National Oceanography Centre | from coast to deep ocean

Science impacts

By 2050 the global population is expected to reach 9 billion. This rapid population growth, taking place against a backdrop of global warming, is creating unprecedented challenges for food and energy security. The ocean will play an important role in the solutions to these challenges and research conducted by the National Oceanography Centre (NOC) is contributing to this work of major societal importance. The NOC is also addressing the question of whether the frequency and intensity of marine hazards such as coastal flooding due to storm surges will increase as the climate warms. Research at NOC is called upon to inform public policy. The marine technologies we develop at NOC to support our science are frequently transferred to business and industry

Identifying marine habitats for conservation

The Darwin Mounds are small (50-75 m diameter, 5 m high) cold-water coral mounds in 1000 m water depth in the northern Rockall Trough, some 100 miles northwest of the Outer Hebrides. The mounds were discovered by NERC researchers in 19981 during the second phase of the Atlantic Margin Environmental Survey, funded by a large consortium of oi

Atlas of UK Marine Renewable Energy Resources

The Atlas of UK Marine Renewable Energy Resources was first produced in 2004, funded by the (then) Department of Trade and Industry.

Reducing uncertainty over the rate of future sea level rise

Uncertainty over the rate of sea level rise is a serious issue for the world’s coastal states. The contribution to sea level rise from the Antarctic ice sheet is relatively small at present (~10%), but there has been recent acceleration of ice flow and rapid thinning of floating glaciers.

Reducing the risk of losing AUV's in action

Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) are a valuable way of surveying and mapping remote underwater terrains that are inaccessible by more conventional means. Working in such environments carries a strong risk that if something goes wrong, recovery of the AUV will not be possible - for example, under Antarctic ice shelves.

Hidden riches of life in the UK's offshore realm

In 1996, the first integrated deep-water environmental mapping programme took place in the region to the west of the Shetland Isles.

Understanding tsunami threats to UK coasts

The UK has been hit by significant tsunamis in geologically recent times, but what is the likelihood of a future tsunami reaching our shores this century, and what would the economic cost of such a disaster be?

Radar-based, remote surveying for coastal seas

Surveying shallow coastal areas can be expensive, difficult and time-consuming. A new radar-based remote mapping technique developed by Dr Paul Bell and colleagues at NOC offers a quick, cheaper alternative.

Delivering better predictions of extreme sea levels and storm surges

As an island surrounded by stormy seas, data on coastal extreme sea levels around the UK must be up to date and accessible to decision-makers and coastal engineers. NOC scientists have improved existing joint probability methods that are applied to tides and storm surges.

Assessment of UK seas helps government respond to EU marine directive

NERC scientists contributed to the report, 'Charting Progress 2: The state of UK seas', which will help ensure the UK meets national and international environmental targets.

NERC science assists marine policy

The 2009 Marine and Coastal Access Act and 2010 Marine (Scotland) Act represent years of work from NERC’s science community and is a major milestone because it enshrines the concept of integrating spatial planning with ecosystem-based management.

Natural iron fertilisation informs international geoengineering regulation

A region of the Southern Ocean that is naturally fertilised by iron is helping scientists and policy-makers develop international rules on a high-profile geoengineering idea suggested to tackle climate change.

NOC modelling techniques inform online Estuary Guide

NOC in Liverpool contributed to an online Estuary Guide through the Hybrid Estuary Model Development project. The Guide provides an overview of best practice on how to identify morphological change within estuaries, to aid estuary management. It is an interactive document combining industry experience with ongoing research.

First evidence of warming-related methane releases from the Arctic Sea.

Scientists surveying the Arctic seabed, to estimate how much of the greenhouse gas methane might be released by climate warming, believe the process has already started. Using sonar, researchers from Birmingham University, NOC, and Royal Holloway University found plumes of methane bubbles rising from the seafloor off Spitsbergen.

Sailing over changing seas to success!

