International Research Group on Wood Protection’s 54th (IRG54) Annual Conference
Lucy Martin
University of Portsmouth
In June 2023, I attended the International Research Group on Wood Protection’s 54th (IRG54) Annual conference in Cairns, Australia. It was an incredible opportunity not only to network with new colleagues and meet old friends, but also to visit tropical Queensland and the Great Barrier Reef. This was made possible through the travel grant received from the Challenger Society, along with other society grants..JPG)
The research group is a society of international experts on all aspects of wood protection, from fire retardancy to durability in marine environments. Wood has been one of the best materials for use in marine applications for millennia, being used for transport (such as boats and canoes), moorings (piers and wharves etc) and sea defences (groynes, sea walls..). One of the major drawbacks to using wood, however, is that it is vulnerable to marine wood-boring organisms; bivalves, shipworm and isopods, Limnoria, which weaken or even destroy structures completely. In response traditional preservatives, including tar, oils, creosote and then broad-spectrum biocides like chromated copper arsenate (CCA), have been used to elongate the service life of timber. However, in the UK and EU, 20-year-old legislations now severely restrict these methods and instead species of wood naturally resistant to borers or novel wood preservation techniques are desired..JPG)
At IRG54, I presented my PhD research on using a non-biocidal chemical modification, called furfurylation, to protect wood against biodegradation by marine borers. My presentation - titled “Assessing changes in hardness of wood on a nanoscale to mimic levels experienced by the marine wood-boring crustacean, Limnoria” was the first talk of the conference in the main scientific session, representing the Biology section and working party 1.5 “Marine”. I also was asked to convene the presentations in the marine session which was included alongside talks on natural durability and termite resistance. Later, I gave a 3-minute poster pitch and presented my poster “Reducing successful shipworm larval settlement on wood that has been modified using furfurylation” which won the Rick Ziobro Award along with a prize of A$1000..jpg)
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Marine Data Management, Governance and the MEDIN toolset
The Marine Environmental Data and Information Network (MEDIN) and OceanWise are delighted to invite you to attend our popular free online training workshop: ‘Marine Data Management, Governance and the MEDIN toolset’ on the 19th – 23rd of May 2025.
Workshop on the contribution of UK Arctic Ocean science to the International Polar Year 32/33
12:00 11th June – 16:00 12th June 2025: NOC Southampton (In-person with online option): Registration deadline 16th May
REGISTER HERE
Pre-meeting questionnaire (open to all)
The purpose of this workshop is for the UK Ocean Science community to discuss and then draft a prospectus document outlining the priority Arctic research questions the community would like to address during the run up to, throughout and beyond the International Polar Year 32/33. Additionally, to identify what unique strengths and technologies the UK has to help fill these knowledge gaps.
The second day of the workshop will be dedicated to writing groups, one for each of the priority research questions identified - from both the pre-meeting questionnaire (HERE) and day one discussion. By the end of the meeting, each group will have produced draft text and sourced supporting figures for the prospectus.
Post meeting, the draft will be opened for comments and suggestions from everyone, regardless of whether they were able to attend the workshop or not. It will then be shared with UK funders (UKRI, FCDO, DSIT, ARIA) and potential international programmes with whom we would like to collaborate (e.g. Arctic 2050, Norway). It will form a basis from which wider integration with terrestrial, atmospheric and cryosphere communities can be built, e.g. at the UK Arctic Science Meeting in September in Northumbria.
To ensure balanced community and ECR representation, and to ensure that the size of the writing groups is efficient and effective, if the number of registrations from individual institutes becomes overwhelming, we may contact individuals or teams and ask that each institute selects a smaller number of individuals to attend in-person. Please wait for confirmation of in-person attendance before finalising travel arrangements.
The workshop will be open to hybrid attendance and contributions on both days.
Challenger Society Council Position Vacancy
The Challenger Society for Marine Science (CSMS) are pleased to announce an exciting opportunity to support the next generation of ocean scientists and innovators. CSMS are looking for a new Council member to fill the Student Travel Awards and Stepping Stones Portfolio. The successful applicant will administer the travel and research grants available for Early Career Researchers.
The role involves:
- Receiving applications for the two schemes and responding to applicant inquiries
- Soliciting and compiling input from the rest of the Council for assessing the applications
- Communicating with successful and unsuccessful applicants for the two schemes
- Working with the Honorary Treasurer on allocating funds to successful applicants
- Following up with award winners on their reporting requirements
- Attending Council meetings four times a year (in person or online) and contributing to discussions and decision making for CSMS
The usual term for Council members is three years.
For more information about the CSMS Council, please follow this link: https://www.challenger-society.org.uk/The_Council
For more information about our Early Career Researcher grants and awards, please follow this link:
https://www.challenger-society.org.uk/Stepping_Stones
and
https://www.challenger-society.org.uk/Travel_awards
If you are interested in applying or have any questions regarding the role, please contact kathen@bas.ac.uk