The MBA is hosting the internationally-recognised PRIMER and PERMANOVA+ two-week hybrid (in-person and online) course in multivariate analysis, delivered by PRIMER-e.
The MBA is welcoming marine scientists, ecologists, data-analysts and practitioners from around the world to the iconic Laboratory on Citadel Hill, Plymouth, and online to ensure global participation. Presented by Distinguished Emeritus Professor Marti J. Anderson from Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa Massey University, New Zealand , and Statistical Consultant and Director of Sea Through Science Adam Smith, the course course moves beyond just demonstrating methodologies and into applying advanced statistics and computing to real-world large-scale datasets.
Hosting this course reflects the MBA’s status as one of the UK’s leading marine science research institutions and training venues, giving us a direct role in advancing sophisticated analytical approaches for large and complex ecological datasets, building on our tradition of marine research and training.
Course structure
Week 1 – PRIMER – gave attendees extensive coverage of non‐parametric methods for multivariate data using PRIMER software. Topics included data pre-treatment (transformations, normalisations), resemblance/distance measures (Euclidean, Bray-Curtis, Jaccard etc), cluster and ordination methods (hierarchical, PCA, MDS, tmMDS), non-parametric permutation tests (ANOSIM), biodiversity measures (richness, evenness, dominance), and linking biotic and abiotic datasets (RELATE, BEST, BIOENV).
Week 2 – PERMANOVA+ – tackles more advanced, semi‐parametric methods suited to high-dimensional, complex experimental or observational designs. Topics include partitioning variation for high-dimensional data via PERMANOVA, tests of centroids and dispersion (PERMDISP), complex multifactor designs (nested, crossed, repeated measures, BACI), multivariate responses to continuous predictors (DISTLM), canonical analyses (dbRDA, CAP) and predictive models.
Why the focus on large/complex datasets matters
In modern marine science and ecology, datasets increasingly involve many variables (species abundances, functional traits, environmental gradients, spatial/temporal replication) and complex sampling/experimental designs. Traditional methods often demonstrate how to do a test or look at one factor at a time. This course instead emphasises how to handle large-scale multivariate systems, derive rigorous inference from permutation methods, visualise complex patterns, and interpret results for decision-making.
At the MBA, we are proud to support this evolution in analytical capacity, empowering researchers and practitioners to unlock deeper insights from marine ecosystem data. By providing a venue and working directly with participants, we reinforce the MBA’s ambitions to lead in cutting-edge quantitative marine science.
We have a number of meeting rooms for hire, click here to find out more about what we offer.
