286 



FFDERAL OCEAN RESEARCH FUNDS/FLEET OPERATIONS FUNDS 



NSF: 



Ctirrently (FY95), the NSF Ocean Sciences budget spends about 22 cents of every 

 dollar on ship support. The total Ocean Sciences budget (less the Ocean Drilling 

 Program) is $153 million, and $33.9 million (average of FY 93-95) is used for 

 op>erational support of oceanographic facilities. It is likely that the present balance 

 between science and facilities will be maintained. Any NSF support for major new 

 facilities will require commensurate science support. 



Office of Naval Research and other Navy: 



The Navy is projecting their use of UNOLS ships will increase beginning in 1996. 



Navy funding for academic oceanographic facilities has fluctuated widely over the 



past five years, ranging from $3.1 million to $6.4 million per year. In 1995, ONR 



budgeted $103 million for basic (6.1) oceanographic science projects and they have 



averaged $4.9 million (FY 93-95) for operational support of academic oceanographic 



platforms. 



National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration: 

 The NOAA budget for extramural ocean science programs (NUKP, Sea Grant, 

 Cooperative Research Institutes, Coastal Ocean Progran\, Global Change Programs) 

 in 1995 was $79 million. Over the past 3 years, NOAA support for UNOLS 

 operations has averaged $2.1 million. (The bulk of NOAA's oceanographic research 

 has been conducted on NOAA vessels.) 



Environmental Protection Agency: 



EPA spent $41 million on ocean research in 1995, and $65,000 of UNOLS ship time. 

 The EPA has operated a small fleet of coastal vessels; however, this fleet is aging 

 and may not be replaced. 



Other Agencies: 



In 1995, NASA, USGS, MMS, DoE and ARPA spent a combined total of $106 million 

 on ocean science programs. The programs spend, on average, less that $900,000 on 

 the UNOLS fleet. (In the past, the USGS operated two large research vessels. These 

 have both been retired and USGS is plcinning to use the UNOLS fleet.) 



