in 1966. In 1972, NOAA established an agencywideMarine Advisory 

 Service, administered by the Office of Sea Grant, linking the NOAA 

 components and the marine advisory services already operating in 

 coastal States. OtherFederal agencies with marine-related responsi- 

 bilities and expertise cooperate with the service, adding to the body 

 of knowledge that can be drawn upon in assisting and solving local 

 marine problems, large or small. 



Agents of the marine advisory service are ever-present figures 

 along the coasts, talking with operators of fishing boats, ports, 

 marinas, seafood processing plants, and power facilities, as well as 

 with coastal planners. In solving local problems, the agents bring to 

 bear not only their own expertise derived from experience but also 

 the results of university and Government research and development 

 programs. In this way, new technology is transferred quickly and 

 efficiently into practical use by the marine community. 



Sometimes an agent may encounter a problem to which there is no 

 known solution. Here the vital feedback aspect of the marine 

 advisory program comes into play. The newly expressed need is 

 reported and flows back through the system to the university, 

 NOAA, or other Government agencies, shaping the course of future 

 research and service programs. 



About half of the advisory effort involves commercial and 

 recreational fishing and the seafood industry. Coastal zone manage- 

 ment, boating, port operation, and marine science education are also 

 areas of significant public interest and marine advisory service 

 involvement. 



Advisory service techniques to bring scientific and technical 

 information to users include workshops, short courses, 

 demonstrations, and the release of information through newsletters, 

 news media, and nontechnical publications. Nationally, several 

 hundred workshops are held each year with attendance ranging from 

 small numbers to a hundred or more persons. Newsletters and 

 publications reach several thousand persons in each coastal State. 



FUTURE 



For the future, the National Sea Grant Program's most important 

 goal is to extend its network, benefits, and services to all coastal and 

 Great Lakes States and to U.S. island territories. 



The NOAA Marine Advisory Service hopes to expand its network 

 also, most immediately to New Jersey, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. 

 Some of the newer and smaller advisory services will be strengthen- 

 ed, and agents specializing in coastal zone management, marine 

 mining, aquaculture, and marine transportation will be added to the 

 system. 



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