The NEPEXCO met for lunch at the Marriott Hotel in San Antonio, TX (AGU Ocean Sciences Week). The meeting began at 1215. Present at the meeting were: Thomas Powell, Ted Strub, Loo Botsford, Frank Schwing, Jack Barth and Hal Batchelder (non-voting). Bill Peterson and Ric Brodeur were unable to attend. We discussed four topics: selection of a chair of the NEPEXCO, addition of new members of underrepresented disciplines to the NEPEXCO, present status of the NEP Coordination Office in Corvallis, OR, and the timing of future NEPEXCO and Scientific Investigator (SI) meetings.
Selection of Chair
Ted Strub was nominated and seconded as chair, and then unanimously elected by those present. Congratulations to Ted.
Additions to the NEPEXCO
There was a consensus that the marine bird and mammal component of the NEP program should be represented on the committee, and it was suggested and affirmed that Cynthia Tynan (co-PI on the primary higher trophic level project dealing with birds and mammals) be asked if she would be willing to join the NEPEXCO. Dr. Tynan was contacted and agreed to serve on the committee. The PIs present at the NEPPI meeting on 28-30 January 2000 voted to confirm her addition to the committee, which now consists of eight members, representing most of the major elements of the program: modeling (Powell, Botsford, Schwing); Retrospective Studies (Strub, Schwing), Field Studies (Barth, Peterson, Brodeur, Tynan); Physics (Powell, Strub, Barth, Schwing); Zooplankton (Peterson); Fish (Botsford, Broduer), Birds and Mammals (Tynan). The committee also discussed whether to add other PIs to represent the Coastal Gulf of Alaska component of the NEP program, and decided that it was sufficient to wait until next year when an additional four NEPEXCO members will be elected from among the PIs funded to conduct research in the CGOA.
Status of Coordinating Office in Corvallis, OR
Batchelder updated the committee on the status of the NEP Coordinating Office. The funding of the present office in Berkeley, CA expires on 31 March 2000. Batchelder and Strub have submitted a proposal to NSF and NOAA-COP to fund a NEP Coordinating Office in Corvallis beginning on 1 April 2000. Funding was requested to support the salaries of 1) a three-quarter time Executive Director (Batchelder), 2) a half-time data management specialist, 3) a half-time administrative assistant, and 4) up to three months salary support for the NEPEXCO chair. In addition funds were requested to support some travel expenses of office staff and the NEPEXCO, to hold meetings, publications, office equipment, and supplies. As soon as a decision is known on the amount of the award, the chair and executive director will conduct hiring searches for the data management specialist and administrative assistant. Batchelder will transfer the current office records at Berkeley to Corvallis during the period from April to June.Scheduling and Tasks for Future NEPEXCO Meetings
We did not schedule specific dates for future meetings at this time, but there was interest in perhaps having the NEPEXCO meet once more prior to the June 2000 cruise, and strong sentiment that the committee meet following the June cruise and before the August cruise. Details of these meetings will be determined at a later date. We briefly discussed scheduling an all-hands Scientific Investigator (SI) meeting. We desired to have it sufficiently late in 2000 so that 1) some of the data collected in 2000 would be available (at least on a first-look basis) and 2) the NEP-CGOA PIs had been identified from the upcoming AO for Coastal Gulf of Alaska Studies. We decided to poll the NEP PIs on whether Monday-Wednesday, 13-15 November 2000, was acceptable. [Comment: first response on this at the San Antonio PI meeting was that for most these dates were acceptable. Batchelder will poll the full NEPPI list, since many PIs did not attend the San Antonio meeting.]
The NEPEXCO meeting adjourned at 1325.