sokoine University of Agriculture, Tanzania), IUCN Sustain, Reforest Africa NGO, and TANAPA.

In the TROPS lab, we do biodiversity sciences (fundamental: biodiversity and landscape fragmentation, habitat use of birds/mammals/reptiles/amphibians) and applied conservation (areas based conservation for people and biodiversity) and restoration sciences (what to plant, when and where) research. Our main study landscapes are in Tanzania, the Philippines, and Brunei Darussalam. We also have contacts to other areas in Borneo and Brazil.

Project: Effects of environmental change on anemonefish demography. You will join the labs of Dr Theresa Rueger, Lecturer in Marine Tropical Sciences, and Dr Isabel Smallegange, Senior Lecturer in Biology. Project partners: Mahonia Na Dari Research and Conservation Centre (Kimbe Bay, Papua New Guinea)

Project: Farne Island research with Dr Richard Bevan. Dr Bevan will discuss different opportunities with you, amongst them being (1) Impacts of breeding grey seals on the reproductive success of Atlantic Puffins Supervisors, (2) Phenology and spatial distribution of nesting in the Arctic Tern, and (3) Impacts of gulls on the breeding success of seabirds.

Project: Research on the WADER project, Northumberland with Prof Aileen Mill and colleagues. Details on opportunities: click here. In this project, you can focus on big data analyses (Dr Jess Ward, Prof Steve Ruhston), drone based sensing (Prof Clare Fitzsimmons), river restoration (Dr Roy Sanderson, Dr Zarah Pattison now at Stirling University), macroalgae removal (Prof Pip Moore, Dr Heather Sugden), or invasive species (Prof Aileen Mill, Dr Zarah Pattison now at Stirling University) and sustainable fishing (Dr Sarah Coulthard).

A compilation of further project titles – please contact the named academic for further details:

Effects of environmental change on anemonefish demography – Dr Isabel Smallegange, Dr Theresa Rueger

Pb levels in domestically reared chickens – Dr Martin Cooke

Livestock projects at NU farms – Dr Dave George

Using remote sensing to monitor quality of bogs – Helen Adamson

Determining the origin of invasive possums on the Galapagos: genetics – Dr Evelyn Jensen

Coral reefs – Dr James Guest

The Changing nature of the potting fleet in the North East of England and implications for sustainable fishing and gear conflict – Dr Sarah Coulthard

High-alkaline run-off from slag waste and the associated carbonate deposits around the former steel mine in Consett – Dr Cees van der Land

Understanding changes in tree health in UK woodland through citizen science and remote sensing – Dr Rachel Gaulton

Changing biomass and carbon storage in UK woodlands under threat from climate change and pests and disease – Dr Rachel Gaulton