309 



Congressional Bnefing on Oceanography 



Santa Barbara, California 



February 12, 1996 



Comments by Curtis A. Collins, Professor of Oceanography, Naval Postgraduate School, 



Monterey, California 



Congressmen, Ladies and Gentlemen: 



I begin by noting that these remarks are my own observations and opinions and 

 should not be construed as represenlmg either the official view of the US Navy nor those 

 of the Supenntendent and Academic Dean of the Naval Postgraduate School. 1 will focus 

 my remarks on the themes of federal, stale and industnal consortia, and ways in which I 

 feel the US Navy and the Naval Postgraduate School can take advantage of such 

 anangemenLs. 



1. Educational Consortia for Monterey Bay Area. In ocean sciences, the 

 academic and research institutions in the Monterey Bay area have developed complementary 

 programs in different subdisciplines. For example, the Naval Postgraduate School 

 specializes in Physical and Acoustical Oceanography while Moss Landing Marine 

 Laboratones (MLML) (part of the California State University system) specializes in 

 Biological and Chemical Oceanography. The institutions in the Monterey Bay area 

 (University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC), Hopkins Marine Station of Stanford 

 Uni\ersity, MLML, and Monterey Bay Research Institute (MBARI)) are in the process of 

 forming an educational consortium. For example, arrangements for students at UCSC to 

 take classes at NPS, and vice-versa, have been completed. This consortia will allow 

 students and faculty to take advantage of academic expertise and facilities at existing 

 campuses so that laboratones and classes need not be duplicated. I believe that this 

 consortia is important for NPS in the area of ocean sciences. Future NPS students (US 

 Na\y officeis) will need education in areas of geological, chemical and biological 

 oceanography. Rather than hinng faculty and building laboratories for studies in these 

 areas, it makes more sense for NPS students to enroll in these courses at neighbonng 

 institutions. Note that the current law provides severe restrictions upon civilian students 

 errolling in classes at NPS, and effecuvely precludes NPS participation m this consortia. 

 Congressman Farr has inU^oduced legislation to correct this situation and I encourage your 

 support. 



