The Challenger Society for Marine Science (or Challenger Society) is a learned society

Learned society

A learned society is an organization that exists to promote an academic discipline/profession, as well a group of disciplines. Membership may be open to all, may require possession of some qualification, or may be an honor conferred by election, as is the case with the oldest learned societies,...

 established in 1903 in the United Kingdom

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 around the interdisciplinary subject of marine science

Oceanography

Oceanography , also called oceanology or marine science, is the branch of Earth science that studies the ocean...

. The central objectives of the Challenger Society are:

• To advance the study of marine science through research and education;
• To disseminate knowledge of marine science with a view to encouraging a wider interest in the study of the world's oceans and an awareness of the need for their proper management;
• To contribute to public debate on the development of marine science.

History

The Challenger Society was founded in 1903 by two British

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 scientists, the zoologist

Zoology

Zoology |zoölogy]]), is the branch of biology that relates to the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinct...

 George Herbert Fowler

George Herbert Fowler

George Herbert Fowler was an English zoologist, historian and archivist.Fowler was educated at, Eton College and Keble College, Oxford. From 1887 to 1889 he was assistant to E. Ray Lankester at University College, London...

 and the physician

Physician

A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...

 Richard Norris Wolfenden

Richard Norris Wolfenden

Richard Norris Wolfenden was an English physician and oceanographerWolfenden was educated at Christ's College, Cambridge. He practised as a London physician, and lectured in physiology at the Charing Cross Hospital medical school. He was House Physician at the London Hospital and Senior Physician...

. The Society was named in honour of the HMS Challenger

HMS Challenger (1858)

HMS Challenger was a steam-assisted Royal Navy Pearl-class corvette launched on 13 February 1858 at the Woolwich Dockyard. She was the flagship of the Australia Station between 1866 and 1870....

, which undertook the first global marine research survey, the Challenger expedition

Challenger expedition

The Challenger expedition of 1872–76 was a scientific exercise that made many discoveries to lay the foundation of oceanography. The expedition was named after the mother vessel, HMS Challenger....

, between 1872 and 1876. When it was originally founded, the Society had 25 members who met four times annually in the Royal Society

Royal Society

The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...

 rooms of Burlington House

Burlington House

Burlington House is a building on Piccadilly in London. It was originally a private Palladian mansion, and was expanded in the mid 19th century after being purchased by the British government...

 in London

London

London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

.

The Challenger Society has a current membership of several hundred scientists and students. The Society publishes the journal

Scientific literature

Scientific literature comprises scientific publications that report original empirical and theoretical work in the natural and social sciences, and within a scientific field is often abbreviated as the literature. Academic publishing is the process of placing the results of one's research into the...

 Ocean Challenge three times a year, together with a monthly newsletter, Challenge Wave. Every two years since 1984, the Society holds a four day conference, the Challenger Conference for Marine Science (formerly known as UK Oceanography). This conference typically attracts around 300 delegates and its location is rotated around the key marine-based research centres and universities within the UK. The most recent conference in September 2010 was hosted at the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton

National Oceanography Centre, Southampton

The National Oceanography Centre, Southampton describes the integrated collaboration between the Southampton-based part of the Natural Environment Research Council’s National Oceanography Centre, and University of Southampton Ocean and Earth Science...

.

External links

• Challenger Society homepage
• SNS Challenger, social network
  Social network
  A social network is a social structure made up of individuals called "nodes", which are tied by one or more specific types of interdependency, such as friendship, kinship, common interest, financial exchange, dislike, sexual relationships, or relationships of beliefs, knowledge or prestige.Social...
  
  aiming to "re-photograph the voyage of HMS Challenger"