News

The Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research (SCOR) invites proposals for new working groups to commence activities in late 2026. SCOR working groups are international groups of scientists composed to address focused scientific issues that are impeding the advancement of contemporary ocean science. SCOR typically supports 1-3 new working groups annually, pending availability of funds and the outcome of the proposal review.

Deadline for submission: 10 April 2026.

The proposal template and instructions/FAQs to help prepare the proposals can be found here.

The selection of the new SCOR working groups will take place at the 2026 SCOR Annual Meeting scheduled to take place in Helsinki, Finland on 8-10 September 2026.

For more information, read the full call.

The SCOR Community may be interested in the following conference:

More details and online application are available at:
https://www.grc.org/polar-marine-science-conference/2027/

This SOLAS webinar will focus on microplastics at the ocean surface and in the lower atmosphere, with an emphasis on analytical approaches and measurement challenges. It will discuss current methods, their limitations, and the difficulties of reliably identifying and quantifying microplastics in complex environmental samples. The seminar will combine an overview of analytical challenges with initial insights from SOLAS-related measurements, followed by a broader perspective that links these findings to ongoing community efforts. Attention will be given to how current SOLAS and SCOR activities are working toward greater consistency and coordination in this field.

More information can be found here.

The February 2026 issue of the IIOE-2 newsletter is available here.

The February 2026 SOLAS newsletter is available here.

The January 2026 IMBeR newsletter is available here.

The January 2026 IIOE-2 newsletter can be found here.

This page will be updated as new information is available.

SCOR-Wide Activities

SCOR Booth: SCOR’s Executive Director and representatives from SCOR committees and activities will be available at Booth #97. Interested in a specific activity? Please view the booth schedule.

SCOR Social Event: Open to all! Representatives from SCOR committees and activities as well as anyone–especially early-career scientists–interested in learning more about SCOR’s activities and opportunities are encouraged to attend to build connections across the community.

• Date & Time: Thursday, 26 February, 18:00-20:00 GMT
• Location: Hotel Indigo Turbine 75 Bar, 75 Waterloo St
• RSVPs are requested to best inform event arrangements. The venue capacity has been met and RSVPs are no longer possible.
• Drinks for early-career scientists will be sponsored thanks to U.S. GEOTRACES!
• Shared snacks will be sponsored thanks to SOLAS!

SCOR Working Groups and Projects

WG 161 ReMO

• Poster Session OB14G – Respiration in the Mesopelagic Ocean: Reconciling Ecological, Biogeochemical, and Model Estimates I Poster Monday, 23 February, 16:00-18:00 (Poster Hall)

WG 165 MixONET

• MixONET Co-Chair, Aditee Mitra, will deliver one of the conference Plenaries. Tuesday, 24 February, 10:30-12:30 (Clyde Auditorium)

WG 168 4D-BGC

• Sessions related to the goals of working group are listed here.

WG 170 PRIMO

• eLightning Session OB42D – Quantifying and Linking ‘Omics, Physiology, and Models in Marine Microbiology I eLightning Thursday, 26 February, 10:30-12:00 (Hall 4, eLightning Theater 1)
• Poster Session OB44G – Quantifying and Linking ‘Omics, Physiology, and Models in Marine Microbiology II Poster Thursday, 26 February, 16:00-18:00 (Poster Hall)

WG 171 MASIS

• Poster Session CC14G – Stable Isotopes in the Marine Environment: Applications, Modeling, and Best Practices I Poster Monday, 13 February, 16:00-18:00 (Poster Hall)

WG 172 SALTWATER

• eLightning Session CP33B – Marine and Hydrological Processes Impacting on Estuarine Saltwater Intrusions I eLightning Wednesday, 25 February, 14:00-15:30 (Hall 4, eLightning Theater 2)
• Poster Session CP34B – Marine and Hydrological Processes Impacting on Estuarine Saltwater Intrusions II Poster Wednesday, 25 February, 16:00-18:00 (Poster Hall)

GEOTRACES (view complete information here)

