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• Because no single agency is charged with and able to oversee the 

 total national marine science agenda, an effective means needs to be found for 

 agencies to interact at the policy level and formulate action plans. 



• Federal agencies with marine-related missions should develop 

 mechanisms to guarantee the continuing vitality of the underlying basic science 

 ^r, „,k:/.k fKoM depend. 



• Federal and academic researchers should improve the sharing of 

 data, the cooperative use of facilities, and the conduct of joint research. 



• The present system for data management and exchange within and 

 among the various elements of the marine science community should be 

 modernized to reflect the existence of distributed computing systems, national 

 and international data networks, improved satellite data links, and on-line 

 distribution of oceanographic data. 



The Importance of Ocean Science 



I would like to preface my comments by sharing with you the words of my 

 predecessor, Dr. Frank Press, in his introduction to Oceanography in the Next Decade: 

 Building New Partnerships: 



The ocean has always had a profound influence on human life. It has 

 been an important source of food and means of commerce. However, it has 



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