Scientific Ocean Drilling
The International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) is an international marine research collaboration that explores Earth's history and dynamics using ocean-going research platforms to recover data recorded in seafloor sediments and rocks and to monitor subseafloor environments. IODP depends on facilities funded by three platform providers with financial contributions from five additional partner agencies. Together, these entities represent twenty-five nations whose scientists are selected to staff IODP research expeditions conducted throughout the world's oceans. Scientist activities are managed by the IODP Program Member Offices.
IODP expeditions are developed from hypothesis-driven science proposals aligned with the program's Science Plan Illuminating Earth's Past, Present, and Future, which identifies four areas of climate change, deep life, planetary dynamics, and geohazards.