Simons Foundation Announces Simons Collaboration on Ocean Processes and Ecology

The Simons Foundation announces the launch of the Simons Collaboration on Ocean Processes and Ecology (SCOPE). SCOPE is now accepting applications for SCOPE Investigator Awards through a Request for Applications.

Microbes are the ‘unseen majority’ of organisms that inhabit and sustain all of Earth’s habitats, including marine environments. In the ocean, microbes capture solar energy, catalyze key biogeochemical transformations of important elements, produce and consume greenhouse gases, and compose the base of the marine food web.

The purpose of SCOPE, based at the University of Hawai’i, is to advance our understanding of the biology, ecology and biogeochemistry of microbial processes that dominate Earth’s largest biome: the global ocean. This collaborative effort will measure, model and conduct experiments at a model ecosystem site located 100 km north of Oahu that is representative of a large portion of the North Pacific Ocean.

SCOPE is co-directed by Edward DeLong and David Karl at the University of Hawai’i at Manoa. They co-chair the SCOPE steering committee, which includes Ginger Armbrust, Marian Carlson, Mick Follows and Jon Zehr.

SCOPE comprises eight founding Simons Investigators, and additional investigators will be chosen by competition.

To learn more about SCOPE, see the University of Hawai’i video here.