Chemical oceanographic research : present status and future direction; deliberations of a workshop held at Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, Calif., December 11-15, 1972 / sponsored by Office of Naval Research.

Abstract

the field), a group, comprising promient American chemical oceanographers, assembled at the Naval Postgraduate School, in Monterey, California, December 11-15, 1972. Four days of deliberations and discussions were conducted in three major areas of concern: (A) Processes and Mechanisms Governing the Inorganic Composition of Seawater, (B) Chemical Fluxes Through the Marine Environment, Including Air-Sea and Sediment-Sea Exchanges, and (C) Impact of Life Processes on the Chemistry of the Ocean. The specific objectives of this conference were (1) to promote the exchange of information, especially among ONR-supported scientists; (2) to promote any cooperative research; and (3) to assess the future areas of investigation in chemical oceanography and thereby make recommendations for the future direction of research in this field generally, and thereby the ONR Program, specifically. The first two of these objectives were accomplished during the gathering. The third objective, the results of the considered opinions of the participants of the meeting, are contained in the subsequent text. This discussion not only provides insight into the extent of contemporary understanding of the chemistry of the ocean, but also addresses specific problem areas requiring research to enhance this understanding.