Marine Ecology: Understanding the Welsh Seascape: Critical Coastal Habitats for Blue Carbon and Fish (RS978)

Funding Providers: NRW, Swansea University, EVMT ProgRess Ltd (Dr Mark Townley and Heather Townley), Project Seagrass

Subject Area: Marine and Coastal Ecology 

Project Start Dates: October 2026 

** (Please see the note below regarding potential later start dates.) 

Supervisors:

• Dr Nicole Esteban 
• Dr Richard Unsworth
• Dr Penny Neyland

Aligned programme of study: 

PhD in Biological Sciences 

Mode of study: Full-time 

Place of study: Swansea University (Singleton Campus) 

Project description:
Saltmarshes and seagrasses are renowned for numerous ecosystem services including coastal defence, carbon sequestration, nutrient cycling, and water filtration (McKinley et al., 2018; Unsworth et al. 2022). The role of this coastal seascape as important blue carbon and fish habitats is widely cited in the literature but, in reality, is poorly understood and only a few European studies have described factors influencing saltmarsh and seagrass environments for blue carbon and fish (Laffaille et al., 2000; Veiga et al., 2006; Ribeiro et al., 2012; Stamp et al., 2023; O’Neill et al. 2024; Shute et al. 2025). Increasingly saltmarsh and seagrass restoration efforts are focusing on the need to maximise design to improve habitats to enhance ecosystem services such as marine biodiversity and productivity but the means of doing so is limited by significant knowledge gaps. To guide restoration efforts, data-driven studies are needed to explore the ecological drivers of the Welsh Seascape with a focus on saltmarsh and seagrass, including provision of food, shelter or migratory pathways for fish communities and considering blue carbon storage. This PhD will seek to build an understanding of the pivotal factors influencing blue carbon and fish assemblages within saltmarsh and seagrass habitats in South Wales (including niche habitats, predation risk, connectivity, abiotic factors). These findings will be used to inform and optimise the design of restoration initiatives to maximise ecosystem services of saltmarsh and seagrass. 

The PhD research will build on the current understanding of drivers of blue carbon and fish populations (e.g., abundance, 

diversity) in shallow water habitat by first reviewing environmental drivers including salinity, bathymetry, tide and temperature. After key abiotic factors are identified to inform experimental design and site selection, a series of studies will focus on learning about how fish use saltmarshes and seagrass in South Wales. Research findings will extend our understanding beyond what is known about fish in saltmarshes and seagrass across the intertidal and at high tide (when historic sampling has been conducted) to include microhabitats and lower tidal or deeper creeks. Investigations will include controlled laboratory experiments (e.g. in the Centre of Sustainable Aquatic Research at Swansea University) and saltmarsh and seagrass sampling to quantify the influence of biotic and abiotic factors (such as saltmarsh or seagrass meadow size, presence of pools/creeks, water quality, carbon storage) within the seascape. Emerging data will answer questions such as “how does vegetation composition, grazing intensity and topography affect blue carbon and overall fish assemblage?” The PhD findings will inform enhance our understanding of environmental drivers of blue carbon and fish assemblages in saltmarsh and seagrass with a focus on South Wales. 

Funding Duration: 3 years  

Applicants who are Welsh, female or from disadvantaged backgrounds are particularly encouraged to apply 

**In exceptional circumstances, and subject to the discretion of the University and/or the relevant funding body, a deferral of offer may be granted to the next available enrolment period. Such deferral will typically not exceed a duration of three calendar months from the originally stipulated commencement date. Please note that only one deferral may be considered, and any such deferral is not guaranteed. 

PhD: Applicants for PhD must hold an undergraduate degree at 2.1 level in Biosciences or a related subject, or a master’s degree with a minimum overall grade at ‘Merit’ (or non-UK equivalent as defined by Swansea University). 

English Language: IELTS 6.5 Overall (with no individual component below 6.0) or Swansea University recognised equivalent. Full details of our English Language policy, including certificate time validity, can be found here. 

Note for applicants holding international and/or European qualifications: details of how your qualification compares to the published academic entry requirements can be found on our Country Specific Entry Requirements page.    

