The University of Southampton has a well established reputation for its outstanding research and degree courses in ocean and Earth science. Southampton’s Ocean and Earth Science was ranked 2 in the UK in the Research Excellence Framework (2014), for proportion of research recognised as world-leading in Earth Systems and Environmental Sciences. Within Ocean and Earth Science leading edge strategic and applied interdisciplinary research is carried out in groups across: Marine Biology and Ecology, Marine Biogeochemistry, Physical Oceanography and Climate, Palaeoceanography and Palaeoclimate, Geology and Geophysics, and Geochemistry. In addition, the Southampton Marine and Maritime Institute is an internationally recognised centre of excellence for research, innovation and education. SMMI creates interdisciplinary, cross-sector partnerships, generating knowledge which is applied in teaching to create the next generation of marine and maritime professionals.