Challenger Society's blog

I’m at sea on the RRS James Cook for Christmas, New Year and January with a great team of scientists from Liverpool, Southampton and all over the world. Malcolm Woodward is on board and this is a great opportunity to capture his career story while we spend 42 days at sea and to find out … More Malcolm Woodward: Pushing the Boundaries of Measurements at Sea

As we approach the Azores it is time to update the Challenger Society on our progress on the FRidge cruise (@Fridge_GA13).  We have a whole host of old and new Challenger members on board the RRS James Cook including Honorary Life Member Malcolm Woodward who you will hear from later this month. We are sailing … More Challenger Society at sea: A message from the President

The Arctic Ocean is changing, rapidly. Sea ice concentrations and ice extent are decreasing, the ocean and atmosphere are warming, fresh water discharges are increasing and stratification, mixing and circulation regimes are altering. All these changes impact the Arctic Oceans ecosystem, from the sea surface to the sea floor. Longer and more expansive open water … More A summer spent in The Changing Arctic Ocean

On 8-10 October 2017 I attended the European Marine Science Educators Association (EMSEA) conference, hosted by the University of Malta, Valletta, Malta,  in collaboration with the Department of Geosciences, Faculty of Science, University of Malta. This year’s venue is the Valletta Campus, University of Malta.. EMSEA is “an international non-profit organisation committed to boost ocean … More European Marine Science Educators Association: Malta 2017

The Scottish Associate for Marine Science (SAMS) were pleased to host the Advances in Marine Biogeochemistry (AMBIO) VIII conference in Oban, Scotland, UK. The special interest group for Challenger Society took place 6-8th September 2017, and was the first time the meeting was held in Scotland. More than 45 delegates from over 20 institutes, from … More Challenger Society Marine Biogeochemistry Meeting 2017

Every time I go to sea, I think three things. First, I hope our experiments work. Second, I will endeavour to refrain from eating puddings. And third, I will go to the gym every day. While I had started out with the best intentions – I think I even wore my gym kit in the … More Time to zinc about ironing out alkaline phosphatase dynamics in the subtropical North Atlantic

Dr. Matt Cole – NERC Research Fellow at the University of Exeter Rachel Coppock – NERC GW4+ PhD student at Plymouth Marine Laboratory As the rain continues to drizzle outside, we’ve taken a moment to grab a cuppa and reflect on a research opportunity that has brought us to the coastal city of Trondheim. Nestled … More Exploring the effects of microplastics on coldwater copepods: A Norwegian research collaboration

I have just returned from our annual pilgrimage to the PAP-SO in the Northeast Atlantic, where we have somehow managed to cram 108 stations into 13 days! The PAP-SO or Porcupine Abyssal Pain – Sustained Observatory, at 49⁰ North and 16⁰ West, is two days sailing west and a little south from the UK. Beloved … More Research Cruise to the Porcupine Abyssal Plain – Sustained Observatory: why we do it and love it and why we keep doing it and keep loving it. Corinne Pebody

Maddie Brasier, student member of the Challenger Society and University of Liverpool student representative on the Challenger 2016 conference committee, was selected for the 2nd all-female Homeward Bound expedition to Antarctica. This project co-founded by researchers and professional leadership trainers in Australia is a transformational leadership initiative framed by a final trip to Antarctica. The … More Challenger Society member on international all-female Antarctic expedition: Maddie Brasier