@sewblue - You are in the right here.
There are two issues - the first is the story in question and the other is the communications.
For the letter - I acknowledge my deficiency there. Thank you for the tips.
For the former - #IODP is the 3rd(ish) iteration of the scientific ocean drilling program. It has nothing to do with the USGS, it's an international program the USA is a member to funded by NSF.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Integrated_Ocean_Drilling_Program
@sewblue
These scientific drilling operations is where we get most of our knowladge about past ocean and climate (for the last ~100Myr).
What's the story with #theJR?
#IODP now has three operations: the European-led Mission Specific Platform, targeting mostly shallow water and continental margins. The Japanese-operated Chikyu Hakken for sensitive pressure drilling, that does not venture far from the Japanese EEZ.
And there is the US-operated JR that does everything else everyehre else.
Dr. Or M. Bialik