At the Dartmouth meeting, a proposed restructuring
formed to prepare papers for publication in a spe-
of IASC was presented to the PAG, with a proposal
cial issue of Deep Sea Research. These papers were
that PAG evolve to a free-standing organization, but
published in December 2012 (DSRII Vol 81-84).
retain a formal affiliation with IASC. Over the next
year, members of PAG discussed this proposal and
Through the summers of 2010 to 2013, pilot ob-
concluded that it was acceptable. A formal letter of
servations were conducted by several PAG coun-
agreement eventually was signed in March 2009
tries as part of the DBO.
between PAG and IASC that provided for interactions between the two groups in a number of im-
In February 2013, the first DBO Data Workshop was
portant ways. This partnership has been effective
held in Seattle, Washington, USA.
and remains to this day.
In Fall 2014 a 2nd DBO data workshop was proposed
as part of ICARP III.
Key Milestones in PAG History
The October 2007 PAG workshop in Ottawa, Can-
Leadership of the PAG
ada, used the agreed science themes and recent
During PAG history, there have been three Chairs:
experiences in research cruises to organize more
Marty Bergmann from inception through Spring
structured science collaborations and to undertake
2008,John Calder from Fall 2008 through Fall 2012,
PAG-organized synthesis efforts as part of the IPY
and Jackie Grebmeier from Fall 2012 to through Fall
and its legacy. In particular, it was agreed that the
2014. China has provided a Vice Chair from incep-
group would hold a ‘model-data fusion’ workshop
tion (Zhanghai Zhang) through the present (Jian-
and prepare a collection of synthesis reports to be
feng He). At the ASSW meeting in April 2012 in
published in book form. In February 2008, the Mod-
Montreal, Canada, a second Vice Chair (Takashi Ki-
el-data Fusion Workshop was held in Sanya, China.
kuchi of Japan) was selected. The current Chair who
The results were published in the Chinese Journal of
started in the Fall of 2014 is Sung-ho Kang of the
Polar Science 19(2).
Republic of Korea.
From 2008 to 2013, teams of authors formed on a
volunteer basis to prepare topical chapters for inclu-
Postscript
sion in a volume published by Springer in Fall 2014.
PAG lost one of its great proponents and leaders on
20 August 2011 when Martin Bergmann, Director
In May 2009, a Workshop focused on Marine Biol-
of the Polar Continental Shelf Program of Natural
ogy and Sea Ice was held in Sea GF