Project: Center for Oceanographic Research in the Eastern South Pacific

Numerous projects off the coast of Chile
Time series measurements are made off the coast of Concepción, Chile at several stations
The most frequently-visited is station 18 (36.513 ^oS, 73.129 ^oW)

(taken from the COPAS website)
The COPAS Center is devoted to advanced basic scientific research on the circulation, biogeochemical cycling, ecology and paleoceanography of the Eastern South Pacific Ocean.

The objective is to understand climate and ocean variability (present and past), the impact on marine ecosystems and regional productivity. Multi- and interdisciplinary research covers diverse temporal and spatial scales, and is based on observations, experiments, retrospective analysis, and modelling. This is done through six research programs.

The Center also provides advanced training opportunities to young scientists for research careers in oceanography and related areas, through the various ongoing activities at the University of Concepción, and the Universidad Austral de Chile (associated institution). These are the Graduate Studies in Oceanography, the Austral Summer Institutes, and the Postdoctoral program.

With funding provided by the Fund for Advanced Research in Priority Areas (Centers of Excellence FONDAP) of the National Commission for Science and Technology (CONICYT), the Centro de Investigación Oceanográfica en el Pacífico Sur-Oriental (COPAS, Center for Oceanographic Research in the eastern South Pacific), was established in March 2002 at the University of Concepción in Concepción, Chile. The creation of the COPAS Center represents one of the largest national efforts directed to oceanographic research.

The COPAS Center also acknowledges additional financial support from Fundación Andes, the MECESUP Program of the Ministry of Education, and the University of Concepción.
COPAS has become a center of high scientific productivity attracting an important number of graduate and undergraduate students and postdoctoral fellows in oceanography. COPAS is today an oceanographic reference entity both at the national and international level.

Since its creation in March 2002, the COPAS Center has published 369 scientific articles (ISI), edited 5 books, 35 book chapters, and has served as a working platform for 86 graduate, and more than 70 undergraduate theses.

Centro de Estudios Oceanográficos en el Pácifico Sur-oriental (COPAS Website)

El Laboratorio de Procesos Oceanográficos y Clima (PROFC Website)

Justification for using OCE-1260164 for COPAS and MILOCO Written by Ricardo Letelier:
There are two connections from OCE that support the inclusion of COPAS and data in BCO-DMO, as the data relates to OCE.  Because COPAS  is one of the longest oceanographic biogeochemical/physical time-series in South America, the data generated by this program is useful for time-series comparative studies. As such, some of us - myself included - are interested in comparing general temporal patterns and trends.  Hence, we could use our present HOT time-series grant to support this effort in order to access the data.

The second one is the connection with the work of Ed Delong as part of MI_LOCO and C-MORE.  The microbial diversity analysis, as a function of biogeochemical gradients is an integral part of both projects.  One of the C-MORE cruises took place in the OMZ off Chile and the data collected by MI-LOCO allows us to place our results into a broader temporal context.