The Science Party of Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Leg 203 acknowledges the professionalism and efficient support for science operations by the captain and crew of the JOIDES Resolution, under the supervision of Captain Tom Hardy and Drilling Supervisor Wayne Malone. Leg 203’s operations schedule was demanding, with long transits and limited time for drilling. These demands were compounded by the shortening of the leg by 4 days as a result of the threat of a longshoremen’s strike on United States West Coast ports and by the many technical challenges associated with deep drilling into relatively fresh and unaltered fast-spreading Pacific seafloor. The ODP technicians provided excellent support for the underway geophysics and for the efficient use and analysis of the scientifically important hard rock core materials that were by necessity recovered in modest amounts. We recognize Brian Jonasson’s close collaboration with the scientific party to devise alternative drilling and coring scenarios in rapid response to changing and challenging hole conditions.

We thank the ODP office and support organization and the research agencies that lent their support for the participating countries represented on Leg 203. We further acknowledge the International Ocean Network and the Dynamics of Earth and Ocean Systems (DEOS) multidisciplinary ocean observatory system planning effort for the support in planning and realizing Leg 203. The support for DEOS planning efforts by the United States National Science Foundation and the United Kingdom Natural Environment Research Council is gratefully acknowledged.