SMMI Director Damon Teagle joins research ship, RV JOIDES Resolution, for Expedition 393, South Atlantic Transect 2
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RV JOIDES Resolution – the workhorse of scientific ocean drilling for almost 40 years (photo credit IODP-TAMU)
The JOIDES Resolution (JR) set sail from Cape Town on 8 June 2022 to return to the western flank of the southern Mid-Atlantic Ridge with a fresh group of scientists aboard for IODP Expedition 393, the final chapter of a four expedition Southampton-led research project called the South Atlantic Transect. Co-Chief Scientist Damon Teagle swapped places with lead proponent Dr Roz Coggon (SOES, Southampton) who was Co-Chief Scientist on IODP Expedition 390 that disembarked in early June. The only time that this transect was visited was with the heroic first generation drilling vessel Glomar Challenger back in December-January 1968-69 on Deep Sea Drilling Project Leg 3. The sites being drilled run perpendicular to the Mid Atlantic Ridge, the range of submarine mountains that runs down the middle of the Atlantic Ocean where new oceanic crust is formed from magmas form the melting of Earth’s underlying mantle. These melts form basalts that then cool, subside, and are transported westward by seafloor spreading and plate tectonics. The key objective of the South Atlantic Transect is to understand the reactions that occur between seawater and the ocean basalts as they get older away from the ridge and measure the impacts of these processes on global chemical cycles for carbon dioxide, water and other elements and molecules.
There are 113 crew technicians and scientists aboard, and the science team includes a wide variety of disciplines nationalities and host institutions. Although an old ship, the JOIDES Resolution was specially designed to collect samples and data from beneath the seafloor. On Expedition 390 and 393 all activities are focussed on towards understanding the evolution of oceanic crust, the microbial communities that feed on deep sediments and the basalts, and decipher records of Earth’s past climate and ocean circulation preserved in the sediments that now overlie the basalts. Damon said, “It is remarkable what can achieved at sea by a large team of scientists, well supported by a bigger team of crew and technicians, all dedicated to a complementary suite of research, and all working long shifts for more than 2 months with few distractions from shore. It is great to be doing science again after the challenges of the past few years.”
There is a strong University of Southampton presence aboard the JR for IODP Expedition 393 with SMMI Director/ SOES geologist Damon Teagle Co-Chief Scientist, along with post-doctoral researchers Tom Belgrano and Aled Evans, both SMMI members. Tom and Aled are the core of the petrology team with Dr Michelle Harris, now an Associate Professor at Plymouth but previously PhD researcher and post-doctoral researcher in SOES (2006 to 2015). Roz Coggon was accompanied by Lewis Grant, PhD candidate SOES.
Find out more about the start of the expedition and its goals in the video below featuring Co-Chief Scientists Damon Teagle and Julia Reece (Texas A&M University).
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Effective Ocean Governance for Sustainable Development
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The University of Southampton’s Centre for Global Constitutionalism and the National Oceanography Centre (NOC) co-hosted a lively panel discussion last month to reflect on what kinds of global governance instruments are required for the world to meet UN Sustainable Development Goal 14: Ocean and Life Below Water and the challenges posed by the UN Decade of Ocean Science in light of existing and emerging international norms, laws and institutions.
The panel discussion was entitled “A Constitution for the Ocean?” with the interdisciplinary panel of speakers including SMMI member, Professor Chris Armstrong from the University of Southampton, Professor Steve Fletcher from the University of Portsmouth, Dr Katherine Hill from the G7 Future of the Seas and Oceans Coordination Centre and Dr Emma McKinley from Cardiff University. Associate Professor Laurie Wright from Solent University chaired the discussion, and Associate Professor Jonathan Havercroft, editor of Global Constitutionalism who delivered closing remarks connecting ocean governance to constitutional theory and political science.
Panelists were joined by a room full of audience members, including individuals from environmental charities, industry and local universities. Postgraduate students from the University of Southampton’s School of Ocean and Earth Science were in attendance along with a number of NOC scientists.
Global Constitutionalism, an interdisciplinary peer-reviewed journal dedicated to global and transnational aspects of human rights, democracy and the rule of law will publish thought pieces from the panelists in a future edition. Read more here.
