Science

From Samples to Discovery

Samples of the ocean floor are required to address a breadth of critical US research objectives, ranging from an understanding of geohazards such as submarine landslides and megathrust earthquakes, to understanding and predicting future environmental change. Since the mid-20th century, these seafloor sampling needs have been met for NSF research via a range of pathways, from small coring and dredging devices operated by individual principal investigator teams to large international collaborations that supported the operation of the U.S. academic drilling vessels GLOMAR Challenger and JOIDES Resolution. These efforts enabled a profound and rapid change in our understanding of how the planet functions.
 
This work is urgently ongoing, and access to the seafloor has been flagged by several recent community efforts as essential for meeting U.S. National Science Foundation-supported research objectives (e.g., NASEM 2024, Progress and Priorities in Ocean Drilling; FUTURE of US Seafloor Sampling, WHOI 2024; FOCUS Workshop, Denver 2024). Exploration and characterization of the seafloor is also essential for future economic exploitation of seabed critical marine resources, including minerals deemed critical to US economic interest and national security (USGS, 2025) that are found in abundance in some regions of the ocean floor (e.g., Hain et al., 2013).