News archive 2015
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.
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.
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.