Scoping Workshop Objectives

Understanding ocean metabolism on a changing planet is a complex and challenging problem that requires coordination across many different fields. We find ourselves finally at a point in time where international momentum has built and we are methodologically and intellectually poised to take on the challenge of an integrated microbial biogeochemistry program. Critically, we see the international community moving forward with a BioGeoSCAPES initiative and feel it is imperative that the US maintain a co-leadership role. This workshop represents an opportunity for interested US scientists to contribute to the development of key scientific questions that a coordinated microbial biogeochemistry program could address and articulate how those would bridge disciplines (e.g., questions that are fundamentally biological, chemical, or both). Participants will discuss currently available technical capabilities, as well as obstacles to be addressed in order to address the proposed studies. Project scope will be discussed, with efforts made to develop consensus on how to focus the BioGeoSCAPES program within the broader fields of biological and chemical oceanography. Ongoing 'omics intercomparison and intercalibration efforts (ocean metaproteomics, ocean nucleic acids) will lay critical foundation for BioGeoSCAPES, and participants will provide updates on their status and discuss further efforts that will be needed for those domains. Furthermore, additional analytes that may be of scientific value may be identified as needing intercalibration efforts in order to create globally intercomparable values needed for a large-scale program. For a preliminary schedule, we propose to begin with an introduction by the conveners, followed by several plenary talks to set the stage for the discussions, and then having a combination of large and small group discussions on various topics such as:

• scientific questions of interest (with breakout groups by geographic region and depth)
• analytes of interest and availability of intercalibration standards for ensuring accuracy in large-scale sampling programs
• integration of sampling modes and their integration with scientific objectives (e.g., temporal and spatial)
• available and emerging sampling platforms
• challenges of data management and archival, synthesis, and modeling
• scope of the BioGeoSCAPES initiative (i.e. balance of field vs. lab measurements, section vs. process studies
• mechanisms to facilitate international coordination
• potential funding sources and feasibility with the US system

Anticipated Outcomes

An important aspect of the workshop will be using the discussion to develop a list of action items to enable the US program to further the progression towards a global-scale microbial oceanography capability required for a BioGeoSCAPES program. Primary outcomes will include:

• Community-building of a diverse group of national scientists with expertise in microbial biogeochemistry
• Workshop report summarizing workshop findings and future action items