Each day will be devoted to a different theme so that delegates can focus their interest and make the most of their time at the event. Everyone will be affected by climate change as featured on day one and the second day’s focus on energy will also be of interest. Yet for those in the ports industry the themes of environmental and civil security presented on day three are likely to include a number of topics relevant to their working life.  

The term 'environmental security' encapsulates the growing need to secure the quality and structure of the water and seabed in ports, harbours and along coastlines, particularly those scheduled for development. New tools and monitoring techniques for doing this will be presented as well as new developments in survey technology.

The increasing emphasis being placed upon civil security will also be reflected in the presentation of a diver detection sonar developed so that port operators can close their remaining points of vulnerability. Sophisticated security systems on dry land have failed to protect installations against underwater intruders and it is the development of a system using acoustic expertise gained in the offshore energy industry that demonstrates the increasing interrelation of the separate themes of the conference.

The conference is being supported by IMarEST (Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology) and will be run under the chairmanship of Dr Ralph Rayner, its vice president. Explaining the rationale of Oceanology International 08's themes for this year, he said, 'The growing importance of protecting maritime activities from acts of terrorism has created a new market for technologies to detect threats to shipping and coastal installations such as ports and terminals. Maritime Civil Security describes new technological tools to assist in protecting vulnerable installations. Thee will also be papers on other aspects of civil security, such as search and rescue operations.

'There is also a growing awareness of the vulnerability of the offshore and coastal environment to both natural events and human pressures. Marine Environmental Security focuses on the latest developments in monitoring and forecasting natural events such as tsunamis as well as papers covering aspects of the protection of the coastal environment.'

The conference will, as always, be accompanied by the world’s biggest exhibition of marine science and technology equipment manufacturers and service providers. Oceanology has always been a showcase for the latest acoustic survey tools, which has made it a 'must visit' event for hydrographic surveyors and port engineers.

 With some 400 exhibitors occupying London’s premier exhibition venue, members of the international marine science and technology community will have their best opportunity in 2008 to meet and do business. And when the show closes they will be together in Europe’s, if not the world’s, top city for leisure and entertainment, where they can, if they wish, find plenty to distract them from the rigors of the working day.