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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2011. Critical Infrastructure for Ocean Research and Societal Needs in 2030. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13081.
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Critical Infrastructure for Ocean Research and Societal Needs in 2030

Committee on an Ocean Infrastructure Strategy for U.S. Ocean Research in 2030

Ocean Studies Board

Division on Earth and Life Studies

NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL
OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES

THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS

Washington, D.C.
www.nap.edu

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2011. Critical Infrastructure for Ocean Research and Societal Needs in 2030. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13081.
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THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS
500 Fifth Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20001

NOTICE: the project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the committee responsible for the report were chosen for their special competences and with regard for appropriate balance.

This material is based upon work supported by the Department of Energy under grant number DE-FG02-09ER64727, the Environmental Protection Agency under contract number EP09H000821, the Food and Drug Administration under contract number HHSF22301002T, the Marine Mammal Commission under contract number E4047467, the Minerals Management Service under contract number M09PX00075, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration under grant number NNX09AI86G, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences under contract number HHSN273200900082P, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration under contract number DG133R08CQ0062, the National Science Foundation under grant number OCE-0910762, the United States Arctic Research Commission, and the United States Geological Survey under grant number G09AP00034.

Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the organizations or agencies that provided support for the project.

International Standard Book Number-13: 978-0-309-18603-2

International Standard Book Number-10: 0-309-18603-X

Cover: Artist’s rendering of possible technological innovations and ocean infrastructure assets that will be deployed in support of U.S. ocean research by 2030, based on presentations from the February 2-3, 2010, Ocean Infrastructure Strategy Workshop (illustration by E. Paul Oberlander, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution).

Additional copies of this report are available from the

National Academies Press,

500 Fifth Street, N.W., Lockbox 285, Washington, DC 20055; (800) 624-6242 or (202) 334-3313 (in the Washington metropolitan area); Internet, http://www.nap.edu

Copyright 2011 by the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.

Printed in the United States of America

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2011. Critical Infrastructure for Ocean Research and Societal Needs in 2030. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13081.
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THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES

Advisers to the Nation on Science, Engineering, and Medicine


The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. Upon the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and technical matters. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone is president of the National Academy of Sciences.


The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences, as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. It is autonomous in its administration and in the selection of its members, sharing with the National Academy of Sciences the responsibility for advising the federal government. The National Academy of Engineering also sponsors engineering programs aimed at meeting national needs, encourages education and research, and recognizes the superior achievements of engineers. Dr. Charles M. Vest is president of the National Academy of Engineering.


The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences to secure the services of eminent members of appropriate professions in the examination of policy matters pertaining to the health of the public. The Institute acts under the responsibility given to the National Academy of Sciences by its congressional charter to be an adviser to the federal government and, upon its own initiative, to identify issues of medical care, research, and education. Dr. Harvey V. Fineberg is president of the Institute of Medicine.


The National Research Council was organized by the National Academy of Sciences in 1916 to associate the broad community of science and technology with the Academy’s purposes of furthering knowledge and advising the federal government. Functioning in accordance with general policies determined by the Academy, the Council has become the principal operating agency of both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering in providing services to the government, the public, and the scientific and engineering communities. The Council is administered jointly by both Academies and the Institute of Medicine. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone and Dr. Charles M. Vest are chair and vice chair, respectively, of the National Research Council.


www.national-academies.org

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2011. Critical Infrastructure for Ocean Research and Societal Needs in 2030. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13081.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2011. Critical Infrastructure for Ocean Research and Societal Needs in 2030. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13081.
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COMMITTEE ON AN OCEAN INFRASTRUCTURE STRATEGY FOR U.S. OCEAN RESEARCH IN 2030

