The Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP; www.iodp.org) is inviting you to submit comments on the draft of a new science plan that will guide scientific ocean drilling and related observatory science for a decade starting in late 2013. The input from you to this science plan is of utmost importance to ensure that this document has broad support of the wider scientific community.

This public hearing period is running for four weeks from August 24 to September 21. We may not be able to consider comments received after the deadline.

The InterRidge Global Database of Active Submarine Hydrothermal Vent Fields (the “InterRidge Vents Database”) is now available at: http://www.interridge.org/irvents

The full report of the workshop of the Long Range Exploration Working Group held at NOC, Southampton, UK in June is now available.

A summary is provided here.

The Dark Energy Biosphere Institute (DEBI) Research Coordination Network (RCN) on the deep biosphere funds graduate student exchanges to facilitate collaborations among deep biosphere research groups, with the end goal of building and educating the community.  Between 2-4 awards of $1-3K each will be granted annually for students to spend 1-6 months in a host lab to carry out research activities prohibitively difficult or impossible at their home institutions.

Details at: http://www.darkenergybiosphere.org/RCN/opportunities/exchange.html