FMRI Funding for BIO-Carbon Research Expedition

The Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) BIO-Carbon Programme is investigating how marine life stores carbon dioxide that might otherwise be in the atmosphere.

As part of this exciting and ambitious science initiative, the FMRI programme will be funding the deployment of an autonomous fleet to collect data in a way that is both low-carbon and novel in its approach to marine science.

Deploying alongside a conventional ship-based research expedition, this 2024 mission will showcase how new technologies can enable different and environmentally sustainable approaches to ocean science.

NERC’s marine research fleet has a target to be net zero in carbon by 2040. To achieve that, new technology must be adopted, alongside scientists developing new techniques that can fully exploit all that robots can provide. The BIO-Carbon programme presents an opportunity to show how autonomous platforms might reduce the need for ship-based experiments in the future.

Dr Adrian Martin, the BIO-Carbon Champion from the National Oceanography Centre, added: “The BIO-Carbon FMRI science mission will add considerably to what we can achieve, providing a new set of powerful tools while pioneering a low carbon emissions approach to environmental science. It is great to see the UK leading the way in this responsible approach to research given the UK’s drive to net zero carbon emissions.”

Learn more on the BIO-Carbon Programme website