Abstract
The Marine Aggregate Levy Sustainability Fund (ALSF) Technical Conference was held in February 2008 at the Centre for Engineering Manufacturing & Excellence (CEME), Rainham, Essex. The conference was the third of a series of technical conferences that have formed part of the dissemination and outreach programme for the Marine ALSF since its initiation in 2002.
The work reported in the technical conference mainly relates to projects completed under a 12-month (Round 2 extension) interim agreement in the financial year 2007-8 during which time the future of the ALSF was under review. The following Marine ALSF Science Review summarises the contributions to the Technical Conference and includes the presentations in full on CD-Rom inside the end cover of the document.
The priority themes that the Marine Steering Group identified for possible support in the future were highlighted in the conference, with a view to calling for proposals as soon as the future status of the ALSF had been clarified. We are pleased to be able to confirm that the Marine ALSF has received support for the period July 2008- March 2011 (Round 3) and that projects have been commissioned under the priority themes outlined at the Technical Conference. The Steering Group has also identified other areas where further research may be required to meet the aims and objectives of the ALSF, and where commissioned research or potential proposals may be required during the course of the current Round 3 of the Marine ALSF.
This Summary Report therefore includes not only a review of the work that has been reported at the Technical Conference for the period 2007-8 under Round 2 of the Marine ALSF, but also summarises the projects that are to be supported under Round 3 for the period 2008-2011. It is anticipated that this will enhance awareness of projects that have been recently completed, or are in progress, and may assist future proposals for projects that are relevant to the objectives of the Marine ALSF.