In the heart of Southampton, overlooking the bustling Port, John Siddorn, the newly appointed Chief Executive of the National Oceanography Centre (NOC), is steering one of the world’s most advanced marine research institutions through uncharted waters. With a career spanning over three decades in ocean physics and climate modeling, Siddorn is not just navigating the seas but also charting a new course for NOC, transforming it into a linchpin for the blue economy.
The NOC, with its roots tracing back to the mid-19th century, has evolved from humble beginnings to become a powerhouse of oceanographic research. From studying tidal movements in Liverpool to exploring the depths of the Antarctic, NOC’s journey is a testament to human curiosity and scientific ingenuity. Today, with over 600 staff and an arsenal of cutting-edge technology, NOC is at the forefront of understanding our oceans, and Siddorn is leading the charge.
Siddorn’s vision for NOC is clear: to unite engineering, science, and societal impact. “This is the best job in the world,” he declares, his enthusiasm palpable. “What attracted me most is NOC’s ability to unite cutting-edge engineering, advanced science, and real-world societal impact under one roof.” This convergence of capability is what sets NOC apart. From seabed sensors to satellite-linked gliders, from autonomous platforms to full-scale research ships, NOC delivers the data and insights that shape ocean policy, climate adaptation, and sustainable marine development.
At the heart of NOC’s operations are its two flagship research vessels, the RRS Discovery and RRS James Cook. These aren’t just ships; they’re floating laboratories, essential for understanding everything from volcanic seabed activity to carbon cycling in the open ocean. “Our ships are capital-intensive, but they remain irreplaceable,” Siddorn asserts. “Autonomous platforms are advancing fast, but ships still provide the necessary human and technical capacity for complex, remote missions.”
Take, for instance, a recent voyage in the Mediterranean. The mission? To study seismic activity and gravity waves within an underwater volcanic caldera. Such expeditions are crucial for monitoring geohazards that threaten subsea infrastructure, including the world’s expanding network of critical data cables. Another expedition in the mid-Atlantic examined carbon sequestration—a key process in understanding and mitigating global climate change. “These are not academic exercises,” Siddorn notes. “They underpin our understanding of global systems that affect fisheries, weather patterns, climate policy, and international security.”
Yet, while ships remain vital, Siddorn is keenly aware of the shift towards autonomy. NOC’s fleet of autonomous platforms—subsea gliders, autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), and unmanned surface vessels—is one of the most diverse in the world. “Autonomy is at an inflection point,” Siddorn says. “Five years ago, we couldn’t dream of doing eDNA sampling or real-time chemistry from these platforms. Now we can.” This technology is key to monitoring at scale, but it’s not a replacement for traditional research infrastructure. Instead, it’s a force multiplier.
Siddorn envisions a future where NOC’s ships act as motherships for fleets of autonomous vehicles, deploying and retrieving them for operations that stretch over thousands of miles and months at sea. “There’s a shift from bespoke, manual deployments to persistent, scalable monitoring systems,” he explains. “To meet the growing demands of the blue economy and climate observation, we must move toward more intelligent, distributed observation networks.”
But autonomy is just one piece of the puzzle. Digitalization is another transformative force. From artificial intelligence to digital twins of ocean basins, advanced computing is allowing scientists to visualize the ocean in real-time and predict future changes with unprecedented accuracy. Siddorn, who joined NOC in 2020 as Associate Director of Digital Ocean, has been a champion of embedding digital approaches to furthering science. By integrating data from satellites, ships, sensors, and simulations, NOC is building a global-scale, near-real-time digital replica of the ocean.
So, what does this mean for the future of the maritime industry? For starters, it’s a wake-up call. The ocean, once seen as a vast, untapped resource, is now recognized as a critical component of our planet’s health. As climate uncertainty and geopolitical volatility continue to shape our world, understanding the ocean is no longer a scientific luxury; it’s a global imperative.
NOC’s work is a testament to this shift. By pushing the boundaries of what’s possible, Siddorn and his team are not just exploring the ocean; they’re redefining our relationship with it. From monitoring geohazards to mitigating climate change, from supporting the blue economy to ensuring international security, NOC