2 April 2020
Attendees: Penkrot, LeVay, Alvarez, Blaisdell, Blum, Broyles, Childress, Crowder, Estes, Foster, Fulton, Herrmann, Hoefig, Houpt, Julson, Kulhanek, Martinez, Miller, Novak, Peng, Petronotis, Smith, T. Williams, Wolfe
1. Sample Master Replacement Project
· SPLAT Module
o User guide in excel spreadsheet. Is there need for a more formal tutorial?
Excel instructions and a quick start guide (pdf) exist. In addition to these resources, staff scientists have been sending out information to science parties about specific bugs that may impact their sample lists generation. This user guide may need to be updated following bug fixes.
o Issues with SPLAT – bugs still need to be identified and fixed
The bug issues are primarily with the administrative features, not sample uploading (user side). Katy Smith is working on a “tips and tricks” document that covers some of these issues. Additionally, the staff scientists have compiled a list of additional functionality and fixes for SPLAT.
Curation is going to host a small group meeting to review issues (Curatorial Group, EPMs [Carlos, Tobias, Trevor, and Peter], and Developers [Tim]) and then start a Confluence page with all of the bug fixes. If enough new functionality is desired, Curation (Chad Broyles?) will submit a Mini-Project proposal.
Action Item: Michelle will organize SPLAT meeting and send list of bugs to Tim (via Confluence). Determine whether or not a Mini-Project is necessary.
· Catwalk Module
o Curation re-scoping (in progress)
The Catwalk Module is ramping up again and the project team is beginning to hole meetings. The plan is to gather all of the curators and assistant lab officers to review the issues from Expedition 378 and create more defined guidelines before Tim Blaisdell starts more development work. The plan is to do more testing on Expedition 395.
· Begin scoping other modules?
o Operations module is in progress. Tim B. has been working with Steve Midgley on this.
o The next module will be the Sample Table module because there is a lot of functionality overlap with the Catwalk module. The Sample Table module will not start until Catwalk is near completion.
o Walvis Ridge (Exp 391) may be good test for the Sample Table module because all sampling will be shipboard. However, this module may not be ready by December 2020.
2. Sample and Data Request (SADR) System
· Requested changes to SADR are not going forward because SADR will be defunct in the near future
o IT/Development does not know when this will happen, but at some point a software update will not allow SADR to operate with the same functionality.
· Can we use Laserfische as a replacement?
o Curation is looking into potential replacements that do not require a lot of time and cost. Laserfische at TAMU is a possibility and allows for external scientists/curators to submit information to the program. However, it is not known if external curators (BCR, KCC) will be able to login to view the requests. Curation, developers, and people who are familiar with using Laserfische will have a meeting to discuss this possibility further.
Regardless of what platform is used, Curation will need to determine how to deal with legacy requests (ones that are not complete) and whether or not to migrate them to the new system.
Action Item: Michelle organizing a meeting about Laserfische.
3. Gulf Coast Repository Renovation Project
· Approximately 6 to 12 months of space left (if all archive halves are sent to the GCR for XRF scanning)
o Need to start renovation plans this year
Curation’s plan is to address the short-term storage issue (Chad is putting up more racks) and that will lead to discussions on long-term changes. The long-term changes will require input from all departments as it will majorly impact space at the IODP building.
· Air-conditioned vs refrigerated core storage?
Can some of the cores (old or rarely requested) go into AC rather than refrigerated storage. The KCC did experiments on this (not using IODP cores) years ago. The Science and Technology Panel had concerns about microbial growth and chemistry changes. Michelle will contact the KCC to see if she can learn more about these experiments. If AC storage is acceptable the GCR will need a blanket policy on what cores go into AC storage.
Action Item: Michelle to contact KCC for information on their core experiments. This will require a separate discussion outside of the LWG meetings and may require the input of external scientists.
4. Sample Party SOP
· SOP for Curation is in progress (Chad) as well as an SOP (best practices?) being worked on by the Staff Scientists.
o Should these be the same document or separate? Separate.
o Test and refine Curation SOP during the 378 Sample Party in August.
Chad has drafted and SOP for the GCR with timelines for tasks. The EPMs have compiled a Best Practices document from their view point. Michelle is reviewing the two documents to see if they are consistent (they mostly are!). Michelle will send Curation SOP to EPMs. Curation and EPMs should meet to discuss.
Action Item: Michelle to send EPMs the GCR SOP. Plan a future meeting (who will organize?).
5. BCR Sample Parties
· Michelle to work with Ulla Roehl to define roles.
· GCR handles sample list preparation?
Michelle was going to meet with Ulla in College Station, but Ulla no longer traveling here. Michelle would like to have a call or two with Ulla and potentially the EPMs to discuss how BCR sample parties are best dealt with. Initial thoughts are that the GCR and EPMs will deal with sample lists and overlaps and help get the lists into the correct format for the BCR. The GCR will send at least one curatorial representative to the BCR samples parties. Ideally it will be Michelle plus one of the curators.
The next sample party at the BCR is Expedition 395 (early 2021).
Action Item: Michelle to organize talks with Ulla, potentially involve staff scientists with sample parties at the BCR (Emily, Trevor, Leah).
6. SOP for Core Shipments to Other Repositories
· SOP in progress for repository shipping – Curation and Shipping/Logistics will work on this
Chad and a program aide have been working on the SOP for shipping core sections.
· Shipping to other institutions?
Should this continue to occur considering the damage some cores have sustained? Yes, it needs to keep happening because it can be a challenge to XRF scan large volumes of core prior to a sampling party, and some people require other measurements. There is also the issue with getting cores back because scientists do not have the funds for shipping them.
Action Item: Curation will prepare a document with guidelines for shipments rather than an SOP.
7. New External Members for the LWG
· Kitty and Jason have served on the LWG since external members were added and we thank them for their time over the past several years!
· It is time to rotate external members and we need nominations for 2 new members.
Three nominations were put forward and two were selected by consensus.
Action Item: Leah will send out LWG External Member invitations.
8. Other Business
· XRF Scanning
o Have a document for XRF best practices? Can currently refer to the XRF website.
o Denise and Suzanne O’Connell putting in a request with USSSP to host an XRF workshop.
o A new XRF Technician needs to be hired. It would be nice to get someone in soon, but given TAMU’s current hiring policy it may be difficult (only hiring mandatory positions). The new technician will be the lab manager for onshore labs and the safety officer.
· Lab Safety
o Curation and TAS (David) will review the HF and perchloric protocols
· Sample Types on the Curation Website
o Tobias has suggested that a list of sample volumes and mass along with sample densities are put on the website.
Action Item: Tobias and curation will put together a document that can be accessed from the Curation website.