• Demonstrations of the new 2025 Intermediate Data Product and the DOoR data submission portal will be conducted at the SCOR booth. Wednesday, 25 February, 14:15-15:30 (Exhibit Hall)
• Poster Session OB44F – Multitracer Approaches to Understanding and Quantifying Marine Biogeochemical Processes I Poster Thursday, 26 February, 16:00-18:00 (Poster Hall)
• Oral Session OB51B – Multitracer Approaches to Understanding and Quantifying Marine Biogeochemical Processes II Oral Friday, 27 February, 08:30-10:00 (Hall 3, Coral Cove)
• Oral Session OB52C – Multitracer Approaches to Understanding and Quantifying Marine Biogeochemical Processes III Oral Friday, 27 February, 10:30-12:00 (Hall 3, Coral Cove)
• Oral Session OB53A – Multitracer Approaches to Understanding and Quantifying Marine Biogeochemical Processes IV Oral Friday, 27 February, 14:00-15:30 (Hall 3, Coral Cove)
• eLightning Session CB31A – Coastal, Shelf, and Island Mass Effects on Trace Element Biogeochemistry in the Ocean I eLightning Wednesday, 25 February, 08:30-10:00 (Hall 4, eLightning Theater 2)
• Poster Session CB34A – Coastal, Shelf, and Island Mass Effects on Trace Element Biogeochemistry in the Ocean II Poster Wednesday, 15 February, 16:00-18:00 (Poster Hall)
• Poster Session HE24C – Mercury in Polar Waters: Sources, Transformations, and Bioaccumulation in Food Webs I Poster Tuesday, 24 February, 16:00-18:00 (Poster Hall)
• Poster Session OB14H – Revising the Ocean Silicon Cycle: Pathways, Stoichiometry, and Climate-Carbon Feedback in the Anthropocene I Poster Monday, 23 February, 16:00-18:00 (Poster Hall)

IIOE-2

• Oral Presentation PS23B-07 Investigating interactions between the Agulhas Current and Algoa Bay along the east coast of South Africa (IIOE-2-endorsed project) Tuesday, 24 February, 15:00-15:10 (Forth)

IMBeR (view complete information here, including additional sessions chaired by IMBeR participants)

• In addition to the SCOR booth, representatives from the IMBeR IPO will be available at Booth 140 by State Key Laboratory of Estuarine and Coastal Research (ECNU)
• Oral Presentation ED51A-13 Capacity Development for International Collaborative Integrated Marine Biosphere Research (IMBeR): Lessons from the International Project Office Friday, 27 February, 09:34-09:40 (Alsh)
• Poster Action Plan for the Ocean and the OCEAN100+ Team Tuesday, 24 February, 16:00-18:00 (Poster Hall)
• Town Hall TH43A – Broadening the Ocean Science Workforce for a More Equitable, Inclusive, and Engaged Community (IMECaN in collaboration with Challenger Society for Marine Science, and The Oceanography Society JEDI) Thursday, 26 February, 12:45-13:45 (Forth)
• Oral Presentation PI33A-04 Light as a control on pico and nanoplankton abundance and distribution in Irish Marine Transitional Waters (IMBeR-endorsed project NUTS&BOLTS) Wednesday, 25 February, 14:30-14:40 (Hall 1)

IOCCP

• Town Hall TH13J – The Surface Ocean CO2 Reference Observing Network (SOCONET): An Emerging Network Within the Global Ocean Observing System Focused on Providing Data to Support Estimates of Ocean Carbon Uptake—Current Status and Future Prospects Monday, 23 February, 12:45-13:45 (Hall 3, The Sound)

SOOS (view complete information here, including additional sessions by SOOS participants)

• Town Hall TH53E – Open Science and Data for Polar Research Friday, 27 February, 12:45-13:45 (Lomond Auditorium)
• Poster Session OT34B – Emerging Technologies to Enhance Southern Ocean and Antarctic Observations I Poster Wednesday, 25 February, 16:00-18:00 (Poster Hall)
• Poster Southern Ocean Observing System for Sustained and Coordinated Observations in a Changing World Wednesday, 25 February, 16:00-18:00 (Poster Hall)
• Poster DueSouth: Advancing Sustainable and Collaborative Polar Science Through Shared Logistics Wednesday, 25 February, 16:00-18:00 (Poster Hall)
• Poster Open Access to the Southern Ocean: SOOSmap as a Gateway to Multidisciplinary Data Thursday, 26 February, 16:00-18:00 (Poster Hall)

SOLAS (view complete information here)

• Town Hall TH13H – Surface Ocean–Lower Atmosphere Study (SOLAS) 3.0: From Science to Solutions Monday, 23 February, 12:45-13:45 (Hall 3, The Abyss)
• Poster Session AI34C – SOLAS and SOCOM: Understanding Interactions and Feedbacks Between the Ocean and Atmosphere I Poster Wednesday, 25 February, 16:00-18:00 (Poster Hall)
• Oral Session AI51A – SOLAS and SOCOM: Understanding Interactions and Feedbacks Between the Ocean and Atmosphere II Oral Friday, 27 February, 08:30-10:00 (Lomond Auditorium)

Other Events of Specific Interest to the SCOR Community

Science Plan Launch: TH33B – BioGeoSCAPES: Querying the Ocean’s Microbial Life Support System Wednesday, 25 February, 12:45-13:45 (Alsh)

• View complete information here. BioGeoSCAPES has engaged with SCOR on the development of the Science Plan, which has culminated in an external review of the document overseen by SCOR.

