The National Oceanography Centre (NOC) is wholly owned by the UK’s Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and brings together NERC-managed activity at Liverpool’s former Proudman Oceanographic Laboratory and the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton.
NOC is the UK’s leading institution for a full range of ocean science and technology activity from the coast to the deep ocean. NOC provides long-term marine science capability including:
- Major facilities such as research ships, autonomous underwater vehicles, high performance computers, sea-bed core repository and specialist deep-ocean equipment supported by world-class staff and infrastructure.
- Sustained ocean observing, mapping and survey capability.
- Sea level science and tidal prediction as home of the Permanent Service for Mean Sea Level.
- Data management and archival through the British Oceanographic Data Centre, and the UK’s National Oceanographic Library.
- Expert impartial scientific advice to government and industry including maritime boundary delimitation, diplomatic clearance for marine scientific research and input to UNESCO-IOC.
- Technology development, especially sensors and autonomous vehicles.
- Post-graduate training in collaboration with the universities of Southampton and Liverpool.
Marine science national capability is provided to the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) by NOC working in conjunction with our ‘delivery partners’ at the Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Marine Biological Association, Sir Alister Hardy Foundation for Ocean Science, Scottish Association for Marine Science, Sea Mammal Research Unit, British Antarctic Survey and British Geological Survey.
SERVICES
Ocean Science and technology research and consultancy
Multi-disciplinary research from coast to deep ocean.
Marine Science Platforms
Research ships, moorings and autonomous systems.