If you have questions regarding your academic eligibility based on the above, email pgrscholarships@swansea.ac.uk with the link to the scholarships you are interested in.    

Please note that the programme requires some applicants to hold ATAS clearance; further details on ATAS scheme eligibility are available on the UK Government website.    

ATAS clearance IS NOT required to be held as part of the scholarship application process. Successful award winners (as appropriate) are provided with details as to how to apply for ATAS clearance in tandem with a scholarship course offer. 

UK fee eligible applicants only   

Due to funding restrictions, this scholarship is open to applicants eligible to pay tuition fees at the UK rate only, as defined by UKCISA (Full list of categories for HE in Wales)  

This scholarship covers the full cost of tuition fees and an annual stipend at UKRI rate (currently £21,805 for 2026/27). 

Additional research expenses of at least £9,500 will also be available. 

To apply, please complete the entire application form here. 

Applications may be submitted in Welsh and any application submitted in Welsh will be treated no less favourably than an application submitted in English. Please refer to the University’s Welsh Language Policy on Awarding Grants   

To be considered for this scholarship award the following steps are also required.  

1) In section ‘Programme Related Information’ please input the relevant RS Code for the scholarship award i.e. RS978  

2) In section ‘Research’ you will see ‘Proposed project title/studentship title’* (Mandatory)  

• In ‘Proposed project title/studentship title’ please input: 
  • the RS Code, RS978  
  • the scholarship title  
• Please leave Proposed Supervisor field blank  
• Please leave Research Project (if applicable) blank  
• In ‘Do you have a proposal to upload? *’(Mandatory) Please select Yes  
• Then upload copy of advert (you can save the advert by clicking print, and then print to pdf) 

3) In section ‘Funding information’ please choose the option ‘Scholarship Funding’ only. Please ensure no other options are selected.  

*It is the responsibility of the applicant to list the above information accurately when applying, please note that applications received without the above information listed will not be considered for the scholarship award.  

If you’ve previously applied for this programme, the system will display an “Application Submitted” warning and block a new submission. In this case:  

1. Apply for the same course with the next available start date (e.g., select January if October is unavailable).  
2. Email pgrscholarships@swansea.ac.uk with your student number and the relevant scholarship RS code, requesting the start date be amended to match the advert.  
3. Admissions staff will then update your application accordingly.  

Important: If you have previously applied for the same programme & intake, do not re‑apply using a different email address. Applications submitted with an email address that differs from the one used in your original application will not be accepted or considered.  

One application is required per individual Swansea University led research scholarship award; applications cannot be considered listing multiple Swansea University led research scholarship awards.  

NOTE:  Applicants for PhD/EngD/ProfD/EdD - to support our commitment to providing an environment free of discrimination and celebrating diversity at Swansea University you are required to complete an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Monitoring Form in addition to your programme application form.    

Please note that completion of the EDI Monitoring Form is mandatory; your application may not progress if this information is not submitted.  

As part of your online application, you MUST upload the following documents (please do not send these via email):  

• CV 
• Degree certificates and transcripts (if you are currently studying for a degree, screenshots of your grades to date are sufficient) 
• A cover letter including a ‘Supplementary Personal Statement’ to explain why the position particularly matches your skills and experience and how you choose to develop the project. 
• One reference (academic or previous employer) on headed paper or using the Swansea University reference form. Please note that we are not able to accept references received citing private email accounts, e.g. Hotmail. Referees should cite their employment email address for verification of reference. 
• Evidence of meeting English Language requirement (if applicable - please note that you do not need to hold a valid English Language test at time of application, as any offer made can be conditional upon the appropriate level of English. Pleasefind further information on what we can accept via our English Language policy pages here). 
• Copy of UK resident visa (if applicable) 
• Confirmation of EDI form submission 

Informal enquiries are welcome; please contact:  

NAME: Dr Nicole Esteban 

EMAIL: n.esteban@swansea.ac.uk  

*External Partner Application Data Sharing – Please note that as part of the scholarship application selection process, application data sharing may occur with external partners outside of the University, when joint/co- funding of a scholarship project is applicable.