All academic staff in Biosciences are active researchers and the department has a thriving research culture. 

Algal Biotechnology

Professor Kevin Flynn
Dr Robin Shields
Dr Bob Lovitt [College of Engineering]
Algal biofuels have been hailed as a potential green alternative to fossil fuels, while chemicals from algae have roles in pharmaceuticals and as nutritional supplements. Swansea is involved with various initiatives in this arena, from optimising the growth and lipid content, to harvesting and cracking cells, and mathematical modelling of the whole process. Work in this arena is undertaken in collaboration with the Centre for Sustainable Aquaculture Research and the College of Engineering.

Animal Ecology and Conservation Ecology

Dr Dan Forman
Professor Paul Brain
Dr Geoff Proffitt
Dr Charles Hipkin
We use a range of traditional and innovative techniques to answer applied questions set largely within the British landscape. Research themes include carnivore foraging behaviour and diet, reptile monitoring techniques, wildlife disease epidemiology, and the effects of human disturbance on species’ distributions and behaviour. Typical model animals studied include Otters, Polecats, Water voles, Grass snakes, Dragonfl ies and Wading Birds. We have close working links with a large number of ecological and conservation organisations and actively engage in the promotion of the value of  biodiversity and its protection.

Animal Smart Tag Research

Professor Rory Wilson
Swansea is involved in research into sensors in animal-attached archival tag systems, attachment (and release) mechanisms and software for the interpretation of large data sets collected from deployments on free-living animals, both terrestrial and aquatic. Current work examines the viability of dead-reckoning for reconstructing animal tracks, the use of overall dynamic body acceleration as a proxy for metabolic rate and interpretation of tri-axial accelerometry signals to derive behaviour. Read about Professor Rory Wilson's involvement in National Geographic's ground-breaking series, Great Migrations.

Aquatic Predator-Prey Interactions

Professor Kevin Flynn
Dr Robin Shields
Dr Emily Roberts
Studies of aquatic predator-prey systems at Swansea have natural ecological and applied aspects. The common driver is the impact of quality and quantity of prey on predator (zooplankton, shellfish, finfish) growth, although other environmental factors such as ocean acidification and water quality are also topics of study. Work in this arena is undertaken in collaboration with the Centre for Sustainable Aquaculture Research at Swansea..

Behavioural and Evolutionary Ecology of Fish, Aquaculture and Fisheries

Dr Carlos Garcia de Leaniz
Dr John Lancaster
Dr Robin Shields
Dr Ian Horsfall
Research on the topic of fish and fisheries includes the behavioural ecology and conservation genetics of Atlantic salmon, environmental impacts of exotic aquaculture (in particular wildlife interactions), the evolutionary and environmental consequences of domestication and fisheries exploitation, and improving fitness in sea-ranching and captive breeding programs. Sonar technology is also used to investigate the migrational ecology of selected fish species in the Bristol Channel. Some work in this arena is undertaken in collaboration with the Centre for Sustainable Aquaculture Research at Swansea.

Biocontrol

Professor Tariq Butt
A dynamic team at Swansea is involved in the development of natural agents (e.g. fungi, nematodes and botanicals) for the control of arthropod vectors of human and animal diseases. The group has identified agents that are effective against the adult and young stages of mosquitoes, ticks and midges. They are currently developing strategies for the effective deployment of these agents in the field to complement other strategies to reduce the vector disease burden. The work, which has a high applied research element to it, also involves developing strategies to optimise the efficacy of the biological control agents as green alternatives to chemical approaches.

Environmental Impact of Marine Renewable Energy

Dr Ian Horsfall
Professor Kevin Flynn [for phytoplankton and primary productivity related projects]
There are a number of areas along the south Wales coast that have been proposed as sits of marine renewable energy generation. Since the technologies used to generate electricity in the marine environment are all new the environmental impacts of the developments are not fully understood. Some of the proposed developments are very large (such as the Severn Barrage) and consequently controversial. The decisions to go ahead with these projects and the mitigation measures needed need to be informed by science. Areas of research would include habitat mapping and impact on the benthos, fish interactions with devices, enhancing devices to act as artificial reefs and sites for mariculture and impacts on water quality and plankton productivity. 

