School of Ocean Sciences

01/09/2026

Virginia Institute of Marine science field trip update… here is what our students and staff have been doing. Virginia Institute of Marine Science Bangor University

30/08/2026

Next week we will be welcoming the Challenger Society for Marine Science for their biennial conference. It is 150 years since the return of the HMS Challenger's ground breaking global oceanographic cruise. This cruise laid the foundations for modern Marine Science.

It is also 42 years since the first Challenger conference was held here in Bangor.

The ocean is a critical component of our climate system. Today global sea surface temperatures are on average 1.4 Degrees higher than they were when the HMS Challenger returned to the UK in 1876. They are 1.3 Degrees higher than they were when the first Challenger conference was held in Bangor in 1984.

The conference will have much to talk about! Bangor University

23/08/2026

Work doesn't stop over the summer for many of our students! This summer 6 of our students (with support from the Bangor fund) took part in the Seastore cruise led by Prof Jan Hiddink on the Government Research Vessel RRS Discovery.

The cruise aims to examine the impact of trawling on the release of carbon buried in seabed sediment.

Fortunately they didn't mind getting their hands dirty! Bangor University

18/08/2026

The next VIMS adventure is almost here!

This week, our third-year Marine Biology students head off on their field course to the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS). Before they set off, we're looking back at some favourite moments from the 2025 trip.

This field course offers hands-on marine science and unforgettable experiences with classmates, and is a highlight of their degree for many students.

Here are a few snapshots from last year's trip, keep an eye out for more updates from this year's group soon. Bangor University

17/08/2026

It was a pleasure to welcome students from the Institute of Japanese studies Trinity Foundation Programme recently.

The group explored our facilities, discovered the incredible diversity of plankton from the Menai Strait through microscopes, and experienced some of the hands-on activities that make marine science at Bangor so distinctive.

We hope it has inspired some future ocean scientists to consider Bangor for their studies. Bangor University

17/08/2026

Bont Borth 200 Festival

Thousands of people came to the Bont Borth 200 Festival last Saturday. Traffic chaos was so great that the First Minister of Wales was half an hour late. Hordes of people came to our stand at the Heritage Centre - our new posters, fossils and rocks were extensively utilised - any more people and we would have been overwhelmed. Rhun came to our stand, so that's two events in a row that he has singled us out (the other was Plas Cadnant). Rob's field trip drew a large group. The Heritage Centre have now asked us to contribute to their Autumn seminar series.

(photo by Helen from Menai Heritage Centre) Our chairman, Colin Jago with the First Minister

14/08/2026

Curiosity opens the door to a lifetime of discovery.

A recent visit gave Finn the chance to explore our coastal environments and tour the facilities.

Fin also presented Dr Martyn Kurr a beautiful handmade "thank you" turtle.

Thank you to Finn and Maxine for visiting us and for sharing your experience. We hope this is just the beginning of your career as an ocean scientist.

Bangor University

12/08/2026

11/08/2026

Eclipse tomorrow: Eclipses only happen when the Sun, Moon and Earth align almost perfectly. That's not as common as it sounds because the Moon's orbit is tilted relative to the Earth-Sun plane.
That tilt also slowly changes over an 18.6-year cycle, affecting how the Moon's orbit lines up with the Earth and Sun over time.
The alignment doesn't just create an impressive sight in the sky. It also affects our tides. When the Sun and Moon's gravitational pull work together, they can produce higher high tides and lower low tides than usual, known as spring tides.
A reminder that events happening hundreds of thousands of miles away can still have an impact here on Earth.

Remember your eclipse glasses. Don’t look at the eclipse directly!

28/07/2026

Bangor University has been awarded a £5 million Leverhulme Trust grant to establish the 'Rhythms of Life Leverhulme Doctoral Training Programme'. 🔬

As one of just 10 UK institutions selected to receive a Leverhulme Centenary Doctoral Scholarship grant, Bangor will welcome up to 30 doctoral scholars over the next three years to explore how biological rhythms shape life on Earth - and how environmental change is disrupting these vital natural patterns 🌍

Building on a research legacy that began in the 1960s, the programme will bring together expertise from across environmental sciences, ocean sciences, psychology, sport and exercise science, and the humanities to tackle some of the most pressing questions about ecosystem health, human wellbeing, and our relationship with the natural world 🌱

Congratulations to everyone involved in securing this prestigious award and to the researchers who will lead this exciting new chapter of interdisciplinary discovery 🙌

Read more➡️https://ow.ly/nlKy50Zsk16