Support for Planning the Global Ocean Flux Program

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This proposal from Dr. Brewer, Chairman of the GOFS Steering Committee, is to support a continuing effort in planning and developing GOFS. A major ocean flux program has been identified as a vital component of the NSF Global Geosciences Initiative and, specifically, of the NSF/OCE long range plan by the NSF's Advisory Committee on Ocean Sciences. Similar programs now being established in Canada, France, Germany, Japan, and the United Kingdom will necessitate international planning and cooperation. The initial steps towards a Global Ocean Flux Study took place in early 1984, being supported by the National Academy of Sciences. A meeting of experts was held February 14-16 in Washington, DC to consider the feasibility of developing a program which would link the established large scale physical programs and understanding of the ocean to the emerging understanding of the chemical and biological fluxes which do much to maintain the habitability of our planet. Recommendations from this NAS expert group led to a Global Ocean Flux Study (GOFS) Workshop, at the National Academy's Woods Hole Study Center, in September 1984. The workshop proceedings (NAS 1985) have been published and widely distributed within the international ocean science community. Following the GOFS Workshop, a small group (Drs. P. Brewer, WHOI; K. Bruland, UCSC; P. Jumars, U.W.; and J. McCarthy, Harvard) met twice in Washington, DC to edit the workshop proceedings and to examine how best to proceed with the workshop recommendations. This latter group has evolved into an Executive Committee which has since worked hard to bring such a program closer to reality. These efforts include public presentations to government agencies, the preparation of a proposal and the holding of numerous scientific meetings to further progress. A steering committee charged with overall program guidance has also been established.