Field Course Fortnight

Some people have been looking forward to going back to work more than others.

New ways with old clothes

ESI workshops are encouraging new things to do with not-very-old clothes.

Research pinpoints new technique for producing cheaper solar energy

Pioneering new research could pave the way for solar energy to be converted into household electricity more cheaply than ever before.

Pasty-thefts: new evidence, usual suspects

When it comes to swooping-and-snatching, not all gulls are created equal.

Why Sustainable Mining is not an oxymoron

Inspiring words from a world-leader in responsible mining.

Collaboration with Eden starts to bear fruit

Great minds thinking alike: the University and Eden turn the idea of collaboration into a reality.

Critical green turtle habitats identified in Mediterranean

A new study led by the University of Exeter has identified two major foraging grounds of the Mediterranean green turtle 

Night skies brightest in human history

Artificial sky glow around the world has been quantified for the first time by researchers using a global network of sky quality monitors.

Power to the people

Professor Tapas Mallick used his Inaugural Lecture to describe how cheaper, more efficient solar power could transform the lives of billions.

Biohacking: research's new wave

The low-cost, DIY people's science that could change the way research is done.

Nature’s inbuilt immune defence could protect industrial bacteria from viruses

Findings from a new study that set out to investigate the evolution of immune defences could boost the development of industrial bacteria that are immune to specific viral infections.

Light pollution shown to affect plant growth and food webs

Artificial night time light from sources such as street lamps affects the growth and flowering of plants and even the number of insects that depend on those plants for food.

The year of growing bananas

The artist, the research scientist and the attempt to grow bananas in the UK.

Part-night lighting is ineffective in capturing natural peaks in bat activity

Part-night lighting, a proposed mitigation option to reduce the negative impacts of light pollution, is unlikely to benefit bats, a study published this week confirms.

Environment & Sustainability Day

What do you get when you add nearly 100 school-pupils to a world-class environmental research institute?

Expedition studies Indian monsoon’s past to discover future impact of climate change

The quest to discover how future climate change will impact the formidable Indian monsoon phenomenon could find the answer rooted in the prehistoric past.

New things to print, new ways to think

ESI researcher talks to BBC Radio 4 about the possibilities offered by disruptive new technology.

Public urged to report basking shark sightings for new tracking project

The University of Exeter and the Marine Conservation Society are joining forces in an exciting new satellite tracking project to tag and follow basking sharks in Cornish waters.

New Zealand stoats provide an ark for genetic diversity

Extinct British genes have been preserved in the stoat population of New Zealand, a new study has found.

ENVI-Hub: a new website goes live

A new, interactive website - intended to be a central platform for environment and sustainability in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly - has launched.

Coastal light pollution disturbs marine animals, new study shows

Marine ecosystems can be changed by night-time artificial lighting according to new research.

Grant success for University of Exeter researchers at Cornwall’s Wave Hub

University of Exeter researchers are part of the biodiversity research team of a new EUR 17 million EU Horizon 2020 funded project 

Ecosystem management that ignores ‘taboo tradeoffs’ is likely to fail

Research published today recommends a new approach to the difficult tradeoffs that environmental managers face when choosing between environmental sustainability and profitability. 

Up on the roof

Sophisticated radar on the ESI's roof is giving researchers new insights into the specific factors affecting bird migration.

Frogs face virus risk in garden ponds

Pond owners are being urged not to use garden chemicals, or to release goldfish into ponds.

Study reveals largest turtle breeding colony in the Atlantic

The Central African country of Gabon is providing an invaluable nesting ground for a vulnerable species of sea turtle 

Downs on the up after Arts Council funding

ESI-RANE Creative Exchange Programme Artist affiliates awarded Research and Development Funding.

Time, Memory and Storytelling in the Making of Place

One of the world's leading environmental historians talks about the many narratives that combine to make a place meaningful.

Flies, sandflies and statistics

Summer workshop of national mathematicians' group will share innovative methods for collecting and analysing ecological data.

Monaco meeting considers Antarctica's future

ESI Director part of influential international group considering Antarctica's future and biodiversity.

Creative collaborators' summer show

A chance to see and - ask questions about - joint projects between ESI researchers and creative practitioners.

Future looks gloomy for Robben Island penguins

Fish feast boosts penguin numbers.

Resilience project brings Kenyans to Cornwall

Extreme weather and coastal communities: theatrical project twins Cornwall with Kenya.

Butterflies heat up the field of solar research

The humble butterfly could hold the key to unlocking new techniques to make solar energy cheaper and more efficient, pioneering new research has shown.

New partnership will help manage Cornwall’s environment

An exciting new partnership in Cornwall is hoping to use academic research to inform the management of the county’s world-class natural habitats.

Scary Science in the Square

Visitors to the University of Exeter’s annual Science in the Square event found out that while nature might sometimes seem scary, science can help make sense of terrifying phenomena as diverse as erupting volcanoes and intestinal parasites.

Large parks key to city success

Cities should feature compact development alongside large, contiguous green spaces to maximise benefits of urban ecosystems to humans, research led by the University of Exeter has concluded.

University of Exeter contributes to new underwater noise monitoring network

Underwater noise in the marine environment is the focus of a new UK-wide research partnership.

A day on the downs

An exciting cultural event  brings communities together to celebrate the unique landscape, history and culture of Goonhilly Downs.

Kenyan actors visit Cornwall to share extreme weather experiences

Researchers at the University of Exeter’s Penryn Campus will today welcome actors from Kenyan charity, S.A.F.E. Kenya.

Healthier fishing communities

Workshop examines the neglected area of health and wellbeing in fishing-dependent communities.

The ESI in five minutes

What exactly does the ESI do, and why does it do it?

Social scientist wants to know what you think about on the throne

University of Exeter Politics lecturer Dr Joanie Willett is hosting a series of community discussions designed to collect information on what various members of the public think the British constitution should look like.

Having a say in the national conversation

An ESI academic is invited to tell Parliament what she thinks.

Common lizards under threat from climate change

A new study has demonstrated that lizards do not cope well with the climate predicted for the year 2100.

Festival of Social Science: A fascinating insight into social science and its influence on our lives

Exeter academics will be demonstrating how our research is investigating the key issues in modern day life at a series of events.

Northern exposure: ESI researchers in Edinburgh

Seven ESI researchers to present at prestigious annual ecology meeting.

Resilience: new book contributes to fast-changing debate

An ESI professor's new book adds to the debate around climate change, globalisation, rural and urban poverty and inequality.

Don’t forget plankton in climate change models, says study

A new study found that phytoplankton - microscopic water-borne plants - can rapidly evolve tolerance to elevated water temperatures.

Protected area design secrets revealed in new study

It is not only size that matters when planning a protected area, other spatial features such as shape are also critical to the number of animal species found there.

Phytoplankton like it hot: Warming boosts biodiversity and photosynthesis in phytoplankton

Warmer temperatures increase biodiversity and photosynthesis in phytoplankton, researchers at the University of Exeter and Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) have found.

Cornwall Campus pioneer awarded MBE

A key figure in establishing and building the University of Exeter’s Cornwall campuses has been awarded an MBE for services to the community.