NERC’s mission is to advance the frontier of environmental science and sustain the UK’s global leadership in marine research. Through the FMRI programme, it aims to commission future-ready marine infrastructure to support strategically vital science that delivers long-term societal benefit.

The FMRI business case is driven by scientific need, underpinned by a Science Requirements Framework (SRF), which is being  developed in close partnership with the UK research community. The SRF will outline the key scientific questions that will shape UK marine research to 2040, guiding the integration of advanced new capabilities with existing infrastructure.

Centred on Marine Science Grand Challenges, the SRF will define the future outcomes and infrastructure needed to enable world-class marine science. As a living document, it will evolve alongside the FMRI programme - informing its scoping, design, and implementation at every stage.

 

Knowledge of the oceans is more than a matter of curiosity. Our very survival may hinge upon it.

President John F Kennedy, March 1961. Message to Congress.

 

Marine Science Grand Challenges

The SRF will identify the major scientific questions facing marine science both today and in the decades ahead (to 2040). It will also explore the strategic capabilities needed to address these challenges and support a thriving marine science ecosystem. 

The SRF framework will be built around five Marine Science Grand Challenges:

  • The role of the ocean in a changing climate
  • Protecting biodiversity and ocean health
  • Marine pollution: its sources, distribution and solutions
  • Strengthening resilience to natural hazards and extreme events
  • Sustainable blue economy and ecosystem services