The Gas in Marine Sediments (GIMS) conference
National Oceanography Centre, Southampton UK
20th to the 24th of October 2025
Registration is now open, please see below for information
The Gas in Marine Sediments (GIMS) conference series brings together earth and ocean scientists and engineers to share and discuss advances in scientific and applied topics around detection, behaviour and fate of methane and other gases in marine sediments. GIMS is based on the principles of colligability, openness and friendship in science and technology as the pathway towards a greater and better understanding of research gaps in the broad field of gas in marine sediments and defining the future direction of this research area. Since 1990, geologists, biologists, microbiologists, geophysicists, biogeochemists, geotechnical engineers, modelers and technology developers from all over the world gathered every two years at key research hubs in this topic.
The successful series of GIMS conferences continues in Southampton, UK, where the GIMS16 will take place at the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton from the 20th to the 25th of October 2025. GIMS16 will be designed to follow previous conferences’ philosophy with a blend of scientific topics (e.g. mud volcano formation and distribution, gas hydrates, chemosynthetic organisms in gas seeps) and applied and engineering topics (e.g. gas detection techniques in sediments and water column, shallow gas effects on offshore foundation stability). In GIMS16 we also want to provide a strong contribution to topics related to net zero, green energy transition and climate change mitigation techniques, and hence there will be an additional component related to offshore geological storage of carbon dioxide and hydrogen in marine sediments.
Keynote Speakers
- Prof Jon Bull, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.
- Dr Adriano Mazzini, University of Oslo and Institute for Energy and Technology, Oslo, Norway
- Dr Shubhangi Gupta, GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research, Kiel, Germany
- Dr Katrin Linse British Antarctic Survey (BAS)
Agenda
Scientific Programme (confirmed speakers as 15/09/2025)
(* indicates presenter of the day if not first author)
Sunday 19/10/25 | Icebreaker (location/time TBC) |
Monday 20/10/25 | Session 1: Gas-related biogeochemical and microbial processes and their impact on marine ecosystems |
| 08:45 - 09:15 | REGISTRATION |
| 09:15 – 09:30 | WELCOME from Chris Hatton, Head of the School of Ocean and Earth Science, University of Southampton, & Len Shaffrey, Associate Director for Science and Technology, National Oceanography Centre Southampton |
| 09:30 - 10:15 | Keynote: Katrin Linse, Living at Arctic and Southern Ocean methane seeps: insights into their benthic faunal |
| 10:15 - 10:40 | Delcy R. Nazareth and Maria Judith Gonsalves, Comparative study on the microbial diversity and metabolic processes in the sediments associated with gas hydrate and non-hydrate ecosystem |
| 10:40 - 11:05 | Katarzyna Åukawska-Matuszewska, Andrzej Borkowski, Aleksandra Brodecka-Goluch, Jakub Idczak, Kacper Jurczyk, Jarosław Kania, Maciej Manecki, Grzegorz Rzepa, Methanogenesis and submarine groundwater discharge alter microbiology, geochemistry and mineralogy of continental shelf sea sediments “a case study from the S-E Baltic Sea” |
| 11:05 - 11:35 | BREAK |
| 11:35 - 12:00 | Tiantian Sun, Nengyou Wu, Yanlong Li, Jiapeng Jin, Geochemical signatures of seep dolomites in the Pearl River Mouth basin: implications for paleo-methane fluid activities |
| 12:00 - 12:25 | Tiantian Sun, Nengyou Wu, Yanlong Li, Jiapeng Jin, Impacts of cold seep-hydrothermal interactions on methane cycling in the Okinawa Trough |
| 12:25 - 13:25 | LUNCH |
