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FOLLOW-UP QUESTIONS FOR DR. D. JAMES BAKER 



BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON OCETINOGRAFHY, 



GULF OF MEXICO AND THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF 



COMMITTEE ON MERCHANT MARINE AND FISHERIES 



U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 



AUGUST 4, 1993 



Question 1: Beyond research applications, are there commercial 

 uses for the different data sets and technologies that you 

 discussed in your testimony? 



Answer: Better information often has cominercial value. But, it 

 remains to be seen whether data made available from dual-use 

 could stimulate specific commercial uses. That will depend on 

 details we simply do not yet know for most of the systems and the 

 potential markets. One example, however, may give an idea of the 

 possibilities. Several companies already sell ocean-routing 

 forecasts to maritime ship operators. Their objective is to 

 reduce cargo damage and delays by avoiding areas of rough seas. 

 The Over-the-Horizon radar could provide detailed sea surface 

 condition information on a routine basis, which these companies 

 might in turn use to make improved routing recommendations to 

 their customers. 



Question 2: In his testimony, Mr. Winokur described some of the 

 advances that have come as a result of the Whales '93 experiment. 

 As the primary federal agency with jurisdiction over whales, have 

 NOAA scientists been directly participating in this study? 



Answer: NOAA/NMFS scientists have not participated directly in 

 the Whales '93 experiment. NOAA/NMFS scientists have made site 

 visits to Navy facilities where the Whales '93 experiment is in 

 progress to consult with the Navy's contractor and Navy technical 

 staff to plan for joint NCAA-Navy follow-up experiments to 

 Whales '93. 



Questions 3: What are the implications for NOAA's marine mammal 

 management responsibilities? 



Answer; NOAA/NMFS believes that the Integrated Undersea 

 Surveillance System (lUSS) , i.e., the Sound Surveillance System 

 (SOSUS) and the Surveillance Towed Array Sonar System (SURTASS) , 

 offers an unprecedented opportunity for tracking and assessing 

 the status and seasonal distribution of endangered whales, and or 

 developing quantitative assessment capability that has the 

 potential to greatly surpass current survey techniques. lUSS may 

 represent a "next-generation" approach to protected resource 

 assessment that could reduce the annual costs of vessel and 

 aircraft surveys significantly, and that would allow many more 

 regions and populations to be monitored with less effort compared 

 to the capabilities of traditional assessment methods. However, 

 demonstrating assessment feasibility of lUSS will require 



