THE OCEAN CHALLENGE

Our oceans are often underestimated and under-credited. However, our oceans connect us. They cover 70 per cent of our planet, join islands and continents, support critical ecosystems, regulate our climate and are of cultural significance to populations globally.

Oceans are the cornerstone of life. But, the oceans are increasingly challenged by ever-pressing human demands for greater resources such as food, materials, energy, and space, and their use as a repository for waste, be it heat and CO2 from burning fossil fuels, chemical and sediment runoff from land, or plastic pollution. These human activities all lead to global warming, climate change, biodiversity loss and irrecoverable damage to environments that will disproportionately impact many fragile societies.

The oceans also provide immense opportunities for a sustainable future, as a source of renewable energy, sustainable biomass (for food or fuel), and a low-carbon means of transporting goods and people. It will be essential to use ocean space more to provide for our increasing, resource-hungry global population.

Professor Damon Teagle, Director of the University’s Southampton Marine and Maritime Institute (SMMI), said: “Global grand challenges are complex and require multi-disciplinary and full system-scale solutions. The University of Southampton has a rich history of ocean-facing research and knowledge, and the multidisciplinary SMMI pulls together experts from across the spectrum of our organisation to tackle these growing ocean challenges and responsibly engage with opportunities to develop solutions.”

Fraser Sturt, Professor of Archaeology and Deputy Director of the SMMI, added: “There are globally recognised challenges and opportunities in relation to the oceans. How we reach net zero or work together at a global scale to access resources; how we effectively exchange knowledge with the communities most affected by human activities and global warming; and how we enact concepts of equitability and just transition.

“The ocean is impacted by everything we do, whether we recognise it or not. From transportation of materials, to keeping the Earth’s temperature regulated, to the air we breathe – and it is important to address any part of the solution with a systems approach.”

Thinking differently

To meet these needs, the SMMI supports interdisciplinary studentships, encouraging early career researchers to think creatively, work together and gain contextual knowledge beyond their specific thesis topics.

The Intelligent Oceans Leverhulme Doctoral Programme currently funds researchers investigating topics such as ocean literacy; computer-vision’s influence on our ocean knowledge; and how ancient Mars can teach us about our oceans’ future. Intelligent Oceans builds on an earlier Leverhulme Doctoral Programme, Understanding Maritime Futures (2015-2022), which supported research into diverse topics including the health impacts of air pollution in port cities; 3D seafloor mapping; the impacts of sea-level rise on cultural heritage; regulation of marine autonomy; and microplastics in coastal systems.

Susan Gourvenec, Professor of Offshore Geotechnical Engineering, Royal Academy of Engineering Chair in Emerging Technologies, and Deputy Director of the SMMI, said:

“The programmes are recognition that funding is required to train future researchers, industry leaders, policymakers and politicians who think holistically.

A sustainable future needs integrated solutions – rather than just asking ‘how do we deliver sufficient offshore wind to support our net zero ambitions?’, we need to also consider how offshore developments in the short and long-term may impact and interface with the living environment and society. We must use evidence and insights to inform decisions, ensure a pathway for progressive and just ocean governance, and promote a culture of ocean literacy globally.”

Susan added: “Research across the University addresses local to global marine and maritime grand challenges. How to meet the needs of a 10 million-plus global population for energy, food, and goods, 90 per cent of which come across the oceans, while meeting the needs of the ocean, maintaining a healthy ocean environment and respecting the cultural heritage of the ocean.”

Sea blindness

We tend to take the sea for granted. It conjures up images of summer holidays, water sports, storms, and pirates – but it must be appreciated for much more.

“We are all utterly dependent on the sea, but many of us have very little interaction with it,” explained Fraser. “That lack of presence can mean we don’t appreciate its significance. The concept of sea blindness is real and poses a significant challenge.

“There is a need to remind people that the ocean enables goods to reach us, enables us to breathe and can be a critical part of culture and identity. Joining our expertise together around the University helps us to bridge these gaps.”

Research at Southampton is seeking to raise awareness and appreciation of the ocean.

“It’s quite a romantic space, the sea,” added Fraser. “People think of blue sea holidays and openness. Actually, it’s a busy space, full of shipping lanes, fishing boats, underwater cables, wind turbines and interconnectors. There is a tension between what the sea is, how it serves us and how we intend to use it.”

The University’s role

Our University is in a privileged position on the south coast, in a major port city.

“The Solent is the centre of gravity for marine and maritime research,” outlined Fraser. “What’s remarkable about the University of Southampton is our depth of expertise in marine and maritime. Increasingly, research is calling upon that breadth of expertise.

“In the 18th and 19th centuries, Southampton was a key leisure destination with the sea being a major draw. Now, the port and the shipping industry dominate economically, but activities occur out of sight of much of day-to-day life. Southampton’s deep history as a maritime hub has helped to create a diverse and fascinating city. Its role as a major port has both created opportunities, but also challenges and it is both facets that University looks to address.”