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A critical part of launching an intensive physical oceanography field campaign is identifying the appropriate patch of ocean—the area where the process you wish to study dependably occurs and has maximum impact. Early explorations and publications helped establish the region off Iceland as the ideal candidate for the US Office of Naval Research Departmental Research Initiative, the Near-Inertial Shear and Kinetic Energy in the North Atlantic Experiment (NISKINe). As the NISKINe group organized the experiment, the local Icelandic marine science community’s expertise was of principal importance in formulating specifics of its timing, location, and component interactions.
International field programs are so much more enlightening and fulfilling when we learn from one another and gain understanding of new cultures and ways of looking at science. The friendships and colleagueships that were initiated as a result of NISKINe continue to grow and contribute to the international ocean science community’s capacity. We are grateful to our colleagues at the Icelandic Marine and Fresh Water Institute, the Icelandic Coast Guard, the Meteorological Office, and the University of Iceland for their hospitality, guidance, and shared contributions that made this program a success.