Setting the Scene for Oceanology International 2010

Every two years Oceanology International is attended by the global community of engineers, scientists, legislators, policy makers and management professionals with responsibility across all of the ocean science and marine technology spectrum. Sectors as varied as ports and harbours and offshore oil and gas; offshore renewable energy and defence science and technology; homeland security and aquaculture are encompassed.

"Oceanology International continues to grow in terms of numbers of exhibitors and visitors and the countries they come from, and also as far as the business and academic fields it serves as sectors such as offshore oil and gas and offshore renewable energy move into 'frontier country'," explains James Coleman, Exhibition Manager, Oceanology International. "Climate change has also brought the relevance of ensuring our seas and oceans are used and maintained with sustainability in mind."

Oceanology International 2010, being held at ExCeL, London on 9-11th March 2010, is already larger than the previous show held in 2008 with only a small amount of exhibition space still available. It will see over 500 suppliers of products and services from around the world exhibiting at the three-day event which, in 2008, was attended by over 6600 from nearly 90 different countries.

Alongside a packed and busy exhibition, a world-class free-to-attend technical conference lies at the heart of Oceanology, showcasing the latest technical developments and thinking in the marine science and ocean technology world. Organised in association with the Society for Underwater Technology, the peer-reviewed 2010 conference will focus on the five core technical disciplines: Navigation & Positioning; Hydrography/Geophysics; Marine Environment; Geotechnics; and Ocean Observation & Forecasting. The outline conference programme will be available from late November.

Each technical area has its own dedicated conference stream and each stream has its own committee headed by an industry expert. Rob Balloch of Sonardyne heads the Navigation & Positioning stream committee, Andy W Hill of BP America is overseeing the Hydrography/Geophysics stream, Paul Holthus of World Ocean Council (WOC) is looking after the Marine Environment element, Pat Power of Fugro is responsible for the Geotechnics stream and Professor Ralph Rayner chairs the committee producing for the Ocean Observing & Forecasting stream.

Oceanology International is held in association with Society for Underwater Technology (SUT) with strong support from International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA), Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology (IMarEST), Association of Marine Scientific Industries (AMSI), Association of Diving Contractors UK (ADC), Society of Maritime Industries (SMI) and the Hydrographic Society.

Thanks to ExCeL's waterfront, the show attracts vessels of many disciplines from around the world on which demonstrations of new technologies and where networking functions are held; it also hosts associated meetings from dozens of industry associations, work groups and end-user organisations.

Another important feature is the Oceanology Careers Day (11 March). This initiative is actively supported by IMCA, IMarEST and SUT. Oceanology, with IMCA, funds transport and attendance for hundreds of students who are eager to learn about opportunities in the marine science and ocean technology sectors.

Networking also features high on the list of Oceanology International features. The Icebreaker is planned for the day before the show opens, providing an opportunity for exhibitors to network with one another in advance of the event. The Networking Reception is also held on the show floor for the two final hours (17.00-19.00) on the opening day.

Further information on all aspects of Oceanology International 2010 is available at www.oceanologyinternational.com.