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NATIONAL OCEAN CONFERENCE
of Commerce
of Life
Foreword ......... . . . . iv
Secretary of Commerce William M. Daley and '-.
Secretary of the Navy John H. Dalton
Ocean Initiatives for the 21st Century (highlights) . .v
Opening Address (from the Cross-Cutting Issues Plenary Session) . . . .vi
Vice President Al Gore
Oceans and Commerce . . . .-. . ... ....... . 2
Issue Forum 4
'-''. Summary Report to the Vice President . .32
Questions from the Vice President . . . . . . .............. .34
Oceans and Global Security . . . . .36
Issue Forum . . . . ..;•. ... . . . ... . . . . . . . . ... . . . ....... .38
Summary Report to the Vice President .66
Questions from the Vice President 67
Ocean Exploration, Education, and Research ..... . . . . .70
Issue Forum .72
Summary Report to theVice President . . . . .100
Questions from the Vice President ............ . 100
Ocean Environment and Health . ... . . ............ .102
Issue Forum ....................;......... 104
Summary Report to the Vice President .133
Questions from the Vice President 134
Cross-Cutting Issues in Ocean Programs and Policy . . .138
(Lssuefomm summary reports and issue-specific questions from the
Vice President presented during this plenary session can be found in
the subject chapters listed above.)
Congressional, State, and Local Perspectives ......... .154
Ocean Programs and Policies for the 21st Century . . . .168
Introductory remarks by Representative Sam Farr,
Senator Barbara Boxer, First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton,
Dr. Sylvia A. Earle, and Vice President Al Gore . 170
Keynote Address: President William Jefferson Clinton ........... .176
Environmental Hero Awards . .-.. ....... ... ........ .180
Luncheon Address . . . . ... ... ...... .-.. . . . 180
Rear Admiral Paul Gaffneyll
Appendices ... . . . . . . . . 184
National Ocean Conference Agenda . . ... . . ........... .185
Ocean Initiatives for the 21st Century . .186
Summary of Regional Satellite Downlink Meetings . 191
Summary of EPA Regional Meetings . 211
Summary of U.S. Coast Guard/
DOT Regional Listening Sessions 214
National Ocean Conference Participants 235
Acknowledgments . 241
-------
4JS-
**i
:>
(i Oceans are critical—not just to
owf economy, not just to our food
supply, not just to America's trade
and security—but to the fabric of
life itself. This is the day we move
full speed ahead to a brighter future
for the oceans and for the economy."
— Vice President Al Gore
"It's important for all of us to
pause and consider what we wan\
to leave to future generations, an\
how we'll honor the past and
imagine the future and give gifts]
to those who will live out their
lives in the 21st century."
— First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton
-------
PHOTO: RONALD BELL, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
"We've made the investment needed to venture
into the skies, and it has paid off mightily. We've
neglected the oceans, and it has cost us dearly.
This is the time to do for [the oceans in] the 21st
century what our predecessors did for space. "This
Year of the Ocean marks the beginning for the
millennium of the oceans."
- Dr. Sylvia A. Earle
-------
Foreword
The United Nations proclaimed 1998 the International Year of the
Ocean. As part of the ongoing Year of the Ocean activities, the
Department of Commerce and the Department of the Navy co-
hosted the National Ocean Conference on June 11 and 12,1998, in
Monterey, California. The purpose of the conference was to high-
light the important role the oceans play in our daily lives and to
raise awareness of ocean issues among the public and all of the key
stakeholders: government, business, academia, environmentalists,
and other nongovernmental organizations. The National Ocean
Conference set out to focus the critical dialogue that must develop
for our own collective national and global interests in the oceans for
the 21st century.
Almost 1,000 individuals participated in the conference at Monterey
with nearly 1,000 more active participants at 33 conference satellite
downlink sites across the nation. Thousands more viewed the con-
ference over the Internet, and several television stations provided live
coverage. As the first truly national meeting on the ocean, the
National Ocean Conference was a historic achievement and an
important beginning. It successfully raised ocean issues to a higher
priority on the national agenda and began a serious dialogue among
those who will help shape the future of the world's oceans.
It is our hope that the issues raised at the conference will become
part of a national dialogue on sustaining our oceans not only among
policymakers and the ocean community, but also among our nation's
schoolchildren and the general public. It is there that dialogue and
action will guarantee the important balance that we must maintain,
globally, for die use and conservation of our world's greatest
resource—the oceans.
