COBRA Town Hall at AGU 2025
Connecting Deep-Sea Professionals with Opportunities
Tuesday December 16, 2025 (18:00-19:00 Central Time)
New Orleans Convention Center, Rooms 261-262
*FREE FOOD TO BE PROVIDED!
The deep ocean, while the single largest habitat on Earth, is difficult to access and study. Sustaining a career in deep ocean science is likewise a challenge, especially for early career ocean professionals. The goal of this town hall is to bring together organizations studying the deep ocean; to provide a platform for networking and sharing both experiences and opportunities for further training, jobs, funding, and sea-going opportunities. We intend for this gathering to empower the deep-sea research community with knowledge of opportunities available and for support programs to hear from the community about their needs.
This town hall will feature panelists from the NSF-funded Crustal Ocean Biosphere Research Accelerator (COBRA), and other deep-sea programs and partners, followed by a Q&A and social networking, with food provided.
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Moderator: Beth Orcutt, COBRA Associate Director, Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences |
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COBRA, DOOS (Deep Ocean Observing Strategy), ODL (Ocean Discovery League) Julie Huber, COBRA Director, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution |
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NOAA OE (NOAA Ocean Exploration Cooperative Institute) Aurora Elmore, Cooperative Institute Manager, NOAA Ocean Exploration |
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UNOLS (University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System) / RECOS (The Research and Education Coalition for Ocean Sciences) Leila Hamdan, University of Southern Mississippi |
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DESSC (Deep Submergence Science Committee)/New Users Program Jeff Marlow, Boston University |
Organizers:
Julie Huber, COBRA Director at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Beth Orcutt, COBRA Associate Director at Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences
Rosalynn Sylvan, COBRA Managing Director at Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences
Russell Shomberg, COBRA Executive Committee ECR at University of Rhode Island
Adam Soule, COBRA Executive Committee member at NOAA OECI/University of Rhode Island
