Transforming Ocean Science: Fostering a Network for Cooperative Science Research on Commercial Ships (Science RoCS)

Abstract

Abstract Our goal is to transform ocean science through industry partnerships with commercial shippers, creating “integrated observing platforms” with a global reach that will revolutionize the science community's ability to characterize variability in ocean physics, chemistry, and biology across spatial and temporal scales. For the past 100+ years, oceanographers have been able to directly access just a fraction of the global ocean. With only a few dozen research vessels worldwide versus more than 50,000 commercial vessels in operation today, and industry eager to participate in ocean science, the environment is brimming with opportunities. We envision a future where commercial vessels are, as a matter of course, designed and built with a suite of scientific sensors to measure water properties and currents, as well as chemical and biological parameters optimized for a vessel's trade route to address societally relevant questions, with the data disseminated broadly to all stakeholders. Targeted collaborations between science and commercial shippers have existed for decades and the foundation has been laid. Now it is time to build on this experience by using the science community's vast network, relationships, and expertise in sensor technology and science to make data collection on commercial ships the new norm.