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Call for Review
White House Ocean Policy Interim Report: Comments Due by 16 October 2009
Here is a copy of the Interim Report of the Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force. The final section, Section 5, specifically calls for strengthening ocean observing. Released 9/17/09, the report is open for public comments for 30 days. To submit comments follow the link to the Ocean Policy Task Force Website (http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/ceq/initiatives/oceans/interimreport/).
Excerpt for the Interim Plan on Ocean Observing:
5. Ocean Coastal, and Great Lakes Observations and Infrastructure: Strengthen and integrate Federal and non-Federal ocean observing systems, sensors, and data collection platforms into a national system and integrate that system into international observation efforts.
Obstacles and Opportunities
Our ability to understand weather, climate, and ocean conditions, to forecast key environmental processes, and to strengthen ocean management decision-making at all levels is informed by a sound knowledge base. Efficient and effective coordination of the many available tools, continued development of new tools and infrastructure, and integration of them into a cohesive, unified, robust system is becoming increasingly difficult as an ever increasing number of data collection and processing systems come on line. New ground-breaking observation technologies give us the ability to observe and study global processes at all scales. These new tools, if fully integrated, will significantly advance our knowledge and understanding of the ocean, our coasts, and the Great Lakes. Furthermore, successful integration of new tools and data will improve our ability to engage in science-based decision-making and ecosystem-based management by ensuring that biological, ecological, and social data and processes are included in the calculus.
The Plan Should Address:
- A nationally integrated system of ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes observing systems, comprised of Federal and non-Federal components, and cooperation with international partners and organizations, as appropriate;
- Regional and national needs for ocean information, to gather specific data on key ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes variables that are required to support the areas of special emphasis and other national needs;
- The use of unmanned vehicles and remote sensing platforms and satellites to gather data on the health and productivity of the ocean, our coasts, and the Great Lakes;
- The capabilities and gaps of the National Oceanographic Fleet of ships and related facilities; and
- Data management, communication, access, and modeling systems for the timely integration and dissemination of data and information products.
| Posted: 25 September 2009 | Return to Top |
