Progress report on the U.S. National IDOE program and ocean exploration efforts
This volume summarizes the 1975–1976 activities, findings, and data management for the International Decade of Ocean Exploration. It explains how environmental quality, forecasting, seabed studies, and living resources are pursued to expand our understanding of the oceans and their link to land, climate, and industry.
In clear terms, the report describes how data from IDOE projects are collected, organized, stored, and shared with the research community. It highlights three core areas—environmental quality, environmental forecasting, and seabed assessment—along with the evolution of data systems that ensure fast access and long-term preservation. The work foregrounds international cooperation and practical outcomes for forecasting, resource management, and pollution assessment, grounded in coordinated field programs and standardized data handling.
- Learn about GEOSECS, the program that measures physical and chemical ocean properties along long north–south sections and how its data help track ocean circulation and pollutant baselines.
- See how the Environmental Data Service manages ROSCOP inventories, data centers, and project reporting to keep researchers connected to observations.
- Understand the Seabed Assessment effort, including continental margins, plate tectonics, and manganese nodules, and how these studies inform exploration and resource potential.
- Review the structure of the living resources and coastal upwelling programs and what kinds of measurements and analyses are conducted.
Ideal for readers of government progress reports, ocean science updates, and anyone interested in how large-scale data programs support understanding and stewardship of the seas.