| 13:25 - 13:50 | Nengyou Wu, The cycling of key substances and its environmental effects in the cold seep area of the Okinawa Trough |
| 13:50 - 14:15 | Ye Chen, Zhilei Sun, Cuiling Xu, Nengyou Wu, Microbial community structure and metabolic potential across deep-sea vent seep transition zones in the Okinawa Trough |
| 14:15 - 14:40 | Madeline P. B. C. Anderson, William D.K. Reid, Gerhard Bohrmann, Ingrid Dohrmann, Philip R. Hollyman, Sabine Kasten, Thomas Pape, Miriam Römer, Jason Newton, Ben D. Wigham, Katrin Linse, The abundance, diversity and trophodynamics of the macrobenthos at the South Georgia shelf methane seeps |
| 14:40 - 15:10 | BREAK |
| 15:10 - 15:35 | Thomas Pape, Martin Kölling, Greta Feddersen, Miriam Römer, Nele Behrendt, Victoria Kürzinger, Katharina Streuff, Yiting Tseng, Gerhard Bohrmann, Formation of volatile hydrocarbons at the Central Mediterranean Ridge west and south of Cretes |
| 15:35 - 16:05 | DISCUSSION |
| 16:05 | END of the DAY |
Tuesday 21/10/25 | Session 2: Laboratory testing and modelling of marine sediments containing gas and/or hydrate |
| 09:30 - 10:15 | Keynote: Shubhangi Gupta, Periodic states and emergent complexities in gas hydrate dynamics |
| 10:15 - 10:40 | Mark V. Elbertsen, Marlow J. Cramwinckel & Lucas J. LourensEwa Burwicz-Galerne, Shubhangi Gupta, Modelling the contribution of methane hydrates to the Late Paleocene – Early Eocene hyperthermal events |
| 10:40 - 11:05 | Ewa Burwicz-Galerne, Shubhangi Gupta, Gas hydrate and methane gas dynamics in response to warming Arctic |
| 11:05 - 11:35 | BREAK |
| 11:35 - 12:00 | Yizhao Wan, Jing Li, Nengyou Wu, Experimental and numerical investigation for the biogeochemical process of methane released from gas hydrate |
| 12:00 - 12:25 | Yuna Nakamura, Toru Sato, Norio Tenma, Numerical analysis of triaxial compression of methane hydrate bearing sediment using the discrete element method |
| 12:25 - 12:50 | Lior Rake and Shmulik Pinkert*, Data-driven mechanical framework for methane hydrate-bearing soils |
| 12:50 - 13:50 | LUNCH |
| 13:50 - 14:15 | Hanif S. Sutiyoso, Sourav S. Sahoo, Laurence J. North, Ismael H. Falcon-Suarez, Angus I. Best, Tim A. Minshull, A laboratory acoustic study of fluid and ice saturation effects in sands |
| 14:15- 14:45 | DISCUSSION |
| 14:45-17:00 | POSTER SESSION |
| 17:00 | END of the DAY |
Wednesday 22/10/25 | Session 3: Seismo-acoustic characterization and monitoring of gassy sediments and gas bubble dynamics |
| 09:30 - 10:15 | Keynote: Jonathan Bull, title TBC |
| 10:15 - 10:40 | Ernst Uzhansky, Regina Katsman*, Andrey Lunkov, Boris Katsnelson, Evaluation of dynamics and bubble sizes of methane gas in sediments of Lake Kinneret, Israel: Insights from a multiannual acoustic investigation and physical modelling |
| 10:40 - 11:05 | Ben Roche, Corentin Cauldron, Julien Govoorts, Jonas Patzel, Olivier Fontaine, Hydroacoustic monitoring of volcanic gas seeps using hydrophones and DAS |
| 11:05 - 11:35 | BREAK |
| 11:35 - 12:00 | Miriam Römer, Yann Marcon, Thomas Pape, Jan Kleint, Walter Menapace, Christian Borowski, Degassing mud volcanoes in the Gulf of Cádiz |
| 12:00 - 12:25 | Boris Katsnelson, Ernst Uzhansky, Andrey Lunkov, Regina Katsman, Acoustic methods for characterizing gas-containing sediments (Lake Kinneret, Israel, as a case study) |
| 12:25 - 12:50 | Giorgos Papageorgiou, Ismael Falcon-Suarez*, Maria-Daphne Mangriotis*, Time-lapse seismic monitoring of hydrogen storage: is the cushion gas – hydrogen contrast truly undetectable? |
| 12:50 - 13:50 | LUNCH |
| 13:50 - 14:20 | DISCUSSION |
| 14:20 - 15:30 | NOCS & SOES TOUR |
| 15:30 | END of the DAY |
| TBC | TBC DINNER |
Thursday 23/10/25 | Session 4: Geological and geophysical investigation of gas related structures |
| 09:30 - 10:15 | Keynote: Adriano Mazzini, title TBC |
