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In the summer of 2013, C-MORE conducted a series of experiments to observe and
interpret the fundamental role of phosphorus (P) in the sea, using Station ALOHA as the open
ocean benchmark. While there was a stated emphasis on the element P, the inextricable metabolic
and biogeochemical links to C, N, S, O, H and many trace elements implied that the HOE-PhoR
mission was a broad, multi-element, trans-disciplinary opportunity that appealed to all C-MORE
scientists whether you have a love affair with P, or not. Indeed the use of the term
"rally" to describe this 2-cruise expedition was wholly appropriate: to summon or bring together
for a common purpose. Scientific collaborations and partnerships, in this case through common
sampling and shared experiments to test fundamental hypotheses, was the primary goal of HOE-PhoR.
These coordinated activities assessed a range of scales from genes and genomes to
populations and ecosystems, and built on the fundamental understanding that has been
achieved during the ongoing, 25-year Hawaii Ocean Time-series
(HOT) program; indeed the efforts during HOE-PhoR contributed to the year-long HOT silver
anniversary and also benefited from ongoing achievements of the successful
HOE-DYLAN (2012) project. The expedition acronym, HOE-PhoR, has
real meaning and significance: HOE is Hawaiian for get to work, do your share, paddle a
canoe, and PhoR is the gene designation for the histidine kinase, the enzyme that initiates
the phosphorus starvation inducible response (also known as the Pho regulon) leading to many
fundamental genetic and physiological changes in microorganisms.
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