Programme
The programme is arranged in 2 parallel sessions focussing on the following science themes.
1. Ocean dynamics and climate
Chair - Hugh Venables, British Antarctic Survey
There has been much progress recently in measuring and understanding ocean dynamics on a range of scales using a variety of instruments and platforms, hence improving our understanding of the changing physical properties of the ocean, interaction with the atmosphere and their impact on climate. This has included the study of dense water formation rates and processes, and also the fundamental mechanisms by which the four-dimensional circulation of the ocean is determined. A focus on the interaction of the ocean with the cryosphere has highlighted the importance of both sea ice and ice sheets. Knowledge of the key processes is vital for understanding fundamental aspects of the Earth's climate (such as the distribution of heat and ocean uptake of CO2) and for prediction of future atmospheric temperatures and sea level rise. This session will bring together data from field experiments and models, at a range of locations and scales, to address these fundamental challenges.
2. Coastal physical processes
Chair - Jennifer Brown, National Oceanography Centre, Liverpool
There is growing realisation that human activity is an integral component of the coastal system. Many interacting processes, both human and natural, occur to create the coast as we know it. These processes act over varying timescales, from a few seconds (e.g. wave overtopping) to many millennia (e.g. sea-level change), and occur on a range of spatial scales, from a few millimetres (e.g. sediment dynamics) to coastal seas (e.g. circulation). This evolving system is subjected to growing pressure due to its socio-economic and environmental importance, which has increased the need to better understand the physical processes to enable sustainable development, protection and management. This session aims to stimulate interaction between coastal oceanographers and coastal engineers to enhance our understanding of the character and evolution of the coastal zone. Emphasis is on the results of field studies, laboratory measurements, theoretical analysis and numerical modelling, all with the aim to improve understanding of the underlying coastal physical processes.
3. Biodiversity from genes to ecosystems
Chair - Thomas Mock, University of East Anglia
Knowledge of the biodiversity of ocean ecosystems, from the surface to deep-sea vents and from viruses to whales, is fundamental to our understanding of Earth system processes. Species diversity in the ocean is significantly shaped by gene and genome evolution. Different marine ecosystems select for different genes and genomes and therefore impact the function of marine communities. The application of genetic and genomic approaches to marine biota over the last decade has profoundly altered our understanding of life in the oceans, especially regarding concepts of adaptation, speciation and evolution. High resolution and repeat sampling has also highlighted the importance of species diversity to the robust functioning of an ecosystem in relation to small spatial and short temporal scale changes in the physical and biogeochemical environment. This session aims to link species diversity in relation to the ocean environment with funcional importance in terms of biogeochemical cycling, including the production of climate relevant gases.
4. Emerging technologies (co-sponsored by IMarEst and SUT)
Chair - Nefeli Tsaloglou, National Oceanography Centre, Southampton
A requirement for robust, autonomous and in situ monitoring of the aquatic environment has emerged in recent years. Sensor systems currently used for marine biogeochemical measurements are typically based on large, expensive and complex instrumentation, requiring highly-trained operators. Development of mass-produced, multi-parametric biogeochemical sensors needs a fundamental multi-disciplinary approach and thorough understanding of the scientific hypotheses targeted with this technology. System requirements include component design, mechanical engineering, electronics, macro and micro-fluidics, accurate signal detection, integration, data management and exhaustive field-testing. This growing demand has created a new and exciting field of emerging sensor technologies in oceanographic research which can provide information on water quality, public health and global climate change.
The aim of this session is to present the state-of-the-art science and technology in the area of sensors, to provide a discussion forum for groups engaging in these activities and to promote future collaborations between scientists and technologists.
5. Biogeochemical cycles and changing seas
Chair - Corinne Le Quéré, Tyndall Centre, University of East Anglia
Biogeochemical cycles in the oceans are influenced by human-induced changes in climate, CO2 levels and terrestrial and atmospheric biogeochemical cycles. Human perturbations however can be difficult to detect against the background of large natural variability, particularly given the incomplete observation network and the gaps in our understanding of the underlying processes. This session invites contributions from both the observational and modelling communities, that discuss the potential fingerprints of human influence on biogeochemical cycles, including cycling of climate relevant gases. It welcomes in particular studies discussing changes in ocean acidification and deoxygenation arising from changes in climate, studies discussing feedbacks between marine ecosystems, climate and biogeochemical cycles, and studies that make use of the new CMIP5 model archive with observations of recent trends. This session will cover timescales from days to centuries, including the recent past and proximate future (~1850-2100).
