The OCEAN ICE consortium gathered for its third Annual Project Meeting from 15-16 September 2025 at the Danish Meteorological Institute (DMI) in Copenhagen, with many joining online. The meeting was followed by a joint workshop with the Southern Ocean Observing System (SOOS), as well as workshops dedicated to early career researchers (ECRs) and future collaborative initiatives. The week of events brought together a vibrant international community of Southern Ocean and cryosphere experts, reinforcing interdisciplinary collaboration and scientific momentum as the project enters its final year.
A Week of Science and Cooperation
From 15-19 September, DMI hosted a series of activities that gathered researchers from OCEAN ICE and several aligned initiatives including SOOS, EPCO, TipESM, TIPMIP, LIQUIDICE and others funded by the EU and UK Research & Innovation. The group represented a diverse range of expertise: oceanography, climate modelling, glaciology, data management, and science communication.
In total, 32 participants attended the OCEAN ICE meeting in person and 24 joined online. The joint workshop with SOOS brought together 37 in-person and 9 remote participants, and 12 early career researchers took part in the Grant Proposal Writing Workshop.
Showcasing Progress Across All Work Packages
The Annual Project Meeting provided a forum for partners to present advances, evaluate progress and set priorities for OCEAN ICE’s concluding year. Scientific sessions spanned all work packages and covered critical themes such as:
- Ice shelf melt rates and sea-level projections
- Turbulence processes beneath ice shelves
- Freshwater release and circulation dynamics
- Feedbacks affecting long-term ice sheet stability
Work package leaders, co-leaders and representatives outlined achievements and detailed plans for the final 12 months. The meeting also helped strengthen collaboration across work packages, ensuring alignment with long-term objectives.
Meeting Agenda Highlights
Day 1 - 15 September (Afternoon)
The meeting opened with a welcome from Project Coordinator Ruth Mottram (DMI) and UK Grant Coordinator Andrew Meijers (UKRI-BAS). Chiara Bearzotti (DMI) presented on project reporting, followed by scientific updates from work packages WP1 & WP10, WP2, WP3 & WP11, and WP4.
Day 2 - 16 September
Sessions continued with presentations from WP5 through WP12. Cross-cutting theme leaders reported outcomes from pre-meetings held online. Partners from TipESM, TIPMIP and LIQUIDICE shared updates, and the European Polar Board / EPCO presented their activities. The day concluded with poster nano-presentations and a poster session.
Day 3 - 17 September
An informal ECR breakfast opened the day, followed by the joint OCEAN ICE-SOOS workshop, Ice Ocean Observation Harmonisation and Future Priorities. Led by Andrew Meijers, the workshop combined scene-setting talks, presentations on current initiatives, and breakout discussions to define key variables, regional priorities, gaps and barriers for future Southern Ocean observations. A breakout session followed by plenary discussions closed the day.
Day 4 - 18 September
The Grant Proposal Writing Workshop for Early Career Researchers focused on call identification, proposal design and structured group work. Sessions allowed participants to exchange ideas, build proposal outlines and discuss questions in an open setting.
Day 5 - 19 September
The week concluded with an ECR brainstorming session on upcoming PolarRES and PISCO hackathon, followed by a social event to strengthen community ties.
Looking Ahead
With one year remaining in the project, the Annual Meeting played a vital role in aligning scientific goals and sustaining momentum. Clear topics for cross workpackage collaboration emerged during the meeting, which will be taken forward in the coming months to plan synthesis analysis and publications over the coming year. The strong engagement across partner institutions and partner projects reflects OCEAN ICE’s commitment to collaboration, innovation and impact. The contributions from early career researchers, cross-project dialogues and shared planning sessions further strengthen the foundations for long-term scientific progress on the Southern Ocean and cryosphere.
(UKRI-BAS).
Below, you'll find presentations and posters delivered during the Annual Project Meeting:
The author of the article – Rūta Hamilton (UKRI-BAS), contributor – Andrew Meijers (UKRI-BAS)