A Working Group comprises a Working Group Chair or Co-Chairs who drive the progress of the group and report back to the Steering Committee, and the working group members. The scientists come from various universities and research institutes around the world, and their expertise is diverse but pertinent to the project the working group is tackling. This ensures that ridge-related research projects are addressed from different perspectives.
Current Active Working Groups
| Theme | Objective | WG-Chair |
| Arc - Backarc Systems | To foster a holistic approach to address fundamental questions about intra-oceanic arc and backarc basin processes by examining the long-term and short-term evolutionary cycles using geochemical, hydrothermal, biological, tectonic and subduction dynamics approaches. | Maria Seton, Australia |
| Hydrothermal Energy and Ocean Carbon Cycles | will plan a revised consideration of the diverse pathways of biomass generation driven by hydrothermal processes and the potential contribution that they may make to the global ocean carbon cycle | Nadine le Bris, France and Chris German, USA |
| Mantle Imaging | promoting experiments to image the mantle structure at one or two ridge systems | Nobukazu Seama, Japan |
| Oceanic Detachment Faults | Foster and strengthen links to other efforts and programs towards the study of oceanic detachment faults. Animate and facilitate coordination within the scientific community to advance the understanding of these structures. | J. Pablo Canales, USA and Javier Escartin, France |
| Seafloor Mineralization | examine SMS deposit distribution, maturation and evolution and to investigate the processes (biological, chemical, geological) that are responsible for their formation and preservation | Maurice Tivey, WHOI, USA |
| Vent Ecology | foster cutting edge collaborations and other studies that will contribute to our understanding of the ecology of hydrothermal vents | Stephane Hourdez, France, and Yoshi Fujiwara, Japan |
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