Southampton Solent University's Professor Mike Barnett is awarded the prestigious Merchant Navy Medal

Professor Mike Barnett, Head of Maritime Research, Faculty of Maritime and Technology, Southampton Solent University received The Merchant Navy Medal for services to marine safety, especially with study into watchkeeping fatigue, at Trinity House in London on Monday 27 November 2013.

The Merchant Navy Medal was established in 2005, and is a prestigious annual award recognising acts of courage afloat or commendable service by persons from the UK, or British Overseas dependent Territories within the merchant navy or fishing fleet. Up to 20 medals may be awarded annually and of those, a limited number of medals are also awarded for honorary causes to those who have made a significant contribution to merchant shipping, its personnel or its affairs, but who are not themselves British merchant seafarers.

Professor Mike Barnett has been recognised especially for his outstanding contribution as project director on the widely applauded Project Horizon. Project Horizon, an EU sponsored pioneering research project, sought to advance the understanding of seafarer fatigue through scientific analysis of data drawn from realistic working scenarios using experienced watchkeepers using ships’ bridge, engine and liquid cargo handling simulators.

Project Horizon was a joint venture between Warsash Maritime Academy (Southampton Solent University), Chalmers Tekniska Hoegskola AB (Dept of Shipping and Marine Technology (Sweden), and the Stress Research Institute of Stockholm University, together with eight other participant companies and authorities.

Find out more about the Merchant Navy Medal

Download the Project Horizon Research Report

Photos:

1. Professor Mike Barnett is pictured receiving The Merchant Navy Medal by Lord West
2. Group picture of 2012 Merchant Navy Medal winners with Lord West