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RESEARCH INTO LOW CARBON ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT ENTERS NEW PHASE
NEW JOINT VENTURE FOR SHIP: TRAINING NEXT GENERATION OF MARINE SCIENTISTS
The conservation scientist, Professor Julia Jones, was appointed Director of the Welsh Government’s Sêr Cymru National Research Network for Low Carbon Energy and Environment (NRN-LCEE).
She said: “This is a vitally important research network which is tackling some of the most important challenges faced by our planet. The work done during the first phase shows how world-leading environmental science in Wales is.”
During that first phase, Welsh institutions won competitive funding for 97 projects and combined to lever £33 million worth of research funding. One strand of the research, ‘Cleaner Cows’, identified more sustainable milk and beef production methods which will help to minimise environmental impact while ensuring that productivity isn’t compromised. Another, ‘Climate Smart Grass’, looked at the impact of floods and droughts on fields and farming grasslands. The ‘Resilcoast’ researchers investigated saltmarshes, valuable coastal resources with rising seawater levels due to climate change. NRN-LCEE funded research also examined how we can reduce our carbon emissions at a time of ever-increasing demand for energy by using tide and wave generated energy, an area in which Wales is already a potential world leader.
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Unique in the UK, the vessel enables marine scientists to study the biology, chemistry, geology and
physics of our seas. She is designed to carry up to 10 scientists, 20 students and crew and takes students on multi-day teaching trips to the edge of the continental shelf. Each year more than 250 students benefit from the unique experience of working on the research vessel, using scientific equipment to assess processes and water quality and measure the abundance and distribution of marine life.
A new Joint Venture was established in January 2021 between Bangor University and O.S. Energy. Based in
Newcastle, U.K. and Germany, O.S Energy is a family-owned company that specialises in offshore wind industry and environmental survey work in the North and Baltic Seas, operating a fleet of vessels.
In addition to providing teaching opportunities to Bangor University students, the Prince Madog has a long pedigree of contributing to marine research in all disciplines. This is set to continue, with a renewed focus on the marine renewable energy industry, which the Prince Madog and scientists at the School of Ocean Sciences have been supporting through their research.
The Joint Venture ensures that Bangor University can build upon its world-leading understanding of the environment and physical positioning of marine energy sites. Commercial expansion of the marine sector relies on scientific knowledge, and our expertise within the School of Ocean Science and the Prince Madog form an integral part of the Joint Venture support for this important industry sector.
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The Prince Madog is the largest research vessel in the UK higher education sector, capable of working in strong currents and most weather conditions. She was custom built to undertake scientific surveys across the spectrum of marine science – from coastal waters to the shelf edge - as well as to provide an effective and efficient platform for teaching, research and marine sector charter work.