More than a million visitors enjoyed the 2008 Tall Ships event in Liverpool which was coordinated across the Oceans 2025 partner institutes, by the National Oceanography Centre (NOC). Enthusiastic teams from NOC, the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), the British Geological Survey (BGS), Sea Mammal Research Unit (SMRU), Marine Biological Association (MBA), the Sir

Expertise supports Britain's seabed sovereignty claim

The NOC in Southampton provides technical advice for the UK and other governments, including matters relating to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). One area of expertise is submissions that propose extended sovereignty rights over the seabed.

Undersea world opened up by new software

SERPENT (Scientific and Environmental ROV Partnership using Existing industrial Technology), a project based at NOC in Southampton, has been working with Marine Simulation LLC in the USA, to create deep-sea simulations.

Clouds-to-coast prediction of flood risks

In England and Wales, four million people and properties are threatened by flooding. An estimated £132 billion of assets are at risk from flooding by the sea, and £7.8 billion from coastal erosion, figures that could increase as climate changes and sea levels rise.

Measuring what goes in (and out) of the ocean when the wind blows

The movements of carbon dioxide, other greenhouse gases and heat across the ocean surface are affected by the weather and in turn influence our climate. NOC scientists have achieved a technological breakthrough in measuring these fluxes at wind speeds up to 70 km per hour, providing information that will improve future climate models.

Rapid changes in sea level in the geologically-recent past

The rate of future sea-level rise is a major uncertainty in predicting the consequences of human-driven global warming. Recent NOC/University of Southampton studies show that under past conditions similar to today, natural sea level increase occurred at around 1.6 metres per century, much more than previously thought.

Ecosystems research underpins European Integrated Maritime Policy

Funded by the European Commission (EC), the HERMES (Hotspot Ecosystem Research on the Margins of European Seas) project aimed to improve understanding of the relationships between biodiversity and ecosystems and has underpinned important European policy initiatives.

Minimising risks to seafloor infrastructure

Research into underwater landslides is helping industry to minimize risks to sub-sea pipelines, cables and other underwater equipment. It is also helping the energy industry target the most productive areas to search for oil and gas.

Putting ocean science on the map with Google Earth

A major UK ocean survey has worked closely with Google to map changing marine ecosystems and highlight climate change impacts.

New use for naviation satellites - to improve weather forecasts

GPS (Global Positioning System) satellite signals reflecting off the sea have been found to contain information on wave and wind conditions. This development opens up the possibility of a low-cost method for continual, global sea-state monitoring – of great interest to weather forecasters and the shipping industry, as well as the research community.

Management of deep-sea fisheries on the high seas and their impacts on deep-sea ecosystems

Over the past decade, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has addressed concerns over the environmental impacts of deep-sea fishing in international waters and in 2011, reviewed the effectiveness of resolutions that commit flag States and regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs) to manage deep-sea fisheries for sustainability and minimal impact on the envir

Tsunamis warning system for the Indian Ocean

NOC scientists played an integral role in designing and installing crucial parts of the Indian Ocean tsunami monitoring system. The system became operational around the coast of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula in August 2006.

Sustained measurements from the Irish Sea Observatory defends the UK

The value of sustained measurements from the Irish Sea Observatory (ISO) was demonstrated in European infraction proceedings: European Commission vs UK case C-390(07) regarding “failure of a member state to fulfil obligations . . . concerning urban waste water treatment . . . failure to identify certain areas as sensitive . . . to eutrophication”.

Tapping tidal power in North West England

The tidal waters of the North West of England should be capable of meeting over five per cent of present UK electricity demand as concluded by a study of tidal power potential in the Eastern Irish Sea by NOC researchers working with the University of Liverpool.

Census of Marine Life reports after ten years of exploration.

NOC scientists contributed to the Census of Marine Life report, published in 2010.

ODAS buoy recovery at the Porcupine Abyssal Plain

In July 2011 the Royal Research Ship James Cook whilst on a mission to the Porcupine Abyssal Plain (PAP) in the Atlantic Ocean undertook a full service of the Met Office ODAS (Ocean Data Acquisition System) buoy at the PAP I site. On recovery, the buoy was found to be heavily encrusted in gooseneck barnacles which needed to be removed.

Science impacts

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