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required on the global scale. On the international scene, we are working with 

 over 30 countries to meet the scientific program requirements. These global 

 programs require deployment of research vessels to all the major oceans of the 

 world. 



The development and support of the US academic research fleet represents a 

 particularly effective and long-standing partnership between NSF and ONR that 

 has developed over the past 25 years. This particular partnership has resulted 

 in a world-class fleet of ocean research vessels. It is the result of mutual trust 

 and a shared understanding that fundamental research in ocean sciences is 

 equally important for national security, economic vitality, and environmental 

 monitohng. 



Future Policv Implications 



Ocean science research can help us understand the role of the oceans in global 

 phenomenon including near term weather prediction, long term climate change, 

 coastal ecology, and the impact of pollution on the environment. It can also 

 provide an understanding of the ocean as a source of food, minerals, and 

 energy 



The Ocean research supported by NSF is an example of the close connection 

 between fundamental research on topics of pure scientific interest and the value 

 that that research has for real world concerns. The National Science Foundation 

 has recently completed a strategic planning process that stresses the need to 

 promote not only the discovery of new knowledge, but its employment in service 

 to society. In the past, many in the research community felt that their primary 

 mission was to use technology to probe the mysteries of nature. Our goal at 

 NSF IS to expand this vision of the researcher's responsibility so that research 

 can be more clearly related to national interests. 



All Federal agencies are facing budgetary pressures as we struggle to balance 

 the budget. We cannot take for granted that research budgets will grow in the 

 future; indeed we must be prepared for future budgets that may provide little or 

 no real growth This makes it imperative that we look for ways to do what we do 

 even better and that includes developing new ways of coordinating research 

 across agencies and leveraging resources both inside the government and in 

 the private sector. 



NSF's long history of collaboration with other agencies that support research 

 and education in the ocean sciences makes me optimistic that we can continue 

 to build on this base in the future. Continued success will depend on our ability 

 to demonstrate to the public how even research into the most fundamental 

 scientific questions has implications for improving the quality of our lives. The 

 burden of clearly articulating the benefits of Federally funded scientific and 



