The Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) is the largest international geoscience project in the world, and the state-of-the-art drill
ship, the JOIDES Resolution, is permanently at sea. Each year there are six scientific cruises (legs) which each last
approximately two months. These legs are designed by geoscientists from the nineteen countries that subscribe to ODP.
Australia and Canada presently share ODP membership under the banner of the AUSCAN Consortium. The benefits of
Australia's involvement in ODP include internationalisation of Australian geoscience, advanced graduate training, and
unique scientific investigations of the ocean floors in the Australasian region. In addition, visits to Australian ports by the
ODP drill ship, the JOIDES Resolution, contribute up to $2 million per visit to the local economy. Amongst the many
other aspects of ten years of scientific drilling, ODP has significantly contributed to our understanding of hydrothermal
processes on the seafloor. To date, three hydrothermal sites have been drilled to date by the ODP, Snakepit (MAR), Middle
Valley (Juan de Fuca Ridge) and TAG (MAR). Two more hydrothermal sites are scheduled for 1996.