Jamie Agombar - the inspirational visionary leader who has transformed sustainability across the HE sector

Jess Cook: Power to the people - exploring the potential of community energy

Jess Cook (BSc Environmental Science) joins us to discuss her independent research project "Power to the People: exploring the potential of community energy". In this Student Symposium episode, we explore renewable community energy projects from the people's perspective and how they shape up as a feasible decarbonisation solution. We explore whether the challenges that communities face from policy and funding limitations outweigh the benefits successful projects find. we look at the people and places that get involved with projects like these and what makes a project more likely to succeed than others. The synergistic benefits these projects offer within sustainability are examined and the glimmer of hope they provide in these ever more extreme times is discussed. Sit down as we look at the future of community energy with the Government's release of the Local Power Plan and ask, is this a realistic solution to decarbonise our grid and reduce the cost of energy? Guest: Jess Cook, BSc Environmental Science Host: Prof Simon Kemp Editor: Jack Dinham The Meliora Podcast Student Research Symposium is part of the 2026 Student Takeover Season where we celebrate the fantastic sustainability research work of our Undergraduate Students.

Aksel Conway-Forecast: Assessing in-person monitoring techniques for sustainable greenspace management

Aksel Conway-Forecast (BSc Environmental Science) joins us to discuss his research project "Assessing in-person monitoring techniques for sustainable greenspace management". In this student takeover episode of the Meliora Podcast from the Sustainability & Resilience Institute (SRI) at the University of Southampton, we discuss the means by in-person surveying to improve the efficiency of greenspace management for maintaining the natural sustainability of living systems and similar, whilst in financially and/or resource constrained scenarios. Public or private greenspace management is reliant on tip-offs and visual surveys on negative environmental factors, such as littering, risking inaccurate quantification and ineffectiveness within strategy measures. More effective monitoring can resolve uncertainty and keep management plans well-informed. Yet with the current crisis around funding cuts and other changes to our country’s environmental regulation and management, many greenspace managing bodies are affected by financial difficulties and staff shortages with limit their ability to utilise the best available technologies and techniques. In this episode, we address how to go about creating a reliable but inexpensive monitoring strategy by assessing several surveying techniques in a protected greenspace setting, focusing upon anthropogenic litter for this case study. To learn about the UK’s littering problem, we recommend visiting: (DEFRA, 2026) Statutory Guidance: Code of Practice on Litter and Refuse. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/code-of-practice-on-litter-and-refuse/code-of-practice-on-litter-and-refuse [https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/code-of-practice-on-litter-and-refuse/code-of-practice-on-litter-and-refuse] To read more about the nature of this work and its implications, we recommend reading the following articles: ·      Barton, J. and Rogerson, M. (2017) ‘The Importance of Greenspace for Mental Health’, BJPsych International, 14(4), pp. 79-81. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1192/s2056474000002051 [https://doi.org/10.1192/s2056474000002051] ·      Browne, M.A., Underwood, A.J., Chapman, M.G. et al. (2015) ‘Linking Effects of Anthropogenic Debris to Ecological Impacts’, Proceedings: Biological Sciences, 282, pp. 1-10. Available at: https://www.jstor.org/stable/43602065 [https://www.jstor.org/stable/43602065] ·      Gyraite, G., Haseler, M., Balčiūnas, A. et al. (2022) ‘A New Monitoring Strategy of Large Micro-, Meso- and Macro-Litter: A Case Study on Sandy Beaches of Baltic Lagoons and Estuaries’, Environmental Management, 72, pp. 410-423. Available at: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00267-022-01755-z [https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00267-022-01755-z] ·      Heravi, M.D., Haddadi, M., Nejad, F.K. et al. (2024) ‘A Comparative Study of Indexes used for Litter Pollution Assessment in Urban and Public Environments’, Heliyon, 10(3), article e24954. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e24954 [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e24954] ·      Yao, X., Lin, T., Sun, S. et al. (2022) ‘Greenspace’s Value Orientations of Ecosystem Service and Socioeconomic Service in China’, Ecosystem Health and Sustainability, 8(1), article 2078225. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/20964129.2022.2078225 [https://doi.org/10.1080/20964129.2022.2078225] Episode guest: Aksel Conway-Forecast, BSc Environmental Science Episode host: Prof Simon Kemp Episode producer and editor: Ellie Howell The Meliora Podcast Student Research Symposium is part of the 2026 Student Takeover Season where we celebrate the fantastic sustainability research work of our Undergraduate Students.

Jessica Morgan: To what extent does recreational scuba diving accelerate the degradation of Coral Reefs?

