Doctor of Philosophy - Tropical Marine Biology (Integrated)

Tropical ecosystems provide important resources locally and globally, and coral reefs are the most diverse of marine ecosystems threatened by human activities.

An Integrated PhD provides a route into research study if students do not have a Masters degree, or have very little research training. It enables them to spend their first year completing a full-time Masters-level qualification, followed by a full-time PhD studied over 3-4 years or a part-time PhD studied over 6-7 years. The university also offer a ‘standard' PhD in this subject which can be studied either full-time (3-4 years) or part-time (6-7 years).

The first year on the Integrated PhD Tropical Marine Biology, is designed to deliver advanced tropical marine biology theory and to facilitate the development of a comprehensive range of practical and professional skills required by today's employers.

As a student of the School of Life Sciences, they will benefit from the breadth of research carried out by the internationally recognised academics, and will engage with current research activities both in the UK and abroad. Students will also have the opportunity to put theory into practice and study coral reef conservation first hand during the School's annual field trip to the Wakatobi Marine National Park, Indonesia. Please note that students who join this optional expedition are subject to additional travel costs – the fee for field trips vary from year to year.

In their second year, students move into the PhD element of the course. Research in the School covers a wide spectrum of biology from genes to ecosystems, and this broad-based structure provides opportunities for developing novel ideas and inter-disciplinary projects. University of Essex offer supervision in all areas of staff expertise in marine biology including community ecology of coral reef systems, tropical seagrass beds, mangroves and fisheries, deep sea/marine connectivity, ocean acidification and macronutrient cycling.

University of Essex is ranked 54th (14th in UK) for promoting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal for climate action (Times Higher Education Impact Rankings 2024).