5th Deep Water Circulation Research Conference

This conference focuses on deep-marine sedimentation, particularly deposits formed by bottom currents. It is the primary meeting point for anyone interested in this fast-moving, interdisciplinary field, including sedimentologists, physical oceanographers, paleoceanographers, marine biologists, and the broader contourite community.

The main aim is to discuss, exchange and advance our understanding of deep-water circulation and its effects on seafloor sediments and benthic communities. We intend this to be a working research conference, providing ample opportunity for collaboration between  participants. Two days of sessions comprising keynote lectures, short oral presentations and poster sessions will be preceded by a one-day workshop. Post-conference field trips will complement the programme.

The main conference themes are:

• Contourites – modern and ancient deposits
• Mixed turbidite-contourite systems – processes and products
• Ocean currents and sediment transport – observations, physical experiments and numerical models
• Contourites as palaeoceanographic and climatic archives
• Benthic ecosystems – interplay between ecosystems, particle transport and hydrodynamics
• Societal impact – geohazards, pollution and resources

This conference offers early-career researchers a valuable opportunity to network with experts in their field and receive feedback on their work. As part of the conference, there will be a one-day workshop focusing on the analysis of sediment cores from contourite and mixed-turbidite contourite systems stored in the Bremen and IODP core repositories. Participants will learn how to identify these deposits in sediment cores and about the collection and curation of these important sediment collections.

IAS Student Travel grants are available. The closing date is 31st May 2026. Please see the guidelines here and apply via your IAS member dashboard.