I am delighted to announce that project BIOPOLE is underway. Our project will undertake a truly ambitious programme of research in both polar regions. Our aim is to understand the role that both poles play in determining the chemical balance of the oceans. It is this balance that facilitates the productivity of all marine life. The team of over 60 scientists will gather at the National Oceanography Centre in Southampton next week to share further thoughts and add greater detail to the 5-year plan of research. This research will include deployment of advanced autonomous instruments capable of gathering data in critical but otherwise inaccessible parts of the polar oceans. It will also make use of one of world’s most advanced research vessels, the Sir David Attenborough. We can’t wait to get going. Geraint Tarling (Principal Investigator)