You might recall the iRUG that's being formed to work alongside the newly constituted Ocean Acidification International Coordination Centre (ICC) based at the IAEA in Monaco ( for background see http://www.iaea.org/nael/OA-ICC ), drawing on the RUG's history of outputs and effective operation over the past few years (for some background see http://www.epoca-project.eu/index.php/what-do-we-do/outreach/rug.html) .

We are delighted to be able to undertake this important development in close partnership with the Foundation Prince Albert II and would like to take this opportunity to thank them again for their generous financial support for the coming three years. We also acknowledge the continuing support and advice of the many experts and organisations we work alongside, and in particular the UK Ocean Acidification Research Programme (UKOA), the Mediterranean Sea Acidification in a changing climate project (MedSeA), and the Biological Impacts of Ocean Acidification project (BIOACID).

This development marks a significant and welcome step in the continuing evolution of the RUG to support an expanding network of ocean acidification programmes and initiatives across the world. It marks an important development for the RUG arrangements that supported EPOCA, UKOA, BIOACID and MedSeA, towards an even bigger international perspective.

In developing the new iRUG and appointing the new members it will be very important that we draw both on the strength of the RUG members who have participated to date, as well as harnessing your ideas for new candidates who can make major contributions in the coming years to the effectiveness of all our work.

The purpose of this message is to invite your proposals for membership of the new iRUG. If you have been part of the existing RUG this is also the opportunity to put your name forward for the new iRUG and signal a continuing commitment. Self nomination is fine! Regardless to previous involvement we are asking that all candidates provide some basic information on what they will now contribute to the new iRUG. Candidate proposals, including this information, can be submitted using the simple single page form attached to this email. To support this we are also providing draft TOR for the new iRUG which will give you some information on how we expect the new RUG to operate.

Once we have your proposals John and I will be meeting to decide on the shape and membership of the RUG. We intend to do this on 14^th May. Formal invitation letters will then go out shortly after than so we hope the whole process will be completed by late June/early July. The first iRUG meeting will be held in Monaco during the week of 2^nd December in the presence of HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco.

Please send your proposals (bearing in mind you can propose more than one person but one person per form please) to James Oliver (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) at IUCN, copying in me and John. We look forward to hearing from you by 6^th May.

Kind regards,

Dan Laffoley (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)

John Baxter (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)