Plants and algae make up 80% of the Earth's living biomass and are a major source of medicines, foods, timber, fibres and many more natural products. 

Botany provides us with the tools to understand the impacts of climate change, and the biodiversity crisis, and to conserve and sustainably exploit these resources. 

Research themes of academic staff and their teams within the School of Natural Sciences include investigations into plant and algal biosciences, plant evolution, plant genetics, plant physiology, plant biochemistry, plant systems biology, and plant ecology.  

Botany includes research areas relating to the environment including terrestrial systems, freshwater and marine aquatic systems, wetlands including bogs, fens and wet heaths, and the study of long-term environmental change and the sustainable and innovative use of plant and algal resources. 

Botany at University of Galway is ideally located for botanical research in both marine and terrestrial plant science as we are located in close vicinity to unique, species-rich and near-pristine plant habitats including those in Connemara and the Burren, and an unspoilt and diverse coastline.