Research group

Digital Oceans

Blue digital dots forming a horizontal wave KanawatVector© stock.adobe.com

A collaborative platform for exploring advancements and exchanging expertise in digital technology within the marine and maritime space. We foster innovation and research.

About

Research areas

Marine solutions and economies are expanding along with increasing threats to the marine environment. Harnessing progress in digital oceans is essential for addressing global and local challenges.

Digital Oceans focuses on advances in marine digital technology, in areas such as:

  • artificial intelligence
  • data infrastructure and management
  • ocean mapping
  • simulation
  • visualisation such as digital twins

Digital Oceans is a special interest group that aims to establish a collaborative platform for researchers to engage in marine digital applications and methods. Their interest is in a deeper understating of our oceans and in data-driven insights that can inform sustainable practices. They use digital innovation to address practices and changes affecting our marine environments. 

Digital Oceans facilitates efficiency and accessibility. This is achieved through advances in artificial intelligence that improve data analysis and decision-making processes; the optimisation of data structures and management; and new frontiers in ocean mapping, simulation and visualisations.

Our ambition is to:

  • promote and champion Digital Oceans
  • increase awareness to marine digital technologies 
  • foster collaborations and the exchange of ideas 

The Digital Oceans group strives to bridge the gap between cutting-edge marine digital technologies and social and human sciences. 

Our vision is to promote environmental stewardship and help innovations to impact our oceans and the global community.  

To find out more about the Digital Oceans Special Interest Group and what we do, get in touch with group champions Alexandra Karamitrou, Crystal El Safadi, Philip Leadbitter and Hugo Putuhena.

Join the SMMI Community to sign up to this group and our other special interest groups.

People, projects and publications

People

Professor William Powrie

Professor of Geotechnical Engineering

Research interests

  • Railway track and trackbed behaviour and performance
  • Geotechnical transportation infrastructure (earthworks, retaining walls, tunnels)
  • Groundwater and groundwater control

Accepting applications from PhD students

Connect with William

Professor Xize Niu

Professor of Biosensing&Microengineering

Accepting applications from PhD students

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Professor Yannis Ieropoulos PhD, MIET

Head of Department

Research interests

  • Environmental Engineering;
  • Bioelectrochemistry;
  • Autonomous Bio-Robotics;

Accepting applications from PhD students

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Dr Yao Zhang

Lecturer in Maritime Engineering

Research interests

  • Learning-based Control and optimization
  • Renewable energy
  • Control applications to marine systems (wave energy converters, launch and recovery systems, underwaters)

Accepting applications from PhD students

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Mr Yi Wang

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Dr Yongqiang Liu

Associate Professor

Research interests

  • Municipal and industrial wastewater treatment 
  • Biofilm 
  • Anaerobic digestion 

Accepting applications from PhD students

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Dr Yu (Jack) Gong

Associate Professor

Research interests

  • Sustainable supply chain management
  • Supply chain innovation
  • Blockchain technology

Accepting applications from PhD students

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Dr Yue Wu

Reader

Research interests

  • Global supply chain and logistics
  • Maritime logistics
  • Container terminal operations

Accepting applications from PhD students

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Dr Yue Zhang

Associate Professor

Research interests

  • Anaerobic digestion (AD) for organic waste management and renewable energy production, especially optimisation of digestion process e.g. via selective trace element supplementation, and manipulation of microbially-mediated pathways methanogenesis
  • Mixed-culture fermentation for bio-based chemical production with integration of downstream recovery processes, especially on selective carboxylic acid production from protein-rich wastes
  • CO2 biomethanisation, especially in-situ hydrogen addition new project to be created
Connect with Yue

Related research institutes, centres and groups

Related research institutes, centres and groups

Connect with us

Enquiries

If you're interested in joining us or collaborating, get in touch with the Southampton Marine and Maritime Institute.