John H. Dalton
SKretaryoftheHavy
William M. Daley
Secretary of Commerce
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-------
Ocean Initiatives
for the 21st Century
Below is a summary of the initiatives President Clinton announced during
the National Ocean Conference. The President and Vice President are
proposing an additional $224 million through 2002 to support these
efforts. The full text appears on page 186.
Building Sustainable Fisheries ;.
The Administration announced measures to reduce overfishing, protect
essential fish habitat, and sustain fishing communities, including a ban on
the importation of undersized Atlantic swordfish ($194. million). . .'
Creating Ports for the 21 st Century
The Administration launched an $800 million ports modernization and
safety program, financed by a proposed new Harbor Services Fund, to
handle the expected increase in vessel traffic in the 21st century.
Joining the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea
The President called on the U.S. Senate to recognize the breadth of support
among all sectors of the U.S. ocean community to ratify and join the
Convention to maintain America's leadership in international ocean affairs.
Protecting Coral Reefs
President Clinton signed an Executive Order directing federal agencies to
expand research, preservation, and restoration activities and announced the
completion of restoration of 18 damaged reefs in U.S. waters ($6 million
through 2002). - : . .
Protecting Our Oceans from Offshore Oil Drilling
The President issued a directive extending the moratorium on offshore oil
arid gas leasing for an additional 10 years'.and permanently barring new
leasing in national marine sanctuaries.
Exploring the Last U.S. Frontier
The Administration is-launching a program to map and explore U.S. ocean
waters with advanced underwater technology to unravel deep-sea mysteries
and discover ocean opportunities ($12 million).
Protecting Our Beaches, Coastal Waters, and Health
The Vice President announced a new Web site listing beach advisories and
closings and a coordinated strategy to respond to toxic algal blooms. He
and President Clinton called on Congress to fully fund the Administration's
$2.3 billion Clean Water Action Plan.
Monitoring Climate and Global Warming
The Administration announced an expanded ocean monitoring system in
the North Atlantic and North Pacific to better understand the role of the
oceans in shaping our weather and climate ($12 million through 2002).
Providing Public Access to Military Data and Technology
The Administration announced the declassification and release of classified
Navy data to help increase our understanding of marine life and enhance
weather forecasting and climate change research. The Department of
Defense will produce computer-based nautical charts to replace paper
charts. .... ...
-------
Opening Address
Vice President Al Gore
(From the Gross-Cutting Issues Plenary Session)
Welcome to the nation's very first National Ocean Conference. It's fitting in
this International Year of the Ocean that the United States of America have
this conference. And it's fitting that we come here to this spectacularly beauti-
ful location—where the awareness of the importance of our oceans is so
high—in order to have this conference.
Thomas Mann once wrote that "The sea is not landscape, it is the experience
of eternity." I think all of us at some point in our lives have felt that sense of
romance with the ocean—the sense that those dark-blue waters are much
more than a source of food and commerce and scientific insight. They're also
a source of inspiration and pride, and perhaps the single greatest natural trea-
sure on God's Earth. That's why this conference is actually'so long overdue.
There's no other natural resource upon which we depend so much but about
which we know relatively so little. Together, we must find new ways to pro-
tect and explore and harvest the oceans that are so crucial to the fabric of life
itself.
Increasingly, our relationship to the world's oceans is changing significantly
with rapidly increasing population and with new technologies that are mag-
nifying our ability to exploit natural resources. One needs to think only
briefly of drift nets, but there are many other technologies as well. A lot of*
the technologies are great blessings, but some of them have side effects that
weren't fully anticipated. Some of them, when used to the maximum by the
billions of people on Earth, can exploit beyond safe thresholds.
There's no doubt that oceans have become a rich source of economic
growth.They sustain one out of every six American jobs now. Our coastal
areas produce 85 percent of all tourism dollars, and our beaches are now the
leading tourist destination in America.
The spectacular beauty of the California coastline is world renowned, I'm
one of the millions of people who have had my breath taken away by the
spectacular beauty here. It's amazing and unique. Yet, in many areas of our
coastal waters and elsewhere in (he world, too many of our precious waters
suffer from overfishing and pollution threatening our food and water and
jeopardizing the beaches where our children swim.
Our oceans are an endless universe of exploration and discovery. They're
home to the dazzling coral reefs that are, as some say, "the rainforests of the
sea," the key sources of biodiversity, and, thus, the sources of lifesaving medi-
cines and treatments. New discoveries are being made all the time, especially
since the mysteries of DNA have begun to be unraveled.
„«; M
-------
The oceans are also a crucial barometer of •weather and climate.
