marine resources

Today the Royal Research ship (RRS) James Cook will embark on an expedition to discover new sources of the rare metals, critical for low carbon technologies.

One hundred and sixty scientists will descend on Winchester this week as part of a globally significant meeting to address the challenges in submarine habitat mapping.

Research by the National Oceanography Centre (NOC) explores a promising new method of forecasting bioluminescence, which may improve the monitoring of movements in the ocean, such as fish shoals and internal waves.

Growth in the developing economies has resulted in an increase in the global demand for minerals and energy. At the same time the actions required to mitigate and adapt to increased levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere demand significant changes in energy generation, distribution and utilisation.

Renewable energy can be generated by harnessing the power from the tides, which can be predicted hundreds of years in advance. But the predicted energy gains from certain schemes have been overestimated, according to a team of researchers in Liverpool.

A recent survey in the River Dee estuary of bedforms – the patterns of ripples and hollows that moving water creates on the seabed – has provided a comprehensive and valuable set of data for scientists at the National Oceanography Centre and several UK universities.

The National Oceanography Centre has welcomed a new position paper from the European Marine Board highlighting how innovative marine research can solve some of Europe’s greatest policy challenges.

UK scientists will measure the effect on the marine environment and wildlife of devices that harness tide and wave energy using sonar technology that has, for the first time, been successfully deployed on the seabed.