Introduction

Welcome to this autumn’s edition of The Bridge. As the COVID pandemic rolls on we have all had to change the way we are working. In ensuring the safety of our students and staff, we

are striving to give our students the best experience of marine sciences possible in the circumstances. At the same time, we are also working hard on the national effort to beat this virus.

Whilst our working patterns might have changed the school continues to grow, with a record intake of undergraduate students this September together with a growth in postgraduate numbers. We are also pleased to report that these increases have happened alongside increasing levels of student satisfaction, as recorded by the National Student Survey.

In this edition of The Bridge we bring you updates on school news as well as news from our alumni. We are delighted to once again share and celebrate in the successes of our alumni and as you will see in the letter overleaf from School of Ocean Sciences Alumni Society’s chair, Mick Cook, we hope to encourage our alumni to become more involved in helping shape the future careers of our current students.

Finally, whilst we fight the virus, we also face climate change and threats to the sustainability

of our oceans. At the end of the newsletter we focus on highlights of the world leading SOS research within these areas published over the past 6 months.

Stay safe and I hope you enjoy this edition of The Bridge.

Best Wishes,

Tom Rippeth, Editor