The Ocean Drilling Program provides an unparalleled opportunity for an international coalition of scientists to focus on a scientific theme. We are indebted to the hundreds of scientists and administrators worldwide who make ODP happen and to the millions of taxpayers who, through various national funding agencies, support our research.

Leg 183’s shipboard complement of 112 souls devoted sixty days at sea over the 1998–1999 holiday season to improving our understanding of the Kerguelen Plateau–Broken Ridge large igneous province. We appreciate the dedication of all shipboard personnel, as well as the support of family and friends ashore. Captain T. Ribbens, Drilling Superintendent S. Pedersen, ODP Operations Manager M. Storms, Catermar’s A. Da Silva, and Dr. J.-M. Noël deserve special accolade. We very much appreciate the cooperation, conscientiousness, and professionalism of the drilling, technical specialist, deck, engine room, and catering crews.

Drilling the Kerguelen Plateau and Broken Ridge would not have been possible without the dedicated efforts of geophysicists who acquired site survey data in challenging Southern Ocean conditions. We are particularly indebted to the Australian Geological Survey Organisation (D. Falvey, P. Symonds, D. Ramsay, G. Bernadel, C. Pigram, and T. Powell), to the Ecole et Observatoire de Physique du Globe, Strasbourg, France (R. Schlich, M. Schaming), and to the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory (J. Weissel) for both the quality of the site survey data as well as their unselfish sharing of the data with Leg 183 scientists. Geoquest seismic interpretation software provided by Schlumberger (O. Dyer) proved valuable during Leg 183.

We acknowledge the important contributions of the Joint Oceanographic Institutions (T. Pyle, J. Austin, D. Falvey, N. Pisias, K. Moran), Science Operator ODP/TAMU (J. Fox, J. Baldauf), the Site Survey Data Bank (D. Quoidbach, A. Alvarez, M. Giarratano), and the Borehole Research Group (D. Goldberg) to the success of Leg 183. In particular, we cite E. Kappel (formerly of JOI) for her vision in supporting the JOI/USSAC Workshop on Large Igneous Provinces held in 1990. We also appreciate the consideration and support of the JOIDES Scientific Committee (R. Kidd, S. Humphris, W. Hay), Lithosphere Panel (S. Humphris, S. Bloomer, J. Ludden), Dynamics of the Earth’s Interior Science Steering and Evaluation Panel (J. Tarduno), Site Survey Panel (S. Srivastava, J. Diebold), and Pollution Prevention and Safety Panel (M. Ball) in drilling the Kerguelen Plateau and Broken Ridge. 

Leg 183 shipboard scientists would like to acknowledge the following shore-based scientists who have contributed to the success of Kerguelen Plateau–Broken Ridge drilling: J. Bergen, R. Campbell, L. Gahagan, T. Gladczenko, K. Harcourt-Brown, L. Könnecke, J. McPherson, S. Planke, I. Premoli-Silva, S. Saustrup, and D. Watkins.