Ocean Biogeochemistry and Ecosystems (OBE)

New insights into the impacts of ocean acidification

Bythocaris

A new study recently published in the journal Global Biogeochemical Cycles offers clues to the potential impact of ocean acidification deep-sea, shell-forming organisms.

NOC to be part of ambitious multi-centre research programmes

The ocean

The NOC is to be part of four highly ambitious research programmes, commissioned by the Natural Environmental Research Council that will see its research centres working closely together to tackle major scientific and societal challenges.

Optical data sheds light on global environmental change

A small copepod Microsetella (orange speck) feeding on a particle at 300m depth in the North Atlantic (photo: Klas Möller)

To understand the role of the ocean in global environmental change and to progress oceanography in developing countries the National Oceanography Centre (NOC) will be leading a working group aiming to build the world’s largest database on carbon flux measurements from optical sensors.

Single-celled shelled organisms shed light on ancient hills

Shells of the same Reophax species from the Porcupine Abyssal Plain, NE Atlantic (4850 m water depth)

Fossil foraminifera could be used to identify ancient ‘hilly’ environments on the ocean floor, according to research published in Marine Micropaleontology by scientists at the National Oceanography Centre (NOC) and The University of Southampton.

Long-term observations hold the key to climate change impact assessment

ODAS buoy being deployed

Most ocean data sets are far too short for the accurate detection of trends resulting from global climate change, according to research published today in the journal Global Change Biology.

Blue Whale photographed in English waters

The Blue Whale surfacing

An incredibly rare sighting of a Blue Whale in English waters was captured on camera by scientists on-board the RRS James Cook.

The huge mammal, twice as long as a double-decker bus, was spotted on 24 August approximately 400 km southwest of Cornwall, over a deep-sea canyon on the northern margin of the Bay of Biscay.

NOC and WWF in partnership for novel marine robotic vehicle trials

C-Enduro at Milford Haven

The National Oceanography Centre has today begun the latest in a series of ambitious marine robotic vehicle trials off the UK coast.

‘Flying Spaghetti Monster’

Bathyphysa conifera, Image: SERPENT Project © 2003–15

The NOC’s Daniel Jones identified this bizarre looking marine creature as a Siphonophore. It belongs to a group of aquatic animals that include corals and jellyfish, some specimens have reached lengths of 40m!

Barnacles help track MH370 debris

Goose barnacles (courtesy: Miguel Charcos Llorens)

The type and size of barnacles on the Malaysian Airways MH370 flight debris could provide clues to the path it took through the Indian Ocean, according to researchers at the National Oceanography Centre (NOC).

A review of ten years of ocean carbon transport research

Working onboard RRS Discovery

Ten years of work into the transport of carbon from the surface ocean to the deep ocean interior, has been brought together in a landmark paper published in Geophysical Research Letters.

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