OCB to co-host community dialogs on ocean observing

The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) is requesting perspectives on what ocean observation capabilities it should provide. The agency recently issued a Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) seeking public input on priorities, strategies, and technologies for future ocean observing systems that effectively support scientific needs and align with NSF’s mission and strategic plan. NSF seeks responses, from both U.S. and international stakeholders, to a suite of questions addressing topics including observational gaps, fixed and mobile assets, coordination among (national and/or international) programs, and which components of NSF’s current ocean observing portfolio should be maintained and/or updated. Group responses are welcome, however, informed individual responses are strongly encouraged. Individuals do not need to respond to ALL questions. The deadline for responses to the DCL is September 30, 2026.

It is important to stress that this request for input spans the entire scope of ocean science and ocean observing systems. To support this multidisciplinary community and highlight integrated components across different sectors, the OOIFB is collaborating with ocean scientists and entities representing a broad disciplinary swath of the oceanographic community to organize several virtual “ocean observing exchanges.” The goals of these Zoom-based dialogues are to discuss the NSF DCL, review the prompts, and co-develop ideas/priorities to encourage and inform individual and organization-level responses. An outpouring of community input, particularly in the form of individual responses that address specific priorities, is vital to informing and encouraging sustained NSF investment in ocean observing resources.

A regularly updated full schedule of virtual exchanges, associated facilitators, and registration links is available here. There will also be a Community Forum on the Future of Ocean Observing in early December prior to the 2026 AGU Conference in San Francisco, CA. No matter the topic, be sure to find and attend a session that suits your schedule. Registration is required to participate in an ocean exchange. Each exchange will function as a collaborative working session lasting ~60 minutes (with an option to extend each session if necessary). The exchange will begin with a quick overview of the DCL, existing NSF-funded systems that are part of the DCL, as well as a review of NSF priorities (as stated in the agency’s 2026-2030 Strategic Plan). Individuals may find the sessions most helpful if they are able to attend sessions aligned with their expertise and/or attend a general session; however, all members of the ocean observing community, spanning all types of expertise, career stage, and position, are welcome at all sessions. Interested individuals can also attend more than one session. Session summaries will be posted online for additional reference.

OCB will co-host two virtual exchanges next week:

Monday, September 14, 2026; 12pm ET/9am PT
Facilitators: Hilary Palevsky (Boston College) and Heather Benway (Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution/Ocean Carbon & Biogeochemistry (OCB) Project Office)
Topical focus: Ocean Carbon and Biogeochemistry

Thursday, September 17, 2026; 12:30pm ET/9:30am PT
Facilitator: Heather Benway (Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution/Ocean Carbon & Biogeochemistry (OCB) Project Office)
Topical focus: Sustained infrastructure for observing ocean biology and biogeochemistry, air-sea interactions
Register for Sept 17

We hope to see you there!

OCB WORKSHOP From single cells to ecosystems: Quantifying the role of marine viruses in carbon transport models

February 8-10, Grand Galvez Hotel, Galveston, Texas (hybrid)

Viruses are a ubiquitous and integral component of Earth’s ecosystems, including marine microbial communities. Virally mediated mechanisms play a central role in carbon cycling and export processes. Despite their known prevalence and activity in marine systems, fundamental knowledge gaps preclude robust representation of viruses in marine ecosystem and biogeochemical models.

To build a more cohesive marine virus research community, this workshop will bring together the knowledge and perspectives of microbiologists, viral ecologists, geochemists, and ecosystem and biogeochemical modelers. Participants will discuss existing and aspirational datasets to inform representation of viruses in models. Discussions will also focus on identifying standardized protocols, field and laboratory experiments, and other community activities and tools that would help advance our understanding of marine carbon transport via viruses. This workshop will lead to the publication of a synthesis paper describing our current state of knowledge and a holistic roadmap for addressing gaps in our observations, process understanding, and technological and computing capabilities to propel marine virus research forward and improve our capacity to understand, model and predict their roles in marine ecosystem function. Keynote speakers will include:

• Joshua S. Weitz (Univ. of Maryland)
• Stephanie Dutkiewicz (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
• Matthew Sullivan (Ohio State Univ.)
• Assaf Vardi (Weizmann Institute of Science)
• Kim Thamatrakoln (Rutgers Univ.)
• Debbie Lindell (Technion – Israel Institute of Technology)