Jessica Morgan (BSc Geography) joins us to discuss her research project "To what extent does recreational scuba diving accelerate the degradation of Coral Reefs?" Coral reefs are experiencing unprecedented rates of decline under climate change yet the extent to which local recreational pressures compound climate stress remains contested. This study examined the extent to which recreational scuba diving accelerates coral reef degradation within the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, where the effects of climate change exist. To integrate social and ecological dimensions, a structured online survey was carried out to capture self-reported diver behaviours, perceptions, and attitudes, whilst a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) analysis quantified and compared spatial patterns of reef condition and recreational diving intensity between study sites in Cairns and the Far North of the Great Barrier Reef. Reef condition and diving pressure were found to be unevenly distributed, with comparatively poorer reef conditions observed where recreational scuba diving density was prominent. Survey findings revealed a 'knowledge–practice gap', as environmentally aware and experienced divers with training still reported routine behaviours that induce minor contact, capable of generating cumulative disturbance. Together, the results contribute to a growing body of research, indicating that concentrated recreational scuba diving activity can reduce local resilience and recovery capacity of coral reefs, resultantly accelerating climate related deterioration in high-use recreational scuba diving areas. Reef vulnerability is shaped not only by climate change but considerably by how local recreational pressure is organised, distributed, and regulated. This highlights the importance of structural management alongside improved diver education in a warming climate. Studies conclude between 19-45% of reefs have already been lost, and even if global warming is maintained at 1.5ºC, up to 90% of coral reefs may disappear by 2050. Episode guest: Jessica Morgan, BSc Geography Episode host: Prof Simon Kemp Episode producer and editor: Ellie Howell  The Meliora Podcast Student Research Symposium is part of the 2026 Student Takeover Season where we celebrate the fantastic sustainability research work of our Undergraduate Students.

Lili-Mei Judd: Nitrogen cycling in a crab-polychaete-macroalgae IMTA system: implications for waste recycling and water quality

Lili-Mei Judd (MSci Marine Biology) joins us to discuss whether a simplified crab–polychaete–macroalgae integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA) system could reduce nitrogen accumulation to biologically safer levels than crab monoculture through internal waste recycling.  Within fed aquaculture, including crustacean culture, crabs excrete nitrogenous waste as a direct result of protein catabolism, this accumulates within the water system with direct welfare consequences for the cultured species and if discharged to local water bodies can exceed the assimilative capacity and drive algal proliferation and eutrophication.  In this system I designed, fed crab species were co-cultured with extractive organisms from complementary trophic levels so that organic and inorganic nitrogen waste from crab component became feed inputs for the polychaete worms and macroalgae compartments, being recycled within the system rather than discharged as pollution.  This project addressed SDG 12: Responsible consumption and production and SDG 14: Life below water to ensure that we sustainably use marine resources in aquaculture to ensure resilient and nature-based food systems. Three sequential 10-day tank experiments were conducted using native UK species of triplicate crab monoculture tanks and triplicate integrated systems containing European shore crab (Carcinus maenas), common ragworm (Hediste diversicolor), and serrated wrack seaweed (Fucus serratus) and daily water-column dissolved inorganic nitrogen and nitrogen speciation were measured. Here IMTA was shown to reduce waste release and its associated environmental impacts compared to crab monoculture.  This project has given me hope that when you observe natures processes and interactions within an ecosystem and then manipulate through science into our food systems, you will get a most productive system- it is a time to bring more circularity to how we produce our food. If you would like to learn more about this project, please follow the link here to the PDF: Nitrogen cycling in a crab-polychaete-macroalgae IMTA system implications for waste recycling and water quality [https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/ap/b-59584e83/?url=https%3A%2F%2F1drv.ms%2Fb%2Fc%2Fd3e69993c58f65b5%2FIQAwFXml5ZPNQqbvLoFhIhjSAYoqIBG3GgLKDmRROvvNHHY%3Fe%3DdSLRjt&data=05%7C02%7CS.Kemp%40soton.ac.uk%7C6da19a98f9f04c1498ce08ded1167370%7C4a5378f929f44d3ebe89669d03ada9d8%7C0%7C0%7C639178091683857397%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=6VnM7jXN6JfnYPGEOfScNI9M5UCN%2FraK0uaKeXytL%2Fk%3D&reserved=0] Episode guest: Lili-Mei Judd, MSci Marine Biology Episode host: Prof Simon Kemp Episode producer and editor: Ellie Howell The Meliora Podcast Student Research Symposium is part of the 2026 Student Takeover Season where we celebrate the fantastic sustainability research work of our Undergraduate Students.

Barnaby Williams: Transport infrastructure in Southampton - is mobility accessible?

Barnaby Williams (BA Geography) joins us to discuss his research project "To what extent does the transport infrastructure in Southampton, UK, promote accessible mobility?". A huge part of living in society today is movement – flows of people across space are everywhere. Transport infrastructures are vital in supporting mobility. This project, focusing on the UK city of Southampton, uses a triangulated research design to scrutinise the impacts of transport infrastructure on accessibility.  The results from the online questionnaire survey, semi-structured interviews and auto-ethnography show that the perceptions and experiences of the research participants paint an incredibly mixed picture of mobility in Southampton. Factors including other members of society, the quality of transport infrastructure itself and accessibility-motivated measures in the public sphere were all shown to have an influence on mobility, however not always in a positive way. There is a definite need for further research – this study has uncovered a wide range of areas that influence accessible mobility, but with the ever-increasing urban population, such results as this may change as time passes. This research relates to SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) and SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure), also touching on SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities), demonstrating in part the complexity of mobility as a process, and its multi-disciplinary nature. Episode Guest: Barnaby Williams, BA Geography Episode Host: Prof Simon Kemp Producer and Editor: Mya Harvey The Meliora Podcast Student Research Symposium is part of the 2026 Student Takeover Season where we celebrate the fantastic sustainability research work of our Undergraduate Students.