Challenger Society 2014 conference in Plymouth
Anna Belcher
National Oceanography Centre Southampton
Challenger Society 2014 conference in Plymouth
I would like to thank the Challenger Society for supporting my attendance of the Challenger Society 2014 conference in Plymouth. There were over 300 scientists from all over the country and it provided a good opportunity for PhD and early career researchers to present their work in a friendly environment and to meet some of the top scientists in the field.
Challenger 2014 provided a great setting for my first oral presentation at a scientific conference, and it was an excellent opportunity to meet more of the scientific community and discuss my research with those working in similar fields. I presented in the Biogeochemical Cycles session, talking about the role of ecosystem structure and zooplankton behaviour on particle flux. Despite being a bit nervous about presenting to a large audience, I think the talk went well and I had some interesting discussions afterwards, giving me some new ideas to further progress my work.
Over the four days there were a large number of sessions covering a broad range of topics which was great for keeping me up to date with current research across other oceanographic fields. The marine policy session was particularly engaging and, I think, provided plenty of food for thought as to how important it is to ensure that our research is relevant to policy. The conference hosted some very interesting keynote speakers and a thought provoking evening lecture by Chief Scientific Advisor to DEFRA, Ian Boyd. There was also a careers workshop, providing some great advice as to some of the possible careers after a PhD both academic and non academic.
Thank you again for not only hosting a fantastic conference, but also for providing me with a Travel Award to support my attendance. I am already looking forward to Challenger 2016!
Profile
Anna Belcher is a biogeochemical oceanographer currently investigating the role of ecosystem structure and zooplankton behaviour on the particulate flux of carbon in the ocean. She is just coming to the end of the first year of her PhD and currently investigating the role of diel vertical migration on short term changes in the particle flux, particularly focussed on the Southern Ocean. Anna will be returning to the Scotia Sea, Antarctica later this year to collect more data and hopefully provide more of an insight into the spatial and temporal variability in carbon flux.
In 2010, Anna completed a four year undergraduate Masters degree in Oceanography at the University of Southampton, spending the third year at the University of Washington, Seattle. After a year off to do some travelling and exploring of the world, Anna spent two years working as an Oceanographic Surveyor in South Wales for Titan Environmental Surveys. She then returned to research, assisting with a number of research cruises before starting her PhD at the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton.
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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.
Workshop on the contribution of UK Arctic Ocean science to the International Polar Year 32/33
12:00 11th June – 16:00 12th June 2025: NOC Southampton (In-person with online option): Registration deadline 16th May
REGISTER HERE
Pre-meeting questionnaire (open to all)
The purpose of this workshop is for the UK Ocean Science community to discuss and then draft a prospectus document outlining the priority Arctic research questions the community would like to address during the run up to, throughout and beyond the International Polar Year 32/33. Additionally, to identify what unique strengths and technologies the UK has to help fill these knowledge gaps.
The second day of the workshop will be dedicated to writing groups, one for each of the priority research questions identified - from both the pre-meeting questionnaire (HERE) and day one discussion. By the end of the meeting, each group will have produced draft text and sourced supporting figures for the prospectus.
Post meeting, the draft will be opened for comments and suggestions from everyone, regardless of whether they were able to attend the workshop or not. It will then be shared with UK funders (UKRI, FCDO, DSIT, ARIA) and potential international programmes with whom we would like to collaborate (e.g. Arctic 2050, Norway). It will form a basis from which wider integration with terrestrial, atmospheric and cryosphere communities can be built, e.g. at the UK Arctic Science Meeting in September in Northumbria.
To ensure balanced community and ECR representation, and to ensure that the size of the writing groups is efficient and effective, if the number of registrations from individual institutes becomes overwhelming, we may contact individuals or teams and ask that each institute selects a smaller number of individuals to attend in-person. Please wait for confirmation of in-person attendance before finalising travel arrangements.
The workshop will be open to hybrid attendance and contributions on both days.
Challenger Society Council Position Vacancy
The Challenger Society for Marine Science (CSMS) are pleased to announce an exciting opportunity to support the next generation of ocean scientists and innovators. CSMS are looking for a new Council member to fill the Student Travel Awards and Stepping Stones Portfolio. The successful applicant will administer the travel and research grants available for Early Career Researchers.
The role involves:
- Receiving applications for the two schemes and responding to applicant inquiries
- Soliciting and compiling input from the rest of the Council for assessing the applications
- Communicating with successful and unsuccessful applicants for the two schemes
- Working with the Honorary Treasurer on allocating funds to successful applicants
- Following up with award winners on their reporting requirements
- Attending Council meetings four times a year (in person or online) and contributing to discussions and decision making for CSMS
The usual term for Council members is three years.
For more information about the CSMS Council, please follow this link: https://www.challenger-society.org.uk/The_Council
For more information about our Early Career Researcher grants and awards, please follow this link:
https://www.challenger-society.org.uk/Stepping_Stones
and
https://www.challenger-society.org.uk/Travel_awards
If you are interested in applying or have any questions regarding the role, please contact kathen@bas.ac.uk