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16 OCEANOGRAPHY IN THE NEXT DECADE 



acoustic properties of marginal seas and coastal areas, is critical 

 to national defense. Experience gained in 1991 during the war in 

 the Persian Gulf highlights the need for better information re- 

 lated to oceanic and coastal processes and to maritime operations 

 and transportation. 



• Energy. The ocean's energy resources are essential to the 

 national economy and national security. After a decade of rela- 

 tive neglect, energy issues are reemerging. With oil supplies con- 

 tinually threatened by instability in the Middle East and with 

 increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide viewed as a possible trig- 

 ger of global warming, there is a need to look carefully at a full 

 range of energy sources, from oil and gas in our Exclusive Eco- 

 nomic Zone to wave and tidal power and ocean thermal energy 

 conversion. Better knowledge of the ocean and seabed is neces- 

 sary to exploit responsibly the ocean's untapped petroleum and 

 natural gas resources. 



• Coastal Hazards. This nation must improve its prediction 

 of and response to coastal hazards, both natural and human in- 

 duced. Hurricanes Hugo and Andrew, two of the strongest hurri- 

 canes of the century, devastated parts of the U.S. East Coast. Their 

 impact reinforced the need for better predictive capabilities and a 

 better understanding of coastal storm surges, flooding, erosion, 

 and winds. The exploration for, and production of, petroleum and 

 the transportation of petroleum and chemical products pose risks 

 to the environment when spillage occurs. The movement, effects, 

 and ultimate fates of spilled products must be understood for effec- 

 tive public response. The available information is woefully inad- 

 equate, particularly for fragile ecosystems such as coral reefs. 



Increasing our knowledge about the ocean is a matter of ur- 

 gency. Human-induced changes to the planet's oceans and atmo- 

 sphere will increasingly affect the global cycles that ultimately 

 control the number of people our planet can support. To predict 

 the results of environmental disturbances and prescribe possible 

 remedies, a better understanding of Earth's systems, including the 

 ocean, must be acquired. For example, an important scientific 

 and policy question today is whether Earth will warm in response 

 to increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atm.osphere 

 and, if so, how quickly. We know that the concentrations of 

 these gases are increasing and that the most advanced climate 

 models indicate that warming should occur. The ocean plays a 

 key but poorly understood role in moderating both greenhouse 

 gases and temperature change. 



The coast of the United States is one of the nation's most 



