Unrivalled range of cutting-edge facilities
From state-of-the-art laboratories to a growing fleet of crewed research vessels, autonomous platforms and coastal observatories, Marine Research Plymouth Alliance offers a unique and unrivalled range of marine research facilities and infrastructure for scientific projects, initiatives, and commercial marine product testing.
Enabling access to an unprecedented level of environmental data, this includes the Western Channel Observatory, one of the best understood and monitored areas of coastal and open ocean on the planet.
A wide variety of city and waterside meeting and event spaces are co-located alongside fully-equipped workshops for the development of experiments, technology and innovation, training, environmental simulation and water-based testing facilities.
Biological Imaging and Microscopy
Plymouth has the most advanced microscopy facilities available to marine researchers anywhere in Europe housed across our partnership. We can manipulate, investigate and analyse all areas of cell science to provide leading image-based information-rich data.
Mesocosm and Laboratory facilities
Plymouth boasts a range of leading-edge mesocosm facilities which enable scientists to conduct research in a controlled aquatic environment which closely simulates natural conditions.
Research Fleet
The research fleet across Marine Research Plymouth Alliance is extensive, allowing us to operate in estuarine, coastal and offshore regions and collect biological, chemical, physical and autonomous measurements.
Centre for Coastal Automony
Plymouth is the UK centre of excellence for the application of coastal marine autonomy. Building on the success of Smart Sound Plymouth, the Centre for Coastal Autonomy expands the nations’ capability to deliver autonomous marine platforms, technology, and research in a safe and sustainable manner.
Marine Chemistry
Plymouth’s biogeochemists and oceanographers advance our understanding of marine processes in state-of-the-art laboratories equipped with a suite of analytical instrumentation.
Molecular Biology
Plymouth has world-class biomolecular facilities that underpin different marine ‘omic analyses, including nucleic acids (DNA and RNA), proteins and metabolites. Our facilities help support biodiversity studies in ocean observatories from local (WCO) to global scales.
Data and Information
A rich and diverse range of data and information resources, spanning centuries and encircling the globe. From Darwin’s First Editions to AI-based approaches to taxonomy, the expertise and resources available are world-leading.
High Performance Computing
Marine Research Plymouth Alliance can process vast amounts of data to tackle some of the largest challenges in marine science.
Meetings and Event Spaces
A waterside, harbour city, Plymouth offers the perfect venue for any marine and maritime conferences and events. Across Marine Research Plymouth Alliance we offer the resource to make Plymouth a venue of choice.