Ralph Rayner is Chairman of Sonardyne International, is a Professorial Research Fellow at the London School of Economics and has responsibility for industry advocacy and outreach for the US Integrated Ocean Observing System at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Ralph plays an active part in a number of professional bodies concerned with marine science and technology and is a fellow of the Institute Marine Engineering, Science and Technology, the Society for Underwater Technology, the Marine Technology Society, the Royal Meteorological Society, the American Meteorological Society, the Oceanic Engineering Society of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers and the Royal Institution. He is currently President of the Society for Underwater Technology, is Editor in Chief for the Journal of Operational Oceanography and serves serves on the editorial boards of International Ocean Systems and the journal of Underwater Technology.