NOC News Round Up - 10 November 2017

Discovery in Falklands After a long passage from Southampton, RRS Discovery spent some time in Port Stanley in the Falkland Islands, this week. While there, the science team and crew met with local school children and dignitaries. Discovery will now head to the ocean around South Georgia to begin the first expedition of the COMICS project. This project aims to improve our understanding of how ocean biology in the twilight zone regulates the climate. You can find out more about this expedition here. The ship's work in the Southern Ocean actually started unexpectedly early, when she was called upon to help recover a glider belonging to Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute (WHOI). The glider had malfunctioned and then surfaced some 200m east of the Falkland Islands. Discovery diverted from her passage to intercept the stranded glider, which was soon spotted and recovered. It will be transported back to a very grateful WHOI after Discovery docks in Punta Arenas, Chile, at the end of December. Final preparations ahead of MAT Showcase 2017 The final preparations are being made ahead of the NOC's Marine Autonomy and Technology Showcase 2017 (#MATS2017) which gets underway on Monday. MATS2017 runs from 13 to 15 November, featuring a packed three-day programme of workshops, talks, demonstrations and networking. The event offers a unique and valuable opportunity for delegates to find out about the latest developments in ocean technology and how organisations can work with the NOC to explore opportunities to secure funding, share ideas and get those ideas in front of influential end users from the marine and maritime industries.  Here's Prof Russell Wynn (on a darkened stage) with a few words about what to expect (click the button below). New NOC projects announced at Innovate 2017 The Innovate 2017 conference took place in Birmingham this week, showcasing the brightest and boldest of UK innovation, and the NOC was there to share expertise, and to inspire businesses and individuals to tackle the challenges of tomorrow.   The conference saw the announcement of funding for new projects to be delivered by the NOC and its partners from the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund (ISCF), including investment in the 'Oceanids' marine robotics programme. Additionally, three new research projects will be undertaken by the NOC and its partners following successful bids as part of a collaborative R&D competition run by Innovate UK.  NOC represents at #BlueTechWeek The NOC was represented at the international Maritime Alliance Summit in San Diego, California, this week. Kevin Forshaw, the NOC's Associate Director of Innovation and Enterprise, attended the summit on Wednesday where he chaired a panel discussion on 'Smart Ports – Robots, Sensors and Data' as part of the 9th annual BlueTech Week, which aims to promote sustainable, science-based ocean and water industries.  The panel was made up of Mark Gundersen (President, Marine Advanced Research, Inc.), Joao Tasso de Sousa (Director, Underwater Systems & Tech Lab, University of Porto, Portugal) and Durval Tavares (President, Aquabotix). NOC Innovation Centre shaping future thinking NOC's Associate Director of Innovation and Enterprise, Kevin Forshaw, delivered the key note address at the OECD Workshop on 'Innovation for a Sustainable Ocean Economy: Linking Economic Potential and Marine Ecosystem Health Through Innovation', hosted by the Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn (SZN), in Naples, Italy. His address focused on how scientific advances and innovation are contributing to the development of major marine and maritime activities, while helping in protecting and restoring ecosystems. Four major issues for the future of the seas and ocean were discussed: the greening of shipbuilding and marine infrastructures; the decommissioning of marine platforms; the pivotal role of science and technology in enhancing maritime spatial planning; and innovation as the key force driving the potential emergence of a marine ecosystem restoration industry. The workshop saw the assembly of some 50 international participants from leading research centres, the private sector, and intergovernmental organisations. Outcomes from the event will feed into current OECD research activities on differing models that will enable the ocean economy by stimulating innovation. The NOC has, as a result, been invited to engage on a much more detailed piece of analysis by them looking at why the model adopted by the Marine Robotics Innovation Centre has been so effective is stimulating new product development, and how lessons learned here could be applied to stimulating innovation in other sectors relating to the Ocean Economy. Blue Planet II We're sure you're all enjoying Blue Planet II as much as we are. We have been in contact with the production team for the last three years and it's fantastic to see that some of our film and video footage is cropping up in the programme and accompanying website and publicity materials. Did you spot the 'Hoff' crab on last week's episode? There was also a spookfish in last week's episode. Click here to watch a video of the spookfish that's held in the NOC's Discovery Collections. See the NOC and BOSCORF at UnEarthed next weekend:   This email was sent using GovDelivery Communications Cloud on behalf of: National Oceanography Centre · Waterfront Campus · European Way · Southampton · SO14 3ZH · United Kingdom