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Dr Fangsheng Ge wins a Doctoral College Research Award 2022 for his research on the mathematical characterisation of optimal economic ship speed
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Dr Beullens (left) and Dr Ge (Award winner, right)
Dr Fangsheng Ge, SMMI supported scholar and lecturer in the Department of Decision Analytics and Risk of the Southampton Business School, was selected by the Faculty of Social Sciences to receive this prestigious Doctoral College Research Award 2022 for his doctoral research on the mathematical characterisation of optimal economic ship speed. These Awards recognise the exceptional contribution of doctoral researchers to the research group, discipline, Faculty or University research strategy/environment. Dr Fangsheng Ge said: “This work integrates concepts from corporate finance into the description of ship scheduling and optimisation modelling and led to significant novel insights about how journey and port time affect the ship’s profitability. The decision modelling framework finds direct application in the areas of tramp shipping for bulk carriers and tankers.”
Supervisors of Dr Ge’s PhD were SMMI members, Dr Patrick Beullens (Southampton Business School and Mathematical Sciences) and Prof Dominic Hudson (Maritime Engineering). “Novel to the literature in this field,” Dr Beullens explains, “is that it demonstrates how optimal ship speed is affected by the decision maker’s view about what we call the future profit potential. Optimal current usage of the ship becomes a subjective decision as it depends greatly on the level of optimism about the future usage of the vessel, and in this sense is much like how investors look at the stock markets.”
Prof Hudson said “It shows the importance of linking the environmental performance of the ship to not only the engineering aspects of e.g. fuel choice and propulsion mechanisms, hull, etc, but also to human aspects of decision making about the ship’s economic role and its future use. Fangsheng’s PhD work is a good example of how working together across different disciplines, one of the main strategies of the University, can achieve great scientific work.”
The Awards Ceremony was held on 17th of June on Highfield campus and hosted by the Director of the Doctoral College, Professor Chris Howls.
The findings of the research entitled, "Optimal economic ship speeds, the chain effect, and future profit potential" was published in Transportation Research Part B: Methodological. Read more here.
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Turing Annual Report features Southampton project as one of the 10 research highlights of the year
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A team led by SMMI member Adam Sobey who is also Group Lead for Marine and Maritime in the Data-Centric Engineering Programme of The Alan Turing Institute has developed voyage optimisation software that plans the most fuel-efficient route through the waves. This is a collaboration with UK company Theyr, which specialises in supplying high-resolution weather and ocean data to the maritime sector. Theyr’s data feeds directly into the software, which uses what is known as a ‘genetic algorithm’, inspired by Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection. The algorithm creates a population of possible routes, and then mathematically combines (‘mates’) pairs of the most successful routes (ie those which arrive on time while using lower amounts of fuel and avoiding poor weather/ocean conditions). By repeating this process over multiple ‘generations’ of routes, the algorithm quickly arrives at an optimal solution. The software is now being used by Euronav, a crude oil tanker company that has a fleet of 75 ships, and the researchers estimate that it will reduce fuel use by around 5% compared with other routing algorithms. Large vessels typically burn 50-75 tonnes of fuel per day, so this could save as much as £2,000 per day per vessel. And with this, of course, comes a significant environmental benefit: reduced fuel means reduced emissions. Read the Turing Annual report here.
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Stretching of the continents drove ancient global warming event, say scientists
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False colour satellite image of the Faroe Islands. Credit: Sentinel Hub EO/T Gernon
Scientists at the University of Southampton have discovered that stretching of the continents is likely to have caused one of the most extreme and abrupt episodes of global warming in Earth history. Along with colleagues at the University of Edinburgh, the University of Leeds, the University of Oldenburg, the University of Florence and the Chinese Academy of Sciences, they studied the effects of global tectonic forces and volcanic eruptions during a period of extreme environmental change 56 million years ago. During this time, some sequence of events caused the planet to warm by 5-8˚C, culminating in the ‘Palaeocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum’ or PETM, which lasted about 170,000 years. This caused the extinction of many deep-sea organisms, reshaping the course of evolution of life on Earth.
“Despite the importance and wider relevance of the PETM to global change today, the underlying cause is highly debated” says SMMI member Dr Tom Gernon, Associate Professor of Earth Science at the University of Southampton and lead author of the study. “It’s generally agreed that a sudden and massive release of the greenhouse gas, carbon, from the Earth’s interior must have driven this event, yet the scale and pace of warming is very hard to explain by conventional volcanic processes.” The researchers’ findings are published in the journal Nature Geoscience. Read the full article here.
