The biennial Challenger conference will be held in Oban next year (2nd-6th September 2024). The programme will cover all aspects of marine science with a particular focus on how we can tackle global problems such as climate change and biodiversity loss. 

Oban is a beautiful coastal location, but as a tourist destination accommodation gets booked up very quickly. If you are interested in attending, it is advised that you book accommodation as soon as you can. Accommodation options can be found on the conference website: https://challenger2024.co.uk 

The hashtag for the conference is #challenger2024.

We are pleased to announce that abstract submission is now open for the Challenger 2024 conference which will be held in Oban from 2nd -6th September 2024. The abstract submission deadline is the 30th April. Please find all the information about abstract submission and details of the conference on the Challenger 2024 website.

To help with your planning, here is the outline of events for the week:
Monday 2nd Sept - Registration and ice-breaker
3-5th Sept - Talks and posters
Evening of Thursday 5th Sept - Dinner, prizes and Ceilidh
Friday 6th Sept - Special interest group meetings

Keep your diaries free and please find further information at https://www.sams.ac.uk/challenger2024/ 

A guidance document with advice on how to create effective and clear posters and presentations can be found here.

2024 Challenger Society Conference

Presidents’ Art and Photography Prize


For the 2024 competition, in a new departure, members are invited to submit all kinds of images (paintings, drawings, collages ...) as well as photographs. We are looking for images relating to marine science or the ocean that are beautiful, impressive, evocative, amusing, quirky or entertaining. The winning image will earn its creator a prize of £100. The winner will be decided by the outgoing President and the President Elect.
You may submit up to three images (each image has a 100MB size limit).  For more information and to submit your images(s) see: https://forms.gle/pTjwLMzYXjWoSpKr9

For each image, please provide a title, and a brief explanation of the context. Entries must arrive by 30 August. Images should not have been created for commercial purposes, or have received any previous award. 
Photographic images should not have been significantly altered digitally (e.g. using Photoshop) or created with AI. They need to be at sufficiently high resolution to look good when printed, not just on screen. This means that the file size should be of the order of 1 Mb or more, not tens of kb. Images may be used in future publications of the Society, with the owner’s permission.
NB. The competition is only open to members of the Society.

Latest News

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 2nd - 6th of September 2024.

Read More


How the UK stores marine rock samples—and how you can help

Marine rock samples collected by dredge or remotely operated vehicles (ROV) are an exceptional resource of immense scientific value which help inform geoscience research and contribute to the Natural Environment Research Council’s (NERC) research areas including Earth resources, mantle and core processes, physics & chemistry of Earth materials and volcanic processes.

Read More


Royal Society AMOC Special Issue

The following Royal Society Publishing Philosophical Transactions A is now one of our most widely read issues - Atlantic overturning: new observations and challenges organised and edited by M A Srokosz, N P Holliday and H L Bryden FRS and the articles are available at https://www.bit.ly/TransA2262

A print version is also available at the special price of £40.00 per issue from sales@royalsociety.org

Read More