8.0 Organization and Finance: 8.2.1 National Committees
8.0 Organization and Finance: 8.2.1 National Committees
8.0 Organization and Finance: 8.2.1 National Committees
8.2 Membership
PERU Luis Icochea Salas, Enedia Vieyra Peña, and Carlos Bocanegra Garcia
replaced Renato Guevara Carrasco, Víctor Alvitres, and Juan Tarazona
The Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research (SCOR) was founded in 1957 and is a
component of the International Council for Science (ICSU). SCOR is the primary non-
governmental organization for planning, promoting, and implementing international cooperative
activities in oceanography. The international aspects of large ocean science programs such as the
Joint Global Ocean Flux Study (JGOFS), the program on Global Ocean Ecosystem Dynamics
(GLOBEC), the World Ocean Circulation Experiment (WOCE), and the study of Tropical
Oceans and Global Atmosphere (TOGA) all had their origins in SCOR groups. WOCE and
TOGA became incorporated into the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP), and JGOFS
has been completed, but GLOBEC continues to be overseen by SCOR, the International
Geosphere-Biosphere Programme, and the International Oceanographic Commission.
For the past 23 years, SCOR has provided travel grants to scientific meetings for scientists from
developing nations and nations with economies in transition. Hundreds of scientists have
received full or partial travel support through this program, funding with support from the U.S.
National Science Foundation. Several SCOR activities relate to scientific and environmental
issues that are of special relevance to developing nations, such as harmful algal blooms and
quantitative indicators of marine ecosystem change induced by fisheries.
Presently, 35 nations are members of SCOR, belonging to one of five membership categories.
The only difference among the membership categories is the level of dues paid, with Category I
nations paying US$1,825 in 2007 and Category V nations (Japan, Russia, and the United States)
paying US$31,730. A nation’s membership category is roughly based on the gross domestic
product of the nation, as well as a nation’s level of activity in ocean sciences. However, each
nation determines its membership category and SCOR encourages nations to move to higher
categories over time as they experience the benefits of membership.
Benefits
SCOR working groups provide another means of exposure for scientists from member nations to
the worldwide oceanographic community. Nominations for working groups are sought from all
national members and SCOR makes a significant effort to include members of working groups
from developing nations. The SCOR budget for these activities includes travel funds for
scientists selected to participate in them, so this should not be a burden on the nation that
nominates working group members. It is rare for SCOR working groups to include members
from nations that do not belong to SCOR.
Member nations receive background material for all SCOR General Meetings and Executive
Committee meetings and have an opportunity to provide comments in person or in writing
regarding working group proposals, the composition of SCOR working groups and the scientific
steering committees of major oceanographic programs, and other SCOR actions. Support for
travel of a nation’s Nominated Members to SCOR’s annual meetings are the responsibility of the
nation.
Requirements
The main requirement to apply for SCOR membership is the demonstration that some national
mechanism exists, or could be created, to serve as a National Committee for SCOR. The
National Committee should include representation from the various marine science disciplines
and from the various types of institutions in a nation’s marine science community. The National
Committee should nominate three individual scientists to represent the nation’s SCOR
Committee as Nominated Members of SCOR. The national Nominated Members are responsible
to serve as a liaison and channel of information between SCOR and the nation’s ocean science
community.
A formal application for membership can be presented and accepted at SCOR’s annual meetings
or between meetings. Requests should be sent to the SCOR Secretariat. Any request for
membership should include a very brief overview of the status of oceanographic research in the
applying nation, including a short description of the major institutions, scientific interest, and
other relevant information.
8.4 Finances
Membership
Category Nation 2005 2006 2007 Total
II Australia $0
observer Bangladesh
II Belgium $4,870 $4,870
I Brazil $1,825 $1,825
IV Canada $19,065 $19,065
II Chile $0
III China-Beijing $0
II China-Taipei $4,870 $4,870
II Denmark $0
I Ecuador $1,825.00 $1,825 $1,825 $5,475
observer Egypt
II Finland $0
III France $0
IV Germany $0
II India $4,870 $4,870
I Israel $0
III Italy $0
V Japan $0
I Mexico $1,825 $1,825
I Monaco $0
II Netherlands $4,870 $4,870
I New Zealand $0
II Norway $0
I Pakistan $1,825 $1,825
I Peru $1,825 $1,825
observer Philippines
I Poland $0
V Russia $0
III South Africa $0
I Spain $0
III Sweden $0
I Switzerland $0
I Turkey $0
IV UK $0
V USA $31,730 $31,730
Totals $1,825 $1,825 $79,400 $83,050
8-11
8.5 The Disciplinary Balance among SCOR Working Groups
The ad hoc Disciplinary Balance Committee at the 2006 SCOR General Meeting recommended
that “SCOR encourage multidisciplinary approaches, at the limits between existing large
programs. In biology, we need some activities on the benthic boundary interface with chemistry,
physics, and sedimentology, including exported fluxes from the surface ocean. [Earlier
discussions at the meeting identified ecology of the mesopelagic zone as a potential area of
SCOR interest.] In the area of physical oceanography, we need some integrative activities and
perhaps something on sea ice. In chemistry/biogeochemistry, we need something on remote
sensing and clathrate dynamics. The 2007 Call for Working Group Proposals identified these
potential topics.
The SCOR Meeting will need to discuss the disciplinary balance after new working groups are
approved to determine whether the 2008 Call for Working Group Proposals needs to note
specific disciplinary areas.