SAMS news room

SAMS will host the Challenger Society for Marine Science biennial conference in September 2006 in Oban. The Association hosted the event once before at its previous headquarters at Millport in 1946 (see picture). The 2006 conference is likely to attract a significantly larger audience: between 200 and 300 delegates are expected to descend on Oban and SAMS.

Developing the historic thread Richard Corfield will deliver a public lecture on the original Challenger Expedition of 1872-76, the British research cruise that established oceanography as a multidisciplinary science. Spectacular original copies of the Challenger Expedition Reports will be on display during the conference. As the Association was founded by Sir John Murray, editor of the reports, SAMS keeps a full set of the 50-volume report in its library.

The conference will incorporate sessions in physical oceanography, marine biogeochemistry, polar marine science, and marine biology, as well as a number of cross-disciplinary themes. Each session will be introduced by an invited speaker to set the scene and report on the cutting edge.  Time has also been set aside for specialist workshops open to all.

For more information, click here to go to the Challenger Conference website.