The FUTURE of the US Marine Seafloor and Subseafloor Sampling Capabilities

FUTURE 2024 PI-team

doi:10.1029/2024AV001560

The FUTURE of the US Marine Seafloor and Subseafloor Sampling Capabilities

FUTURE 2024 PI-team

Department of Geology and Geophysics
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
University of California at San Diego
Colorado School of Mines
Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology
University of Bremen
Cornell University
Applied Physics Laboratory
Oregon State University
Boise State University
Florida Atlantic University
College of Charleston
University of New Haven
University of Montana
Northern Illinois University
University of Maryland, College Park
College of Science
University of California at Santa Barbara
Columbia University
Texas A&M University
Montclair State University
University of Texas at Austin
Ohio State University
University of Colorado Boulder
Florida State University
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Bowling Green State University
State University of New York Binghamton University
University of Alaska Fairbanks
Boston University
The University of Chicago
University of Washington
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Michigan State University

Research output: Contribution to journal › Editorial

2 Scopus citations

Abstract

Recent changes in US oceanographic assets are impacting scientists' ability to access seafloor and sub-seafloor materials and thus constraining progress on science critical for societal needs. Here we identify national infrastructure needs to address critical science questions. This commentary reports on community-driven discussions that took place during the 3-day FUTURE of US Seafloor Sampling Capabilities 2024 Workshop, which used an "all-hands-on-deck" approach to assess seafloor and sub-seafloor sampling requirements of a broad range of scientific objectives, focusing on capabilities that could be supported through the US Academic Research Fleet (US-ARF) now or in the near future. Cross-cutting issues identified included weight and size limitations in the over-boarding capabilities of the US-ARF, a need to access material at depths greater than similar to 20 m below the seafloor, sampling capabilities at the full range of ocean depths, technologies required for precise navigation-guided sampling and drilling, resources to capitalize on the research potential of returned materials, and workforce development.

Original language	English
Article number	e2024AV001560
Number of pages	8
Journal	AGU Advances
Volume	6
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1029/2024AV001560
State	Published - May 21 2025
Externally published	Yes

Funding

This project is supported by National Science Foundation (NSF) OCE-2341096 (Tominaga), -2341097 (Reilly), -2341098 (Konrad), -2341099 (Walczak), and -2341100 (Schrenk). We thank the Department of Geology and Geophysics as well as the office of Vice President and Deputy Director for Science and Engineering of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution for on-site support during the preparation and execution of the FUTURE 2024 workshop.

Funders	Funder number
National Science Foundation	OCE-2341096, 2341097, 2341098, 2341099, 2341100
National Science Foundation (NSF)

Keywords

Academic research fleet
Auv
Cork
High latitude science
Seafloor sampling

Access to Document

10.1029/2024AV001560

Cite this

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title = "The FUTURE of the US Marine Seafloor and Subseafloor Sampling Capabilities",

abstract = "Recent changes in US oceanographic assets are impacting scientists' ability to access seafloor and sub-seafloor materials and thus constraining progress on science critical for societal needs. Here we identify national infrastructure needs to address critical science questions. This commentary reports on community-driven discussions that took place during the 3-day FUTURE of US Seafloor Sampling Capabilities 2024 Workshop, which used an {"}all-hands-on-deck{"} approach to assess seafloor and sub-seafloor sampling requirements of a broad range of scientific objectives, focusing on capabilities that could be supported through the US Academic Research Fleet (US-ARF) now or in the near future. Cross-cutting issues identified included weight and size limitations in the over-boarding capabilities of the US-ARF, a need to access material at depths greater than similar to 20 m below the seafloor, sampling capabilities at the full range of ocean depths, technologies required for precise navigation-guided sampling and drilling, resources to capitalize on the research potential of returned materials, and workforce development.",

keywords = "Academic research fleet, Auv, Cork, High latitude science, Seafloor sampling",

author = "\{FUTURE 2024 PI-team\} and Bruce Appelgate and Brandon Dugan and Nobuhisa Eguchi and Daniel Fornari and Tim Freudenthal and Patrick Fulton and Sean Kelley and Lang, \{Susan Q.\} and Dana Manalang and Alan Mix and Rick Trask and Janine Andrys and Sarah Beethe and Hanna Bridgham and Haley Cabaniss and Cargill, \{Sami K.\} and Conroy, \{Christian W.\} and Kassandra Costa and Alysia Cox and Andrew Cross and Deepa Dwyer and Justin Dodd and Jeffrey Donnelly and Valerie Finlayson and Mohammed Hashim and Daniel Heaton and Julie Huber and Brittany Hupp and Jackson, \{Matthew G.\} and Claire Jasper and Hiroko Kitajima and Olga Libman-Roshal and Lowery, \{Christopher M.\} and Erica Maletic and Marranzino, \{Ashley N.\} and Mej{\'i}a-Mercado, \{Beatriz E.\} and Thomas Morrow and Yobo, \{Lucien Nana\} and Celeste Pallone and Kurt Panter and Molly Patterson and Ally Peccia and Ronge, \{Thomas A.\} and Ethan Roth and Alice Staro and Katherine Stelling and Todes, \{Jordan P.\} and Tsang, \{Man Yin\} and Wieman, \{Scott T.\} and Kevin Konrad",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2025. The Author(s).",

