NOC News Round Up - 30 June 2017

NOC scientists depart to explore the changing Arctic Ocean The RRS James Clark Ross departed Southampton today, bound for the Arctic, as part of an expedition led by NOC scientist Dr Jo Hopkins. This marks the start of a new £10 Million research programme to investigate how the Arctic Ocean is changing. Over 20 researchers from 16 UK research institutes join forces to understand the knock on effects of rapid warming and sea ice loss in the Arctic region. To learn more about this expedition click here to read the full story on our website. To keep updated on the expedition's progress click here to view the latest image from a webcam on the ship's bridge. Biodiversity loss from deep-sea mining will be unavoidable Biodiversity losses from deep-sea mining are unavoidable and possibly irrevocable, an international team of 15 marine scientists, including those from the NOC, and legal scholars argue in a letter published this week in the journal Nature Geoscience. Read more here Autosub Long Range "Boaty McBoatface" returns home Did you spot Autosub Long Range "Boaty McBoatface" in the BBC news this week? The RRS James Clark Ross arrived at the NOC, returning Autosub Long Range (ALR) home after its first scientific deployment in the Antarctic. Developed by the NOC, Autosub Long Range, the latest type of autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV), captured unprecedented data about some of the coldest abyssal ocean waters on earth. Supported by NOC engineers, the team, which involved scientists from the University of Southampton and British Antarctic Survey, collected data on temperature, speed of water flow and underwater turbulence rates of the Orkney Passage, a region of the Southern Ocean which is around 4,000m deep and roughly 500 miles from the Antarctic Peninsula. Welcoming "Boaty McBoatface" back from its first mission, Universities and Science Minister, Jo Johnson, said: "Fresh from its maiden voyage, "Boaty" is already delivering new insight into some of the coldest ocean waters on earth, giving scientists a greater understanding of changes in the Antarctic region and shaping a global effort to tackle climate change." NOC receives recognition for tsunami ready pilot project The UK delegation to the UNESCO Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, represented by IOC Vice Chair and former NOC Head of International and Strategic Partnerships, Stephen Hall, was honoured to accept Certificates of Recognition for successfully implementing the UNESCO IOC Tsunami Ready Pilot Project in the British Virgin Islands, on behalf of HE John Duncan, the Governor of the British Virgin Islands, and Ms Sharleen DaBreo, Director of the BVI Department of Disaster Management. Read more. NOC at the Mersey River Festival It was the International Mersey River Festival and National Armed Forces Day last weekend and volunteers from BODC and NOC Liverpool set-up several interactive exhibits near Albert Dock to promote our 'Big Science for Big Challenges'. Craig Corbett, NOC Webmaster, said "We spoke with hundreds of people over the two day event and it was a great success at engaging with the public and letting them know all about our science and technology and its local and global importance." NOC Celebrates UK Robotics Week   This email was sent using GovDelivery Communications Cloud on behalf of: National Oceanography Centre · Waterfront Campus · European Way · Southampton · SO14 3ZH · United Kingdom