The Challenger Society Conference 2022 will mark the 150th anniversary of the Challenger Expedition and celebrate the birth of scientific, international, interdisciplinary oceanography.
Conference: 6,7,8 September, 2022
Side events: 5 & 9 September 2022
On 7th December 1872, the HMS Challenger departed the Royal Navy Dockyard at Sheerness on the River Medway in Kent, England, on a four-year global scientific expedition across the world’s oceans.
It was the first truly interdisciplinary grand scientific project, international in scope and involving the study of the physics, chemistry, biology and geology of the global ocean.
The UK Challenger Society and the Challenger Conferences are named after this pioneering expedition and exist to bring together UK marine scientists and international colleagues to discuss the latest science and inspire new generations of ocean researchers.
Challenger 150 will be the opportunity to take stock of where we have come in our science, in the way we do science, and will also be the opportunity to discuss, imagine and design the future of open, international, collaborative, inclusive and diverse marine science.
Call for sessions
We invite the UK and the International Marine Science Community to propose scientific or discussion sessions for Challenger 150.
There are no predefined themes, but the Science Programme Committee looks forward to receiving innovative session proposals that are, interdisciplinary and international in scope to honour the pioneering scientific spirit and global nature of the Challenger Expedition.
We must not forget that we live in a time of planetary emergency, and anthropogenic pressures on our oceans are greater than ever.
Ocean science is critical to the understanding of issues related to climate, food security, health, energy, industrial innovation and global sustainability.
We look forward to sessions that reflect these societal issues and also that look forward to the next 150 years of oceanography and seek to address sustainable and technological solutions to global problems.
To propose a session, please email challenger150@nhm.ac.uk with your proposed session title, session chairs (list up to four), at least five potential speakers as examples of talks and any potential keynote speakers.
We reemphasize our vision for a diverse and inclusive conference and therefore ask you to consider this in your session proposals. The deadline for session proposals is 31 January 2022.