Data Submission

The R2R program works with U.S. academic research vessel operators to ensure properly-documented, long-term preservation and dissemination of routine underway scientific data.

R2R is currently funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) Division of Ocean Sciences (OCE) and focuses primarily on supporting vessels in the University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System (UNOLS). Other vessels (generally over 50' in length) that carry NSF-funded equipment and/or perform NSF-funded research can also be supported(*).

Data distributions may be uploaded to R2R via direct network transfer, or may be submitted on most common digital media including portable hard drive, flash drive, tape cartridge (4mm, 8mm, S/DLT), or optical disc.

The following catalog information must be provided for each cruise:
      1. Vessel Name
      2. Operating Institution Name
      3. Cruise Identifier
        (cruise identifiers are unique within the R2R system - typically each vessel uses a unique prefix)
      4. Start/End Ports and Dates
      5. Chief Scientist Name and Affiliation
      6. Project Title  (if available)
      7. Navigation Data
        (at least one clearly-identified GPS data set for creating a simple ship track on a location map)

Once submitted, the cruise data will be securely archived and a catalog record will be posted online with a file listing and track map. Individual data sets will then be "broken out" and delivered to the National Geophysical Data Center (NGDC) or National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC) for public dissemination, once proprietary holds are cleared with the Chief Scientist.

(*)The R2R program, working with the operator community, is developing a consensus standard directory structure for cruise data. Non-UNOLS vessels will be required to adopt this structure if they wish to have cruise data broken out and delivered to NGDC/NODC.

R2R does not catalog data collected by dedicated facilities such as the National Marine Seismic Facility (NMSF), National Deep Submergence Facility (NDSF), or Ocean Bottom Seismograph Instrument Pool (OBSIP). Such data are already archived by other programs.

Please contact Bob Arko with questions, or to obtain shipping instructions or a network login.