Habitat Restoration, Artificial Wetland and Nature Reserve Design and Construction

Dr Geoff Proffitt
Dr Jane Claricoates
At Swansea we have an expert team working in the design, construction and operation of artificial wetlands. This team have been commissioned to design and execute a range of habitat restoration projects across the world and locally they were responsible for the design and construction of the new Millennium Wetland complex on the banks of the Burry Inlet. This site is of particular importance as it offers students fi rst-hand experience in the field of nature reserve management and the restoration and development of wild sites, ensuring students acquire the integrated skills needed to fully engage in the field of conservation biology. 

Marine Turtles, Zooplankton, Jellyfish

Professor Graeme Hays
We work across the globe examining the free-living behaviour and ecology of marine species using a state-of-the art sampling and tracking equipment including satellite tags, GPS loggers and miniature dive computers that we attach to animals for periods of >1 year. For more details of current projects see: www.swansea.ac.uk/bs/turtle  

Molecular Ecology and Evolution

Dr Patricia Lee
Dr Emily Roberts
DNA-based methods are important tools used to answer ecological and evolutionary questions. Examples of ecological applications are in differentiating between populations, in detecting sudden changes in population size, and in estimating the evolutionary ‘tree’ of species. DNA can also verify the sex or the species of an organism. Past research projects included sexing birds, extracting of DNA from hundred-year old museum skin specimens, and analysing the population genetic structure of various organisms, including birds, alien plants, and sea turtles.

Natural Products

Professor Tariq Butt
Dr Ed Dudley
Fungi have been an excellent source of lead compounds for development as pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals. The Swansea group focus on isolating and elucidating the properties of secondary metabolites of fungal biological control agents. In addition, studies are being done to determine the fate of the metabolites in the environment with particular attention being focused on establishing if they enter the food chain and pose a risk to humans.  

Pathobiology and Aquaculture

Professor Andrew Rowley
Dr Robin Shields
Professor Kevin Flynn
Dr Emily Roberts
Swansea has a well established track record in the fundamentals of invertebrate and vertebrate (fi sh) immunity, nutrition, microbiology and larval development. Home since 2005 to the state-of-the-art Centre for Sustainable Aquaculture Research, the group has recently broadened its activities to address key sustainability issues within the world’s fastest growing food production sector. Key research areas include host defences, diseases and health management of crustaceans and fish; aquaculture nutrition, applied feed formulation and modelling; environmental control and waste remediation in aquaculture systems; and aquaculture policy development.  

Plankton Modelling

Professor Kevin Flynn
Swansea has an international reputation for the development and implementation of mathematical descriptors of plankton. These include phytoplankton, zooplankton, bacteria, mixotrophs and harmful algal blooms, operating in ecological scenarios and in applied settings (including algal biofuels). These models are used as drivers in experimental studies, to facilitate understanding, and also for predicting the impacts of climate change.  

Major Initiatives

The Department is involved in several major research initiatives including:

• The WISE programme (Welsh Institutes for Sustainable Environments), making the impact of their products and processes more environmentally sustainable
• The establishment of the Institute of Environmental Sustainability for interdisciplinary research in key topics of global ecology such as climate change and biodiversity
• The development of an aquaculture programme in Swansea with the building of the  Centre for Sustainable Aquaculture Research (CSAR)
• The investment in the Sustainable Expansion of the Applied Coastal and Marine Sectors (SEACAMS) project to expand the commercial marine sector in Wales by increasing collaborative research projects between business and universities
• The Algal Biotechnology for Wales Knowledge Transfer Centre based at CSAR which provides businesses with advice on microalgal biotechnologies and access to industry-focussed research and technological development
• The development of Natural Products Cymru which is a world leading RTD consortium that will facilitate the development of a vibrant, intellectually and economically sustainable biotechnology sector based on exploiting high value natural products in Wales over the coming decades

Many academics are involved in biodiversity conversation working closely with many conservation organisations, local and national governement to conserve habitats and species throughout Britain and abroad.