Marine scientists can expect increased support from UK Research and Innovation in the coming years, according to the funding agency’s chief executive Mark Walport.
Problems including pollution, overexploitation of resources, rising sea levels and ocean warming mean more marine science is needed, Walport told a press conference on 20 March ahead of the launch of a Government Office for Science report on the future of the sea.
Walport said this area of research has traditionally been the remit of the Natural Environment Research Council, but the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council and the Economic and Social Research Council should in future contribute to interdisciplinary projects addressing these challenges.
“UKRI will be spending an increasing amount of funding in marine science in the coming years. This is an important area for UKRI and requires all the sciences to come together,” he said.
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/great-opportunities-for-uk-from-oceans