COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: Ship-based Technical Support in the Arctic

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This proposal requests support to augment the marine research technical services provided by the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) on their icebreakers for research cruises in the arctic region. This proposal is a collaborative between the Shipboard Technical Support (STS) department at Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO) and the Marine Technician Group (MTG) at Oregon State University (OSU) to provide the highest level of shipboard technical support possible. The proposal will use a model for arctic shipboard technical support that follows best practices of the University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System (UNOLS) fleet. An Arctic Cruise Coordinator will be recruited with the exclusive responsibility for creating and overseeing a precruise planning process based on existing SIO and OSU methods, modified to suit the needs of scientists sailing on the USCG cutters in the arctic. The Coordinator will work with all parties to develop efficient staffing and equipment assignments customized for each cruise leg, and develop an annual technical support budget (under the supervision of the STS manager) that will be submitted to NSF. If the requirements for an Arctic cruise cannot be met using the available resources of SIO and OSU, then the Coordinator will solicit marine technical support from other UNOLS institutions. Education and training of students, new technicians and USCG personnel in use of technology and techniques at sea is part of the broader impacts of this proposal, thus broadening the technical knowledge base that supports U.S. oceanographic research. SIO will support the acquisition and appropriate handling of underway shipboard data in concert with national data centers such as the NSF-supported R2R program, making data available to the academic community and the public at large. SIO and OSU will coordinate with NSF, USCG and the Arctic Icebreaker Coordinating Committee to define priorities for maintenance and upgrades to science equipment onboard.