This past year, with El Nino hitting us the way it did, has
reminded all of us freshly how important is the connection
between what goes on in the oceans and what goes on in
weather and climate. But for all of the potential in those ways
and in other ways, oceans are surprisingly too often a neglected
scientific resource. Until very recently, we knew more about
the surface of the moon than we did about the ocean floor.
I'm pleased to announce, on behalf of the President, several
new initiatives that will dramatically increase our understanding
of the oceans and our efforts to protect them:
• We will launch a new $12-miHion effort leveraging tens of
millions more from industry and foundations to explore and
map the U.S. domestic ocean, to find new forms of marine
life, to discover lifesaving pharmaceuticals, and to finally
assess the full economic value of our: oceans.
• We will launch new partnerships with states, local commu-
nities, and the private sector to sharply reduce pollution in
coastal waters and also make the information available
instantly to the public on when beaches have to be closed
and why.
• We will develop a new and sophisticated ocean monitoring
system to give us a much better understanding of that criti-
cal relationship between oceans and global warming.
• We will release to the public previously top-secret Navy and
military data about the oceans—data that do not compro-
mise our national security and that •will teach us a great deal
more about climate and weather systems.
We have strengthened our efforts to protect and restore our
fragile coral reefs through an Executive Order signed by the
President on June 11,1998. We are proposing *a"n additional
$6 million to further this effort and restore damaged reefs in
the Pacific, in the Atlantic, and in the Gulf of Mexico^
Of course, we have much more to do, and that's why we're
here. We have an agenda that's coming out of each one of the
conference*'s fpur issue forums:
• Oceans and Commerce—As ports flourish and tourism
continues to grow, we must look for creative and sustainable
ways to harness the growth^that comes from fishing, ship-
ping, recreation, and tourism.
• Oceans and Global Security—With so much of our security
and trade floating upon those dark-blue waters, freedom of
the seas is in our clear national interest. We must work with
other nations to safeguard it.
• Ocean Environment and Health—We mustjbalange the eco-
nomic growth that comes frorn our seas and the fish and
fragile ecosystems that thrive in them.
• Ocean Exploration, Education, and Research—In the 21st
century, the' oceans can yield profound new scientific break-
throughs. We must seize these jnew opportunities now
because we don't have a moment to :waste.
This conference and the work of its participants can help us
develop a comprehensive agenda to protect and harness our
oceans for the 21st century. There's no greater challenge for all
of us and for our nation.
-------
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As ports flourish and tourism
continues to grow, we must look
for creative and sustainable ways
to harness the growth that
comes from fishing, shipping,
recreation, and tourism.
PANEL CO-CHAIRS
THE HONORABLE D. JAMES BAKER
Under Secretary for Oceans and Atmosphere
Administrator, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
U.S. Department of Commerce
THE HONORABLE JOHN GRAYKOWSKI
Acting Administrator, Maritime Administration
U.S. Department of Transportation
PANELISTS
PHILIP ANDERSON
Director, Interjurisdictional Resource Management
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
THE HONORABLE MADELEINE Z. BORDALLO
Lieutenant Governor of Guam
RICHARD DU MOULIN
President and CEO, Marine Transport Lines
Chairman, International Association of Independent Tanker Owners
CHARLESW FOSTER
Executive Director, Port of Oakland
DR. M.R.C. GREENWOOD
Chancellor, University of California/Santa Cruz
ROGER MCMANUS
President, Center for Marine Conservation
THE HONORABLE RON SIMS
King County Executive
JEKABS "JAKE" P. VITTANDS
President, Metcalf & Eddy
FACILITATOR
LEELANGSTAFF
PHOTO: PORT OF SEATTLE
-------
Oceans and
Commerce
More than 95 percent
of foreign trade by
tonnage conies to U.S.
ports by sea. Maritime
transportation is the
safest, cleanest, most
efficient, and most
economically sound
means of transporting
large quantities of
goods over long
distances.
Photo: Port of Seattle
Panel Co-chair Introductory Remarks
The Honorable D. James Baker
Under Secretory for Oceans and Atmosphere; Administrator, National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce
Good morning, everybody, and thank you for being here. One of the
points of the conference was to be able to create this shared vision of the
future for ocean issues.
I'm Jim Baker, Under Secretary for Oceans and Atmosphere at the U.S.
Department of Commerce and Administrator of NOAA [National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration]. I'm especially pleased to be co-chairing
this session with John Graykowski, who is the Acting Administrator of the
Department of Transportation's Maritime Administration [MARAD].John
came to MARAD recently, in 1997, but has 14 years' experience in
Congress, including the Senate Merchant Marine Subcommittee.
