# Presentation: 111870

## OCB: Ocean Carbon and Biogeochemistry Program

**OCB Mission:**to establish the evolving role of the ocean in the global carbon cycle, in the face of environmental change, through studies of marine biogeochemical cycles and associated ecosystems

**Notes:**
Introduce me, SSC members present and agency reps.
We called this town hall to get YOUR input on a new program on ocean carbon and biogeochemistry. The program is being spearheaded by NSF with significant input and support from NASA and NOAA.
My plan for this session is to first introduce you to the fundamentals of the OCB progam (~20 minutes) and then I will open up the floor to questions (address to any of us on the SSC or to the agency reps)
First: the mission of this program:
The mission of this program is to “establish the evolving role of the ocean in the global carbon cycle in the face of environmental change – through studies of marine biogeochemistry AND associated ecoystems...
In other words, this program includes not only biogeochemical processes, but opens up more widely than earlier programs to include more of the marine ecosystem research community.

At one extreme, you could fit almost any kind of research under the banner of this mission statement, because all ecosystems have some kind of link to ocean biogeochemistry.
In reality, the mission can’t possibly reach that far.  There needs to be a RESEARCHABLE link between the two.  That is, we are familiar with the role of phytoplankton in the ocean biogeochemical cycles.  That kind of research continues to fit under this banner.   We have a tougher time linking the reproductive behaviors of whales to biogeochemical cycles, although certainly that must exist!

## Promote, plan, and coordinate collaborative, multidisciplinary research opportunities within the U.S. research community and with international partners 

- NACP
- North American
- Carbon Program

- SOLAS
- Surface-Ocean
- Lower Atmosphere
- Study

- OCCC
- Ocean Carbon
- & Climate Change

- IMBER
- Integrated Marine
- Biogeochemistry
- and Ecology

**Notes:**
Will promote, plan and coordinate collaborative multidisciplinary research opportunities within the US community and with international partners...

We are building off of the OCCC strategy that was formally published as this doc in 2004 – with 2 main differences has been expanded to include greater emphasis on ecological processes and to coordinate with existing national and international programs like NACP, SOLAS and IMBER  

Part of a continuum of discussions going back to OCTET, etc.

## OCB Overarching Science Themes

- Improve understanding and prediction of:
-  1) oceanic uptake and release of atmospheric CO2 and other greenhouse gases;
- 2) climate-sensitivities of biogeochemical cycles and interactions with ecosystem structure

## OCB Program Structure

**OCB Program Structure**

**Notes:**
There are two main components to the Program Structure – Research and Management

## OCB Implementation

- Annual Summer OCB Science Workshop (July 21-24, 2008, Woods Hole MA)
- Mix of plenary talks, breakouts & poster sessions
- Climate sensitivity of ecosystem structure & trophic dynamics
- Carbon uptake and storage
- Ocean Time-series
- Discussion of future community science/field efforts (e.g., follow-up on NASA OCRT field experiment discusions)

## OCB Implementation

- Targeted scoping meetings on implementing critical science meetings
- Ocean Acidification (Oct., 2007)
- report available for public comment soon
- OCB build OA research plans from report
- Gulf of Mexico (May, 2008) next week
- Next round of workshops (Spring, 2009)
- soliciting workshop proposals due June/July
- Targeted workshop, ~50 people
- $50K in travel support
- focus on implementation

## Ocean Carbon and Biogeochemistry Scoping Workshop onTerrestrial and Coastal Carbon Fluxes and Exchanges in the Gulf of Mexico

**May 6-8, 2008****St. Petersburg, FL****Deadline to Apply: March 24, 2008**
**http://www.whoi.edu/sites/GMxCarbon**

**Contact Organizers for More Information:**
**Paula G. Coble (pcoble@marine.usf.edu) & Lisa Robbins (lrobbins@usgs.gov)**

## OCB Implementation

- Core NSF funds (Feb. target date for OCB proposals) as well as NASA and NOAA announcements of opportunity
- OCB Time-series Advisor Committee
- Debbie Bronk Chair
- Working with HOT, BATS, Cariaco programs
- Community input
- OCB Ocean Acidification Committee
- Joan Kleypas and Dick Feely co-Chairs
- Whitepaper building from Fall OA workshop
- New initiatives

## IMPORTANT CONTACTS

**Ginger Armbrust ****	****(UW) ****	****Kathy Barbeau ****	****(SIO) **
**Debbie Bronk ****	****(VIMS)****	****Mary-Elena Carr (JPL)**
**Richard Feely ****	****(NOAA)****	****Dave Karl ****	****(U. Hawaii)**
**Joanie Kleypas ****	****(NCAR)****	****Steve Lohrenz ****	****(U. S Miss.) **
**Wade McGillis ****	****(LDEO) ****	****Brent McKee ****	****(UNC)**
**Galen McKinley ****	****(U Wisc)****	****Mark Ohman ****	****(SIO) **
**Tammi Richardson (U-SC) ****	****Chris Sabine ****	****(NOAA**

**IMPORTANT CONTACTS**
- http://us-ocb.org/

**NSF****	****	****	****Don Rice, Dave Garrison, Phil Taylor**
**NASA****	****	****	****Paula Bontempi**
**NOAA****	****	****	****Mete Uz**
**CCSP Program Office****	****Roger Hanson**

**Notes:**
The Steering committee includes researchers from universities and federal agencies. Scott Doney is the chair of the SSC -Here’s a complete list of the SSC members – these are the go-to people with questions, inputs, problems.