SECTION10. Concluding Remarks

SECTION 10. Concluding Remarks

Ocean observing systems are essential for advancing the frontiers of knowledge on oceans and Earth sciences. The Science Questions provided in this document are only a starting point, as there are an almost unlimited number of science questions that could be addressed using OOI data. The sidebars provide some examples of exciting science currently being pursued and we hope that they will, in turn, inspire new ideas and approaches for research and education. Although the OOI network has only been in operation for about four years, it has already demonstrated success, based on the number publications using OOI data and federal funding for OOI-related science. OOI technology, real-time data, and high-speed communication are invigorating both ocean research and science education. The novel technologies are enhancing our ability to capture and understand transient and long-term phenomena. Partnerships and collaborations with other science programs, industry, among federal agencies, and with international groups are also critical to the success of the OOI. The OOI will continue to encourage transformations in our scientific interactions, in the complexity of our investigations, and help inform society on how to respond to important environmental issues. In the coming decades, the OOI program will continue to energize the public’s ability to share in discoveries, insights, and excitement about understanding the ocean.

FIGURE 10.1 The RCA cabled digital still camera, redeployed in 2015 by the Canadian ROV ROPOS, lights up the active hydrothermal vent called El Gordo in the interantion District Hydrothermal Field, located at the summit of Axial Seamount nearly a mile beneath the ocean surface. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/CSSF.