It's a great pleasure for me and John to be here as co-chairs to kick off
this exciting and ground-breaking conference. As President Clinton said in
his 1998 statement about the Year of the Ocean, "This provides us with an
extraordinary opportunity to learn
more about the ocean's unique
environment and to collaborate on
protecting and preserving its
invaluable resources ."This confer-
ence is a milestone in enabling us
to do that.
A key purpose of the conference
is to significantly broaden the dia-
logue that we currently have, to
introduce a sense of community
among the multiple communities
that have committed to the use, sus-
tained health, and exploration of
the ocean. That's why you'll find
fishermen, farmers, teachers, coastal,
corporate, scientific, academic, and
government leaders all sitting here
together. I hope you'll seize this
opportunity to have a dialogue with
your colleagues during the confer-
ence and afterwards, because every-
one's perspective is important.
We have a very distinguished
and diverse panel to address the
issues of commerce, "Oceans of Commerce, Oceans of Life" being the
theme of our conference. Let me just say a few words about the role of the
Department of Commerce, and then I'll turn to the other panelists. We're
committed to balancing the economic potential of the sea with safeguards to
make sure that resources aren't carelessly depleted. We know that the econ-
omy and the environment require informed planning, stewardship, and part-
nership. We're here to consider challenges and opportunities that we face
together in balancing economy and environment.
We still don't have a good economic estimate of the value of our territor-
ial sea, our 200-mile zone. We said today in the film that:
• One out of every six jobs in the United States is marine-related.
• Fisheries add about $20 billion to the U.S. economy.
• Ninety-five percent of foreign trade by tonnage comes to our ports by sea.
NATIONAL OCEAN CONFERENCE
-------
• Coastal tourism and recreation are the largest
and fastest-growing segment of the U.S. ser-
vice industry.
• We are seeing more and more push for deep-
sea drilling—very deep-sea drilling—fox oil
and gas as it becomes technically feasible.
• The telecommunications industry continues to
explode, and a part of that is looking for a
vasdy increasing undersea global cable network.
We at NOAA have been working hard on
developing better partnerships. We're implement-
ing tough new laws that help us bring back our
depleted fisheries and manage them so that
they'll be preserved for the future. At the same
time, we've been assisting communities that have
relied solely on fishing to find other opportuni-
ties to build coastal economies.
We are also looking to expand fisheries. We're
strongly supporting biotechnology and aquacul-
ture. Just in the past few years, research funded by
our National Sea Grant Program has yielded five
drugs with a potential market value of more than
$2 billion annually. In the coming years, develop-
ment of ecologically sound aquaculture tech-
niques can play, we believe, a key role in meeting
global food needs.
We've also developed and are operating a
PORTS—a physical oceanographic real-time sys-
tem. This provides real-time water level, current,
and other oceanographic and meteorological data
to help shipmasters and pilots avoid costly ground-
ings and collisions so they have accurate data to
operate with.
Our coastal zone management program is
another very good partnership. It spurs solid fed-
eral—state cooperation programs, enhancing our
nation's coastal resources, while fostering vibrant
and prosperous coastal communities. Thirty-two
of the 35 eligible states have currently signed up
for that program.
But we need to do
more. We must come
up with an overall plan
to govern the precious
ocean resources for all
Americans. To do so,
we need to educate
Americans that the
health of the ocean is
vital to the quality of
all of our lives and our
economy. Collectively,
we need to learn how
to make oceans health-
ier and to use their
resources in a sustain-
able way.
I feel very lucky to be part of this stewardship
and to work in partnership with so many others
across the country who are so committed to bal-
ancing commercial uses of the ocean with pro-
tection of these vital resources. We believe
partnerships are key to effective stewardship of
the ocean. The health of the ocean is everyone's
responsibility, and it's everyone's business. No one
factor is responsible for the decline, and no single
solution will turn things around. But we do have
control over how we collectively and coopera-
tively exercise that control. This conference offers
us a unique opportunity to begin laying the
groundwork and charting a sound course for the
21st century.
The Honorable John Graykowski
Acting Administrator, Maritime Administration, U.S.
Department of Transportation
I'm John Graykowski. I'm the Acting Admin-
istrator of the Maritime Administration, which is
one of the modal administrations of the Depart-
ment of Transportation. Along with our sister
agency, the United States Coast Guard, we are
the two preeminent agencies in the United States
government that are involved in all aspects of
commercial maritime transportation. We join this
panel today, which represents in a great way a
small slice of the diverse interests and the diverse
uses that the oceans bring to our country and
our economy.
