NOTE:  This meeting is open by application/invitation only. 

Join us in New Orleans, LA for a two-day program designed to welcome and support new users of marine geophysics research facilities. The MSROC New Users Workshop will take place December 13–14, 2025, providing students, early career scientists, engineers, and technicians with an introduction to seismic and marine geophysical research, funding opportunities, key facilities, and the broader MSROC community. Participants will engage directly with experienced researchers, federal agency representatives, and MSROC leadership through presentations, discussions, and mentoring activities.

The workshop precedes the MSROC Annual Community Meeting on Sunday, December 14, an open forum highlighting scientific advances, facility updates, and community input related to NSF-supported marine seismic capabilities.

2025 MSROC Early Career Workshop 

• DRAFT Agenda

• When and Where

• Getting There

When and Where:

• 13, 14 December 2025

MSROC Early Career Workshop (13 Dec - 1130AM - 0530PM)

• Loyola University, New Orleans, LA
• Danna Student Center
• St. Charles Room
• Lunch and Dinner will be provided

Early Career Reception (13 Dec 0600PM- 0900PM)

• Loyola University, New Orleans, LA
• Danna Student Center
• TBD

MSROC Annual Community Meeting (14 DEC 0830AM - 0500PM)

• Loyola University, New Orleans, LA
• Danna Student Center
• St. Charles Room
• Breakfast pastries, lunch, and light refreshments will be available throughout the day.

Transportation:

Getting to Loyola

The Loyola campus is easily accessible from the "St Charles at Tulane/Loyola" stop of the St. Charles Streetcar, a great way to experience New Orleans.  Jump on the streetcar at any of the stops along St. Charles St.  It is about a 30min ride from the convention center so plan ahead.    There are other possible public transportation options that might be more direct depending on your hotel.  Download the Le Pass App  to find the schedules and pay.  If not using the App, exact change ($1.25) is required to ride.  

See the map below.  The purple point indicate the meeting and dinner locations, blue are the stops for Bus Route 57, green are the St. Charles Streetcar stops.  

NOTE:  This meeting is open by application/invitation only. 

2025 DeSSC New User Program

• DRAFT Agenda

• When and Where

• Getting There

• New User Program Participants

• New User Program Mentors

• National Deep Submergence Facility Resources

• Other Resources

Image

When and Where:

• 13, 14 December 2025

New User Program (13 Dec - 1130 - 1730)

• Loyola University, New Orleans, LA
• Danna Student Center
• Room Audubon Room
• Lunch and Dinner will be provided

New User Dinner Reception (13 Dec 0600PM- 0900PM)

• Loyola University, New Orleans, LA
• Danna Student Center
• Audubon Room 

DeSSC Community Meeting (14 Dec 0830AM - 0530PM)

• Loyola University, New Orleans, LA
• Danna Student Center
• Room Audubon Room

Transportation:

Getting to Loyola

The Loyola campus is easily accessible from the "St Charles at Tulane/Loyola" stop of the St. Charles Streetcar, a great way to experience New Orleans.  Jump on the streetcar at any of the stops along St. Charles St.  It is about a 30min ride from the convention center so plan ahead.    There are other possible public transportation options that might be more direct depending on your hotel.  Download the Le Pass App  to find the schedules and pay.  If not using the App, exact change ($1.25) is required to ride.  

See the map below.  The purple point indicate the meeting and dinner locations, blue are the stops for Bus Route 57, green are the St. Charles Streetcar stops.  

2025 DeSSC New User Program Participants 

2024 DeSSC New User Program Mentors 

The Deep Submergence Facility 

• National Deep Submergency Facility (NDSF)
  • HOV ALIVN
  • ROV JASON
  • AUV SENTRY
  • A Scientists Guide to Cruise Planning and Proposal Writing for AUV SENTRY
• NOAA Office of Exploration Research
• Schmidt Ocean Institute
• Ocean Exploration Trust
• Monteray Bay Acquarium Research Institute

Other Resources

• COBRA Program - Crustal Ocean Biosphere Research Accelerator - COBRA is an international network-of-networks focused on the structure, function, resilience, and ecosystem services of the crustal ocean biosphere to inform decision-making for emergent human uses of the deep sea.
• Cruise Planning Tips & Resources
• Marine Facilities Planning Help Document
  • Navigating MFP
  • The Science Portal
  • Submitting a request for ship time (SME)
  • Viewing Vessel Schedules
• Funding Sources for NDSF Vehicle-Based Research Activities
• Ocean Exploration Opportunities with Schmidt Ocean Institute and Ocean Exploration Trust

MSROC Early Career Program

December 9-10, 2023

San Francisco, CA

Applications for the MSROC Early Career Program are now being accepted

Deadline: September 29, 2023 (Financial support for travel is available.)

