This week, the National Oceanography Centre (NOC) publish its first Annual Review as a charitable company limited by guarantee.
From 1 November 2019 the NOC began operation as an independent self-governing organisation, with the freedoms needed to develop further as a world-class research institution. This was the latest milestone in our proud 60 year history, where change and adaptation have seen us flourish into the UK’s home of ocean science and innovation.
This pedigree can be seen in the stories told through our 2019–2020 Annual Review, each story highlighting a unique collaboration of people, knowledge and understanding, all working for the benefit of our ocean and planet. The full document (pdf, 34 MB) and the Impact Stories are available.
Professor Ed Hill CBE, NOC Chief Executive, said, “We strive to uncover the unknown and create new ways and technologies to help that discovery. All at the NOC have a role to play in this discovery, from ROV pilots to the coders, the crews on our ships to the support staff on shore. It has been a tough year but we have continued to live by our vision and values, to share our knowledge and expertise to make a real difference to thousands of people. We can all take wonder and pride from our collective achievements this year.
Professor Angela Hatton Chief Scientist, said, “At the NOC we have a shared goal around driving change through innovative thinking, research and technology. Much of this work is about creating new insight, to help us truly understand the impact the ocean has on all our lives. Our passion is exploring the vastness of the ocean, which could be observing it from satellites in space or piloting remotely controlled vehicles through underwater canyons 6000 m deep.
Julie Pringle-Stewart Chief Operating Officer, said, “The NOC’s key role is enabling science through support of the wider science community with the large research infrastructures and data assets that we operate for UK science. Despite COVID presenting some particular challenges in these areas with ship programmes being reduced and access to physical sample archives like ocean cores being restricted we have continued to deliver a quality service. The corporate support teams have not only been in the front line or managing the NOC’s response to COVID but in establishing NOC’s governance and business systems to function as an independent organisation.