There probably will be no major issues dealing 
with the precollege training for those who will be- 
come marine specialists: There has been some con- 
troversy over the National Science Foundation’s 
science education programs, and that may continue, 
but will not particularly affect marine science. 
In general marine education, the major issue 
will continue to be what role the Federal Gov- 
ernment should play, given, on the one hand, ap- 
parently increasing interest in the oceans and, on the 
other, not only traditional concerns about limiting 
the Federal role in education, but also present-day 
budget limitations. Proponents of a larger Federal 
role continue to encourage Sea Grant and the Office 
of Education to enlarge their marine education ef- 
forts, especially curriculum development, now that 
the two agencies have signed an interagency agree- 
ment highlighting the importance of the subject. 
Critics demand clear evidence of the need for a 
larger Federal role as well as detailed plans before 
supporting any significant new effort. Since large 
budget allocations are unlikely, the issue may focus 
on whether Sea Grant colleges should concentrate 
their limited general education funds on curriculum 
development or on hiring liaison people to work with 
State education departments. 
While the basic concept of “public participation” 
increasingly seems to be accepted, in some cases even 
mandated by law, there is still controversy about 
what agencies should do to facilitate such participa- 
tion. Debate about organizational arrangements will 
focus both on the structure for hearings, advisory 
committees, and so forth, and on the proper role for 
the environmental and public interest groups which 
claim to represent the public. Debate about the 
information side of agency programs is likely to focus 
less on ‘the public’s legal right to information and 
more on possible ways to help public groups find and 
use this information. 
One present controversy that will continue is the 
question of whether NOAA should provide financial 
assistance to intervenors, enabling them not only to 
participate in hearings, but also to afford researchers 
and expert advisers, or whether, as some argue, the 
agency simply should improve public education and 
provide more information to special interest groups. 
If proponents of financial aid prevail, public partici- 
pation will become more institutionalized in NOAA, 
though the agency will face the question of who is to 
be selected to represent “the public.” 
In any case, the very fact that this and similar 
debates now occur is further evidence of the changes 
and issues which now appear throughout the whole 
field of marine manpower and education. 
VILI-30 
