How to Participate

The OOI facility is providing researchers, educators, students and the general public with 1) long-term time series data sets and visualization tools; 2) an opportunity for users to propose the development and application of new technologies by connecting their instruments to the OOI network and to deploy stand-alone infrastructure/instruments within the key study sites; 3) tools that support formal and informal educational applications of the OOI, as well as public outreach; and 4) opportunities to take advantage of OOI Operations and Maintenance cruises.  The facility serves as a research platform for future NSF-funded and other agency, industry and international- funded proposals.

Ocean Data Without Having to Go to Sea

The beauty of OOI is that you have access to a wealth of ocean data without ever having to step aboard a ship. These data are designed to help you find answers to questions about climate change, ecosystem variability, earthquakes, submarine volcanism, ocean acidification, carbon cycling, and more about our changing ocean.

Instruments are continually gathering physical, chemical, geological data from the air-sea interface to the seafloor, making it possible to investigate both episodic events taking place in the ocean, as well as long-term trends.

There are many ways to get involved in OOI, use its data, and contribute to better understanding of the global ocean. Opportunities exist to connect new instruments and platforms to the Observatory, modify sampling approaches, borrow equipment, or participate in an OOI cruise so you can gather specific data needed. It is also possible for scientific teams to deploy ocean observing equipment within the OOI arrays, if certain conditions are met. Or you may choose an armchair approach and conduct data explorations with the specific type, time period, and topic of data delivered to your desktop.

The National Science Foundations funds many of these activities through its core programs and encourages scientists, educators, and students to explore the possibilities of how to integrate OOI data into proposals, scientific investigations, and the classroom to help inform and answer scientific questions.

If you have an idea, reach out to the HelpDesk to discover ways that OOI data can work for you.