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TOWARD NEW PARTNERSHIPS IN OCEAN SCIENCES 29 



tists. Also, the heavy dependence of academic oceanographers on 

 federal support, compared with other fields, suggests that aca- 

 demic institutions should explore mechanisms for the stable sup- 

 port of their researchers. Academic scientists have a responsibil- 

 ity to help the federal agencies that fund them when it comes to 

 applying research results to agency missions. Partnerships imply 

 shared responsibilities and anticipation of the future needs of both 

 partners. 



Sharing oi Academic and Federal Resources 



The board recommends that federal and academic researchers 

 improve the sharing of data, the cooperative use of facilities, and 

 the conduct of joint research. Some mission agencies encourage 

 cooperation with academic scientists, but increased formal inter- 

 action could significantly improve the efficiency of the national 

 oceanographic effort. The major facility available to the marine 

 science community, the research fleet, is a national resource. 

 Maintaining, developing, and operating the fleet in the most effi- 

 cient and cost-effective manner should be paramount in all dis- 

 cussions of shared resources. 



Development of Instrumentation 



Some advancement of oceanographic knowledge has come through 

 the development of new observational technologies. Effective op- 

 erational systems to solve the complex problems facing mission 

 agencies will consist largely of instruments that either do not 

 now exist or have not yet been redesigned for oceanography. The 

 development of both in situ and satellite oceanographic instru- 

 mentation requires a long-term investment in novel technologies 

 and in the extensive field trials necessary to make instruments 

 operational. The board recommends that to ensure continued 

 progress in instrumentation, new mechanisms be found to address 

 the long time frames necessary for instrument development in 

 oceanography. Mission agencies, whose future success will de- 

 pend increasingly on instrumentation that does not yet exist, should 

 initiate suitable roles in the development of new technology. 



Transfer of Responsibility 



The division of tasks between academic scientists and agen- 

 cies will depend on the agencies' missions, resources, and internal 



