Prince Madog takes part in Bangor Science Festival

Prince MadogThe public have a unique opportunity to visit Bangor University’s research vessel, the Prince Madog on Saturday 12th & Sunday 13th March, as part of Bangor Science Festival.

The crew led by the Operations Manager, Trefor Owen, will offer 30 minute tours of the vessel for groups of up to 6 individuals, between the hours of 10-12.00 and 14-16.00 on each day.

No booking is necessary, but individuals should turn up and wait at St George's Pier in Menai Bridge for the next tour.

“If you’re one of the many people locally who see the Prince Madog in the Strait or at the end of St George’s Pier, then this is a great opportunity to come aboard and visit. You’ll learn a little about the vessel, the research that we do and how the ship has been designed to enable us to carry out different types of research on board,” explained Prof Mike Kaiser, Head of the School of Ocean Sciences.

This is a fantastic opportunity to visit the £2.8 million research vessel. The Prince Madog enables the UK's marine scientists to study the biology, chemistry, geology and physics of our seas. Designed to take up to ten scientists and 20 students, the School of Ocean Sciences, Bangor and other university departments in the UK also use the vessel as a teaching platform, training the next generation of marine scientists.

It is the only such vessel based at any UK university, and is also chartered commercially for research purposes. The Prince Madog is managed by P&O Maritime Services, in partnership with Bangor University.

Scientists working aboard the Prince MadogBangor University’s first week-long Science Festival runs between 11th -20th March 2011. The Festival has free events to appeal to people of every age and interest. Running, and opens on Friday 11 March with a public Panel Debate on science education in Wales. More information about the Festival can be found at:

www.bangor.ac.uk/bangorsciencefestival/index.php.en

Publication date: 10 March 2011