The idea for the Symbios Expedition was developed jointly by Robert E. Johannes and Lawrence R. Pomeroy, who were colleagues of Dr. Eugene P. Odum at the a University of Georgia's Institute of Ecology. Odum was a renowned pioneer in the field of ecology who, with his equally regarded brother, Howard T. Odum conducted a remarkable study of coral reef metabolism at Eniwetok (now Enewetak) in the Marshall Islands. At the time, little was understood about community metabolism of coral reefs, and Johannes saw the value of building on the 1955 Odum and Odum study on coral reef community productivity at Enewetak (then Eniwetok) Atoll. His aim was to gather a team of scientists from varied backgrounds and disciplines to get a picture of the community metabolism of an entire atoll. The name of the expedition, Symbios, would refer to the symbiotic relationships for which coral reefs are famous, and the symbiotic relationships that would occur among scientists from many disciplines working toward a common goal.

In (year), with the help of Larry Pomeroy, Johannes began the immense task of planning the expedition. According to the original proposal, the expedition was to take place at Ant Atoll in the Caroline Islands because Enewetak was deemed too small and ill-equipped for such a large operation. As it turned out, it was logistical difficulties with Ant Atoll that lead to the switch to Enewetak Atoll, where logistical support was good, partially because of the Enewetak Marine Biological Laboratory, supported by the Atomic Energy Commission and directed by Dr. Philip Helfrich.

The expedition was planned as a two month long deployment at Enewetak Atoll, in what was then the U.S. Trust Territory of the Pacific. The R/V Alpha Helix, a research ship sponsored by the National Science Foundation and operated by the Scripps Institute of Oceanography, was to be used as a floating lab, and would remain docked for the entire expedition. A shore party would occupy facilities abandoned after the end of the nuclear weapons testing program a little more than a decade before.

The arrangement worked very well. The R/V Alpha Helix served as sleeping and eating quarters for half of the scientific party. The ship's laboratories (5?) were fairly(?) modern and well equipped. Thanks to the expertise of the ship's electrician, a cable running from ship to shore provided power to the shore buildings. Abandoned mess and dorm facilities, leftover from the days of the atomic weapons testing, were used as additional laboratories and eating and sleeping quarters.

The complex logistics of the operation were supported by the National Science Foundation, the Atomic Energy Commission (now the United States Department of Energy), the Scripps Institute of Oceanography, the Janss Foundation, and others. In interviews, Symbios participants point to the ingenuity and diligence of Helfrich, Johannes, Pomeroy, and the ship’s crew for ensuring the success of the expedition despite the logistical obstacles presented by gathering a 23-person research team in a remote location to carry out such an enormous task.

We are undertaking the following activities:

• Collecting reference materials such as maps, ship logs, and research publications, which add detail to the historical record and give insight to the logistics of the expedition.
• Gathering of photos taken during Symbios or related to Symbios. These demonstrate the camaraderie within the scientific party and complement records of research. Approximately 1625 images have been obtained from Symbios participants, all with their permission.
• Interviewing Symbios participants add detail, perspective, and color to the historical record, and give insight to the reasons for the success of the expedition. Nine interviews have been conducted and transcribed, and more are planned.
• Analyzing literature citations for Symbios publications to provide a quantitative understanding of the impact the science of Symbios on the scientific understanding. To do this, citation counts and network analysis tools are being used to answer questions such as "What publications have had the greatest impact?" and "Were Symbios papers cited at a higher frequency than other papers in coral reef ecology?"

The principal investigator of this project is Christopher F. D'Elia, Professor and Associate Vice Chancellor of Research and Graduate Studies at the University of South. Florida St. Petersburg, and participant of the Symbios Expedition. He is being assisted by Abbie Rae Harris, a senior honor student at USF St. Petersburg. The National Science Foundation's Division of Ocean Sciences has provided support for this project.