Clare Postlethwaite, one of our Arctic scientists, was recently interviewed about her research as part of a Natural Environment Research Council film. Poppy Leeder, NERC's External Communications Manager, is producing a DVD about careers in environmental science. It's aimed at giving students about to make A-level choices a better understanding of possible careers and the sorts of decisions they may need to make.

John Spencer-Arnold, Clare Postlethwaite and Poppy Leeder during filming on the Liverpool waterfront.

As well as Clare at POL, Poppy is interviewing nine young scientists and technologists at the British Antarctic Survey, British Geological Survey, Centre for Ecology and Hydrology and the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton. Each interview lasts about two minutes. The scientists and technologists talk about and explain their work, showing kit and various fieldwork locations.

The DVD of the interviews and careers information will be released later this year. It will be online on this and NERC's website and available on disk. If you would like notification of release or a copy of the DVD email me, Robert Smith, at rasm@pol.ac.uk. Please tell me if you are a student/teacher or other reason for interest.

Find out more about Clare's work here.

The Proudman Oceanographic (POL) scientific research focuses on oceanography encompassing global sea-levels and geodesy, numerical modelling of continental shelf seas and coastal sediment processes. This research alongside activities of surveying, monitoring, data management and forecasting provides strategic support for the wider mission of the Natural Environment Research Council.

As a public funded body it is part of our remit to inform the public of the science and research undertaken at the laboratory. Attending events like the 'Ocean Awareness Weekend' at the Blue Planet Aquarium offers the opportunity for our scientists to meet members of the public and present the laboratory's work.

The Natural Environment Research Council is one of the UK's eight Research Councils. It uses a budget of about £ 350m a year to fund and carry out impartial scientific research in the sciences of the environment. NERC trains the next generation of independent environmental scientists. It is addressing some of the key questions facing mankind, such as global warming, renewable energy and sustainable economic development.