Advisory Bodies

Marine Facilities Advisory Board

The Marine Facilities Advisory Board (MFAB) has the task to develop a medium to long-term holistic strategy for future equipment requirements in Marine Science. This will respond to and reflect our community’s needs and to assess current and future funding.

Until 2011, the Natural Environmental Research Council’s (NERC) marine facilities were overseen by the Marine Facilities Review Group (MFRG), with advice on the National Marine Equipment Pool (NMEP) being provided by science requirements identified on small and medium sized enterprises forms and discipline-based User Groups. MFRG reviewed the delivery of cruises over the previous year, and took a forward view of equipment requirements for the delivery of future cruises and additions to the NMEP. While this provided a good mechanism for enhancing the NMEP, the remit of the Group was such that developing a strategic view of future equipment requirements was somewhat piecemeal and of short-term nature.

A medium to longer-term holistic approach to future equipment requirements is vital in an environment of burgeoning demands and erratic Government funding opportunity, especially where funding constraints are likely to become even more challenging in the future. Consequently, the processes of cruise review and strategy development has been separated, the latter activity being developed by the Marine Facilities Advisory Board (MFAB; membership listed below).

The role of MFAB includes to:

• Undertake an audit of marine equipment to establish what is available, what state it is in and how much it has been used in the past 5-10 years. This will not only provide essential information for the current NERC cruise programme, but also help to anticipate the likely requirements for NERC sea-going science delivery in the near to medium future.
• Identify new and/or emerging capabilities.
• Develop a strategy that prioritises the equipment portfolio with regard to emerging and declining requirements.
• Report changes in requirements (actual or predicted) to the NERC Cruise Programme Executive Board to help inform funding decisions.

The 2019 membership of the MFAB is given below and includes a table of NOC personnel who have an advisory role.

Marine Facilities Advisory Board Downloads

Suggesting new items of equipment for the National Marine Equipment Pool

In the autumn, MFAB announces a call for suggestions for new items for the National Marine Equipment Pool (NMEP) and the results are announced in the spring. Before submitting suggestions, please check through the sequence below:

1. Check the NMEP web page to see whether the item is already held in the Pool.  
2. If the item isn’t in the NMEP, check the latest version of the National Marine Facilities Technology Roadmap as it may already be listed as a future purchase.
3. If the item isn’t listed, please complete a Capital Expenditure Proposal Form, the latest version of which are circulated by email to the community in the autumn. The form and instructions are also posted on these pages, together with the submission date.
4. Items suggested must be available for use by the community so proposals for equipment that is needed for long term existing projects cannot be considered.

If you would like to discuss any aspect of the equipment held in the NMEP, please contact National Marine Facilities via this page  Details of the outcomes of previous rounds are in the MFAB minutes, listed below.

Policies and Guidance

Membership of Marine Facilities Advisory Board 2019

National Oceanography Centre

Membership of Marine Facilities Advisory Board 2017

The CLASS Programme Advisory Group (PAG)

The CLASS 'Climate Linked Atlantic Sector Science' programme will deliver the knowledge and understanding of the Atlantic Ocean system that society needs to make evidence-based decisions regarding ocean management. The programme aims to address key knowledge gaps in our understanding of ocean variability, climate regulation and ocean services, and to assess how the ocean will evolve as a result of climate change and intensified human exploitation.

CLASS will be delivered through an Atlantic focussed science programme, building on sustained ocean observation, world class model development and state of the art technology, delivered through Marine National Capability underpinning activities.

The CLASS Programme Advisory Group (PAG) provides independent advice to support the CLASS Principal Investigator and work package leads in their responsibilities for delivery of the proposed objectives and deliverables as outlined in the CLASS proposal and agreed by NERC.

Members