Welcome to the ESO web site

ESO is a consortium of European scientific institutions formed to undertake mission-specific platform (MSP) operations for ECORD on behalf of the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program. To date, ESO has completed three MSP operations, the Arctic Coring Expedition (ACEX), the Tahiti Sea-Level Expedition and the New Jersey Shallow Shelf Expedition.

The Great Barrier Reef Environmental Changes Expedition started on February 11th 2010, when the Greatship Maya left Townsville, Australia to embark on a 6-week expedition to study fossil coral reefs. The offshore phase of this expedition ended on April 6th 2010. The onshore phase of the expedition (the onshore science party) started at the Bremen Core Repository on July 2nd 2010. For further information please visit the Expedition web page.

Please note the Great Barrier Reef Media Pack, which gives information about the Press Conference as well as other useful links. Also please note the media coverage that the Expedition generated. The daily ship reports and Expedition log book are available, and our facebook and twitter pages were kept up-to-date during the offshore phase. These pages will remain live but will not be updated again until we enter the next phase of the expedition. If fluent in German, you can also read an Expedition blog on Deutsche Welle.

platform off the coast of New Jersey
New Jersey Shallow Shelf

Great Barrier Reef Environmental Changes
Vidar Viking on Arctic expedition

Arctic Coring
DP Hunter on Tahiti expedition

Tahiti Sea Level