My primary focus, as a part of our Department
of Transportation and Secretary [of Transportation]
Rodney Slater's representative here today, is to
bring some thoughts in mind to the issues relat-
ing to marine transportation, because our oceans,
as you heard this morning from Secretary Dalton,
are indeed an integral part of our seamless global
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In the coming years,
development of
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may play a role in
meeting the global
demand for seafood.
Photo: ©1998 Harbor
Branch Oceanographic
Institution, Inc.
Oceans and Commerce
-------
transportation network. Since our nation began,
our survival and growth in the world economy
have been linked to the maritime industries and
the maritime transportation system. This is no less
true today, for without an effective, safe trans-
portation system, we as a nation cannot maintain
our global economic leadership or fulfill our vital
national security and global security missions.
Marine transportation, whether on the ocean
or on our vast inland waterway system, is proba-
bly the second oldest form of transportation.
Since the dawn of time, mankind has been using
this indispensable, God-given form of transporta-
tion to carry goods throughout the world. Today
we realize, just as the founders of our nation real-
ized, that we're an island nation whose security
and future are dependent on our ocean resources
and on marine transportation.
As you heard this morning, more than 95 per-
cent of everything that comes in and out of this
country comes in and out on a ship. The global
trade that has underpinned the tremendous
growth that our country has benefited from in
these last decades couldn't have occurred and
wouldn't be possible without the massive techni-
cal changes the marine transportation industry has
brought to bear over these last decades. I'm sure
everyone will agree that this will remain the case
for all time, since marine transportation remains
the safest, the cleanest, the most efficient, and the
most economically sound means of transportation
for large quantities of goods over long distances.
For example, a ship loaded with one metric ton
of goods sails further and causes less air pollution
per gallon of fuel than an airplane. Ships and
barges have the fewest accidental spills or collisions
of all forms of transportation. Ships and barges
routinely load and discharge millions and millions
of barrels of petroleum around the United States,
from Alaska to Maine, with accidental discharges—
fortunately very rare and exceptional—generally
marked in quarts and ounces.
Oceans are also critical to our economy, as we
heard, which is dependent on trade to link
America's businesses to water transportation and
ensure that low-cost goods and services are avail-
able to consumers worldwide. In the last decade,
growth in U.S. exports has been responsible for
one-third of the nation's economic growth.
Ocean-borne commerce in and around the
United States is expected to double—and per-
haps triple—over the next 15 years, which will
put far more stress on our already burdened port
and waterway infrastructure. This is why, along
with the Coast Guard, Secretary Slater has begun
a waterways management initiative to address and
identify and move forward on all of the concerns
relating to our marine transportation system. We
must meet this challenge if our country is to
remain in the position it's in and indeed grow
over the next century.
Most people don't ever consider the direct
benefits we receive as a country from marine
transportation. For example, a pair of shoes made
in Asia costs $50. Of that, roughly 50 cents of it is
related to the cost of transportation. Without
marine transportation and the ports, California
wine couldn't be sold in Europe. Shoes and clo-
thing from Asian markets couldn't be sold here.
The point is that America is no longer an
insular marketplace. And we all, as consumers in
this country, have come to expect and rely on the
fact that much of what we consume is provided
from global markets. These expectations won't
diminish; rather, they'll only grow as our world
economic ties grow stronger. Thus transportation,
which puts real life to all trade agreements, must
keep pace with this growth and continue to be
the least-cost element in trade.
None of this will happen without our port and
waterway transportation system. Our country is
only as good as our ports, which are in every sense
custodians for coastal communities. Each year,
ports contribute millions of dollars to our econ-
omy and thousands of jobs. Shipping, shipbuilding,
ports, and the sea are intricately interwoven in our
tapestry. Hundreds of thousands—indeed, mil-
lions—of jobs are directly or indirectly related to
ocean transportation and ocean commerce. These
industries have been our heritage, and they've
been engines for our economic growth and all of
the benefits we realize today. This has been true
from the days of Nantucket and will be to the days
of tomorrow's mega-ships.
Our challenge today is to preserve this her-
itage, to strengthen it, and at the same time main-
tain the essential balance among all worthy
parties. Oceans of commerce are truly oceans of
life, and with our stewardship and our common
commitment, they'll remain so for our children
and beyond. This conference won't succeed with-
out all of you bringing to bear your thoughts and
your commitment and what you believe to be
necessary to make all of us truly part of our
oceans of commerce and oceans of life.