ERIC J. BARRON (Chair),

Florida State University

RANA A. FINE (Vice Chair),

University of Miami, Florida

JAMES G. BELLINGHAM,

Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, California

EMMANUEL S. BOSS,

University of Maine

EDWARD A. BOYLE (NAS),

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

MARGO EDWARDS,

University of Hawaii at Manoa

KENNETH S. JOHNSON,

Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, California

DEBORAH S. KELLEY,

University of Washington

HAUKE KITE-POWELL,

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Massachusetts

STEVEN RAMBERG,

National Defense University/Pennsylvania State University

DANIEL L. RUDNICK,

Scripps Institution of Oceanography, California

OSCAR M.E. SCHOFIELD,

Rutgers University, New Jersey

MARIO N. TAMBURRI,

University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science

PETER H. WIEBE,

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Massachusetts

DAWN J. WRIGHT,

Oregon State University

Staff

DEBORAH GLICKSON, Senior Program Officer

HEATHER CHIARELLO, Senior Program Assistant (until October 2010)

JEREMY JUSTICE, Senior Program Assistant (from May 2011)

EMILY OLIVER, Program Assistant (from October 2010 to May 2011)

WILL TYBURCZY, Mirzayan Science and Technology Policy Fellow (Fall 2010)

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2011. Critical Infrastructure for Ocean Research and Societal Needs in 2030. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13081.
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OCEAN STUDIES BOARD

DONALD F. BOESCH (Chair),

University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science

EDWARD A. BOYLE,

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

CORTIS K. COOPER,

Chevron Corporation

JORGE E. CORREDOR,

University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez

KEITH R. CRIDDLE,

University of Alaska, Fairbanks

JODY W. DEMING,

University of Washington

ROBERT HALLBERG,

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Princeton University, New Jersey

DEBRA HERNANDEZ,

Hernandez and Company, South Carolina

ROBERT A. HOLMAN,

Oregon State University

KIHO KIM,

American University, Washington, DC

BARBARA A. KNUTH,

Cornell University, New York

ROBERT A. LAWSON,

Science Applications International Corporation, California

GEORGE I. MATSUMOTO,

Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, California

JAY S. PEARLMAN,

The Boeing Company (retired), Washington

ANDREW A. ROSENBERG,

Conservation International, Virginia

DANIEL L. RUDNICK,

Scripps Institution of Oceanography, California

ANNE M. TREHU,

Oregon State University

PETER L. TYACK,

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Massachusetts

DON WALSH,

International Maritime Incorporated

DAWN J. WRIGHT,

Oregon State University

JAMES A. YODER,

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Massachusetts

Staff

SUSAN ROBERTS, Director

CLAUDIA MENGELT, Senior Program Officer

KIM WADDELL, Senior Program Officer

DEBORAH GLICKSON, Senior Program Officer

MARTHA MCCONNELL, Program Officer

SHERRIE FORREST, Research Associate

PAMELA LEWIS, Administrative Coordinator

SHUBHA BANSKOTA, Financial Associate

JEREMY JUSTICE, Senior Program Assistant

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2011. Critical Infrastructure for Ocean Research and Societal Needs in 2030. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13081.
×

Acknowledgments

This report was greatly enhanced by the participants of the meeting held as part of this study. The committee would first like to acknowledge the efforts of those who gave presentations at meetings: Al Plueddemann (Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution), Pete Barletto (University of Washington), John Delaney (University of Washington), Doug Toomey (University of Oregon), Gwyn Griffiths (National Oceanography Centre, Southampton), Tim Leach (The Glosten Associates), E. Paul Oberlander (Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution), Guy Nordenson (Princeton University, Guy Nordenson and Associates), Ginger Armbrust (University of Washington), Deirdre Meldrum (Arizona State University), Elizabeth Kujawinski (Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution), Bob Carlson (Honeywell), Dave Whelan (The Boeing Company), Tim Stanton (Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution), Tom Weber (University of New Hampshire), Bob Hallberg (NOAA Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory), Shuyi Chen (University of Miami), Enrique Curchitser (Rutgers University), Peter Fox (Renssalaer Polytechnic Institute), Dan Fay (Microsoft), Berrian Moore (Climate Central), Dean Roemmich (Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego), Vice Admiral Paul Gaffney (Monmouth University), Tom Kitsos (U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy), Peter Hill (Consortium for Ocean Leadership), Bert Semtner (Naval Postgraduate School), James Kendall (U.S. Minerals Management Service), Mel Briscoe (Consortium for Ocean Leadership), Amy Baco-Taylor (Florida State University), Gustav Paulay (University of Florida), Otis Brown (University of Miami), Mary Jane Perry (University of Maine), David Fries (University of South Florida), John Graybeal (University of California, Berkeley), and Sam McClatchie (Southwest Fisheries Science Center, NOAA). These talks helped set the stage for fruitful discussions in the closed sessions that followed.

