379 



TOWARD NEW PARTNERSHIPS IN OCEAN SCIENCES 4^ 



reports. The USGS marine program has two components: (1) the 

 Offshore Geologic Framework, and (2) Coastal and Wetlands Pro- 

 cesses. The Offshore Geologic Framework components conduct 

 regional scientific investigations aimed at understandmg and de- 

 scribing the geologic framework, energy and mineral resources, 

 geohazards, and seafloor environmental conditions of U.S. offshore 

 and other areas that could potentially provide a continued supply 

 of needed resources. 



The overall objective of USGS coastal research is to improve 

 our ability to predict coastal erosion, wetland loss, coastal pollu- 

 tion, and the location of marine hard mineral resources through a 

 better understanding of processes and the geologic framework withm 

 which the processes operate. Improved predictive capabilities are 

 needed by coastal zone planners and managers and are required 

 for preservation of the nation's coastal resources. Thus USGS 

 marine science activities range from a major systematic mapping 

 of the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), to deep seismic ex- 

 ploration beneath the seafloor and continental margins, to trans- 

 port processes within the ocean and in coastal areas. Recent in- 

 creased focus on the coastal zone resulted from government interest 

 in sea-level rise and pollution. Because USGS participates in many 

 national and international research programs with academic sci- 

 entists, it has developed effective means for peer review and com- 

 munication of agency research results. An example of partner- 

 ships is the USGS Marine Program, begun in the 1960s. The 

 program located it facilities near academic or oceanographic insti- 

 tutions (i.e., Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, the Univer- 

 sity of South Florida, Stanford University, and the University of 

 Washington), which permits sharing of marine infrastructure and 

 human resources. Numerous memoranda of understanding and 

 cooperative agreements with other universities are also in place 

 for specific program tasks and needs. USGS annually conducts a 

 part of its field operations on UNOLS ships. 



An expanded partnership between USGS and academia could 

 include the following: 



• Increased use of external scientists to reviev/ the USGS ocean 

 science program. This process might help to clarify the unique 

 role of USGS in marine research. Aspects of the USGS Marine 

 Program are presently reviewed by the Marine Board and other 

 NRC boards. 



• Increased participation of external scientists on collabora- 

 tive projects. Examples of recent successes include studies con- 



