PhD Studentship: Closing the Aquatic Observational Gap: Low-Cost Environmental Sensing from Recreational Watercraft

Aquatic environments face increasing pressures, including extreme events and climate-driven ecosystem change. Yet existing observations often fail to capture fine-scale spatial and temporal variability of nearshore environments where people live and recreate. This study will investigate whether recreational watercraft can become distributed observing platforms, providing observations at scales poorly captured by conventional monitoring. It will address: (1) What spatial and temporal variability in nearshore environments is revealed by distributed observations from recreational watercraft? (2) Can low-cost sensing resolve biologically important variability, including phytoplankton dynamics and indicators of eutrophication? (3) Which combination of sensing technologies provides useful observations for understanding and managing aquatic environmental change?

You will develop, calibrate and evaluate a modular sensing package for surfboards, kayaks and stand-up paddleboards. Initial work will explore optical measurements, using low-cost technologies or solutions that can be efficiently scaled. Laboratory experiments, field deployments and data analysis will quantify sensor performance and uncertainty. Training will include low-cost sensor development, environmental and bio-optical measurements, field techniques, experimental design, programming, data science, statistics, machine learning and scientific communication, alongside GW4+ training. You can explore interests including signal processing using artificial intelligence, sensor miniaturisation, citizen science / public engagement, bio-optical modelling or uncertainty propagation.

The study is enabled by complementary expertise. Drs Brewin and Bresnahan contribute expertise in low-cost sensing and ocean observation, building on their work using recreational water users as observers. Professor Simis (Plymouth Marine Laboratory) provides expertise in phytoplankton ecology, bio-optics, in situ sensing and Earth observation, while Dr Panici (Exeter CREWW) contributes sensing and data-driven expertise and Dr Frensley on citizen science. The study will link to the PEDAL (Prediction and Early Detection of Algal Blooms in lakes and reservoirs) project, connecting sensing with Exeter–PML research on algal-bloom detection and prediction. Together, the partnership will translate sensing technologies into observations and solutions.

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