| 10:15 - 10:40 | Roger Urgeles, Ricardo León, Rafael Bartolomé, Manel Prada, Miriam Mestre, Maria De La Fuente, Xavier Garcia, Michela Giustiniani, Héctor Marín-Moreno, Umberta Tinivella, Maria del Carmen Fernández Puga, Teodora Ortega, Methane seeping in the gas hydrate province of the Antarctic Peninsula facilitated by crustal strike-slip faults |
| 10:40 - 11:05 | Ricardo Leon, Roger Urgeles, Rafael Bartolomé, Ferran Estrada, Maria del Carmen Fernandez-Puga, Maria de la Fuente, Luis Galán, Xavier Garcia, Michela Giustiniani, Clara Estela Jimenez-Tejero, Miguel Llorente, Ana Manrique, Miriam Mestre, Teodora Ortega, Manel Prada, Strike slip mud volcano system in the accretionary wedge of the South Shetlands Islands (Antarctic Peninsula) |
| 11:05 - 11:35 | BREAK |
| 11:35 – 12:00 | Emeric Babut du Marès, Maria De La Fuente, Jemma Wadham, Petra Langebroek, Henry Patton, Sandra Arndt, Mapping the methane gas hydrates stability zone beneath the Antarctic Ice Sheet from 40 Ma to the year 3000 |
| 12:00 - 12:25 | Alexey Portnov, Jess IT Hillman, Sally Watson, Ann E. Cook, Andreas Laake, Francisco José Lobo, Insights into the Tuaheni North landslide from shallow gas and hydrate accumulations along the Hikurangi Margin, New Zealand |
| 12:25 - 12:50 | Aditya Kumar, Ann E. Cook, Muhedeen A. Lawal, Alexey Portnov, Vincent Lecours, Pockmark occurrence in the Northern Gulf of Mexico influenced by glacial cycles and hydrate stability |
| 12:50 - 13:50 | LUNCH |
| 13:50 - 14:15 | Aleksandra Brodecka-Goluch, Katarzyna Åukawska-Matuszewska, Jakub Idczak, Andrzej Borkowski, Grzegorz Rzepa, Maciej Manecki, Multidisciplinary research on newly discovered pockmarks in the Gdansk Basin, SE Baltic Sea |
| 14:15 - 14:40 | Nil Rodes, Kim Senger, Miriam Römer, Andy Hodson, Peter Betlem, David Amblas, Sten-Andreas Grundvåg, Arunima Sen, Gas emission dynamics in Arctic Fjords of Svalbard: A spatio-temporal analysis |
| 14:40 - 15:10 | DISCUSSION |
| 15:10 - 15:40 | BREAK |
| 15:40 - 16:30 | GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
Friday 24/10/25 | FIELD TRIP TO ISLE OF WIGHT |
Poster session (21/10/25)
Lucia Perez Belmonte, Jon Basset, Florian Beranger, Bernt M. Christiansen, Inger Helene Gram Reese, Ole-Marius Hafstad Solvang, Linda Kaldheim, Dag Lundqvist, Thomas Reichel, Peter Sabel, Erling Sundvor, Sadjia Cherifa Ait-Djafer, Safe groundtruthing of shallow gas detection: linking water column anomalies to seismic data
Lichtschlag Anna, Sara Fowell, Himar Falcon-Suarez, Megan Bennet, Adam D. Sproson, Simon Gregory, Biogeochemical impacts of hydrogen leakage from offshore geological storage
Jakub Idczak, Aleksandra Brodecka-Goluch, Katarzyna Åukawska-Matuszewska, New insights into geomorphology and activity of deepwater pockmarks in the Gdansk Basin, southern Baltic Sea
Luis Alonso Castillo, Alexey Portnov, Andreas Laake, Ann Cook, Wouter de Weger, Depositional evolution and geohazard potential of a large gas and hydrate turbidite province in the Perdido belt, Gulf of Mexico
Saffron Martin, Morgane Brunet, Ann Cook, Joshu Mountjoy, Evidence for gas hydrate-filled fractures at the sulfate-methane transition zone
Xiaoran Geng, Regina Katsman, Semion Zhutovsky, Yaron Be’eri-Shlevin, Ernst M. Uzhansky, Boris Katsnelson, Evaluation of mechanical and physical characteristics of aquatic muds by geotechnical methods, for assessment of methane bubble descriptor
Sourav Sahoo, Shadman Khan, Ismael Himar Falcon-Suarez, Hector Marin-Moreno, Hanif Sutiyoso, BN Madhusudhan and Angus Best, Gas dynamics and geophysical monitoring in marine sediments: insights from methane hydrates, CO₂ venting, and pulse tube experiments
Registration