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5 week full time job for horizon scan on safer decommissioning of offshore renewables
As part of the RAEng Safer End of Engineered Life, Safer Decommissioning of Offshore Structures and Ships programme an opportunity exists for a student or post-doc researcher to carry out a brief horizon scan and literature search and write a short report focussed on safety challenges for decommissioning of offshore renewables. The role will be for 5 weeks full time, paid at casual worker rate, and could start as soon as possible (i.e. to be carried out over the summer) or commence in September. Please contact Susan Gourvenec by 5th September if you are interested in this role.
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Open Government Consultation from the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairson the principles of marine net gain - DEADLINE 30 AUGUST 2022
The consultation sets out the Government’s approach to sustainable development offshore. It also has direct relevance for marine biodiversity and habitats, including seagrass.
If you would like support and guidance on how to submit a response please contact Wassim Dbouk here who will be very happy to advise. Read the full consultation here.
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NOTE: CALLS COMING SOON AND WITH NO DEADLINE, TOWARDS THE END OF THIS SECTION.
The Royal Society University Research Fellowship - DEADLINE 6 SEPTEMBER 2022
The Royal Society University Research Fellowship (URF) scheme supports the most promising early career postdoctoral scientists to build independent research careers and give them the freedom to pursue innovative and often transformative scientific research. Those appointed are therefore expected to be very strong candidates for permanent posts in universities at the end of their fellowships. Research must be within the Royal Society’s remit of natural sciences, which includes but is not limited to biological research, biomedical sciences, chemistry, engineering, mathematics and physics. Read more here.
The British Academy -Innovation Fellowships Scheme – Route A: Researcher-led - DEADLINE 14 SEPTEMBER 2022
The British Academy has been funded by the UK's Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) to continue its support of a new scheme, the Innovation Fellowships. The Innovation Fellowships Scheme is a dual-route scheme designed to enable researchers in the humanities and social sciences to partner with organisations and business in the creative and cultural, public, private and policy sectors in order to address challenges that require innovative approaches and solutions. Both routes require an established researcher to work with a UK-based partner organisation on a specified policy or societal challenge that contributes to the aims of the scheme for a period of up to one year. Read more here.
EPSRC and BBSRC - Research for a plastics circular economy: outline proposals - DEADLINE 15 SEPTEMBER 2022
Apply for funding for interdisciplinary research to support a more sustainable overall plastics system and help the UK move towards a circular plastics economy. This opportunity aims to fund interdisciplinary research to support a more sustainable overall plastics system and a move towards a circular plastics economy through developments in:
- biological sciences
- biotechnology
- engineering
- information and communications technology (ICT)
- mathematical sciences
- physical sciences.
Read more here.
Public Engagement with Research Unit - DEADLINE 23 SEPTEMBER 2022
All proposals should stimulate interest, excitement and debate about an area of UoS research/innovation/teaching/collaboration. Building on our strategic approach last year, we encourage you to frame your application within one of these Activity Strands:
Strand 1 – Civic University: Co-creation/co-production with local partners
Strand 2 – UKRI priority: Developing ‘citizen science’ engagement approaches
Strand 3 – Reflective practice for Public and Community Engagement (PCE)
Read more here.
NO DEADLINE CALLS:
Innovate UK - Fisheries and Seafood Scheme - NO DEADLINE
This supports projects based in England that secure sustainable growth across the catching, processing and aquaculture sectors and that protect and enhance the marine environment. Further details here.
EPSRC Postdoctoral Fellowship - NO DEADLINE
Apply for a fellowship focusing on either: Energy or Mathematical Sciences. You must have either a PhD or at least four years’ experience in a relevant field by the start of your fellowship. An eligible UK research organisation must host and support you during your fellowship. Your fellowship can be up to three years long. This is prorated for part-time fellows, at a minimum of 50% FTE. The project can use one or a combination of discovery science, innovation, instrumentation and technique development or software engineering. Further details here.
NERC - International ocean discovery programme – workshop funding support scheme - NO DEADLINE
This supports UK scientists in the organisation of, or participation in, IODP-related workshops, sandpits, training, outreach or other events. Eligible workshops must make use of IODP samples, data or results, or involve planning for the collection of such materials. Further details here.
