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Scientific expeditions around the globe
Our scientists and students undertake scientific expeditions around the globe. On research ships, or at scientific bases like those in the Antarctic, they investigate ocean circulation, marine biology, climate change and impacts of human activity on the marine environment.
Expeditions in 2010
Ice Chaser II Expedition to the Arctic (June - July 2010)
The Arctic is warming faster than anywhere else on Earth and we know almost nothing about the life that flourishes there. With some forecasts predicting an ice-free Arctic summer within the next ten years, the second ICE CHASER expedition is investigating how carbon - a major player in the control of global climate - is recycled and stored in the Arctic.
Deep Ocean Exploration II (December - January 2010)
Five members of a nine-strong scientific team at SAMS are onboard RV "Maria S. Merian", a German ship currently cruising in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea.
Expeditions in 2009
Deep Ocean Exploration (September - October 2009)
Five members of a nine-strong scientific team at SAMS are onboard RV Meteor in the Northeast Atlantic, exploring the Senghor Seamount near the Cape Verde Islands.
Arctic ice exploration onboard Greenpeace ship (September 2009)
Dr Keith Jackson, Marine Technologist at SAMS, is onboard the Greenpeace ship 'Arctic Sunrise' in the Arctic.
Reports from the ice...
ECOMAR: Ecosystems of the mid-Atlantic Ridge (August 2009)
ECOMAR is a £2 million UK project aimed at understanding how physical and biogeochemical factors influence the distributions and structure of deep-sea communities, focusing on the fauna of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Two of our researchers, Andy Dale and student Andrew Olivier are currently on RRS James Cook in the Mid Atlantic. Read the cruise blog here...
Baffin Island: ecosystem diversity in the Arctic (August - September 2009)
An international group of scientists is heading to the Canadian Arctic to study the diversity of the region's little-known seaweed ecosystem. Seaweeds (macroalgae) in the Arctic are considered to be very sensitive to a loss of sea ice, as they are limited by light and temperature. Read more about the science and the daily exploits of the scientific divers and researchers on expedition.
Click here...
Iceland to Scotland: crossing the Atlantic gateway
SAMS scientists are onboard the UK research ship, RRS Discovery, sailing from Iceland to the UK. This expedition builds on research started in 1975, to monitor the changes in ocean currents flowing north from the Atlantic towards the Arctic Ocean. Temperature and salinity have been changing in these water masses, leading to speculation that there may be knock-on effects on climate. Read more about this project.
Read our DAILY BLOGS from the ship here...
Papua New Guinea
SAMS scientists in Papua New Guinea, investigating the environmental impacts of discharging mine tailings into the sea. Read more about this project here...
Expeditions in 2008
Arctic ICECHASER
Ship-based research expedition. A 27-strong team of scientists spent five weeks studying the Arctic ecosystem. Read more here...
Antarctica 2008: Dry Valley. More on Dr Elanor Bell's expedition to Antarctica...
Undergraduate blogs
Our undergraduates blog regularly from the University Centre in Svalbard (Arctic). Read more about their lives in the Arctic here...