成人电影

Research at 成人电影 is divided into three main areas: Ocean Systems, Dynamic Coasts and Blue Economy. Under each area sits a number of themes covering the diverse range of science that we undertake.

You may wish to consider a project based on one of the following research themes: Marine Science, Aquaculture, Oceanography (physical and biological), Governance and Policy, Ocean and Coasts and Society, Nature-based Solutions, Deep Sea Ecology, Plastic Pollution, Robotics, Restoration

Applications are invited for the following featured MRes projects for a February 2027 start, alongside opportunities across our wider research areas:

• Exploring benthic microbial ecology of the NW Atlantic Abyssal Plains: The MRES would include participation on a deep-sea research cruise next August/ September from the Azores and explore benthic microbial community structure (abundance, biomass, diversity) in the NACES MPA with comparisons made to other areas. DoS Prof Andrew Sweetman.

• High frequency coastal phytoplankton community dynamics in a changing climate: Imaging FlowCytobots (IFCBs) are novel instruments that are capable of enumerating phytoplankton communities in coastal waters at very high temporal frequencies. Through deployment of these instruments in Scottish coastal waters in the Shetland Islands, 成人电影 has generated a unique long term data set.
This project will analyse IFCB observations from two contrasting sites in Shetland to characterise phytoplankton community structure, diversity, and ecological dynamics. Using state of the art spatiotemporal mathematical modelling approaches, the project will investigate changes and environmental drivers of the plankton community across daily, seasonal, and inter-annual timescales to give new insight into the processes shaping this critical component of the marine ecosystem in a dynamic environment.

The project will provide the student with an understanding of the microscopic component of the marine food web that is of utmost importance to the aquaculture industry, climate science, and coastal zone managers. The student will learn a range of mathematical skills suitable for application in these spheres and in ecology more widely. DoS Prof Keith Davidson with Dr Tim Szewczyk.

• Resilience in the extreme: Climate change is seeing increased marine heatwaves pushing marine and semi-terrestrial species towards their upper thermal limits. Understanding the mechanisms of response to elevated temperature can provide insight into inter-specific resilience in the face of these climate challenges. This project will take a mechanistic approach to combine molecular analyses of thermal tolerance responses, ecotoxicology, ecophysiology, and experimental marine biology. The project will be working with a range of tissues collected from vampire crabs and Arabian Sea mangrove crabs and analyse heat shock and stress response systems through targeted gene expression.  The project will be based at 成人电影, DoS Dr Helena Reinardy, and co-supervised by Dr Lucy Turner from the University of Plymouth.

• Bioaccumulation of contaminants in flapper skate eggcases: The iconic flapper skate is one of the largest ray species in the North Atlantic, and of high conservation importance, with the largest remaining population residing in waters around the Scottish coast. Flapper skate lay small numbers of eggs in protective egg cases in particular breeding sites which can take up to 18 months to hatch; the embryos developing inside are therefore subjected to long-term environmental threats such as water contamination and climate change impacts of altered physical water conditions. After hatching, these egg cases are often found washed up onto beaches, and they provide a non-invasive opportunity for studying the early biology of these iconic species. Egg cases of elasmobranchs such as skates and rays provide protection from the outside environment, but also a barrier which has been shown to accumulate contaminants such as metals into a complex material structure. How much bioaccumulation of contaminants occurs between laying and hatching in the flapper skate egg cases is unknown, and this is the focus of this MRes project. The project will work with flapper skate egg cases collected from around Scotland and investigate uptake, bioaccumulation, and depuration characteristics of the cases to a range of metals and other contaminants. DoS Dr Steven Benjamins.

• Contaminant levels in flapper skate embryos: Fish, including elasmobranchs such as the iconic flapper skate, lay egg cases in which the growing embryo inside is protected from the outer environment. In addition to the outer barrier effect of the egg case, a jelly-like substance provides additional protection and nutrient supply to the growing embryo. There is some concern around how these protective barriers are impacted by the presence of environmental contaminants, with evidence from catsharks of bioaccumulation of metals in the egg cases. This project seeks to understand contaminant levels, focusing on metals, in the flapper skate egg cases, egg case jelly, and the embryo inside. The project will work on egg case samples found on beaches around Scotland, with a focus on the rare examples where egg cases still contain non-viable embryos. DoS Dr Steven Benjamins.

