Prospectus 2013

A Prospectus for UK Marine Sustained Observations

17 September 2013 - The Royal Society   
The Challenger Society for Marine Science and the UK Scientific Committee for Oceanic Research (SCOR) held a one day meeting at The Royal Society, Carlton House Terrace, London SW1 on 17 September 2013.

Sustained observations provide the backbone for many national and international marine science and monitoring programmes e.g. Atlantic Meridional Transect (AMT), Continuous Plankton Recorder (CPR) survey, RAPID-WATCH, Partnership for Observation of the Global Ocean (POGO), Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Funding for these observations is often fragile as they require long term commitment. We asked seven early to mid-career scientists to celebrate the UK’s history of sustained observations of the ocean and reflect on the impact these observations have had on their field of science as well as in other areas. Each speaker demonstrated the international importance of UK sustained observations and presented creative ways to develop and use sustained observations of the ocean. 

The one day meeting featured an interdisciplinary series of talks and discussion by some of the UK’s foremost early to mid-career scientists, alongside an overview of UK sustained observations by Prof. Nicholas Owens (UK SCOR) and an international perspective by Dr. Nicholas Bates (Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences). 

Each speaker addressed questions such as:

• What are the critical scientific problems that can now be addressed with long time series of sustained observations?
• What is your vision for sustained observations in the future?
• How will technological advances change sustained observations?

The meeting concluded with a ‘Question Time’ style discussion session chaired by Professor Nicholas Owens (SAHFOS), where Professor Laurence Mee (SAMS), NOC director Professor Ed Hill, Professor Karen Heywood (UEA) and Dr David Mills (Cefas) fielded audience questions.

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Prospectus for UK Marine Sustained Observations - Programme

0900 Delegates arrive and register. Tea/coffee

0930 Prof. Hilary Kennedy, President of the Challenger Society for Marine Science

       Welcome and context for the meeting

0940 Prof. Nicholas Owens, Sir Alister Hardy Foundation for Ocean Science

       Sustained UK Marine Observations: Where have we been? Where are we now? Where are we going? abstract

1020 Dr. Eleanor Frajka-Williams, University of Southampton,

       Sustaining observations of an unsteady ocean circulation abstract

1100 Tea/coffee

1120 Dr. Nick Dunstone, Met Office Hadley Centre

       Climate modelling and prediction abstract presentation

1200 Dr. Stephanie Henson, National Oceanography Centre, Southampton

       Slow science: the value of long ocean biogeochemistry records abstract

1240 Dr. Nova Mieszkowska, Marine Biological Association

       In it for the long run: the role of time-series in tracking impacts of environmental change in marine food webs abstract

1320 Lunch

1420 Dr. Mark Tamisiea, National Oceanography Centre, Liverpool

        Measuring the boundaries of sea level abstract

1500 Dr. Povl Abrahamsen, British Antarctic Survey

       Sustaining observations in the polar oceans abstract

1540 Tea/coffee

1600 Dr. Ian Mitchell, Joint Nature Conservation Committee

       How do we tell policy-makers that marine biodiversity is “on target” or “missing the mark”? abstract presentation

1640 Dr. Nicholas Bates, Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences

       International perspectives on sustained ocean observations and open ocean time-series abstract

1720 Panel discussion: A strategy for UK marine sustained observations: objectives, obstacles and solutions

         Panel chair:

         Prof. Nicholas Owens, Sir Alister Hardy Foundation for Ocean Science

         Panel members:

         Prof. Karen Heywood, University of East Anglia

         Prof. Laurence Mee, Scottish Association for Marine Science

         Prof. Ed Hill, NOC, Southampton

          Dr David Mills, Cefas

1820 - 1900 Drinks reception for all at meeting

 

Press release for the Prospectus

Questions about the meeting can be addressed to members of the organising committee:

Dr Clare Postlethwaite (cfpo@bodc.ac.uk)
Dr Anna Hickman (A.Hickman@noc.soton.ac.uk)
Dr Abigail McQuatters-Gollop (abiqua@sahfos.ac.uk)