National Marine Equipment Pool
The National Marine Equipment Pool (NMEP) is the largest centralised marine scientific equipment pool in Europe with a replacement value of around £20M. The NMEP consists of a wide range of re-usable equipment that many disciplines within marine science can use. It allows scientists’ access to skilled engineers, technologists and facilities all from one central point.
The NMEP is based at NOC Southampton, and run by NMFSS. It delivers professional technology support to enable the marine science community to carry out world class research.
National Marine Facilities Sea Systems has four groups that maintain the NMEP:
- Sensors & Moorings – look after equipment such as CTD’s, and Profilers that are used to determine the velocity and the chemistry of the water column.
- Deep Platforms – operate the equipment such as autonomous underwater vehicles and remotely operated vehicles.
- Base Engineering – support the workhorse equipment; the winches and wires that put equipment into the water from the ships.
- Ship Scientific Systems – provides support IT and ship based equipment such as bottom floor profilers to be able to map the seafloor.
- Marine Autonomous Robotic Systems - support robotic and autonomous craft that allow exploration in new ways.
