Photograph of Prof. John Siddorn
Group
C-Suite
Site
Southampton
Biography

Prof. John Siddorn is the Chief Executive of the National Oceanography Centre (NOC), where he leads the organisation’s mission to gain a deeper knowledge of the ocean to address major challenges facing society and the natural world.  

Under his leadership, NOC is driving innovation in digital ocean technologies, autonomous systems, and data-driven science for the benefit of society and the planet, positioning the UK at the forefront of global marine research and environmental resilience.

John is an Honorary Professor at the University of Southampton, an Honorary Fellow at the Met Office and a Fellow of the Alan Turing Institute.

He is Head of the UK Delegation to the International Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO and has led the formation of Marine Science UK, the umbrella organisation, which he Chairs.  He has national and international representative roles and responsibilities including serving on the Governing Board for the National Partnership for Ocean Prediction, the UN Decade Digital Twins of the Ocean (DITTO) Advisory Board and the Ad Hoc Committee supporting the development of OceanObs ’29.

Before becoming Chief Executive, John served as NOC’s Chief Scientist, where he guided the organisation’s research. Earlier in his career, he held senior roles at the Met Office, including Head of Ocean Forecasting R&D, and began his research journey at Plymouth Marine Laboratory as a biogeochemical modeller.

International

Head of the UK Delegation to the IOC-UNESCO                              2024 – present

European Marine Board Board Member                                            2024 – present

Partnership for Observing the Global Ocean Board Member            2024 – present

Digital Twins of the Ocean DITTO Advisory Board                            2024 – present

              

National:

Marine Science UK Executive Committee Chair                                2025 – present

Marine Alliance for Science and Technology Scotland Science Advisory Committee                   2024 – present

National Partnership for Ocean Prediction Governing Board             2024 – present

Met Office Science Advisory Committee Observer                            2023 – present

 

Previously:

Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS) Steering Committee                2019 – 2024

Mercator Ocean International Management Board                                    2017 – 2021

EuroGOOS Science Advisory Working Group                                           2015 – 2021

EuroGOOS Members Committee                                                              2014 – 2021

North-West Shelf Ocean Observing System (NOOS) Steering Committee          2009 – 2018

 

International:

Digital Twins of the Ocean DITTO Steering Committee                                       2020 – 2024

CoastPredict Steering Committee                                                                        2020 – 2024

WMO Study Group on Ocean Observations and Infrastructure Systems            2021 – 2022

OceanPredict Advisory and Sponsors Board Chair                                             2017 – 2021

IMarEST Operational Oceanography Special Interest Group                              2017 – 2021

ICES Planning Group for Oper. Oc. for Fisheries and Ecosystems Chair           2010 – 2012

OceanObs’09 and OceanObs'19 Programme Committee                                   2009 / 2019

 

National:

Alan Turing Institute Co-Director Research and Innovation Cluster: Digital Twins           2022 – 2023

UK Integrated Marine Observing Network                                                                        2019 – 2022

National Partnership for Ocean Prediction Executive Committee Chair                           2014 – 2021

Weather and Climate Science for Services (India) Science Lead                                    2019 – 2021

Plymouth Marine Laboratory Science Advisory Committee                                              2016 – 2018

Healthy and Biologically Diverse Seas Evidence Group                                                  2006 – 2010

GOOS Action Group                                                                                                         2004 – 2006