Dr Judith Wolf
Judith is a Principal Scientist at the National Oceanography Centre, Liverpool, UK (previously part of the Institute of Oceanographic Sciences, then known as the Proudman Oceanographic Laboratory). Born and educated in Newcastle on Tyne, she graduated in Maths and Physical Oceanography from the University of Bangor in 1975 and received my PhD from the University of Liverpool in 1984. She has worked in marine physics for over 40 years, mainly for the Natural Environment Research Council, and has been a member of the Challenger Society for most of my career.
In 1991 she took a career break to go long-distance sailing with her family (a daughter and twin sons), serendipitously getting a job as a Consultant Physical Oceanographer at the Institute of Marine Affairs, Trinidad and Tobago, where she worked for two and a half years. This involved training local staff and setting up a physical oceanography group, carrying out field-work, writing software for data analysis and models, as well as doing some teaching at the University of the West Indies. It was a great experience and her trainees are now running the biggest environmental consultancy in Trinidad.
Her research interests include the modelling of tides, surges, waves and their interactions on the UK continental shelf and beyond; coastal and estuarine processes, wave-current interaction, wave climate and coastal impacts of climate change. In the last 10 years she has been involved in work on marine renewable energy, especially tidal energy. Recently, she took on the role of Head of Site for the National Oceanography Centre in Liverpool (2013-2017) and is a Visiting Professor at the School of Engineering at Liverpool University.
In joining the Challenger Council Judith will look after the areas of outreach and education.
Latest News
Royal Society Publishing Photography Competition 2025
Please see a message from the Royal Society below:
We are delighted to announce that the 2025 Competition is now open for entries until 15 August for a chance to win £1000! The competition celebrates the power of photography in conveying the wonder of science happening all around us and photographs can be submitted in the categories of: Astronomy, Behaviour, Earth Science and Climatology, Ecology and Environmental Science, and Microimaging.
The competition is free to enter and open to anyone studying or working in science at graduate level or above. Category winners will receive a one-year membership to the Royal Photographic Society and the overall winner will receive a grand prize of £1,000. Find out more: https://bit.ly/RSPphotocomp
October 2025 MEDIN Workshop: Marine Data Management, Governance and the MEDIN toolset
The Marine Environmental Data and Information Network (MEDIN) are pleased to announce that registration is now open for the next occurrence of our popular free online training workshop: ‘Marine Data Management, Governance and the MEDIN toolset’ on the 13th – 17th October 2025 on OceanTeacher Global Academy.
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.