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RESPONSES TO QUESTIONS BASED ON THE MARCH 24, 1993 

 SUBCOMMTITEE ON OCEANOGRAPHY. GULF OF MEXICO AND OUTER 

 CONTINENTAL SHELF HEARING ON THE NATIONAL UNDERSEA RESEARCH 

 PROGRAM (NURP). 



SUBMirrED BY DR. SYLVIA A. EARLE, FOUNDER AND DIRECTOR, DEEP 

 OCEAN ENGINEERING, INC. AND FORMER CHIEF SCIENTIST, NOAA 



QUESTION 1. Do you feel that the $16 million appropriatedlast year for NURP is 

 adequate to supprat the undersea lesearch needs of the U. S. civilian lesearch 

 community? How much more in additional funding do you feel the program justifies? 



RESPONSE 



The $16 million appropriated last year was enough to keep NURPs heart beatmg, but is 



far from adequate to support undersea research needs of the U. S. civilian research 



community. 



As to how much additional funding can be justified, I believe the investment made in 

 sup^xjrting technology, facilities and research in aerospace development ptrovides a good 

 model If the investment made for the reach skyward in the past two decades has bem 

 justified (and I believe it has), there are reasons equally good, perhaps better, for a 

 comparable investment in gaining effective access to the sea finom the surface to the 

 greatest depths, seven miles down. 



In the near fiiture, doubling the support - as proposed in the l^islation that failed to gain 

 approval last year — would be a good start 



QUESTION 2. Do you believe that the Program's current research grant peer review and 

 distribution process is a fair one? 



RESPONSE. 



Given the present size of the program, it is fine. 



QUESTION 3. Should all of the regions be funded equitably tfanmgh the centers with 

 the National Office fimding research in critical areas diat exceed center fimding levels? 



RESPONSE 



Equal funding for each center is not appropriate (their needs vary ), but equitable in the 

 sense of "fair" or "just" for each center maJces sense, complemoited by National Office 

 support for cross-cutdng programs. 



QUESTION 4. In your opinion, is there adequate deep submergence capability available 

 to civilian researchers? 



RESPONSE. 