Registration is now open to attend GIMS16 - The full registration fee is £335.00 per person inclusive of VAT. Conference fees will include the following: Meeting room facilities, refreshments and lunch for each day of the conference, Icebreaker Reception, Gala Dinner with Wine and tours of the NOC site. Please click here to register and pay for your place.
A limited number of student spaces are available on a first come first serve basis at £195.00 per person. Please use the above link and enter GIMS Student Discount at the coupon stage of the check out process.
GIMS16 will cover the conference fees of 5 PhD or MSc students. To request this, please send to the organising committee a 150 words paragraph signed by your academic representative explaining
(i) why you are interested in GIMS16 and
(ii) why you need the conference fees to be covered.
Please Click here to submit your request.
Successful applicants will be notified with further instructions.
(Request for Visa Letters are included as part of the registration process)
Please note that from April 2025 people visiting the UK from certain countries will require an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) information is available on the https://www.gov.uk website
Geological, Scenic & Cultural Field Trip
The hosting committee are pleased to announce a Geological, Scenic, and Cultural fieldtrip in the Isle of Wight. The field trip will be headed up by Prof John Marshall, University of Southampton. The group will be foot passenger over to Cowes on the Isle of Wight and pick up a coach for the drive to Sandown with one of best UK beaches walk along early Cretaceous (Wealden) terrestrial sediments with fluvial sandstones - if conditions permit possibly a view of dinosaur prints - and chalk via Greensand. Then, a route up the cliff to Culver down where we will join the coach again for a short trip to the Birdham Hotel in Bembridge for lunch returning to Whitecliff Bay thick vertical Eocene Sandstones, shallow marine and lagoonal with tiger stripe facies with lagoon overwash and giant forams. The return journey will be via the breathtaking military road providing a chance to see the impressive Tennyson Down and Compton Bay before heading back to Cowes and the ferry ride back to Southampton.
More details about the field trip will be provided over the coming weeks. .
The field trip including all transport, lunch and commentary by Prof John Marshall is £96.50 including VAT.
Please click here to register for this trip as spaces are limited.
Abstract Submission
Abstract submission is now closed as of the 14 September 2025.
Topics
For GIMS 16 we encourage diverse contributions with scientific value related to gas in marine sediments. For organisational purposes, five broad science themes are proposed; it is expected that most contributions will fall within these themes. After abstract closure and acceptance, the scientific committee will reassess the science themes and build and exciting conference program based on the accepted submissions.
Gas seeps & vents
Expected contributions can include fundamental physical and biogeochemical processes regulating the dynamics of e.g. cold seeps, hydrothermal vents and methane hydrate sites. We invite case studies evidencing such phenomena and studying e.g. their detection and distribution and the characterisation and quantification of the associated gas fluxes, including new methods and technological advances in this field.
Sediment diagenesis and marine ecosystems
Expected contributions will address gas-related physical and biogeochemical processes in deep and shallow sediments, and their impacts on marine ecosystems, nutrient cycling, and chemical exchanges between the seabed and the ocean. We welcome contributions related to global carbon cycles and the potential vulnerability of these sites to climate change and the impact of extreme events on the biogeochemical processes of gas in marine sediments.
