The Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Leg 193 Science Party wishes to thank the numerous people and institutions that contributed to this exceptionally successful scientific expedition. We are particularly grateful to the crew of the JOIDES Resolution, under the supervision of Captain Tom Hardy and Drilling Superintendent Wayne Malone. The ODP science technicians, led by Burney Hamlin, were outstanding and indefatigable in their tasks of curating core, operating laboratories and services, and helping us in every way possible. We were extremely impressed with the degree of involvement shown by everyone aboard the JOIDES Resolution in ensuring the ultimate achievement of the Leg 193 scientific objectives.

The operations were carefully planned and conducted under the guidance of Operations Manager Mike Storms. This was no easy task during Leg 193—we anticipated numerous technical challenges and overcame them through the effort, will, and initiative shown by engineers and crew from ODP, Transocean Sedco Forex, Schlumberger, Anadrill, and SDS Digger Tools.

We are also most grateful to the JOIDES organization, to ODP management at Texas A&M University, and to the administrative, academic, and research institutions from the many countries involved that provided the financial and logistical means to prepare and complete this venture and that conducted the prior scientific work on which our leg was founded. We thank the government of Papua New Guinea for approving Leg 193 drilling in the country’s territorial waters. Finally, we acknowledge the skills and patience of the ODP Publication Services personnel, whose services were invaluable in presenting our initial results in this volume.