Socio-Oceanography Workshops are an annual national workshop series that facilitates collaboration between marine social and natural scientists and co-organised by the NOC and the Marine Social Science Network.

The workshops aim to generate interdisciplinary outputs such as opinion papers, funding proposals, and innovative multidisciplinary forms of communication. By bringing together experts from different disciplines, Socio-Oceanography Workshops promote interdisciplinary research and the integration of social and natural science perspectives in the study of the marine environment.

The workshops provide a platform for scientists to exchange ideas, share knowledge, and develop collaborative projects that address the complex challenges facing our oceans.

Socio-Oceanography 2025

Dates: 26–28 February 2025

Venue: National Oceanography Centre, Southampton

Workshop Flyer

Sessions:

The 2025 Workshop will focus on four highlight topics bringing together a mix of natural and social scientists, each working towards producing an output such as opinion papers, funding proposals and innovative multidisciplinary forms of communication: 

  • Ethical research and the roles of the mCDR researcher: Interdisciplinary approaches towards deconstructing and addressing biases (Dr Sandy Avrutin, Geomar Helmholz-Zentrum für Ozeanforschung; Dr Javier Marmol, University of Southampton) Session Abstract
  • Does AI Dream of Electric People: Embedding Digital Humans into Environmental Digital Twins (Prof. A. Arribas Herranz, NOC; Dr. Katya Popova, NOC; Social Sci lead: TBC) Session Abstract
  • Integrating human and ecological dimensions into participatory monitoring at the local level (Dr. Mary Allen, NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program, USA; Dr. Rodrigo Pereira Medeiros Strategic Group for Monitoring and Evaluation of Protected Areas, Brazil) Session Abstract
  • Marine species on the move: how climate change driven redistribution of marine species is going to change how we perceive, value, manage and research the UK marine environment (Dr. A.Loveridge, NOC; Social Sci lead: TBC) Session Abstract

Attending the Event:

Attendance for this workshop is by invitation only, with a call for applications opening in early December 2024. A registration fee of £120 will cover all catering during the workshop, including an evening reception. Please note that no funding is available to support travel expenses. 

Format:

The workshop will be held as an in-person only meeting. Due to the interactive nature of this event, it will not be possible to engage online. Each highlight topic is being led by one social and one natural scientist, with a group of 10 similarly mixed UK-wide participants.

Important Dates:

  • Applications are invited from: 1st November (via this page)
  • Application deadline: 7th December 2024
  • Notification of successful participants: 12 December 2024
  • Workshop: 26–27 February 2025

Register to receive workshop updates

RRS Discovery alongside the dock at the NOC, Southampton.

Socio-Oceanography 2024

Dates: 12–14 March 2024

Venue: National Oceanography Centre, Southampton

Sessions:

The 2024 Workshop will focus on four highlight topics bringing together a mix of natural and social scientists, each working towards producing an output such as opinion papers, funding proposals and innovative multidisciplinary forms of communication.

  • Risks and opportunities of Marine heatwaves for the UK
    (Env lead: Dr Zoe Jacobs, NOC; Social Science lead: Dr Katie Smith, MBA)
    Session 1 description 

Session output: Peer-reviewed paper Jacobs et al., 40 priority questions to advance understanding of the risks and opportunities of marine heatwaves around the UK. Final draft. 

  • Navigating the Waters of Marine Carbon Dioxide Removal: From Promise to Practice
    (Env Lead: Dr. Chelsey Baker, NOC; Social Science lead: Dr. Leslie Mabon – The Open University)
    Session 2 description 

Session output: Peer-reviewed paper Baker et al., Exploring narratives of marine carbon dioxide removal: ocean alkalinity enhancement from promise to practice. Advanced draft

  • Can community engagement solve the ocean plastics problem?
    (Env lead: Dr. Alice Horton, NOC; Social Science lead: Prof. Lesley Henderson, University of Strathclyde)
    Session 3 description

Session output: Peer reviewed paper Horton et al., Can community engagement solve the ocean plastics problem? Towards a socio-oceanography perspective. Submitted to Science of the total environment.

  • Navigating coastal change: Inclusive decision-making through technology enabled Open Science
    (Leads: Dr Christine Sams, NOC; and Prof. Ashley Hall, Royal College of Arts)
    Session 4 description

Attending the Event:

Attendance of this workshop is by invitation only (call for applications will be open in early January 2024; you are welcome to send early expressions of interest to e.popova@noc.ac.uk or get in touch directly with the session leads). The event is free for all participants including all the catering during the workshop. Please note that we do not have funding to support travel expenses.

Format:

The workshop will be held as an in-person only meeting. Due to the interactive nature of this event, it will not be possible to engage online. Each highlight topic is being led by one social and one natural scientist, with a group of 10 similarly mixed UK-wide participants.

Important Dates:

  • Registration website live: early January
  • Application deadline: 31 January
  • Notification of successful participants: 5 February
  • Workshop: 12–14 March

RRS Discovery alongside the dock at the NOC, Southampton.

Socio-Oceanography 2023

Dates: 7–9 March 2023

Venue: Chesil House, Winchester

The workshop was organised and hosted by the National Oceanography Centre (NOC) in collaboration with Marine Social Sciences Network. Co-convenors: Dr Katya Popova (NOC) and Dr Emma Mc.Kinley (Cardiff University and Marine Social Sciences Network).

The workshop focused on four highlight topics bringing together a mix of natural and social scientists, each working towards producing an output such as opinion papers, funding proposals and innovative multidisciplinary forms of communication.

Topics:

  1. Public Perception of the Marine Plastic Problem: Does our Current Understanding of its Potential Consequences for the Environment and Human Health Justify Another Burden of Anxiety we put on the Young Generation? (Professor Richard Lampitt National Oceanography Centre and Professor Steve Fletcher University of Portsmouth)
  2. Investing in Marine Natural Capital: Building A Case for Resilient Ocean Nature-Based Markets (C. Evans and S. Taylor, NOC)
  3. Societal Importance of the Subpolar Gyre and Potential UK Economic Impacts of Reaching an Ocean Tipping Point (C. Sams, K. Popova, NOC)
  4. Developing Ocean-Based Carbon Dioxide Removal in a Globally Fair and Equitable Manner: The Need for Collaboration with Small Island Developing States, Large Ocean States and Other Developing Nations (Dr C. Pearce NOC, Dr Z. Clulow University of Cambridge)

Participants at Chesil House, Winchester for the 2023 workshop.

Socio-Oceanography 2022

Dates: 19–20 July 2022

Venue: Balmer Lawn Hotel, Lyndhurst Rd, Brockenhurst

Workshop description: A group of twenty NOC scientists with an expertise of engaging with social sciences gathered together in July 2022 for a two-day workshop to set out a vision for interdisciplinary research at NOC addressing societal challenges through more effective integration and collaboration with social sciences. The group has developed a concept of “Socio-Oceanography” presenting its vision as a manuscript “Socio-Oceanography: an opportunity to integrate marine social and natural sciences” (Popova et al., Frontiers, under review).

Outputs:

Socio-oceanography: an opportunity to integrate marine social and natural sciences (Popova et al., 2022) [this will be a link]

Socio-Oceanography infographics (file)

Socio-Oceanography Visual Storyline (file)

Participants at Balmer Lawn Hotel, Brockenhurst at the 2023 workshop.