As some of you may have noticed (e.g. at the Ocean Sciences meeting in San Diego in February) a small group of us have been working at the interface between Ocean Sciences and Planetary Sciences of late, beginning to think about what it would take to make sure that the expertise that we can bring from study of Earth’s Oceans can be harnessed to maximize returns from future Space Missions to explore the oceans recently revealed to be present in some abundance, right here in our own solar system. Since the start of the year, NASA has established a research coordination network called the Network for Ocean Worlds which you can learn more about (and sign up to become affiliated with) at oceanworlds.space. I am writing now because starting later this Summer is when NASA, working in concert with the National Academies, undertakes a decadal planning process for its priorities in Planetary Science and Astrobiology. To that end, our Network has developed a new White Paper advocating for a national program of Ocean Worlds Exploration, starting in the coming decade, precisely because we reason that such research provides the greatest opportunity to find life beyond Earth within the lifetime of anyone reading this email. The vision includes partnership between NASA and the UNOLS agencies. If you think this sounds of interest please a) download the paper (7 pages / 20yr vision / implicit budget of >$10Bn); b) add any suggestions for improvement to the White Paper via the comment box; and c) sign up to endorse what we are proposing if you would like to see NASA prioritize Ocean Worlds studies. The latter is important: you will find that a number of your oceanographic colleagues’ names already appear on the endorsement page but the more the better to show the National Academy & NASA that this is something that oceanographers are interested in contributing to. Lastly, even if your priorities remain Earth-bound, note that this initiative would inevitably result in a new branch of NASA investing in new ocean technologies; a vote for NASA to be interested in Ocean Worlds doesn’t mean that you have to believe study of Earth’s Oceans is not vitally important to society. – NOW Co-Leads: Alison Murray (Desert Research Institute), Kevin Arrigo (Stanford), Alyssa Rhoden (Southwest Research Institute). Chris German (WHOI).

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