May, 1999The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has reported that high-ranking officials in twelve US ocean-related government agencies have proposed creating an ocean observing system to Congress.
The new initiative is being
supported by the National Ocean Research Leadership Council (NORLC). A total of 1800 signed the proposal that was sent to Congress.
The NORLC consists of the U.S. Navy, NOAA, EPA, National Science Foundation, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, NASA, U.S. Geological Survey, Minerals Management Service, Office of Science and Technology Policy, Office of Management and Budget, U.S. Coast Guard and Department of Energy.
If created, the new ocean-monitoring system would help to
keep track of weather patterns across the oceans and keep marine ecosystems clean and healthy.
There is already a system in place for atmospheric weather forecasting, and the new ocean system would be similar to that one. The integrated ocean system would combine information from satellites with information from other sources, such as ground-based monitoring systems.
"A robust ocean observation system is vital to the success of naval operations and fundamental to our national
security," said Rear Admiral Paul G. Gaffney II, chief of Naval Research.
Many officials and experts want to use current research and new programs to create a system that will enable safer marine operations. The new initiative would focus on moving from research to a monitoring system that could be used for day-to-day work.
