What’s Beneath Plymouth Sound?

Marine experts will be hoping to shed some light on the murky depths of Plymouth Sound at an event taking place at Plymouth University.

What’s Beneath Plymouth Sound? will feature a collection of talks from the UK’s leading marine professors and researchers about the Sound’s marine life, rich history and important role as an education tool.

Lying at the meeting point of the Rivers Tamar and Plym, Plymouth Sound is a hub for education, training and research and is used by the University as well as numerous other associated organisations across the world.

Professor Martin Attrill, Director of Plymouth University Marine Institute, said: “Plymouth Sound is a diverse natural habitat that over the years has enriched both the coastline and the lives of people in Plymouth.

“As one of only two universities in the UK to provide courses in seabed mapping and surveying, Plymouth University is especially lucky to have such a remarkable resource on its doorstep. We look forward to celebrating its treasures by hosting What’s Beneath Plymouth Sound? this November.”

Dr Victor Abbott, Lecturer in Hydrographic Surveying at Plymouth University School of Marine Science and Engineering will kick start the evening with a talk on how Plymouth Sound is used for hydrographic education. He will be followed by Dr Keith Hiscock, Associate Fellow of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, who will showcase the Sound’s wealth of marine life as well as discussing how conservation is maintained in such a busy port.

The final talk of the evening will be given by Peter Holt, a Visiting Research Fellow at Plymouth University’s School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, who will discuss the Shipwrecks and History in Plymouth Sound project (SHIPS), which is dedicated to investigating the maritime heritage of Plymouth.

Paul Wright, Associate Director of the Plymouth University Marine Institute, said: “What’s Beneath Plymouth Sound? presents a great opportunity for local people to come and learn more about some ordinary – and some more remarkable – aspects of the Sound and its many uses.  It promises to be an interesting and informative evening.”

The event is free to attend and will take place on Thursday 14 November at 6.30pm in the University’s Roland Levinsky Building. Refreshments and a question and answer session will follow the talks.

For more information visit the Plymouth University website.