Awards Ceremony

Alan Greig was probably the first ‘commercial’ oceanographer in the UK. During his long career he worked for Imcos Marine, Hunting Surveys, Space Technology Systems and co founded InstallOcean Ltd. Alan sadly died in 2004. This prize was established in recognition of his outstanding contribution to commercial operational oceanography.

Commercial operational oceanography has grown to be a significant area of enterprise with companies offering a wide range of products and services to meet an ever increasing range of applications.  For example, it is critical to the offshore oil & gas sector where drilling and production is taking place in ever deeper waters and in ever more hostile environments such as the Arctic.

In order to conduct these and other operations safely, economically and in an environmentally acceptable way it is crucial to be able to measure, understand and predict the ocean environment.

Many pioneering organisations have emerged to deliver commercial products and services geared to meeting the specific needs of those who operate in the marine environment.

The Alan Greig Memorial Prize is awarded to an individual who is judged to have made an outstanding contribution to the development of commercial operational oceanography.

The Bob Barton Memorial Award aims to recognise excellence in writing and reporting on marine science, engineering and technology. Established in 2006, the award was spearheaded by Ralph Rayner and Roger Scrivens as a tribute to marine technology journalist Bob Barton, who sadly passed away in 2003.

Bob was well known in the industry for his direct and challenging style of journalism. The award is granted, on a biennial basis, to a young journalist who has, in the opinion of the selection committee, delivered the highest quality piece of print journalism in this field in the year.

The award for best project thesis in offshore and subsea engineering or technology for students undertaking an MSc degree, awarded by BP.

The award for best project thesis in meteorology, physical oceanography or applied oceanography for students undertaking an MSc degree, awarded by Fugro-GEOS.

The UK marine science sector is a vibrant industry epitomised by enthusiastic and successful entrepreneurs with leading edge technology supported by world leading research institutions.  The Society of Maritime Industries, through its constituent association the Association of Marine Scientific Industries (AMSI), recognises individuals who have contributed most to the business of the marine science and technology sector in the UK through the AMSI Business Person of the Year Award.

The Oceanology International Lifetime Achievement Award honours the lifetime achievements of someone who is acknowledged as an international expert in the field of oceanology and marine science.

Past recipients have included:

Dr James Baker (currently the Director of the Global Carbon Measurement Program of the William J. Clinton Foundation)

Dr Sylvia Earle (oceanographer, explorer, author and lecturer)

Dr Vincent Cardone (Oceanweather Inc)

Prof Walter Munk (Scripps institute of Oceanography)

Prof Klaus Hasselmann (Max Planck Institute for Meteorology).