Open or Close Menu THIS SECTION About Us Our History The NOC we know today dates back to precursor institutions, each with long histories The NOC we know today dates back to precursor institutions, each with long histories. As a national institution, it was formed in 1949 as the National Institute of Oceanography (NOI) based in Wormley in Surrey from the 1950s. The NOI grew from the work of scientists working at Antarctic whaling stations and the complimentary voyages of Captain Scott's Discovery and a small group of young scientists brought together during the war, to study how the movements of the waves affected amphibious landings. Meanwhile, NOC’s operations based Liverpool stem from the Liverpool Observatory founded in 1843 (to measure the longitude of Liverpool and to measure tides). After a short period based in Liverpool it moved to Bidston on the Wirral Peninsula and in 1919 became the Liverpool Tidal Institute. It led development of the methods of tidal prediction used world-wide today. It broadened its research over the years into prediction of storm surges and then sea level science more generally, as well as coastal and continental shelf sea oceanography and marine data management. In 1965 both the NIO and the Liverpool Tidal Institute became part of the then newly-formed Natural Environment Research Council (NERC). Both were brought together to form NERC’s Institute of Oceanographic Sciences (IOS) in the 1970s. In 1995, IOS (Wormley) joined with NERC’s Research Vessel Services in moving to a new purpose built dockside site in Southampton, alongside relevant departments of the University of Southampton. The IOS (Bidston) by then renamed Proudman Oceanographic Laboratory (POL) relocated back to Liverpool in 2005 co-located with the University of Liverpool. Both former parts of IOS came back together in 2010 as part of NERC’s National Oceanography Centre (NOC). In 2019 NERC became part of a new research funding agency, UK Research & Innovation (UKRI), and on 1 November 2019, NOC gained its independence from NERC-UKRI to become an independent, self-governing organisation with research spanning coast to deep ocean and supporting major national research infrastructures such as research ships, nationally pooled marine equipment and management of nationally important marine data and sample assets. For the full history of our origins read: Of Seas and Ships and Scientists: The Remarkable History of the UK's National Institute of Oceanography, 1949–1973 OTHER RELATED INFORMATION Detailed chronological history: From Astronomy to Oceanography. http://www.oceanswormley.org http://www.bidstonobservatory.org.uk Get in touch Southampton ‌ +44 (0)23 8059 6666 Liverpool ‌ +44 (0)151 795 4800 Contact us online Find us in Liverpool and Southampton Registered address: European Way, Southampton SO14 3ZH Company no.: 11444362 Charity no.: 1185265 (England and Wales) SC049896 (Scotland) +44 (0)23 8059 6666 Southampton +44 (0)151 795 4800 Liverpool Get in touch Contact Us Media Enquiries Staff Directory Sign up for National Oceanography Centre email alerts service Get email updates Follow us Twitter Facebook YouTube Instagram LinkedIn © 2021 The National Oceanography Centre (NOC) owns copyright of the material available at this site, unless otherwise stated. All rights reserved. Disclaimer Privacy and cookies Modern slavery Contact us Staff resources We use cookies to aid user experience Continuing to use this site means you agree to the cookies policy OK to cookies