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HUMAN. PHYSICAL, AND FISCAL RESOURCES 143 



ography is becoming an established academic discipline. Physical 

 resource requirements to ensure that the levels of support, equip- 

 ment, and access to the ocean are adequate to carry out the re- 

 search needed in the next decade should be important principles 

 as academic institutions and federal agencies develop new part- 

 nerships. 



Ships 



Even with new remote sensing techniques and autonomous 

 vehicles, ships will continue to be the major platform for direct 

 at-sea observations and measurements as well as for the calibra- 

 tion and verification of remote measurements. These tasks re- 

 quire a modern fleet of research vessels, a fleet whose composi- 

 tion and capabilities should be tailored to research objectives. 



The federal oceanographic fleet is defined as the set of oceano- 

 graphic vessels whose operations are funded by the federal gov- 

 ernment. The fleet is composed of more than 60 vessels operated 

 by both federal agencies and academic institutions. The academic 

 institutions coordinate their ship activities through UNOLS, which 

 was formed in 1971 to support oceanographic research by coordi- 

 nating and scheduling ships and equipment for their efficient use. 

 UNOLS institutions operate and use vessels owned by the NSF, 

 the Navy, and academic institutions. The UNOLS fleet, although 

 not formally designated as a national facility, is recognized as a 

 national asset vital to the needs of U.S. oceangoing scientists. 

 Before the formation of UNOLS, each institution negotiated sepa- 

 rately with the group of federal supporters. Ships were scheduled 

 primarily for the exclusive use of the operating institution's sci- 

 entists. UNOLS's consolidated scheduling of ships has improved 

 efficiency and ensured availability of time at sea to all funded 

 researchers. Its success has reduced the importance of each institution's 

 operating its own research vessel and has allowed, from a national 

 viewpoint, institutions without ships to develop strong marine 

 programs with seagoing components. 



UNOLS consists of 57 member institutions, of which 20 oper- 

 ate research vessels. The UNOLS fleet is composed of surface 

 ships ranging in length, age, and origin; the submersible Alvin-, 

 and the floating instrument platform (FLIP) (Table 4-5). Some 

 were built using capital provided by the federal government; oth- 

 ers were built or purchased at state or institutional expense. In 

 1990, NSF supported 59.0 percent of UNOLS's operational ship 

 days; ONR's contribution was 15.5 percent; other federal agencies 



