UK's National Deep-Sea Core Repository
BOSCORF is the UK's national deep-sea core repository, based at the National Oceanography Centre in Southampton. As the UK's largest deep-sea sediment repository and research facility, we advance understanding of marine environments, climate change and geological processes.
The core collection holds unique geological samples used by scientists worldwide to investigate topics such as geo-hazards, climate change and marine ecosystems.
Research Capabilities
BOSCORF houses state-of-the-art equipment for non-destructive core analysis, allowing researchers to study sediment cores without damaging these precious samples. This approach has established BOSCORF as an internationally recognised research facility. Our equipment includes:
- X-ray fluorescence (XRF) scanners
- X-ray imaging scanner (including computed tomography)
- Multi-Sensor Core Logging systems that measure physical and chemical properties
- Core image scanning with colour spectral analysis
We also provide computing facilities for visiting researchers working with large datasets.
Core Repository and Collections
Deep-sea sediment cores are expensive and scientifically invaluable resources. BOSCORF preserves and curates these irreplaceable geological archives, making them available to the global scientific community and encouraging their reuse across multiple research projects. Scientists worldwide use our core collection to investigate geohazards, climate change, marine ecosystems, microplastics and carbon capture and storage.
What Does BOSCORF Provide to the Marine Science Community?
BOSCORF serves as a hub for international marine science collaboration. We welcome requests from researchers and graduate students worldwide who wish to analyse samples from our collection or their own samples. Our extensive databases contain marine sediment core data and metadata, providing researchers with access to both physical samples and digital resources.
Established by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), BOSCORF holds marine sediment cores collected by NERC vessels and researchers. The facility forms part of the National Oceanography Centre, funded by UK Research and Innovation to deliver National Capability programmes. Recent investments have enhanced our capabilities with cutting-edge, non-destructive core scanners.
We deliver an annual training course on non-destructive sediment core analysis techniques, with priority given to NERC-funded PhD students and Early Career Researchers. Our bursary scheme supports PhD students and Early Career Researchers with up to three days of instrument time, removing financial barriers to world-class research facilities.
BOSCORF provides competitively priced, specialist, non-destructive geoservices to industry clients worldwide. We pioneered the concept of non-destructive core scanning for physical and geochemical properties over three decades ago. Today, our dockside location at Southampton's international port positions us as a logistics hub ideally suited for handling large geoscience projects from around the world. Our experienced staff bring extensive expertise to address your most challenging problems and answer questions standard geotechnical services cannot.
Sustainability Accreditations
BOSCORF actively participates in the Laboratory Efficiency Assessment Framework (LEAF), an internationally recognised sustainability certification programme that helps laboratories reduce their environmental impact through structured assessment criteria. We have earned a Silver award for our sustainability efforts, reflecting our commitment to implementing significant environmental improvements across our laboratory operations. We aim to achieve Gold certification by the end of 2026 through continued collaboration with other National Oceanography Centre Southampton (NOCS) laboratories.
Community Outreach and Engagement
BOSCORF is committed to engaging with the public through active participation in open days and festivals nationwide. These events allow us to share our marine science expertise with diverse audiences, promoting public understanding of oceanographic research and its real-world applications.
Our team is particularly passionate about educational initiatives within local schools, where BOSCORF staff take leading roles in developing and implementing innovative curricula. In collaboration with colleagues at NOCS, we aim to introduce a Blue Curriculum based on the UN Ocean Decade's framework for ocean science education. This will generate critical ocean knowledge for sustainable development in future generations.
Through these school partnerships, we help develop 'blue schools' that integrate marine science perspectives throughout their educational programmes, contributing to UNESCO's broader goal of scaling up ocean literacy initiatives worldwide and strengthening collaboration amongst educators, scientists and communities.
Need Support from BOSCORF?
We recommend contacting BOSCORF during the early stages of any project. We offer support with planning and grant applications. However, whatever stage you're at in your project, if you have questions about core collection, scanning or data, please feel free to contact us via email. We're happy to help.
Through world-class facilities, training programmes and open science principles, BOSCORF provides the environmental science community and industry partners with specialist technical services to help achieve their research goals.