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Revolutionizing Ocean Science: The UK’s National Oceanography Centre and Its Innovative Marine Autonomous Systems

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Oleksandr Kaiukov

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Advancing Sustainable Ocean Science: The UK’s National Oceanography Centre (NOC) and Its Innovative Marine Autonomous Systems

In the heart of the maritime world, the UK’s National Oceanography Centre (NOC) has secured a significant milestone with a £4 million funding award from the Natural Environment Research Council’s (NERC’s) Future Marine Research Infrastructure (FMRI) program. This investment is set to revolutionize marine research by enhancing the centre’s marine autonomous systems fleet. Let’s dive into the details of this groundbreaking initiative and its potential impact on sustainable ocean science.

Unveiling the Funding and Its Objectives

Picture this: a fleet of advanced marine autonomous systems equipped with cutting-edge sensors, capable of measuring a wide range of biogeochemical essential ocean variables. This is the vision that the NOC is pursuing with the FMRI funding. The objectives are clear: to develop innovative sensors, integrate them into autonomous platforms, and make these advancements accessible to the UK marine science community.

The funding will support three key projects led by leading scientists and engineers at NOC. These projects aim to target 10 different biogeochemical essential ocean variables, from physics to nutrients and carbon. The sensors developed will be integrated into various autonomous underwater vehicles, including gliders and NOC’s Autosub Long Range (ALR) NOC.

Enhancing Marine Research Capabilities

Building on that, the integration of these advanced sensors into the NOC’s autonomous systems will significantly enhance marine research capabilities. The sensors will be made available through the UK’s National Marine Equipment Pool, the largest centralized marine scientific equipment pool in Europe. This pool is part of the National Marine Facilities, managed by NOC. This accessibility will ensure that UK marine science can meet the urgent need to observe, understand, and predict changes in the ocean.

Kristian Thaller, the FMRI Program Director, highlights the importance of this investment. “By accelerating the adoption of sensor innovation, this investment will help position the UK at the cutting edge of marine research capabilities,” he says. “It will ensure that UK marine science can meet the urgent need to observe, understand, and predict changes in the ocean” NOC.

Accelerating Adoption of Sensor Innovation

Taking it further, the funding from NERC’s FMRI program supports its Accelerating Adoption of Sensor Innovation (AASI) initiative. This initiative aims to demonstrate how innovation in marine sensor technology can be translated into deployable autonomous research capabilities. The three sensor development projects under this initiative are:

Autonomous Sensors for Fast In-situ Measurements of Nutrient Ocean Variables (ASIMOV)

Led by Dr. Allison Schaap, ASIMOV will enhance the performance, speed, and reliability of nitrate and phosphate lab-on-chip sensors for use on Teledyne Slocum gliders. This project is crucial for improving the accuracy of nutrient measurements in the ocean.

Marine Sensors for Carbon Observations (MaSCOt)

Dr. Socratis Loucaides leads MaSCOt, a project focused on advancing and optimizing high-accuracy and precision lab-on-chip sensors for the marine carbonate system. These sensors will be optimized for use on gliders, furthering our understanding of carbon dynamics in the ocean.

SixSense

Dr. Andrew Morris leads SixSense, a project that will create a miniature multi-parameter sensor capable of measuring six key parameters covering biogeochemical, physical, and environmental measurements (conductivity, temperature, dissolved oxygen, pressure, pH, and Eh). This sensor will be integrated onto ALRs, gliders, and other platforms, such as submersibles and profiling floats.

The Bigger Picture: Revolutionizing Marine Research Infrastructure

Looking at the bigger picture, the FMRI program’s mission is to revolutionize marine research infrastructure. By delivering cutting-edge marine research capabilities, the program aims to serve society’s need to observe, understand, and predict change in the ocean. This investment aligns with the program’s broader goal of ensuring that marine research can adapt to and mitigate the impacts of climate change and other environmental challenges.

Piecing it all together, the £4 million funding from NERC’s FMRI program is a significant step forward for the UK’s marine research capabilities. Through innovative sensor development and the integration of these sensors into autonomous platforms, the NOC is poised to lead the way in sustainable ocean science. This initiative not only advances our understanding of the ocean but also ensures that the UK remains at the forefront of marine research and technology.

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