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Proposed coastal communities event - Late September/October 2022
At a networking event in May, it became apparent that the University is home to a stronger and livelier range of research, teaching, knowledge exchange and enterprise initiatives related to Coastal Communities than many of us realised. An ambition to increase the internal and external visibility of work with Coastal Communities was a key outcome of that initial meeting. You are therefore invited to take part in a follow-up event in pursuit of two aims:
- To create an ‘Introduction to work with Coastal Communities at the University of Southampton’ webpage/online brochure of short descriptions + links, in which ‘Coastal Communities’ is broadly defined and not limited to the human.
- To enable researchers across disciplines and faculties to join-up towards upcoming and future funding opportunities.
The first part of the event will be given to 10-15 minute presentations of completed, ongoing and nascent research on Coastal Communities. The second half of the event will be given to future thinking. This will open with a summary of ideas that gained traction at the initial networking event.
If you would like to present your work please can you send a single PP slide describing your project/network/research cluster/hub to Lisa Bryan (L.Bryan@soton.ac.uk) by Monday 5 September. Please feel free to send more than one slide if you are presenting on more than one project.
The date of the event will be confirmed shortly.
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2 September and 16 September 2022 - Offshore Energy Technology 4.0 - Virtual
Offshore Energy Technology 4.0 focuses on enhancing the innovation and development of technologies and processes used for the design, engineering, construction, operational support, and full end-end lifecycle management of the assets, structures, and equipment used within the offshore energy industry; ensuring they have efficient design & build processes, effective operational procedure, sustainable full lifespans, and can perform their duties. Read more here.
6-8 September 2022 - Challenger 150: The Challenger Society Conference 2022 - London
The Challenger Society Conference 2022 marks the 150th anniversary of the Challenger expedition and celebrates the birth of international and interdisciplinary oceanography. Challenger 150 will be the opportunity to take stock of where we have come in our science, the way we do oceanography, and an opportunity to discuss, imagine and design the future of open, international, collaborative, inclusive and diverse marine science. The conference will include plenary sessions covering the very latest research in oceanography and a wide variety of special science sessions covering the physical, biological and ce.hemical oceanography, marine conservation and biodiversity and marine geology and geophysics. Read more here.
6-9 September 2022 - SMM - Driving the maritime transition - Hamburg
SMM serves as the ultimate platform for showcasing the latest technological developments in all maritime industry key areas and invites you to benefit from its global network. Establish new contacts on the exhibition floor. Meet thought-leaders at the high-profile conferences. Discover start-ups. Read more here.
13-15 September 2022 - 20th International Conference on Computer Applications in Shipbuilding (ICCAS) - Yokohama, Japan
Continuing the noteworthy success of previous conferences, ICCAS offers unequalled opportunity for international delegates from the global shipbuilding and marine industry to see practical application of computing technologies across all aspects of design, production, and in-service operation of ships and marine structures. Read more here.
16-25 September 2022 - Southampton International Boat Show 2022 - Southampton
Britain’s biggest and best festival of boating, showcases a plethora of beautifully designed boats and products from hundreds of global marine brands. From kayaks to catamarans, SUPS to superyachts, there’s a boat for everyone. Read more here.
26-30 September 2022 - Sea Tech Week® 2022: Maritime transport - Brest, France
Sea Tech Week® is a week-long international event focusing on marine science and technology. It brings together every two years more than 1,000 leading international experts in various marine-related disciplines to the city of Brest, France. Sea Tech Week® includes a scientific and technology conference, a professional exhibition, B2B meetings and social events. Registration for the event is likely to be in March. Read more and check the link here.
11-12 October 2022 - Marine Energy Transition Forum 2022 - Antwerp
Progress report: Is the stage now set for shipping's decarbonisation?
The Marine Energy Transition Forum provides a platform for some of the leading experts on shipping’s energy transition to share their knowledge and insights. By the end of the Forum, delegates will have a clear and informed picture of what has been achieved in the decarbonisation of shipping – as well as the scale of the task ahead. Read more here.
29 November - 1 December 2022 - Scaling Decarbonisation Solutions - Reducing Emissions by 2030 - Rotterdam, Netherlands
The social demand for an environmentally conscious transition of sea trade is encouraging ship owners and regulators to take on this challenge with technical and operational solutions to meet the environmental goals. To further investigate The Royal Institution of Naval Architects and Maersk Mc-Kinney Moller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping (MMMCZCS) have partnered to offer a conference that will provide a platform to discuss the scalability of current technologies and policies that will transform the shipping industry. Submit your abstract by 4 July 2022. Read more here.
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