Initial Science Plan

Prelude

The primary purpose of this document is to publicize the emerging plans for GLOBEC, the coordinated study of the potential impact of global change on ocean ecosystems dynamics. The steering committee charged with planning the U.S. GLOBEC program first met in May 1989. This initial science plan represents the progress achieved over the first one-and-one-half years. During the next year, various components of this initial science plan will become more explicitly defined through the efforts of the working groups, community feedback in response to this initial science plan, interactions with representatives of appropriate funding agencies, and the interplay with international GLOBEC planning efforts.

This initial science plan is being widely circulated to individual scientists, agency personnel, and science administrators. It should be read in conjunction with the Report of the Wintergreen Workshop on Global Ocean Ecosystems Dynamics, held in 1988, and other documents published by the GLOBEC steering committee and available through the GLOBEC planning office: the Modeling Report (February 1990), the Halifax Workshop Report on Northwest Atlantic Programs (February 1991), and the Miami Workshop Report on Biotechnology (February 1991). We solicit feedback at all stages on all aspects of this planning process. Addresses for both printed and electronic mail are provided for each member of the steering committee in Appendix B of this document.

The planning efforts to date for GLOBEC have been supported by NSF jointly with ONR, NOAA, and NASA. The National Academy of Sciences provided early support and direction in developing and printing a report on recruitment of marine animals, from which the GLOBEC initiative has evolved.