Opportunity: Participate in a workshop tailored to engage new users of marine geophysics science facilities, including students, early career scientists, engineers, technicians, and scientists with little or no previous experience in seagoing seismic and/or geophysical research. The workshop is scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, December 9-10, 2023 in San Francisco, CA (before the AGU Fall meeting). Applications for the workshop, including travel and lodging support, will be accepted through Friday, September 29, 2023.

Background: The UNOLS Marine Seismic Research Operations Committee (MSROC) is a committee of scientists providing scientific oversight, asset coordination and strategic advice for NSF-supported marine seismic facilities including the seismic R/V Marcus G. Langseth, the Ocean Bottom Seismometer Instrument Center, and the Portable Multi-Channel Seismic system.  MSROC fulfills a role as representatives for the marine seismic research community, ensuring broad access and maximum participation in the utilization of marine seismic assets. MSROC also advises UNOLS and funding agencies on the adoption of technical advances that maintain a cutting-edge capability for the facilities that support marine seismic research.

The MSROC fall meeting, held annually on the Sunday before the start of the AGU fall meeting, is an open forum for scientists and engineers to learn about scientific discoveries and technical advances, as well as to express their opinions both with regards to marine seismic research and the facilities that support that research.

MSROC Early Career Program:  MSROC is committed to increasing the involvement of students and postdoctoral/early career scientists in marine seismic and marine geophysical research. To that end, we have developed the new users program to: 1) expose students, early career scientists and other new users to MSROC, marine seismic and geophysical facilities supported through UNOLS and NSF; 2) increase familiarity with funding agencies and Federal Agency Representatives; 3) engage participants in MSROC advisory activities; 4) offer participants training and mentoring in the process of developing research programs that use seismic facilities; and 5) enable participants to network with scientists actively involved in seismic facility-supported research. These goals will be achieved through a workshop (prior to the MSROC meeting) in which more experienced geophysical/geological scientists, technicians, and federal representatives share their expertise in marine geophysical research, program funding, technology, and data management, and by directly involving participants in the annual MSROC fall
meeting. 

Additional suggestions for this year’s program are welcome and can be submitted on the application form.

The MSROC New Users Program will be held on Saturday, December 9 th and is tentatively scheduled from 11:45 am to 5:30 pm, followed by a dinner (6:30 pm to 9:00 pm) featuring a guest speaker. The MSROC fall meeting will occur on Sunday, December 10 th from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm (the day before the start of the 2023 AGU Fall meeting) in San Francisco, CA.  The organizing committee for the MSROC Early Career Program includes Lindsay Worthington (University of New Mexico), Helen Janiszewski (University of Hawaii), Shuoshuo Han (University of Texas), and Andrew Gase (Western Washington University).

The application process is closed. 

The deadline to apply was Friday, September 29, 2023.

2023/24 DeSSC New User Program

• Agenda

• When and Where

• Getting There

• New User Program Participants

• New User Program Mentors (coming soon)

• National Deep Submergence Facility Resources

• Other Resources

Image

When and Where:

• 17, 18 Feb 2024

New User Program (17 Feb - 1130AM - 0530PM)

• Loyola University, New Orleans, LA
• Danna Student Center
• Audubon Room
• Lunch and Dinner will be provided

New User Dinner Reception (17 Feb 0630PM- 0830PM)

• Copper Vine
• 1001 Poydras St, New Orleans, LA 70112

DeSSC Community Meeting (18 Feb 0830AM - 0530PM)

• Loyola University, New Orleans, LA
• Danna Student Center
• Audubon Room

Transportation:

Getting to Loyola

The Loyola campus is easily accessible from the "St Charles at Tulane/Loyola" stop of the St. Charles Streetcar, a great way to experience New Orleans.  Jump on the streetcar at any of the stops along St. Charles St.  It is about a 30min ride from the convention center so plan ahead.    There are other possible public transportation options that might be more direct depending on your hotel.  Download the Le Pass App  to find the schedules and pay.  If not using the App, exact change ($1.25) is required to ride.  