Find more information and apply on the workshop website. Deadline is October 5

The Ocean Carbon and Biogeochemistry (OCB) Program is soliciting proposals for OCB activities that will take place or begin during the 2027 calendar year. In the coming year, we are able to support 1 topical workshop (to take place in summer or fall 2027) and 2-3 hub and/or small group activities. We seek proposals for OCB-relevant workshops and activities as follows:

• Workshops and training activities – These activities bring together practitioners across disciplines to build community and/or capacity on OCB-relevant topics (see scientific scope below). A training activity is typically limited to 30-40 participants, and a topical workshop is typically limited to 50-60 participants. A hybrid format is strongly encouraged to broaden input and impact. We also welcome proposals for fully virtual workshops and training activities. The participant selection process for training activities should use a pre-determined evaluative rubric. Budgets for these activities will be capped at $70,000.
• Small group activities – These activities have a specific focus and set of outcomes. They are typically limited to ~8-16 participants and 1-2 years in duration. The majority of participant interaction must take place virtually. Work is to be completed both synchronously and asynchronously via Zoom and collaborative tools (e.g., Google Suite). A small amount of funding (add-on hotel night, food and beverage) can be provided to accommodate a side meeting in conjunction with other workshops (OCB, AGU, OSM, etc.), and publication costs. If a small group activity is a follow-on or direct outgrowth of a previous OCB activity, this connection should be explicitly noted, and PIs must address how this activity will further advance progress. Budgets for these activities will be capped at $15,000.
• Regional hubs – This is a relatively new OCB activity model (based on the OCB-supported regional mCDR nodes) that aims to foster community building at the regional scale on OCB-relevant topics, including practitioners across sectors, disciplines, and career stages. A small amount of funding is provided to support one large gathering or a series of smaller gatherings (meeting-related expenses such as venue, catering, etc.), as well as associated outcomes (publications, outreach materials, etc.). There is no travel/lodging support available for these activities, as all participants should be local or within driving distance of a regional hub. Budgets for these activities will be capped at $10,000.

To get familiar with OCB’s current and previous activities, PIs should view the OCB website before preparing and submitting a proposal. If you have questions about the relevance, timeliness, appropriate format, etc. of a proposed activity, please contact the OCB Project Office for guidance. Proposals must be led by a US-based PI and all activities must take place in the US. To guide proposal preparation, we strongly encourage PIs to read OCB’s Code of Conduct and OCB Planning Guidelines before getting started.

Read the full solicitation

Since the early to mid-20th century, shipboard marine ecological time series (METS), or sustained repeat measurements of physical, biogeochemical, and biological processes, have documented changes in ocean biogeochemistry and marine ecosystems. To date, numerous disconnected databases and interfaces for accessing data have made it difficult for prospective users to find and use these datasets. Limited data access, discoverability, reporting, and interoperability represent a barrier to analyses within and across METS. Standardized guidelines on METS sampling and analytical methods, data and metadata reporting protocols, data sharing culture, and data citation practices are needed to track and expand time series data usage and facilitate comparative studies across METS stations. It is this set of data-related challenges that the METS Research Coordination Network set out to address. This report is a summary of METS RCN activities and efforts, including a culminating community workshop that included representation from a globally distributed set of METS. The report provides informatics tools and resources that are specific to METS datasets and includes actionable recommendations for strengthening a global METS network and broadening applications and users of METS datasets.

Benway, H., Kinkade, D., White, A., Mickle, A., Buck, J., Shepherd, A., Pacheco, F., Lange, N., O’Brien, T., Berghoff, C., Miskin-Hymas, C., Guisewhite, N., Gonz.lez-D.vila, M., Santana-Casiano, M., Mansfield, T., Mieruch, S., Brearley, J.A., Blanco Bercial, L., Montes, E., Morkeski, K., Gerlach, D., Plueddemann, A., Wright-Fairbanks, L. (2026) FAIR Data Practices for Marine Ecological Time Series (NSF EarthCube Research Coordination Network). An OCB Report. 35pp. https://doi.org/10.1575/1912/73186 (repository direct url: https://hdl.handle.net/1912/73186)