About us
The Society
The Challenger Society for Marine Science is a learned society for marine scientists in the UK. It is named after the ship H.M.S. Challenger, which was used in one of the most important marine studies ever conducted. Here, you can find information about the history of the Society, the people behind the Society, how to join, our aims and objectives and information on the Special Interest Groups organised by CSMS.
The Society is a Limited Company and Registered Charity run by an elected Council of volunteers.
Objectives
What are the Society's objectives?- to advance the study and application of marine science through research and education
- to encourage two way collaboration between the marine science research base and industry/commerce
- to contribute to public debate and government policy on the development of marine science
- to hold, at regular intervals, scientific meetings for the discussion of all aspects of marine science
- to set up specialist groups as required in different disciplines
- to provide a forum for deeper technical discussions
- to disseminate knowledge of marine science to the public with a view to encouraging a wider interest in the study of the seas and an awareness of the need for their proper management
- to publish, among other things, news of the activities of the Society and of the world of marine science; material intended to present new activities and developments in a way to bring them to public attention; such other papers as may from time to time be deemed appropriate
- to provide or arrange, in suitable cases, financial assistance to students in marine science
- By holding regular scientific meetings covering all aspects of marine science
- By supporting specialist groups to provide a forum for discussion and by publishing a magazine and newsletter
- By fostering links to other groups and societies throughout the UK, Europe and the rest of the world.
- By operating a travel grant and stepping stones bursary scheme
- By its biannual award of Challenger Fellowships and the Challenger Medal.
The Society’s biannual Challenger Conference is the premier Ocean Science meeting in the UK attended by hundreds of researchers from the UK and world-wide with an associated marine science technology exhibition.
In addition, our affiliated groups organise specialist meetings which are ideal for detailed discussion of the key hot topics of the day and provide a friendly and informal place for PhD students and senior scientists to mingle and present their latest research. The current specialist groups of the Challenger Society are listed (link) but we keep these under review and are always open to forming new groups.
We publish Ocean Challenge twice a year (link), a high quality magazine designed to appeal to all members and to a wider audience with substantial articles on all aspects of marine science around the world. We now make this journal available freely via this website as an educational resource.
We also publish a more informal large monthly newsletter for members which includes material of interest on marine policy, field programmes, meetings and jobs.
We support early career members through our bursary and travel grant schemes (link).
We contribute to policy advice to government and learned bodies.
Latest News
Potential Availability of NERC Ship Time During the 25/26 Programme Year
The NERC Marine Facilities Programme for 2025/2026 for the RRS Discovery and the RRS James Cook has been published on the Marine Facilities Planning website.
The RRS Discovery programme currently contains a 79 day alongside slot between the 2nd of November 2025 and the 19th of January 2026, which is available for science delivery if funded science projects can make use of this time. Due to the location of the vessel, the ship is most likely to be able to deliver fieldwork in the North and East Atlantic regions. Some support for science capability within the National Marine Equipment Pool is potentially available, although there is no capacity for use of autonomous vehicles or remotely operated vehicles. Any fieldwork within Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) will need the appropriate diplomatic clearance submitted to coastal states at least 6 months in advance, and to NMF with sufficient lead time for processing via the FCDO.
If interested in making use of this ship time, please contact NERC Marine Planning (marineplanning@nerc.ukri.org) ASAP to start discussions.
THE MARINE FACILITIES ADVISORY BOARD – CAN YOU HELP?
The Marine Facilities Advisory Board advises the National Oceanography Centre on marine facilities and services, including the Natural Environment Research Council’s National Marine Equipment Pool (NMEP), the British Oceanographic Data Centre and the British Ocean Sediment Core Research Facility.
NOC Association AGM 2025
NOC Association (NOCA) AGM 2025
The 14th AGM of the NOC Association will be held on Thursday 15th and Friday 16th May 2025. This free, on-line event will take place on Zoom, across two consecutive mornings, each starting at 10:00 and ending at 12:30. Although discussion topics are being finalised, we will focus on national capability (NC) science, ships, and autonomous vehicles, and how the community can engage. There will be an update on AtlantiS and on the new marine science scoping group. All are warmly welcome to join. To participate, please complete your registration here. For enquiries: Jackie Pearson, Secretary to NOCA: jfpea@noc.ac.uk