Oceanic research supported

Issues in Science and Technology, Spring 1996 by Teich, Albert H, Cassidy, Bonnie Bisol, Tihami, Michele Huguelet

On Jan. 25, three House subcommittees --the Resources Committee's Fisheries, Wildlife, and Oceans subcommittee, the Science Committee's Energy and Environment subcommittee, and the National Security Committee's Military R&D subcommittee-held a joint hearing to explore ways to better coordinate existing federal government resources, including previously classified defense-related assets, to increase understanding of the world's oceans.

Witnesses at the hearing endorsed the idea of further cooperation and coordination. Retired Navy Admiral James Watkins, now president of the Consortium for Oceanographic Research and Education (CORE), described CORE's Interagency Partnership Initiative for oceanic research and cooperation. The initiative calls for 1) redefining specific research and education partnership opportunities between academia, industry, and the federal government; 2) developing and implementing an integrated partnership management plan to provide effective and cost-efficient federally funded ocean science and technology programs; and 3) establishing a congressional task force to address broad strategies for more effective coordination of ocean science and technology issues.

Admiral Jeremy Boorda, Chief of Naval Operations, said that because of downsizing in the military, the Navy now relies more heavily on civilian oceanic research. Cuts in this research as part of the effort to balance the budget would be a false economy, because the Navy would be forced to resume its own research.

According to one of his staff members, Rep. Curt Weldon (R.-Penn.), chair of the Military R&D subcommittee, plans to introduce legislation next month that would "facilitate the partnership process in the oceanographic community."