Approved by Xiamen University, the International Project Office (IPO)-China of the Surface Ocean-Lower Atmosphere Study (SOLAS) project has been officially launched at the State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science (MEL) since January 2021. Minhan Dai is the Co-Chair of the SOLAS Scientific Steering Committee, and the IPO-China is led by Dr. Li Li, the Deputy Executive Director of SOLAS.

Formally launched in 2004, SOLAS is a global research project under the sponsorship of the Scientific Committee of Oceanic Research (SCOR), Future Earth, the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP), and the international Commission on Atmospheric Chemistry and Global Pollution (iCACGP). SOLAS research aims to understand the key biogeochemical-physical interactions and feedbacks between the ocean and atmosphere. Achievement of this goal is important to understand and quantify the role that ocean-atmosphere interactions play in the regulation of climate and global change. SOLAS is the only global organisation facilitating integrated ocean-atmosphere research, across disciplinary and national boundaries.

The SOLAS IPO has been hosted by the University of East Anglia (UEA) and the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel (GEOMAR) during the past years. Since September 2017, MEL has been hosting the SOLAS Nodal Office, which is now elevated into a full IPO in January 2021, resulting a Germany (Kiel)-China (Xiamen) dual IPO model for the first time of the SOLAS history.

The dual IPO will closely collaborate provide mutual support to implement the SOLAS 2015-2025 Science Plan and Organisation. In the meanwhile, the IPO-China will be responsible for 1) promoting SOLAS in underrepresented regions, including Asia, Africa and Central/South America; 2) strengthening the connections with sister projects and organisations, such as the Climate and Ocean -Variability, Predictability, and Change (CLIVAR) project, the Integrated Marine Biosphere Research (IMBeR) project, the International Study of the Marine Biogeochemical Cycles of Trace Elements and Isotopes (GEOTRACES) project, the Global Ocean Oxygen Network (GO2NE), the Second International Indian Ocean Expedition (IIOE-2), the North Pacific Marine Science Organization (PICES), the Southern Ocean Observing System (SOOS), the Sub-Commission for the Western Pacific (WESTPAC) of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission; and 3) enhancing the international project management capacity of developing countries/regions. 

We are looking forward to the SOLAS-MEL adventure for the coming years. We are seeking a Project Officer for the IPO-China. Check the link below for more details: https://mel.xmu.edu.cn/info/1145/5283.htm.