Categorizing Science Highlights by OOI Themes
The OOI supports a broad and diverse range of ocean research, covering topics from ocean-atmosphere exchange to coastal ecosystem dynamics to the sub-seafloor biosphere To make this science more accessible and to better communicate the scope of work being conducted, we’ve launched an effort to categorize our Science Highlights using the six core science themes outlined in the Vision for OOI:
These themes are:
- Climate variability, ocean food webs, and biogeochemical cycles
- Ocean-atmosphere exchange
- Coastal ocean dynamics and ecosystems
- Global and plate-scale geodynamics
- Turbulent mixing and biophysical interactions
- Fluid-rock interactions and the sub-seafloor biosphere
We’ve begun tagging Science Highlights with one or more of these themes, laying the groundwork for users to more easily search and browse the collection. This approach not only aligns our science communication with the program’s long-term goals but also highlights how individual studies span multiple themes and contribute to broader scientific questions.
Looking ahead, we plan to extend this thematic tagging structure to peer-reviewed publications that use OOI data. Tagging publications by both their associated array(s) (e.g., Endurance Array, Pioneer Array, Regional Cabled Array) and science theme(s) will enable more flexible and targeted exploration of the literature. Users will be able to filter outputs by geographic location and thematic focus, making it easier to discover relevant work.
This effort is part of a broader initiative to enhance the organization, accessibility, and impact of OOI-supported research. Our goal is to make it easier for all users – scientists, educators, students, and policymakers to find the information most relevant to their work and to understand how OOI data contributes to answering major questions in ocean science.
As we continue this work, we welcome community feedback on how these tools and categories can be refined to best serve the needs of our users.