Fisheries Ecosystems and Advanced Survey Technologies (FEAST)

The FEAST research group supports the sustainable management of marine resources, particularly fisheries, offshore renewables, marine biodiversity and conservation.

The team are driving advancements in marine technologies to address ecological challenges facing our oceans and seas, whilst also working closely with the fisheries sector to advance autonomous and AI-powered systems to reduce the environmental impact of fishing practices.

Projects led by Professor Paul Fernandes and the FEAST team include the development of uncrewed surface vehicles (USVs) and Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) to monitor marine resources at sea. This work is being delivered in partnership with experts in Robotics and Autonomous Systems (RAS) at the National Robotarium and aims to develop vehicles that are safer, more cost-effective and offer a lower carbon alternative to traditional sampling, such as offshore windfarms and other artificial marine structures, in the deep sea.

Another example is Smartrawl, an innovative, AI-empowered fishing net to help prevent marine bycatch. Developed in partnership with Fisheries Innovation & Sustainability (FIS) and funded by the UK Seafood Innovation Fund, Smartrawl aims to reduce bycatch by trawlers, including sharks, rays, dolphins and critically endangered species such as turtles and seabirds, of which 4 million tonnes are unintentionally caught across the world each year.