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14. National Sea Grant Colleges 

 PJj. 94-461 (90 Stat. 1961) 



AN ACT 



To Improve the national sea grant program and for 

 other purposes. 



Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Repre- 

 sentatives of the United States of America in Con- 

 gress assembled, That this Act may be cited as the 

 "Sea Grant Program Improvement Act of 1976". 



Sec 2. Amendment to the National Sea Grant College 

 and Program Act of 1966. 

 Title n of the Marine Resources and Engineering 

 Development Act of 1966 (33 U.S.C. 1101 et seq.) 

 is amended to read as follows: 



"Title n — National Sea Grant Program 



"Sec. 201. Short title. 



"This title may be cited as the 'National Sea 

 Grant Program Act'. 



"Sec. 202. Declaration of policy. 



"(a) Findings. — The Congress finds and declares 

 the following: 



"(1) The vitality of the Nation and the qual- 

 ity of life of its citizens depend increasingly on 

 the understanding assessment, development, uti- 

 lization, and conservation of ocean and coastal 

 resources. These resources supply food, energy, 

 and minerals and contribute to human health, 

 the quality of the environment, national security, 

 and the enhancement of commerce. 



"(2) The understanding, assessment, develop- 

 ment, utilization, and conservation of such re- 

 sources require a broad commitment and an in- 

 tense involvement on the part of the Federal 

 Government in continuing partnership with 

 State and local governments, private industry, 

 universities, organizations, and individuals con- 

 cerned with or affected by ocean and coastal re- 

 sources. 



"(3) The National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

 Administration, through the national sea grant 

 program, offers the most suitable locus and 

 means for such commitment and Involvement 

 through the promotion of activities that will 

 result in greater such understanding, assess- 

 ment, development, utilization, and conserva- 

 tion. Continued and increased Federal support 

 of the establishment, development, and operation 

 of programs and projects by sea grant colleges, 

 sea grant regional consortia, institutions of 

 higher education, institutes, laboratories, and 

 other appropriate public and private entities 

 is the most cost-effective way to promote such 

 activities. 



"(b) Objective. — The objective of this title is to 

 Increase the understanding, assessment, develop- 

 ment, utilization, and conservation of the Nation's 

 ocean and coastal resources by providing assistance 

 to promote a strong educational base, responsive 

 research and training activities, and broad and 

 prompt dissemination of Icnowledge and tecliniques. 



"(c) Purpose. — It is the purpose of the Congress 

 to achieve the objective of this title by extending 

 and strengthening the national sea grant program, 

 initially established in 1966, to promote research, 

 education, training, and advisory service activities 

 in fields related to ocean and coastal resources. 



"Sec. 203. Definitions. 



"As used in this title — 



"(1) The term 'Administrator' means the Na- 

 tional Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 



"(2) The term 'Administrator' means the Ad- 

 ministrator of the National Oceanic and Atmos- 

 spheric Administration. 



"(3) The term 'Director' means the Director 

 of the national sea grant program, appointed 

 pursuant to section 204(b) . 



"(4) The term 'field related to ocean and 

 coastal resources' means any discipline or field 

 (including marine science (and the physical, 

 natural, and biological sciences, and engineering, 

 included therein) , marine technolc^y, education, 

 economics, sociology, communications, planning, 

 law, international affairs, and public admin- 

 istration) which is concerned with or lllcely to 

 improve the understanding, assessment, devel- 

 opment, utilization, or conservation of ocean and 

 coastal resources. 



"(5) The term 'includes' and variants thereof 

 should be read as if the phrase 'but is not limited 

 to' were also set forth. 



"(6) The term 'marine environment' meajis 

 the coastal zone, as defined in section 304(1) of 

 the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 (16 

 U.S.C. 1453(1) ) ; the seabed, subsoil, and waters 

 of the territorial sea of the United States; the 

 waters of any zone over which the United States 

 asserts exclusive fishery management authority; 

 the waters of the high seas; and the seabed and 

 subsoil of and beyond the outer Continental 

 Shelf. 



"(7) The term 'ocean and coastal resources' 

 means any resource (whether living, nonliving, 

 manmade, tangible, intangible, actual, or poten- 

 tial) which is located in, derived from, or trace- 

 able to, the marine environment. Such term 

 includes the habitat of any such living resource, 

 the coastal space, the ecosystems, the nutrient- 

 rich areas, and the other components of the 

 marine environment which contribute to or pro- 

 vide (or which are capable of contributing to or 

 providing) recreational, scenic, 'esthetic, biologi- 

 cal, habitational, commercial, economic, or con- 

 servation values. Living resources include natural 

 and cultured plant life, fish, shellfish, marine 

 mammals, and wildlife. Nonliving resources in- 

 clude energy sources, minerals, and chemical 

 substances. 



"(8) The term 'panel' means the sea grant 

 review panel established under section 209. 



