Collaborative Research: Conference: Future of US Marine Seafloor and Subseafloor Sampling Capabilities Workshop

自从英国皇家海军挑战者号海洋考察队（1872-1876年）采集了第一批系统的海底样本以来，科学家们已经研究了150年的海底。 这150年的海底采样不仅改变了我们对地球内部过程的理解，而且也使社会受益。通过采集和分析海底样本建立的科学知识包括彻底改变我们对板块构造、碳循环、冰盖动力学、极端环境中的生命、火山作用、地球磁场、气候突变、经济资源、生物多样性等的理解。如今，美国海底采样的资源正在发生变化，从主要研究船的退役和增加到技术改进。本次研讨会旨在进一步帮助确定各种文件中确定的科学优先事项，包括2050年科学大洋钻探科学框架，以及解决这些优先事项所需的基础设施。我们将通过将该领域顶尖的科学家、刚刚开始职业生涯的科学家以及设施操作员、技术人员和工程师聚集在一起来实现这一目标。沿着。本次研讨会的目的是确定美国需要什么样的基础设施来解决未来几十年的重大科学问题。 研讨会将包括主旨发言人，他们将讨论现有资源和未来的潜在能力，沿着分组讨论特定主题。 参与者将撰写一份研讨会报告，并将免费提供给公众。美国海洋资产（船舶、基础设施等）的近期景观变化和使用案例强调需要进行广泛的海洋学社区讨论，以计划如何在未来十年保持和发展其研究势头。同样真实的是，科学需求--特别是由职业生涯早期到中期的海洋学家所定义的科学需求--将推动各种规模的新基础设施的发展和设计。该奖项将支持为期2.5天的美国海洋学社区研讨会，题为：“美国海底和海底取样能力的未来”，并为来自不同背景，科学领域，机构和职业阶段的约80名参与者提供旅行。与会者将探讨在美国海洋资产内外进行海底和海底取样的方法，包括但不限于岩石、沉积物、气体、流体和微生物取样。该研讨会将使与会者熟悉现有的技术和样品/数据库，目前可用于支持NSF科学，并制定明确的前瞻性设施计划，以满足目前和未来的要求。讲习班将通过三种综合办法促进社区讨论：尽可能多地收集依赖海洋采样的科学学科，讨论各种材料（例如，岩心和岩石样本）以及储存库和数据库中的数据作为“资产”，并让科学界和工程/技术界参与。通过确定和优先考虑社区提出的关键科学问题和目标，特别是早期到中期的职业科学家，研讨会的讨论将使这些需求与现有和期望的技术能力相匹配，这些技术能力可以从现有和/或不久的将来在NSF支持的系统中运行的船舶中部署。讲习班将强调，社区希望更好地了解海底样品/岩心储存库的可获得性和功能，以便规划今后的考察和综合工作。该研讨会将于2024年3月在伍兹霍尔海洋研究所举行，美国科学界、联合国海洋法办公室设施运营商和资助机构的代表将参加。我们的目标是邀请约60%的早期职业科学参与者，因为这些讨论直接影响他们的未来。最终报告将发表在同行评审的期刊上，并附有数字对象标识符（DOI），同时在大学-国家海洋学实验室系统年会上发表。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并被认为值得通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估来支持。

Scientists have studied the bottom of the ocean for the last 150 years, since the first systematic seafloor samples were taken during the HMS Challenger oceanographic expedition (1872-1876). This 150 years of seafloor sampling has not only transformed our understanding of processes within Planet Earth but also benefited societies. Science knowledge built through acquisition and analyses of seafloor samples include revolutionizing our understanding of plate tectonics, the carbon cycle, ice sheet dynamics, life in extreme environments, volcanism, Earth’s magnetic field, abrupt climate change, economic resources, biodiversity, and much more. Today, the resources for US seafloor sampling are changing, from the retirement and additions of key research vessels to technological improvements. This workshop aims to further help identify science priorities identified in various documents, including the 2050 Science Framework for Scientific Ocean Drilling, and infrastructure needed to address these priorities going forward. We will achieve this by bringing together scientists from the top of the field along with those just starting their careers as well as facilities operators, technical staff, and engineers. This workshop will aim to define what US infrastructure is needed to address grand scientific questions of the next few decades. The workshop will include keynote speakers who will discuss existing resources and future potential capabilities, along with breakout group discussions on specific topics. Participants will write a workshop report that will be made freely available to the public.Recent landscape changes in US oceanographic assets (vessels, infrastructure, etc.) and use cases highlight the need for a broad oceanographic community discussion to plan how to maintain and grow their research momentum over the next decade. Equally true, scientific need – particularly as defined by early- to mid-career oceanographers – will drive the evolution and design of new infrastructure on a variety of scales. This award will support a 2.5-day US oceanographic community-wide workshop, entitled: “Future of US seafloor and subseafloor sampling capabilities” and travel for ~80 participants from diverse backgrounds, scientific fields, institutions, and career stages. Participants will explore approaches to seafloor and sub-seafloor sampling within and beyond US oceanographic assets, including but not limited to rock, sediment, gas, fluid, and microbiologic sampling. The workshop will familiarize the participants with existing technologies and sample/data repositories that are currently available to support NSF science, and develop clear forward-thinking facility plans that meet present and future requirements. The workshop will facilitate community discussions with three comprehensive approaches: gathering as many marine sampling-dependent science disciplines as possible, having discussion of materials (e.g., cores and rock samples) and data in repositories and databases as “assets”, and engaging both science and engineering/technical communities. Through identifying and prioritizing critical science questions and goals raised by the community, especially early to mid-career scientists, the workshop discussion will match those needs to existing and aspirational technological capabilities that could be deployed from existing and/or near-future vessels operating in the NSF-supported system. The workshop will highlight the community desire for better understanding of the seafloor sample/core repositories’ accessibilities and functionalities for both planning future cruises as well as synthesis efforts. The workshop will be held in March 2024 at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution with participation from the US science, UNOLS facility operators’ community and representatives of funding agencies. We will aim to invite ~ 60% early career science participants, as these discussions directly impact their future. The final report will be published in a peer-reviewed journal with Digital Object Identifier (DOI) as well as being presented at University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System annual meetings.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.