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Hi everyone! My name is Heather and I’m studying chromium isotopes in seawater for my PhD. There is only a tiny amount of chromium in seawater, but its isotopes behave in an interesting way when exposed to different levels of oxygen. This behaviour might be useful as an indirect measure of oxygen levels in the oceans or atmosphere, so it is hoped that chromium stored in sediments can be used to find out more about past climates. You can find a more detailed introduction to my research here. Continue reading →

Image credits: Hammerhead shark: Galapagos Conservation Trust, http://galapagosconservation.org.uk/wildlife/scalloped_hammerhead_shark/ Copepod: Tracey Saxby, Integration and Application Network, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (ian.umces. Continue reading →

Viruses appear in the news a lot, many of us will know about annual flu season (caused by the influenza virus), the relatively recent outbreak of the Ebola virus in west Africa and also human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) the cause of AIDS. But viruses in the sea? They get a bit less attention, but are incredibly important. Continue reading →

It has been a busy week here at the National Oceanography Centre, this week Southampton hosts the Boat Show, and we have a very exciting aquarium stand on display. If you are in the area, our stand can be found at stand A134 just inside the main entrance in the Quays carpark. We have an exciting display, including a rock pool tank, which represents species typically found on the south coast. Continue reading →

Hello everyone,   the idea for this post came from one comment I read during week 2 the course. A learner, Mike Charleswoth Finch, was asking why in modern English we use the word haline, instead of saline, to refer to the thermohaline circulation. Professor Rachel Mills replied "past estimates of saltiness came from titration of the halogens (halides in ionic form), and the word is derived from the Greek for salt. The word saline is derived from Latin for salt!". Continue reading →

Hello fellow MOOCers,   today I am going to tell you a bit about what the oceans mean to me. This is also part of your activities for the first week of Exploring Our Oceans (1.8. “What do the oceans mean to you?”), and I have to admit that I am astonished by the different perspectives and views people have for this wonderful “habitat”.   Waves Figure 1. The power of waves.   Waves are in perpetual movement. They shape the coasts around the world. Continue reading →

Hello to all of you that are joining us for the latest run of the 'Exploring our Oceans' MOOC. I am currently just finishing a PhD in Geochemistry at the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton, during which I have taken part in the exciting ChEsSO project (http://www.noc.soton.ac.uk/chess/science/chesso.html) that has been successfully exploring the Southern Ocean for new hydrothermal vent sites over the last few years. Continue reading →

Hello Ocean Explorers! I’m Abbie and I’m very excited to be one of your facilitators for the ‘Exploring our Oceans’ MOOC.  I’m just about to start the second year of my PhD at the National Oceanography Centre, where I will be focusing on seafloor hot springs (or hydrothermal vents) around the globe and the variety of life that depends on them. In this blog post, I’d like to introduce you to the research I’m doing for my PhD and why it is particularly relevant today. Continue reading →