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Subseafloor Ocean Biosphere
and Borehole Observatory Science
 Theme:
Circulation Obviation Retrofit Kit (CORK) subseafloor
observatories
Date: October 19-21, 2009
Host: University
of Hawaii
Organizers:
Jim Cowen (Chair), University of Hawaii
Brian
Glazer, University of Hawaii
Andy
Fisher, University of California, Santa Cruz
Jan
Amend, Washington University in St. Louis
The "Subseafloor Ocean Biosphere and Borehole Observatory
Science" meeting was held 19-21 October 2009 at the Fairmont
Orchid at the Mauna Lani Resort, on the island of Hawaii.
The scientific conference comprised a series of keynote
speakers covering aspects of Circulation Obviation Retrofit
Kit (CORK) subseafloor observatory history and design, technical
specifications and options for future modifications, drilling
and other operational considerations, monitoring and contamination
concerns, key results from earlier subseafloor experiments
using observatories, and future directions for subseafloor
biosphere science involving observatories. Our intent was
to integrate lecture, discussion, and poster formats so as
to encourage engagement and development of collaborative opportunities
between individuals and groups that have not previously worked
together or have had difficulty visualizing the overlap among
each other's disciplines.
The agenda
was composed of oral presentations, breakout session themes
and training workshop topics. Breakout session discussions
addressed themes of The Big Science Questions, Technology
Innovations and Limitations, and CORK Scenario Planning. All
participants were asked to present during a poster session,
highlighting work completed or in progress involving subseafloor
observatories and/or the deep biosphere, or conceptual proposals
describing how to move the science forward through novel application
of observatory technology for passive (monitoring) or active
experiments. The training workshop at this meeting consisted
of a series of presentations and exercises on hydrogeology
modeling and computation, electrochemistry measurement and
borehole microbial observatory construction, crossing over
between microbiological sampling and monitoring and marine
hydrogeology. It is important to note that this is a technologically
challenging area of research and one that is extremely new
to science and in particular to microbiology.
 Support
for this meeting was also provided by the U.S.
Science Support Program associated with the Integrated Ocean
Drilling Program at the Consortium for Ocean Leadership.
> See the 2009
workshop summary report
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