The ocean covers more than 70% of our planet, shaping our climate, sustaining biodiversity, supporting global trade, influencing culture and history, and playing a vital role in the future of human society. From the deepest marine ecosystems to coastal communities, from renewable energy to archaeology, oceans connect disciplines in ways few other topics can.

This November, the West Hub Research Café turns its attention to Oceans, inviting researchers, students, and professionals from all disciplines to share insights, ideas, and discoveries inspired by the world’s oceans and marine environments.

Taking place on 18th November 2026, this informal, cross-disciplinary event will bring together people working across STEMM, Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences. Through lightning talks, poster presentations, discussion, and networking, we’ll explore the challenges, opportunities, and questions that oceans present, and how research from diverse fields can help us better understand and shape our future.

Whether your work focuses on marine ecosystems, climate science, engineering, policy, history, culture, health, data science, economics, or another related area, we’d love to hear from you.

The Research Café provides a welcoming and supportive environment to present your work, practice communicating research to wider audiences, receive feedback, and connect with researchers you may not otherwise encounter. It’s a space designed to spark curiosity, encourage collaboration, and build new connections across disciplines and institutions.

Submit your abstract and join the conversation.

| Call for Presenters

We welcome contributions from all researchers, including PhD students, at any career stage, from any institution or organisation whose work touches on different aspects of the oceans.

Relevant areas include, but are not limited to:

• Ocean circulation and climate systems
• Polar oceans and cryosphere interactions
• Ocean chemistry and marine geochemistry
• Exoplanetary oceans
• Deep-sea geophysics and marine hazards
• Coastal hydrodynamics and geomorphology
• Marine biology, ecology and conservation
• Marine pollution and ecotoxicology
• Marine biotechnology
• Oceans and human health
• Ocean engineering, offshore renewable energy and maritime decarbonisation
• Ocean data, AI and remote sensing
• Marine geo-engineering and ocean climate repair
• Marine policy, governance and the blue economy
• Marine archaeology and submerged landscapes
• Maritime history, heritage and blue humanities
• And all other related themes across STEMM, Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences.

If your research contributes to our understanding of oceans in any form, we would love to hear from you.

| Ways to Present

Choose one or both presentation formats:

• Lightning Talk (6 minutes): A concise, engaging summary of your research, aimed at a broad audience.
• A0 Poste: A visual overview of your work that encourages informal discussion throughout the event.

| Submit Your Abstract

Submit here: Research Café 18th November 2026 – Abstract Submission

If you have any questions, contact us: techlib@lib.cam.ac.uk

Submissions are welcome from any institution or organisation.