Overview

A 3-year NERC International Opportunities Fund project, starting in 2005, aimed at enhancing the international reputation of the NERC Autosub autonomous underwater vehicle programme and building on its science achievements. The International Opportunities Fund was open to bids by NERC programmes, and the bid was led by NOCS, with project partners Mark Brandon (OU), Karen Heywood (UEA), Julian Dowdeswell (Cambridge) and Adrian Jenkins (BAS) as members of the AUI-SSC.

The expected outcomes from this programme include:

• § Continued development and UK leadership of the global community that is turning to autonomous vehicles to obtain data for science;
  
• § A new cadre of young scientists in the UK and overseas, well versed in how to use advanced technology to make observations in hostile parts of our oceans, and with lasting international contacts to help them develop their own science plans and ideas for further developing this area of environmental science.
  
• § A strong position of leadership and visibility for science carried out with autonomous underwater vehicles within the International Polar Year programme 2007-2008, and for IPY to act as a springboard to show how new infrastructure for observations in harsh environments could be created in the future.