Latest News

An ocean robot developed and operated by the UK’s National Oceanography Centre (NOC) has made a chance encounter of a Nessie kind during engineering trials in Scotland’s famous Loch Ness.During a test mission, the advanced underwater vehicle, designed for discovering the secrets of our global ocean…

A brand-new study led by the UK’s National Oceanography Centre (NOC) has revealed the long-term impacts and the first signs of biological recovery in seabed mining tracks, 44 years after deep-sea trials in the Pacific Ocean. The findings, published today (Wednesday 26th March) in the…

The UK’s National Oceanography Centre (NOC) has delivered a roadmap to guide how we observe the ocean to increase our understanding of the potential impacts of expanding offshore wind developments on the marine environment. The Scoping an Offshore Wind Sustained Observation Programme report…

The UK’s National Oceanography Centre (NOC) is pleased to announce the appointment of three new trustees.Dr Hosein Khajeh-Hosseiny, John Clarke and Professor Lisa Collins will bring a wealth of diverse expertise in research, technology, innovation, and governance, enhancing strategic decision-…

Researchers from the National Oceanography Centre (NOC) and the University of Southampton will ‘listen’ to a UK city for the first time at scale through its network of optical fibre cables using a ground-breaking new technology.The researchers will be using a technique called distributed acoustic…

The National Oceanography Centre (NOC) are delighted to announce that Beyondly, an environmental consultancy, has committed to supporting a leading citizen science data collection project for the next five years, helping to advance our understanding of global ocean plastic pollution.Over 300…

Scientists at the UK’s National Oceanography Centre (NOC) are to lead critical research into forecasting a major climate tipping point – the potential collapse of the Atlantic Subpolar Gyre.Through more than £11 million in funding, from the UK’s Advanced Research + Invention Agency (ARIA), NOC will…

The UK’s National Oceanography Centre (NOC) has been awarded £4 million to bring next-generation sensing capabilities to its marine autonomous systems fleet for use in advancing sustainable ocean science.The funding, from the Natural Environment Research Council’s (NERC’s) Future Marine Research…

One of the world’s most advanced ocean research vessels has arrived in Lisbon for a month-long stay, welcoming the Portuguese marine science community and dignitaries onboard, while undergoing some planned maintenance and upgrades.During the visit, to the Navalrocha Shipyard at Alcantara, the Royal…

Breaking waves on the world’s coastlines can be a magnet for surfers and a headache for coastal defences.Now, leading UK and French scientists want to find out more about the impacts of coastal wave breaking on our climate system to plug a gap in current climate models.Through an ambitious project…

A new UK National Oceanography Centre (NOC)-led study has put a major question mark over the role a unique group of tiny microscopic plants plays in driving ocean carbon storage.Diatoms, a type of plankton or marine algae, have a significant role in drawing carbon down into the deep, especially in…

The National Oceanography Centre (NOC) proudly congratulates Dr Elizabeth Kent on the award of an MBE, for services to tracking global temperatures, recognising her decades of research into improving historical sea surface temperature records.The award was announced in King Charles III’s New Year…

Declining Antarctic sea ice cover is generating unprecedented ocean heat loss to the atmosphere and more storms, according to a new study led by the UK’s National Oceanography Centre (NOC).The study, published in the journal Nature, focused on the record low Antarctic winter sea ice cover in 2023…

£2.5-million project will provide unprecedented detail on ocean mixing and improve climate modelsA new £2.5-million project led by the University of Southampton and the National Oceanography Centre (NOC) is set to transform our understanding of how the ocean ‘breathes’, storing heat and greenhouse…

Three of the world’s top five hotspots for marine microplastic pollution are in Europe, according to new data collected by sailors and teams competing in The Ocean Race.During the global sailing competition last year, water samples were collected from the Atlantic Ocean, southern Indian and Pacific…

A seagoing science bursary, supported by insurance provider West, has provided two overseas students with unique science experiences at sea, aboard the National Oceanography Centre’s (NOC) global-class research vessels.The Seagoing Science Bursary, now in its fourth year at NOC, enables students…

Increasing drought events in southern Africa could benefit Indian Ocean marine life and atmospheric carbon removal, according to a new study of the Madagascar Bloom – one of the world’s largest recorded phytoplankton blooms.The study, led by the University of Athens (NKUA) and co-authored by…

Expert knowledge of how early sea surface temperature measurements were taken has helped to explain a cold anomaly in early 20th century climate data.The cold period, between 1900 and 1930, has puzzled scientists for decades, as the sea surface temperature measurements were much colder than…

A new study by the National Oceanography Centre (NOC) in Southampton has revealed where marine heatwave events are most likely to occur in UK waters, for the first time.With climate change continuing to raise global temperatures, study authors are calling for more targeted research to improve UK…

Two new chief scientists have been appointed to the National Oceanography Centre’s (NOC) Marine Autonomous Robotic Systems (MARS) Group.Dr Veerle Huvenne and Dr Filipa Carvalho will work to increase engagement with the marine science community, raise awareness of the robotics available to them and…