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Navy that had specific missions that needed this kind of technology 

 base. 



I think it's important, too, to point out that in that particular 

 technology which was developed by the Navy, it has now been 

 transitioned from the Navy to the operational side of the academic 

 community and the academic community now has full access. 



It's a very wonderful example of cooperative work, where the Na- 

 tional Science Foundation is now funding research using those as- 

 sets. 



I think, though, it's a very important point to point out, is that 

 we're not as technology-limited as we were ten years ago or 15 

 years ago. 



To me, one of the biggest concerns I see is the ability to go to 

 sea. What's the sense of having all of these assets? What's the 

 sense of having all of this technology if we're going to see less than 

 we used to go to sea? 



I certainly know in the 30 years that I've been on the Woods 

 Hole Oceanographic Institution, we're not as a scientist at that in- 

 stitution going to sea as much as we used to be because it's becom- 

 ing more and more difficult to get into the ocean. 



And so I think it's very important to make sure that we're main- 

 taining an oceanographic fleet that lets us get out there. At any 

 one time, I think that presently, there are four manned assets in 

 the world that can reach the average depth of the ocean. 



Imagine — four assets in the world that can reach the average 

 depth of the planet. 



And so, on a good day, you might have 12 people down there. 

 And so we must move forward in not only using manned vehicle 

 systems, but move into the use of robotic systems, but use the tele- 

 communication technology to access this area. 



And so it's very important that we are a sea-going research com- 

 munity and that's why ships and the gasoline that goes into them 

 are very important to us. 



Mr. ROEMER. And your point is that this project was 100 percent 

 government-funded, and then only after success, leveraged private- 

 sector dollars and academic dollars. 



Dr. Ballard. Correct. That's mostly in the uses of it. 



But if you look at the development of deep submergence, which 

 I've been a part of my entire life, the United States Navy has been 

 the leader in the development of deep submergence technology, has 

 led the way in providing those capabilities for the academic com- 

 munity. It was the Office of Naval Research that made ALVIN pos- 

 sible many, many years ago. And it's only after that you can take 

 these risks that have no apparent commercial value to them, ini- 

 tially, that then you can break the groundwork. 



But I must point out that Lewis and Clark had a hell of a lot 

 of trouble getting money from you gentlemen as well, and that ex- 

 ploration is a very difficult process. 



Many of us, if you look at the history of President Jefferson, he 

 finally had to use his own money to sponsor Lewis and Clark to 

 go and look at the Louisiana Purchase. 



Mr. ROEMER. Dr. Ballard, I was not here then. 



[Laughter.] 



There may be other members of this panel that were. 