Getting to Dinner Reception

Copper Vine (1001 Poydras St, New Orleans, LA 70112) is also very accessible via public transportation.  Option

• Option 1 (more direct):  Bus route 57 (blue points on map)  Start:  Loyola @ Poydras, End:  Freret @ Calhoun 
• Option 2:  St. Charles StreetCar (green points on map) start:  St Charles at Tulane/Loyola, end:  St. Charles at Poydras 

Download the Le Pass App  to find the schedules and pay.  If not using the App, exact change ($1.25) is required to ride.  

See the map below.  The purple points indicate the meeting and dinner locations, blue are the stops for Bus Route 57, green are the St. Charles Streetcar stops.  

2024 DeSSC New User Program Participants

2024 DeSSC New User Program Mentors 

The Deep Submergence Facility 

• National Deep Submergency Facility (NDSF)
  • HOV ALIVN
  • ROV JASON
  • AUV SENTRY
  • A Scientists Guide to Cruise Planning and Proposal Writing for AUV SENTRY
• NOAA Office of Exploration Research
• Schmidt Ocean Institute
• Ocean Exploration Trust
• Monteray Bay Acquarium Research Institute

Other Resources

• COBRA Program - Crustal Ocean Biosphere Research Accelerator - COBRA is an international network-of-networks focused on the structure, function, resilience, and ecosystem services of the crustal ocean biosphere to inform decision-making for emergent human uses of the deep sea.
• Cruise Planning Tips & Resources
• Marine Facilities Planning Help Document
  • Navigating MFP
  • The Science Portal
  • Submitting a request for ship time (SME)
  • Viewing Vessel Schedules
• Funding Sources for NDSF Vehicle-Based Research Activities
• Ocean Exploration Opportunities with Schmidt Ocean Institute and Ocean Exploration Trust

2023 DeSSC New User Workshop

After the cancelation of the 2022 DeSSC New User program due to COVID concerns, the program has been re-scheduled for 1-2 Mar 2023.  

This program is by invitation only.  

Transportation

Boston, Logan Airport to Falmouth / Inn on the Square:

There are 2 buses from Boston, Logan Airport to Falmouth / Inn on the Square.  The bus is a comfortable, inexpensive and stressless way to get to Falmouth.  They also have wi-fi.  Have a look at the Peter Pan and P-B bus companies to see which fits best with your flights.  

• Peter Pan Bus 
• P-B bus

Inn on the Square to Quissett Campus Avast Building

We will provide transportation each morning at departing the hotel lobby at 08:15

The in-person event has been postponed. 

See the Agenda below for the login information to the short virtual session 1-3PM Eastern 24May22. 

Key Goals:

The goal of this brief New User meeting will be to introduce the New Users to key aspects of applying for funding for deep-submergence research within the US.  This will be considered an introduction to a later in person meeting, however it will provide the ground work to facilitate interactions before then to allow proposal submission.  As part of that, we will discuss with the new users what barriers they see for funding and how we can address that in the future meeting.

1. NDSF is a resource before you submit your proposal with key aspects being what is supportable, which vehicles would be appropriate
2. Timelines for proposals with ship time
3. The Vehicles must be requested on the Ship time request form
4. Vehicle costs (while real) are not written into NSF grants but are other agencies
5. What are the perceived barriers to submitting proposals using Deep Submergence Assets

The New User Program schedule and locations:

Formal registration for New Users has CLOSED.  If you are interested in attending, please contact Alice Doyle - alice@unols.org.

December 7, 2019

• 1145 - New User Program Workshop - Golden Gate University - 536 Mission St. San Francisco - Room 5224

• 1830 - New User Program Dinner Seminar, Dr. Deb Kelley Keynote Speaker - Hotel Spero - 405 Taylor St.  

December 8, 2019

0830 - 1700:  2019 DeSSC Annual Winter Meeting

Registration for this event is closed. Please see the announcement for more information.

Pre-cruise workshop (June 13-14) to familiarize participants with key steps in the planning and execution of a successful research cruise.

The NSF-funded cruise (OCE # 1834797) will take place aboard RV Atlantis Dec. 3-21, 2018. The primary early career scientist objective will involve hands-on instruction on conducting deep-submergence vehicle-based field research.