International Ocean Discovery Program
Lead Organizations
- National Science Foundation
Contribution Description
The International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) is an international marine research collaboration that explores Earth's history and dynamics using ocean-going research platforms to recover data recorded in seafloor sediments and rocks and to monitor subseafloor environments. IODP depends on facilities funded by three platform providers with financial contributions from five additional partner agencies. These entities represent twenty-three nations whose scientists are selected to staff IODP expeditions conducted throughout the world's oceans. IODP expeditions are developed from hypothesis-driven science proposals. The program's science plan identifies 14 challenge questions in the four areas of climate change, deep life, planetary dynamics, and geohazards.