SATELLITE-BASED OBSERVATIONS OF SEA SURFACE HEIGHT OCEAN COLOR AND SEA SURFACE TEMPERATURE HAVE PROVIDED A WEALTH OF INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPERTIES OF NONLINEAR MESOSCALE EDDIES AT THE OCEAN SURFACE. RECENT STUDIES ALSO NOW INCLUDE IN SITU MEASUREMENTS FROM CO-LOCATED ARGO FLOAT PROFILES REVEALING THE RICH INTERNAL STRUCTURES OF THESE EDDIES BOTH NEAR THE SURFACE AND AT DEPTH. THESE ADVANCES ALLOW ESTIMATES OF GLOBAL AND LOCAL TRANSPORT BY INFERRING THREE-DIMENSIONAL STRUCTURES FROM A FEW SIMPLE OCEAN SURFACE OBSERVATIONS. DESPITE THIS PROGRESS THE DYNAMICAL PROPERTIES AND STABILITY CHARACTERISTICS OF THESE EDDY STRUCTURES ARE ALMOST COMPLETELY UNEXPLORED. FURTHERMORE IT IS NOT EVEN KNOWN WHETHER THE IMPLIED EDDY SOLUTIONS ARE DYNAMICALLY CONSISTENT CALLING INTO QUESTION THE ACCURACY OF ANY ESTIMATES OF THEIR IMPACT. IN ORDER TO RESOLVE THESE OUTSTANDING ISSUES AND FACILITATE FURTHER INVESTIGATIONS WE PROPOSE A RESEARCH PLAN WITH THE FOLLOWING PRIMARY OBJECTS.