Gas emissions and climate
Expected contributions will provide insights into the role of marine gas emissions to the past, present and future marine and global methane budget. Contributions addressing the role of the ocean as a marine methane sink and associated ocean biochemical and physical changes are encouraged. Case studies addressing emissions in polar areas and from marine permafrost are also encouraged.
Gas-related geohazards
Expected contributions will explore threats of gas and gas hydrates in marine sediments, focusing on their potential to trigger underwater landslides, tsunamis, and abrupt greenhouse gas emissions. Potential contributions can include recent advances in monitoring technologies and mitigation strategies.
Human influence and applications of gas in marine sediments
Expected contributions will address topics such as storage of CO2 in geological formations, hydrogen storage and production, advances in quantification and attribution monitoring of gas leakage from pipes, characterization of gassy sediments for offshore infrastructure development, and stability analysis of offshore infrastructure in gassy sediments.
Click here to view / download the Topics for 2025
Sponsors
We welcome sponsorship offers for the key elements of the conference e.g. refreshments breaks, lunches etc. Sponsorship will enable your brand / logos to be placed before the key audience members.
A limited number of small exhibit spaces will be available in the refreshment areas.
For further information on sponsorship opportunities please email Ian NOCevents@noc.ac.uk quoting GIMS Sponsorship
Scientific Committee members
- Gerald Dickens, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland.
- Anna Lichtschlag, National Oceanography Centre NOC, Southampton, UK.
- Ann Cook, Ohio State University, Columbus, USA.
- Assaf Klar, The Technion, Haifa, Israel.
- Ewa Burwicz-Galerne, MARUM – Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, University of Bremen, Germany.
- Firoz Badesab, CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, Dona Paula, Goa, India.
- Giuliana Panieri, Centre for Artic Gas Hydrate, Environment and Climate (CAGE), UiT - The Arctic University of Norway, Tromso, Norway.
- Héctor Marín Moreno, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.
- Luis Somoza, GEOMAR Research Group, Geological Survey of Spain, IGME-CSIC, Spain.
- Regina Katsman, University of Haifa, Israel
Hosting Committee Members
- Anna Lichtschlag, National Oceanography Centre NOC, Southampton, UK.
- Héctor Marín Moreno, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.
- Ian Folger National Oceanography Centre NOC, Southampton, UK.
Accommodation
The Leonardo Hotel Southampton Located in the heart of the city centre this hotel is a 20-minute walk from NOC or a short unilink bus ride. With an enviable position in the heart of the city centre, formerly Jurys Inn, Leonardo Hotel Southampton is an ideal place to stay whether you’re visiting this beautiful coastal city with family and friends, or on business. An easy 15-minute walk from the central train station, and under four miles from the city airport, Leonardo Hotels offers the best of all Southampton hotels: comfort and convenience, complete with style and a warm welcome.
the rate includes breakfast and VAT Please click here to book direct and use group code JINOCA191025 (£30 supplement for the Saturday night)
Leonardo Royal Hotel Southampton Grand Harbour Located along the Southampton waterfront, 10 minutes walk from NOC. Known for its character and ambience, our Leonardo Royal Hotel is ideally situated on the Southampton waterfront, just five minutes by car from Southampton Port.
To make the most of your trip outside the hotel,
The rate includes breakfast and VAT Please click here to book direct and use group code JINOCA191025 (£30 supplement for the Saturday night)
Room2 - Southampton
Located just outside of Dock Gate 2 Take all the comforts and flexibility of your home, plus the best bits of a hotel and you get room2 Southampton, the world’s first Hometel. The property features spectacular views over Queens Park, and the rooms are complete with fully equipped kitchens, large king beds, and plenty of space to work or relax. room2 Southampton is a place to live, not just stay. How you live is up to you,
0.6 miles NOC 10 minute walk
To book click here, select location as Southampton, enter your dates and enter special code NOC2025
Moxy Southampton
Meet Moxy Southampton, a stylishly designed eco-friendly hotel which is centrally located and near Westquay shopping centre and restaurants. You’ll find yourself at home in one of our 208 bedrooms all with ensuite bathrooms where you can relax on our comfy beds or check your emails from your private workspace. Our tech-savvy guest rooms are also equipped with Chromecast TVs (so you can catch up on your latest Netflix binge), USB charging points and WiFi. Our bright and open lobby is where you check-in at the bar (with a complimentary cocktail) and provides an ideal space to meet and mingle with business colleagues, network or play games. For fitness enthusiasts, we have a 24-hour gym. You’ll never go hungry with our daily breakfast; a selection of food and drinks are served all day or snacks at our 24/7 Grab and Go station. Super-fast WiFi is included throughout our hotel for everyone to stay connected.
