Eric Barron Elected to Chair New Oceanographic Consortium

June 6, 2007

AUSTIN, Texas—Eric Barron, dean of the Jackson School of Geosciences at The University of Texas at Austin, has been elected to chair a new consortium of oceanographic research institutions.

The Consortium for Oceanographic Research and Education (CORE) and the Joint Oceanographic Research Institutions (JOI), of which the University of Texas at Austin is a member, announced that they have agreed to merge their staff and operations.

The consolidated organization, to be called the Consortium for Ocean Leadership, will have a staff of more than 60 scientists, educators, program managers and policy experts. CORE and JOI will continue to work under separate business lines within the new organization prior to the public launch of the new organization which is expected early next year.

"The combined expertise in research, education and policy of the new organization will speak loudly for the ocean research community," said Eric Barron, Chair of the Board of Trustees of The Consortium for Ocean Leadership. "This merger will unify efforts to increase awareness of the impacts that the oceans have on our daily lives and the value that ocean research provides to our nation."

The research vessel JOIDES Resolution has served since 1978 as a tool for research involving ocean drilling.

Established in 1976, JOI is a consortium of the premier oceanographic research institutions that serves the U.S. scientific community through management of large-scale, global research programs in the fields of marine geology, geophysics, and oceanography. JOI is known for leadership of U.S. scientific ocean drilling initiatives and growing involvement in ocean observing. For more than 30 years, JOI has helped facilitate discovery and advance global understanding of the Earth and its oceans through excellence in program management.

Marcia McNutt, outgoing Board Chair of JOI remarked, "Better understanding of the marine environment is vital to protect and preserve our ocean and coastal resources. This new organization will provide essential leadership for the management of transformational ocean research programs and the development of sound ocean policies."

CORE is the Washington, DC-based non-profit association representing the leading ocean research and education institutions. Since 1994, CORE has established a leadership role on oceanographic issues and the development of marine science policy. CORE is respected as the voice of the ocean research community and is dedicated to promoting awareness and appreciation of the oceans among government agencies, non-governmental organizations and the general public.

The Consortium for Ocean Leadership will be the unified voice for the ocean research and education community and serve as the prime point of contact between the ocean science community and the federal government. The new organization will continue to manage ocean research and education programs while advocating for sound marine policies and federal investment in ocean research and education.

"The excellent work done by CORE and JOI will be strengthened by this partnership that represents 95 of the leading public and private ocean research education institutions, aquaria and industry. By speaking with one voice, ocean research and education will be well represented in Washington, DC," concluded Mark Abbott, outgoing Board Chair of CORE.

For more information about the Jackson School, contact J.B. Bird at jbird@jsg.utexas.edu, 512-232-9623.