year = "2025",

month = may,

day = "21",

doi = "10.1029/2024AV001560",

language = "English",

volume = "6",

journal = "AGU Advances",

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AU - Appelgate, Bruce

AU - Dugan, Brandon

AU - Eguchi, Nobuhisa

AU - Fornari, Daniel

AU - Freudenthal, Tim

AU - Fulton, Patrick

AU - Kelley, Sean

AU - Lang, Susan Q.

AU - Manalang, Dana

AU - Mix, Alan

AU - Trask, Rick

AU - Andrys, Janine

AU - Beethe, Sarah

AU - Bridgham, Hanna

AU - Cabaniss, Haley

AU - Cargill, Sami K.

AU - Conroy, Christian W.

AU - Costa, Kassandra

AU - Cox, Alysia

AU - Cross, Andrew

AU - Dwyer, Deepa

AU - Dodd, Justin

AU - Donnelly, Jeffrey

AU - Finlayson, Valerie

AU - Hashim, Mohammed

AU - Heaton, Daniel

AU - Huber, Julie

AU - Hupp, Brittany

AU - Jackson, Matthew G.

AU - Jasper, Claire

AU - Kitajima, Hiroko

AU - Libman-Roshal, Olga

AU - Lowery, Christopher M.

AU - Maletic, Erica

AU - Marranzino, Ashley N.

AU - Mejía-Mercado, Beatriz E.

AU - Morrow, Thomas

AU - Yobo, Lucien Nana

AU - Pallone, Celeste

AU - Panter, Kurt

AU - Patterson, Molly

AU - Peccia, Ally

AU - Ronge, Thomas A.

AU - Roth, Ethan

AU - Staro, Alice

AU - Stelling, Katherine

AU - Todes, Jordan P.

AU - Tsang, Man Yin

AU - Wieman, Scott T.

AU - Konrad, Kevin

PY - 2025/5/21

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N2 - Recent changes in US oceanographic assets are impacting scientists' ability to access seafloor and sub-seafloor materials and thus constraining progress on science critical for societal needs. Here we identify national infrastructure needs to address critical science questions. This commentary reports on community-driven discussions that took place during the 3-day FUTURE of US Seafloor Sampling Capabilities 2024 Workshop, which used an "all-hands-on-deck" approach to assess seafloor and sub-seafloor sampling requirements of a broad range of scientific objectives, focusing on capabilities that could be supported through the US Academic Research Fleet (US-ARF) now or in the near future. Cross-cutting issues identified included weight and size limitations in the over-boarding capabilities of the US-ARF, a need to access material at depths greater than similar to 20 m below the seafloor, sampling capabilities at the full range of ocean depths, technologies required for precise navigation-guided sampling and drilling, resources to capitalize on the research potential of returned materials, and workforce development.

AB - Recent changes in US oceanographic assets are impacting scientists' ability to access seafloor and sub-seafloor materials and thus constraining progress on science critical for societal needs. Here we identify national infrastructure needs to address critical science questions. This commentary reports on community-driven discussions that took place during the 3-day FUTURE of US Seafloor Sampling Capabilities 2024 Workshop, which used an "all-hands-on-deck" approach to assess seafloor and sub-seafloor sampling requirements of a broad range of scientific objectives, focusing on capabilities that could be supported through the US Academic Research Fleet (US-ARF) now or in the near future. Cross-cutting issues identified included weight and size limitations in the over-boarding capabilities of the US-ARF, a need to access material at depths greater than similar to 20 m below the seafloor, sampling capabilities at the full range of ocean depths, technologies required for precise navigation-guided sampling and drilling, resources to capitalize on the research potential of returned materials, and workforce development.

KW - Academic research fleet

KW - Auv

KW - Cork

KW - High latitude science

KW - Seafloor sampling

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105005978473

U2 - 10.1029/2024AV001560

DO - 10.1029/2024AV001560

M3 - Editorial

AN - SCOPUS:105005978473

SN - 2576-604X

VL - 6

JO - AGU Advances

JF - AGU Advances

IS - 3

M1 - e2024AV001560

ER -

The FUTURE of the US Marine Seafloor and Subseafloor Sampling Capabilities

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Keywords

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