Start Date: Sunday, October 19, 2025
End Date: Wednesday, October 22, 2025
Hotel(s) offering your special group rate:
Moxy Southampton for 114.00 GBP per night - Last Day to Book : Saturday, August 2, 2025
Book your group rate for National Oceangraphy Centre Accommodation 2025
Other hotels are available across Southampton and the local area, details of these are available by clicking here
Information of past conferences
• Edinburgh, UK (1990) - Davis A.M. (ed) (1992) Methane in marine sediments. Continental Shelf Research 12(10):1075–1264.
• Hirtshals, Denmark (1992) - Jørgensen N.O. (ed) (1994) Gas in marine sediments, 2nd Conference. Bull. Geol. Soc. Denmark 41(1):3–109.
• Texel, the Netherlands (1994) - van Weering T.C.E., Klaver G.T., Prins R.A. (eds) (1997) Gas in marine sediments. Geology/geochemistry/microbiology. Marine Geology 137(1/2):1–189.
• Varna, Bulgaria (1996).
• Bologna, Italy (1998) - Judd A.G., Curzi P.V. (eds) (2002) Gas in marine sediments. Continental Shelf Research. 22(16):2265–2442.
• St Petersburg, Russia (2000) - Gramberg I.S., Kontorovich A.E. (eds) (2002) Proceedings of the vi internaional conference on "Gas in marine sediments". Geologiyai Geofizika (Russian Geology and Geophysics) 43(7):581–711.
• Baku, Azerbaijan (2002) - Woodside J.M., Garrison R.E., Moore J.C., Kvenvolden K.A. (eds) (2003) Proceedings of 7th International Conference on Gas in Marine Sediments, 7–12 October 2002, Baku, Azerbaijan. Geo-Marine Letters 23(3/4):137–358.
• Vigo, Spain (2005) - García-Gil S., Judd A. (eds) (2007) Contributions from the 8th International Conference on Gas in Marine Sediments, Shallow Gas Group, 5–10 September 2005, Vigo, Spain. Geo-Marine Letters 27(2/4):71–302.
• Bremen, Germany (2008) - Bohrmann G., Jørgensen B.B. (eds) (2010) Contributions from the 9th International Conference on Gas in Marine Sediments, University of Bremen, 15–19 September 2008. Geo-Marine Letters. 30(3/4): 151-476.
• Listvyanka, Russia (2010) - De Batist M., Khlystov O. (eds) (2012) Contributions from the 10th International Conference on Gas in Marine Sediments, Listvyanka (Russia), 6–11 September 2010. Geo-Marine Letters. 32 (5/6): 373-562.
• Nice, France (2012) - Pierre C., Imbert P., Mascle J. (eds) (2014) Contributions from the 11th International Conference on Gas in Marine Sediments, Nice, France, September 2012. Geo-Marine Letters. 34 (2/3): 85-295.
• Taipei, Taiwan (2014).
• Tromso, Norway (2016).
• Haifa, Israel (2018) - Katsman R, Dickens G. (eds) (2020) Gas in Marine Sediments (GIMS): past, current, and future (contributions from GIMS-14). Geo-Marine Letters. 40: 403-406.
• Cádiz, Spain (2023) – Santofimia E., Fernández Puga M. C., Burwicz-Galerne E., Argentino C. and Pape T. (eds) (2025) Gas in Marine Sediments (contributions from GIMS-15). Geo-Marine Letters