Report Launch:  CC12B-09 Integrated Ocean Carbon Research: a vision primed for implementation Monday, 23 February, 11:50-12:00 (Lomond Auditorium)

• IOC-R, co-sponsored by the Global Carbon Project, SOLAS, IMBeR, CLIVAR, IOCCP, and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (IOC), have developed a report involving 71 co-authors and 12 reviewers from 22 countries. The report provides an actionable foundation for addressing current and future challenges of ocean carbon research. The final publication will be officially launched during this session.

Event: The UN Ocean Decade Early Career Ocean Professionals (ECOP) Programme – benefits and how to get involved! Monday, 23 February, 12:45-13:45 (Carron)

Read Full Announcement at https://gender-equality-in-science.org/2025/12/09/women-in-scientific-organizations-global-evidence-from-science-academies-and-unions/

The 13th SCGES webinar is organized jointly with ISC and IAP.

A special webinar from the ISC, IAP and SCGES on International Day of Women and Girls in Science – 11 February 2026

• Date: 11 February 2026 (International Day of Women and Girls in Science)
• Time: 2 – 4 PM UTC
• Format: 90-minute public webinar (Zoom)
• Language: English (with recording available afterward)
• Webinar registration form

On the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, ISC, IAP and SCGES invite the global science community to the presentation of the findings of their landmark project examining gender equality across academies, unions, and disciplinary societies worldwide. The study provides the clearest picture to date of how women participate, lead, and are recognized within scientific organizations — and where barriers remain.

The report brings together institutional data from 136 organizations with reflections from nearly 650 scientists and targeted interviews, offering an unprecedented view of both the structures and lived experiences that shape access, leadership, and inclusion in scientific organizations.

This webinar will present the main findings, highlight examples of effective practices, and open a discussion on the structural changes needed to make scientific institutions more equitable and representative. It is an opportunity for scientific leaders, policy-makers, and researchers to engage with new evidence and explore actionable ways to strengthen gender equality across the global scientific landscape.

Join us to shape the future of AI sea ice prediction systems!

ORCAS (Observational Requirements in the Context of AI prediction systems for Sea ice), a SCOR Working Group and PCAPS Task Team, invites you to help identify what observations are needed to develop, validate and improve AI-based sea ice prediction systems for the Arctic and Antarctica.

What we’ll discuss

This online workshop brings together AI model developers and observational scientists to address key questions:

• How will the advent of AI change our approach to sea ice modelling and observations for polar predictions?
• What new observations from upcoming campaigns like InSync and IPY5 would be most valuable for AI systems?
• What barriers prevent better use of existing datasets?
• How can AI models better integrate observations across scales?
• How do we assess whether AI predictions are not only skillful but also physically realistic?

Through short presentations and facilitated discussions, we’ll identify practical steps to strengthen connections between observations and prediction systems.

Workshop Details

Two identical 2-hour sessions via Zoom (choose the time that works best for you):

• Session 1: Tuesday, February 10, 2026, 13:00–15:00 UTC
• Session 2: Wednesday, February 11, 2026, 03:00–05:00 UTC

Both sessions will be recorded for those unable to attend live.

Who Should Participate

Open to anyone interested in AI sea ice prediction and polar observations, including AI model developers, observational scientists, operational forecasters, campaign planners, and representatives from coordinating organisations (e.g., SOOS, SIPN, ASPeCt, CliC, APECS, PCAPS).

Early Career Researchers and participants from developing countries and emerging polar research programs are strongly encouraged to join.

Registration

Please register by Monday, February 9, 2026. To help us build connections across the community, all attendees will prepare a one-slide introduction using a template provided on the registration form to share their expertise and data interests. Unable to attend live? Register anyway to receive the session recording and outcome summary.

Register here:  [Registration form]

Questions? Contact clare.eayrs@nyu.edu or lorenzo.zampiere@ecmwf.int