We are absolutely thrilled to let you know that on 1 May 2021, the IOCCP welcomed six new members of the Scientific Steering Group (SSG), completing the biggest rotation on our Panel since its inception. Adrienne Sutton (NOAA PMEL, USA) and Keyhong Park (KOPRI, Republic of Korea) take over the responsibility for the Time Series Efforts theme; Richard Sanders (NORCE, Norway) will lead the Surface Ocean Biogeochemistry Observations theme; Maribel García-Ibáñez (UEA, UK) will coordinate the ship-based component of the Interior Ocean Observations theme; Steve Jones (UiB, Norway) takes responsibility for Data & Information Access Services theme; while Sana Ben Ismail (INSTM, Tunisia) will strengthen the regional implementation of IOCCP coordination and communication services across several of the themes. Our new SSG members were selected and approved by our sponsors from among many outstanding applications. To learn more about our new SSG members, visit their profiles.

At the same time, we want to acknowledge our five outgoing SSG members: Masao Ishii (MRI-JMA, Japan), Rik Wanninkhof (NOAA AOML, USA), Björn Fiedler (GEOMAR, Germany), Benjamin Pfeil (UiB, Norway) and Cristian Vargas (Uni. Concepción, Chile). The IOCCP Scientific Steering Group would like to express their gratitude for being able to channel their enthusiastic and visionary leadership to develop and implement activities of strategic importance to the marine biogeochemistry community. We wish them all the very best in future endeavours and we look forward to their ongoing involvement in the ocean carbon and biogeochemistry community.

By welcoming a total of 9 new SSG members and initiating two new themes in the 2020-2021 period, IOCCP continues to evolve in order to fulfil its extended mandate as the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS) Biogeochemistry Panel of Experts while addressing clear community needs for integrated multidisciplinary, multiplatform observing system. The current IOCCP SSG is made up of 12 members (incl. 2 early career researchers) working across 5 continents, supported by a 2-staff Project Office, who jointly provide coordination and communication services around a dozen themes identified to best fulfil the IOCCP Terms of Reference. 

We look forward to continuing and expanding our activities towards sustained marine biochemistry observations.