• Seaweed Research: DoS Dr Puja Kumari.
   • Multi-stressor induced physiological responses in red seaweeds
   • Understanding reproductive phenology of red seaweed Palmaria palmata
   • Role of phytohormones in seaweed development and stress physiology
   • Bioactive peptides from seaweeds

• Technology critical metals as emerging pollutants and tracers of biogeochemical cycling in a sub-oxic fjordic system: Technology critical metals (TCMs) such as the rare earth elements, lithium, gallium, germanium and indium have international significance and are increasingly recognised as contaminants of emerging concern, reflecting their growing use in low-carbon and digital technologies. Fjordic systems provide a unique natural laboratory in which strong seasonal gradients in oxygenation, pH, water-column stratification, productivity and organic matter remineralisation can influence the distribution, speciation and fate of trace metals. However, relatively little is known about TCM behaviour in coastal marine environments or the biogeochemical processes that govern their cycling and potential toxicity. This is largely due to the challenges of measuring dissolved TCMs at ultra-trace concentrations. Using new high precision techniques to measure TCMs alongside established biogeochemical parameters from field collected samples, this study will provide new insight into coastal TCM dynamics. DoS Dr Robyn Tuerena with Dr Richard Abell, Dr Arlene Ditchfield.

• Evaluating the efficacy of a key conservation management tool for Southern Ocean benthos: While early studies suggested widespread, resilient species across Antarctic ecosystems, modern DNA research reveals a different story - many “single” species are actually multiple, previously unrecognised species with limited distributions and greater vulnerability. This project will investigate how recognising these hidden species could reshape conservation priorities, including their potential impact on IUCN Red List assessments. DoS Dr Bernadette Snow.

Further to the above, some more specific areas that could support MRes projects include, but are not limited to:

• Aquaculture and food security – looking at sustainably farming the ocean;

• Marine energy including offshore wind, tidal through to decommissioning

• Climate change and its impacts in the North Atlantic

• Impact of human activities including marine pollutants (plastics), noise pollution

• Functioning of the marine environment

• Changes in ocean chemistry related to marine biogeochemical cycles

• Climate justice, place-based climate adaptation

• Art-based marine science approaches

• Development of an indicator for fishery sustainability

• Fair Isle demonstration and research MPA baseline plankton survey analysis

We are currently accepting applications for the MRes Marine Science, to start in either October or February. Full applications, reference letters and interviews must be completed and submitted by 24 October 2026 for a 1 February 2027 start, and by 5 June 2027 for a 1 October 2027 start.

While students are based at 成人电影, the MRes (Marine Science) course is administered and awarded by the University of the Highlands and Islands. You can read about it on the .

Prospective students who have an idea for a master's research project that sits well within our research areas and who are able to fund the project should discuss their ideas or area of interest with Dr Bernadette Snow (bernadette.snow@sams.ac.uk).

Here is some advice on the best way to pitch your idea to us:

• Firstly, learn more about our research areas and the research currently being conducted at 成人电影. Decide which area your idea is relevant to and consider how it could enhance our research efforts.

• Look at the individual researcher pages over on our “People” page and identify who may be a suitable supervisor for your research idea.

• Finally, please contact by email to Bernadette.Snow@sams.ac.uk.

To apply you will need to submit

• Completed MRes Research Degree Student application form: Research Degree Student application 1.0 2024-25_成人电影MRes

• The research proposal agreed with the Director of Studies who has agreed to supervise your MRes project.

• Copies of all official qualification certificates and transcripts. If your official certificates/transcripts are not in English, this must be accompanied by a fully certified translation provided by a professional translator/translation company.

• For applicants whose first language is not English, an English language test certificate (IELTS or equivalent) is required and the certificate must have been gained within the past 2 years.

• A copy of the photo page of your passport if you are not a UK national.  Also include any pages which indicate a right of abode in the UK.

• Copy of all your official degree transcripts. If you have not yet completed your degree, please send a transcript showing all your modules and grades.

• Two references. Please ask your referees to complete an MRes Applicant Reference Request form and email it to us directly to masters@sams.ac.uk 

These documents must reach us by any deadline advertised. You can send them by email or post. 

Interview information

The best candidates on paper will be invited for interview via Teams.

The programme is open to UK, EU and international students.

Typical entry requirements will be based on possession of a BSc(Hons) in a relevant biological or life science subject (and depending on the candidate’s related course work, may include degrees in chemistry and engineering) at 2:1 or above, or international equivalent.

Applicants whose first language is not English must also have attained a satisfactory standard on an approved test in English (e.g. a minimum IELTS score of 6.5) or be able to demonstrate that they have adequate command of both written and spoken English to follow the programme before an offer of admission will be made. Read about international student matters.

MRes Marine Science UHI tuition fees are listed here:

In addition to UHI tuition fees, MRes Marine Science students pay additional programme costs of £4,950 to cover research costs and consumables, payable in the first year of the programme. The MRes start date is usually 1 October or 1 February.

Please note: The fee payable is set out in terms in the offer letter.

If the programme is more than 1 year in duration, the fee increases each year on 1 August, usually in line with inflation. Therefore, if studying part time, the fee will increase slightly in year 2 of the programme.

If an MRes student receives approval to extend their registration for a further year, an extension fee will be charged – 25% of relevant full- or part-time research UHI tuition fee of that academic year.

Please refer to  ‘’. Information on how to fund your postgraduate research studies can be found on the UHI website:

Learn more about our postgraduate community here.