ODP weekly reports and site summariesIODP weekly reports and site summaries
Leg 194, mid-leg boat transfer. Photo by Shannon Housley.
Ocean Drilling Program Science Services
The ship's staffing of scientific and technical support personnel is handled by the Science Services Department of the Science Operator. Based on recommendations made by SCICOM, two Co-Chief Scientists are selected for each cruise. Approximately half of the scientists selected as Co-Chief Scientists represent the United States and the other half represent other ODP partners.For each cruise, typically lasting about two months, an ODP/TAMU Staff Scientist is responsible for ensuring the successful implementation and completion of the cruise-based science plan as defined by the JOIDES panels. The Staff Scientist interacts with the Co-Chiefs, coordinates the shipboard scientific party before and during the cruise, and coordinates operational and curatorial planning.
The shipboard scientific staff, usually about 25 in number, represents a team of specialists in the various fields of Earth science (petrology, sedimentology, geochemistry, paleomagnetism, microbiology, etc.). The shipboard scientific party is drawn from universities, government, and industry from ODP member countries and consortia. Opportunities for undergraduates to sail on a cruise are available through ODP's Undergraduate Student Trainee Program.
The shipboard scientific staff are assisted by a technical support crew, also up to 25 in number. These highly-trained ODP/TAMU employees–electronic and marine technicians, curatorial representatives, and computer experts–maintain and support the shipboard computers and laboratories, which are designed to meet the needs of the shipboard scientific staff. An experienced Operations Manager oversees drilling operations and acts as liaison between drilling and scientific activities.
The Science Services Department is also responsible for sample and data archiving and dissemination; this includes storing, archiving, and disseminating cores and other scientific data collected during the course of the program. ODP/TAMU is curator of all cores obtained by ODP and DSDP. Cores are maintained at three repositories in the United States on the East, West and Gulf coasts, located at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and ODP/TAMU respectively. Cores are also maintained in a repository at Bremen, Germany. ODP/TAMU hosts the web pages of the JOIDES Micropaleontological Reference Centers. Located at sites around the world, MRCs provide scientists with an opportunity to examine microfossils of various geologic ages and provenance.