Past Presidents

The Past Presidents of the Challenger Society for Marine Science

2020-2022 Ros Rickaby, University of Oxford
2018-2020 Rob Upstill-Goddard, University of Newcastle
2016-2018 Rachel Mills, University of Southampton
2014-2016 Tim Jickells, University of East Anglia
2012-2014 Hilary Kennedy, Bangor University
2010-2012 Harry Bryden, National Oceanographic Centre, Southampton
2008-2010 Carol Robinson, University of East Anglia website
2006-2008 Peter Liss, University of East Anglia website
2005-2006 Duncan Purdie, National Oceanographic Centre, Southampton website
2004-2005 Chris German, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute website
2002-2004 Richard Burt, Chelsea Instruments Ltd
2000-2002 John Shepherd, National Oceanographic Centre, Southampton website
1998-2000 Harry Elderfield, Cambridge University website
1996-1998 Mike Whitfield, Marine Biological Association of the UK 
1994-1996 John Simpson, Bangor University website, at the time it was University of Wales, Bangor  
1992-1994 Brian McCartney, Proudman Oceanographic Laboratory
1990-1992 Ray Beverton, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
1988-1990 Anthony Laughton, Institute of Oceanographic Sciences, Wormley

Latest News

Royal Society Publishing Photography Competition 2025

Please see a message from the Royal Society below:

We are delighted to announce that the 2025 Competition is now open for entries until 15 August for a chance to win £1000! The competition celebrates the power of photography in conveying the wonder of science happening all around us and photographs can be submitted in the categories of: Astronomy, Behaviour, Earth Science and Climatology, Ecology and Environmental Science, and Microimaging.

The competition is free to enter and open to anyone studying or working in science at graduate level or above. Category winners will receive a one-year membership to the Royal Photographic Society and the overall winner will receive a grand prize of £1,000. Find out more: https://bit.ly/RSPphotocomp

Read More


October 2025 MEDIN Workshop: Marine Data Management, Governance and the MEDIN toolset

The Marine Environmental Data and Information Network (MEDIN) are pleased to announce that registration is now open for the next occurrence of our popular free online training workshop: ‘Marine Data Management, Governance and the MEDIN toolset’ on the 13th – 17th October 2025 on OceanTeacher Global Academy.

Read More


Marine Data Management, Governance and the MEDIN toolset

The Marine Environmental Data and Information Network (MEDIN) and OceanWise are delighted to invite you to attend our popular free online training workshop: ‘Marine Data Management, Governance and the MEDIN toolset’ on the 19th – 23rd of May 2025.

Read More