The Plymouth Marine Laboratory

South West England is one of the leading places in the world for marine research and technology.

Who they are

The Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML) is an International Centre of Excellence in Marine Science & Technology.

What they do

South West England is one of the leading places in the world for marine research and technology. The region has no less than five specialist marine research organisations, including the world renowned Plymouth Marine Laboratory. Much of their work focuses on issues of global concern, such as climate change and sustainability. The stakes could not be higher, as Dave Robins, Head of Corporate and External Affairs at Plymouth Marine Laboratories explains:

"Over the last 200 years, industrialisation has brought about a huge increase in the amount of CO2 being released into the atmosphere, precipitating climate change. Microscopic plant cells (algae) that live just below the surface of the sea help to cycle this carbon, effectively locking it up and preventing it from contributing to the greenhouse effect. About half of all of the carbon which is cycled through plants on the planet is done in these microscopic marine algae. Plymouth Marine Laboratory is a world authority on the biochemistry of these micro algae. We work alongside NASA and ESA (the European Space Agency) to monitor the chlorophyll using satellites to look for optical signatures. With the destruction of the rainforests, these microscopic life forms have an increasingly important role to play in the planetary systems for cycling carbon and thus in our understanding of climate change."

A downside of this process of carbon cycling, however, is the acidification of the oceans. In addition to the biological 'draw-down' of CO2 for plant production the oceans also absorb atmospheric CO2 which in seawater forms carbonic acid. This has led to a change in pH of 0.1 unit and forecasters predict that pH levels in the ocean could fall by as much as 0.4 pH units over the next 100 years, making the water significantly more acidic than they have been for 20 million years. The effect on corals and shellfish could be devastating and Plymouth Marine Laboratory is closely monitoring the situation and acting as an advisor to the UK government.

Oceans are not simply a barometer of climate change, however. They also have a role to play in improving people's lives. Plymouth Marine Laboratory is pioneering the use of technology, such as photo-bioreactors, to cultivate algae that could be used to make biofuels or in the treatment of waste water. Research into these tiny micro algae has also shown that some algae contain compounds that are highly adapted to protect themselves from the sun and Plymouth Marine Laboratory is working alongside Boots to investigate the possibilities of using marine algae in skin care products. The organisation also runs projects around the world, including helping the Thai people to assess the impact of the tsunami and rebuilding their capacity to monitor the marine environment.

While the outlook of Plymouth Marine Laboratory is a global one, its roots are firmly planted in the South West of England. Dave Robins explains why:

"The marine environment is part of a country's natural assets and if you think of the UK as land and marine territory rather than just a solid land mass, the South West becomes a very significant part. We have around half of the England's marine economic zones and a world-class cluster of marine expertise and businesses, with five leading marine research organisations based here in Plymouth. In global terms, the South West is one of the top locations in the world for marine science and technology, and plans are afoot that will place us in the top five.”

These plans include the co-location of Plymouth's world class marine science and technology organisations onto one site to provide a state-of-the-art marine science and technology campus. Already, these organisations - Plymouth Marine Laboratory, the University of Plymouth, the Marine Biological Association of the UK, the National Marine Aquarium and the Sir Alister Hardy Foundation for Ocean Sciences - collaborate under the banner of The Plymouth Marine Sciences Partnership (PMSP) to optimise their knowledge and expertise. Dave points out:

"The timing is excellent for Plymouth. The Government's vision for the marine environment is for clean healthy, safe, productive and biologically diverse oceans and seas, which will delivered through introduction of a Marine Bill in Parliament.

It will put in place a better system for delivering sustainable development of the marine and coastal environment. This will address both the use and protection of our marine resources and position the UK as a leader in the world for sustainable marine management. The pressing issue of climate change is focusing the attention of countries around the globe on sustainable use of the oceans and Plymouth has proven expertise in this area. Marine science is pivotal to the region's economy. It is at the heart of the South West Regional Development Agency's Regional Economic Strategy. The best people gravitate to where the cutting-edge science is and if the location is also fantastic, as the South West of England is, it is highly attractive for them to come here. That is why we have some of the finest marine scientists anywhere in the world."

For more information, visit http://www.pml.ac.uk/