The National Oceanography Centre (NOC) and the University of Liverpool have entered into a new strategic partnership creating the Institute for Sustainable Coasts and Oceans (ISCO).

The new Institute is a collaborative venture that brings together marine scientists, social scientists, engineers and economists to meet the challenges of a changing ocean and a changing coastal population. It will provide the improved connectivity between experts in these different fields and through world-class research will provide the knowledge needed to deliver sustainable management of the coast and our coastal seas.

The NOC’s Kevin Horsburgh who will head up the new centre said: "The Institute for Sustainable Coasts and Oceans will build on our already strong partnership with the University of Liverpool to turn marine science into societal benefit, particularly at the coastline and in response to our changing climate. The wider collaboration will boost the quality of our science and will also strengthen both our relationships with industry and the blue economy."

The NOC and the University of Liverpool have collaborated successfully for many years, particularly in the areas of ocean climate and sea level rise, observations and computer modeling of complex shelf sea systems, and marine renewable energy. ISCO will develop that research base further, building wider stakeholder partnerships to become an internationally recognized center of excellence for joined-up research with an emphasis on societal impacts.

George Wolff Professor of Oceanography and Head of the School of Environmental Sciences at the University of Liverpool added “One third of the world’s population lives in the coastal zone and coastal seas are vital for transportation, food and energy production, tourism and leisure. I envisage that ISCO will become an important international centre for marine research, as well as a key player in helping find solutions for many of the key challenges that our society faces.”

Professor Ian Wright, Director of Science and Technology at the NOC noted "This is another sign of the NOC working strategically with it partners, and ISCO will provide a crucial platform to stretch our research into the social and engineering aspects of coastal science that underpin the building of resilient communities living near the coast.”

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