Support for International Ocean Science Activities Through SCOR

Support is provided for the international oceanographic activities of the Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research (SCOR) that are relevant to U.S. interests in marine sciences and the Division of Ocean Sciences. Support of these international activities through SCOR began in 1987. The SCOR provides an international, interdisciplinary, non-governmental focus for ocean research and makes it possible for national ocean science communities (1) participate in international research projects, (2) identify important ocean science issues and create working groups to address the issues, and (3) build global ocean science capacity.

Funding in this request provides partial support the Scientific Steering Committees (SSCs) and/or International Project Office of the International Ocean Carbon Coordination Project (IOCCP), the Surface Ocean – Lower Atmosphere Study (SOLAS), the Integrated Marine Biosphere Research (IMBeR), GEOTRACES, and the Changing Ocean Biological Systems (COBS) projects These activities also are supported by other international and national sponsors.

These major programs have origins in US and have turned to SCOR to provide a forum for international planning and coordination. SCOR's impact has and will continue to be evident in the standardization of measurement protocols, sharing of data, coordination of ship time, and the enlargement of field studies which would be impossible without international coordination.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.