Novel use of AI in Marine Monitoring, Biological Sciences – PhD in Biological Sciences (Funded) Ref: 5795

Supervisors

Associate Professor Lucy Hawkes

Dr Sareh Rowlands

Professor David Suggett

Dr Elizabeth Goergen

Dr Brett Lyons

Dr David Feary

The University of Exeter’s Faculty of Health and Life Sciences is inviting applications for a fully funded doctoral studentship. This studentship will be based in the in the Department of Biosciences at the Streatham Campus in Exeter, UK. The studentship is funded by the Saudi Arabia NEOM Nature Reserve project and will cover tuition fees for UK nationals, plus a tax-free stipend of at least £20,780 per year for 3.5 years full-time study, and a £15,000 research training support grant. The University of Exeter is world-leading UK university, part of the prestigious Russell Group, offering outstanding research and teaching across three campuses in the South West. This post is expected to commence in April 2026. 

The studentship will be awarded on the basis of academic merit. Students who pay international tuition fees are eligible to apply. However, please note the following: 
·  The award covers only part of the international tuition fee, approximately £25,000.
 · It does not include a stipend for living expenses. · International applicants will need to cover additional costs, including: o Student visa fees o Immigration Health Surcharge o Relocation expenses associated with moving to the UK to undertake a PhD.  Applicants should ensure they have sufficient funds to meet these costs before applying. 

This PhD “Novel use of AI in Marine Monitoring” will focus on marine monitoring in NEOM Nature Reserve (NNR) within northern Saudi Arabia. The PhD will develop techniques for automation in surveying marine biodiversity, with an overall aim of decreasing the time between surveying and meaningful analytical outputs for subsequent management action. 

The PhD student will possess excellent programming skills, which will be required to lead the development of automated data analysis and modelling. The student will also undertake a research secondment to coral reef monitoring sites at NEOM for three months towards the beginning of the PhD to join the surveying and management teams. Chapters of work include using ‘You Only Look Once (YOLO)’ techniques to automate identification of key functional groups of reef fish, to record relative fish size and diversity, and to undertake automated analysis of biologging data.

Entry requirements

Applicants for this studentship must have obtained, or be about to obtain, a First or Upper Second Class UK Honours degree, or the equivalent qualifications gained outside the UK, in an appropriate area, which includes (but need not be limited to) biosciences, mathematics, and computer science. If English is not your first language you will need to meet the English language requirements and provide proof of proficiency. Click here for more information

How to apply

Apply now

To apply, please click the ‘Apply Now’ button above. 

In the application process you will be asked to upload several documents 

• CV 

• Letter of application (outlining your academic interests, prior research experience and reasons for wishing to undertake the project). 

• Transcript(s) giving full details of subjects studied and grades/marks obtained (this should be an interim transcript if you are still studying) 

• Names and contact details of two referees familiar with your academic work. You are not required to obtain references yourself. We will request references directly from your referees if you are shortlisted (do not nominate any supervisors from this advert as your referees). The closing date for applications is midnight on 10 January 2026. Interviews will be held virtually early in 2026. All application documents must be submitted in English. Certified translated copies of academic qualifications must also be provided. 

Please quote reference 5795 on your application and in any correspondence about this studentship.

Summary