This report has been reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise, in accordance with procedures approved by the National Research Council’s Report Review Committee. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the institution in making its published report as sound as possible and to ensure that the report meets institutional standards for objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the study charge. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the deliberative process. We wish to thank the following individuals for their participation in their review of this report:

Kendra Daly, University of South Florida, Tampa

Clare Reimers, Oregon State University, Corvallis

Melbourne Briscoe, Consortium for Ocean Leadership, Washington, DC

Mary Feeley, ExxonMobil Exploration Company, Houston, Texas

Jorg Imberger, University of Western Australia, Crawley

Steven Gaines, University of California, Santa Barbara

Dan Fornari, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Massachusetts

Thomas Curtin, NATO Undersea Research Center, La Spezia, Italy

Albert J. Plueddeman, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Massachusetts

Kristina Katsaros, NorthWest Research Associates, Redmond, Washington

Jack Sipress, Sipress Associates, Holmdel, New Jersey

Although the reviewers listed above have provided many constructive comments and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse the conclusions or recommendations nor did they see the final draft of the report before its release. The review of this report was overseen by Christine Henderson, appointed by the Divison on Earth and Life Studies, and J. Brad Mooney, appointed by the Report Review Com-

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mittee, who were responsible for making certain that an independent examination of this report was carried out in accordance with institutional procedures and that all review comments were carefully considered. Responsibility for the final content of this report rests entirely with the authoring committee and the institution.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2011. Critical Infrastructure for Ocean Research and Societal Needs in 2030. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13081.
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The United States has jurisdiction over 3.4 million square miles of ocean in its exclusive economic zone, a size exceeding the combined land area of the 50 states. This expansive marine area represents a prime national domain for activities such as maritime transportation, national security, energy and mineral extraction, fisheries and aquaculture, and tourism and recreation. However, it also carries with it the threat of damaging and outbreaks of waterborne pathogens. The 2010 Gulf of Mexico Deepwater Horizon oil spill and the 2011 Japanese earthquake and tsunami are vivid reminders that ocean activities and processes have direct human implications both nationally and worldwide, understanding of the ocean system is still incomplete, and ocean research infrastructure is needed to support both fundamental research and societal priorities.

Given current struggles to maintain, operate, and upgrade major infrastructure elements while maintaining a robust research portfolio, a strategic plan is needed for future investments to ensure that new facilities provide the greatest value, least redundancy, and highest efficiency in terms of operation and flexibility to incorporate new technological advances. Critical Infrastructure for Ocean Research and Societal Needs in 2030 identifies major research questions anticipated to be at the forefront of ocean science in 2030 based on national and international assessments, input from the worldwide scientific community, and ongoing research planning activities. This report defines categories of infrastructure that should be included in planning for the nation's ocean research infrastructure of 2030 and that will be required to answer the major research questions of the future.

Critical Infrastructure for Ocean Research and Societal Needs in 2030 provides advice on the criteria and processes that could be used to set priorities for the development of new ocean infrastructure or replacement of existing facilities. In addition, this report recommends ways in which the federal agencies can maximize the value of investments in ocean infrastructure.

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