30 



6 



• Environmental Quality, Environmental threats in the form of contamination, such 



as the dumping of radioactive waste or the spilling of petroleum by the former Soviet Union 

 (as testified to in joint hearing of the Military Research and Development Subcommittee of 

 the House National Security Committee and the Fisheries, Wildlife and Oceans Subcommittee 

 of the House Resources Committee on December 5, 1995), imperil the open ocean and the 

 living resources it shelters. 



• Biodiversity, The genetic diversity of life on this planet is not only critical to 

 maintaining the health of critical ecosystems, but also offers the promise of significant new 

 discoveries in medicine and other fields. Recent research suggests that the ocean represents 

 the largest reservoir of biological species and that we have only just begun to quantify their 

 importance in medicine. 



• Global Change, Regional events such as El Nifio and changes in ocean circulation 

 influence climate on both seasonal and longer time scales. Research efforts have led to 

 better predictions of year-to-year variation, but considerable work remains to make these 

 forecasts operational. 



Effective policy decisions concerning these and other marine issues require a strong 

 foundation of reliable scientific information based on a comprehensive understanding of the 

 world's ocean. The need for enhanced understanding of the ocean calls on us to reexamine 

 and strengthen the partnerships among federzd agencies, academia, and the private sector. 

 These partnerships have formed the leadership role the United States has enjoyed in ocean 



