DESCEND2: A workshop to address the future of deep sea research

Harvard University, Cambridge MA

Investigators

Abstract

This award provides funds to convene a 3-day workshop aimed at defining 1) the critical scientific goals of the submergence community, 2) the technological directions that will be required to address these goals, and 3) the means by which federal, industry, and non-profit organizations might work in concert to enable activities and facilitate discoveries that might otherwise be prohibitive. The workshop will be held in San Francisco, CA, during the week prior to the 2015 AGU fall meeting. This timeframe was chosen to allow the greatest number of participants. The award will support the participation of approximately 45 to 65 individuals that will represent a diversity of sectors (academia industry and non-profits), have broad expertise, and have a depth of experience that will enable them to comment effectively on the current needs ?and future directions- in deep sea research and engineering. The outcome of the workshop will be a report on the most critical questions in areas of: critical scientific research themes in the next decade the capacities needed to help address them; define strategies needed to approach answers to these questions; and, define what technological approaches will be needed to carry out these objectives.