9th International Conference on Marine Bioinvasions 2016: Sydney
Chris Nall
University of Highlands and Islands
The Challenger Society Student Travel Award enabled me to attend and present at the 9th International Conference of Marine Bioinvasions in Sydney, Australia. My oral presentation title was ‘Biosecurity implications of the marine renewable energy industry’ and I presented it on the 21st January in the ‘Invasions in Industry’ session. It covered some of the research from my PhD, including information on introduction pathways of non-native species within the marine renewable energy industry, the capability of fouling non-native species establishing on wave and tidal energy devices, and potential management strategies to reduce and monitor the impact of non-native species in the industry. The session audience included a number of highly esteemed academic researchers as well as policy makers and regulators and my talk promoted some interesting discussion during the session and after it.
This was my first attendance to a large international conference and the ICMB is one of the most sort-after research conferences in the field of marine non-native species research. The Challenger Society Award gave me a fantastic opportunity to meet the well-respected researchers from around the world which this biennial conference attracts. It also enabled me to use the conference as platform for establishing myself as a recognised researcher in marine invasion ecology.
Profile:
I have just completed a PhD at the Environmental Research Institute, University of Highlands and Islands (PhD Title: Marine non-native species in northern Scotland and the implications for the marine renewable energy industry). My research focuses on the composition of biofouling communities on artificial structures in the marine environment (e.g. marine renewable energy devices) and the ecological and technical implications of biofouling. I am particularly interested in the potential for marine structures to facilitate the introduction and establishment of marine non-native species and the implications this has on the natural environment and how this impact during the consenting process for marine developments.
Short twitter style post:
Interesting and thought provoking talks at the 9th International Conference of Marine Bioinvasions in Sydney #ICMB2016
Photo caption:
Building ‘research bridges’ at the 9th International Conference of Marine Bioinvasions in Sydney
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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
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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.
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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