6. Challenges and tools for managing marine and coastal resources
Chair - Abigail McQuatters-Gollop, Sir Alister Hardy Foundation for Ocean Science, Plymouth
Unprecedented basin-scale changes are occurring in our seas. Climate change is resulting in warming temperatures, declining ocean pH, decreasing sea ice, shifts in biological communities, and alterations to marine physical regimes. At the same time intensification of anthropogenic activities in marine systems mean that our marine and coastal waters are increasingly subjected to pressures such as eutrophication, coastal development, habitat loss, and overfishing. Consequently, scientists, managers and policy-makers are tasked with working together to manage marine and coastal resources. This is a challenge due to our developing scientific understanding of the ecological effects of climate change, sectoral competition for use of the marine environment, synergistic environmental impacts of multiple pressures and complicated policy mechanisms. This session invites papers exploring challenges to managing marine and coastal resources and scientific and policy tools which may be used to address these challenges. Topics may include, but are not limited to: eutrophication, fisheries, aquaculture, Harmful Algal Blooms, marine and coastal policy, marine protected areas, marine renewables, development of applied scientific indicators, implementation of the ecosystem approach, and science-policy knowledge exchange.
7. Marine geochemistry: A tribute to Professor Dennis Burton
Chairs - Peter Statham, University of Southampton and Daniela Schmidt, University of Bristol
Abstracts for talks and posters are most welcome on a wide variety of marine chemical, geochemical and biogeochemical topics. These can include, but are not restricted to, applications of isotopes to marine processes, palaeo- proxies informing our understanding of past climate, the distribution of trace elements and isotopes, sediment geochemistry, atmospheric inputs to the sea and estuarine chemistry.
8. Benthic ecology: What, How and When? The functional role of benthic invertebrates
Chair - Martin Solan, University of Aberdeen/University of Southampton
The activity and behaviour of benthic invertebrates in the upper centimetres of marine sediments has a profound effect on many ecosystem processes and functions, including major biogeochemical transformations that are of fundamental importance to the rest of the marine food web. Whilst considerable progress has been made towards a generic understanding of the principal mechanisms by which biotic activity affects particle and porewater distributions, the contributions that individual species make to ecosystem functioning is generally poorly understood. This session invites papers which describe and quantify the contributions individual species make to ecosystem functioning, or which compare and contrast the relative contributions species make to single or multiple ecosystem functions over time, or under different biotic and abiotic contexts.
9. Physics and Plankton: observing and modelling the interactions
Co-Chairs - Stephanie Henson, National Oceanography Centre, Southampton; Geraint Tarling, British Antarctic Survey
Our knowledge of how physical processes influence biological patterns and processes has increased rapidly during the last decade. These processes operate at a number of spatial and temporal scales, from the relationship between productivity and microscale turbulence, to the link between plankton life-cycles and decadal, basin-scale gyres. Important advances in automated sensors have facilitated continuous fine scale biological measurements comparable in coverage and resolution with the best physical data. Remote sensing technologies continue to reveal larger scale biological patterns and processes. Nevertheless, understanding the physical-biological linkages that act on a multitude of spatial and temporal scales is still a major challenge, and one that demands a close interaction between models and observations. This session invites papers investigating the links between biological and physical processes acting at various scales, either experimentally, observationally or through modelling.
Oral presentations will be 15 minutes in length – 10 minutes for presentation and 5 minutes for Q&A. Timekeeping will be strictly adhered to.
Please click here to download a summary programme - the final programme will be available once it has been decided.
Keynote Talks
There will be 6 Keynote Talks all taking place in Lecture Theatre 1 as follows:
| Keynote Talk | Date/Time | Speaker | Title/Abstract |
| 1 | Monday 3 September, 0910 | Jorge Sarmiento (Princeton University) | Controls on and variability in particle export and flux attenuation in the ocean’s twilight zone Abstract |
| 2 | Monday 3 September, 1400 | David Righton (CEFAS) | Fish behaving madly: how integrating oceanography and behaviour can help us think like a fish Abstract |
| 3 | Tuesday 4 September, 0905 | Ken Buessler (WHOI) | A biogeochemical paradigm shift |
| 4 | Wednesday 5 September, 0905 | Phyllis Lam (MPI) | Microbial nitrogen cycling in oceanic oxygen minimum zones Abstract |
| 5 | Thursday 6 September, 0905 | Katrin Rehdanz (Kiel Institute) | Valuing the Ocean in the Context of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive Abstract |
| 6 | Thursday 6 September, 1400 | Helen Johnson (University of Oxford) | The Atlantic meridional overturning circulation: The importance of the western boundary Abstract |
Click here for further details.
Debate
There will be a debate about wind energy in East Anglia in Lecture Theatre 1 on Tuesday 4 September at 1145 - click here for more details.
Ocean Modelling SIG
There will be a meeting of the Ocean Modelling SIG on Friday 7 September 2012 at 0900 in Lecture Theatre 4. For further details, please contact the coordinators Helen Johnson or Xiaoming Zhai.
UK Sea Ice Group
There will be a meeting of the UK Sea Ice Group on Friday 7 September 2012 at 0900 in Committee Room 2, The Council House.
The UK sea ice group annual meeting is an informal forum to present recent research on all aspects of sea ice science. Subjects discussed range from climate modelling through process studies (dynamics, biology, freeze-thaw, ocean-ice-atmosphere coupling) to observations (satellite and in-situ), paleo-reconstructions and impact studies. Whether a student or experienced researcher in this field please come and exchange ideas.
For further details, please contact the coordinators Jeff Ridley or Valerie Livina.