Panelists' Statements
Jekabs "Jake" P. Vittands
Jake Vittands is President and CEO ofMetcalf& Eddy, a
corporation involved with water quality and wastewater
management and other similar issues.
My interest in the ocean began long before I
•was involved professionally. As a high school stu-
dent, I worked on a commercial fishing boat in
6 • NATIONAL OCEAN CONFERENCE
-------
New Bedford, Massachusetts. Now I live in
another important fishing community, Gloucester,
Massachusetts, and much of my recreational life is
ocean-based. Therefore, this conference represents
a rare opportunity for me, and I'm grateful.
My comments center around the need for the
continued focus on the ocean environment as
part of the inevitable urbanization of our world.
Urban harbors provide access to the ocean's
wealth, refuge from its fury, and, increasingly,
home for much of the world's population. But
our coastal ecosystem is at risk. Population
growth and urban sprawl are resulting in growing
loads of sewage and other wastes, loss of critical
•wetland habitats, overdevelopment of beaches,
and destruction of prime fish nursery areas.
Let me start my remarks by giving a few sta-
tistics:
• During the next 25 to 30 years, the number of
people living in urban areas is expected to
double.
• Right now, about 60 percent of the world's
population lives within 60 miles of the ocean.
This will grow to 75 percent, or almost five
and a half billion people, in the next 15 to 20
years.
• Much of the population is clustered in coastal
mega-cities of eight million people or more.
In fact, 9 of the 10 largest cities in the world
are on sea coasts.
• In the U.S., coastal
populations are
growing faster than
the nation as a
whole. Estimates
show that coastal
populations will
grow by almost 25
percent, to 165 mil-
lion, in less than 20
years.
Happily, American
cities are experiencing
a rebirth. With new
growth in business and
tourism, every one of
the 10 largest American
cities is experiencing
lower unemployment
now than it was in
1993, and the average
pay for city jobs is
growing faster than for
suburban jobs. One of
the drivers behind this
urban renaissance is the
quality of life that cities can provide. In places
like Boston, Baltimore, King County and Seatde,
and San Diego, sparkling and vital harbors are the
backbone for this economic growth.
Although it is difficult to place a precise total
economic value on coastal and ocean resources
and activities in the United States, some esti-
mates, based only on payroll employment in
coastal communities, have demonstrated that eco-
nomic activity contributes to more than 30 per-
cent of the gross national product. Try buying
property near the ocean in an urban area. Coastal
and marine resources provide the basis for much
of this economy, including ocean-related tourism,
recreation, sport and commercial fishing, as well
as other marine industries, transportation, and
manufacturing.
An example of how a healthy harbor begets a
healthy economy is the cleanup of Boston
Harbor. This massive project to control waste-
water and contaminated runoff from two and a
half million people in the greater Boston area
began in the mid-1980s. By the time it is com-
pleted next year, it will represent an investment
of over $4 billion.
The investment is already paying off. Cleaner
waters paved the way for the designation of 30
Boston Harbor islands as our newest national
park, •with projections of up to half a million visi-
tors a year pumping $200 million annually into
the Boston economy. Commercial lobster and
Much of the world's
population is clustered
in coastal mega-cities
of eight million people
or more.
Oceans and Commerce
-------
Sparkling and vital
harbors are the
backbone for urban
renaissance and
economic growth in
cities like Baltimore,
Boston (below), Seattle,
and San Diego.
shellfish harvests from the harbor are valued at
more than $10 million annually. The governor of
Massachusetts and the mayor of Boston have
announced a $30 million Back-to-the-Beaches
Program to restore Boston area beach conditions,
including new benches, sand walkways, bath-
houses, and park areas.
Water-based commerce has seen a resurgence
as weE.The Port of Boston has developed busi-
ness in both the cruise and the cargo industries,
with travelers and freight from around the •world
arriving and departing from Boston's shores daily.
Since 1980, cargo container traffic at the Port of
Boston has tripled. And with over 60 ship calls in
1997, the Port of Boston is now considered one
of the fastest-growing high-end cruise markets in
the country. Researchers at the Massachusetts
Institute ofTechnology recently announced that
they had successfully hatched haddock roe using
Boston Harbor water, opening the door for a
local aquaculture company to produce haddock
commercially.
I know that some of this good news is attrib-
utable to the robust economy we're experiencing
around the country, but I believe that much of
this economic success activity wouldn't have been
possible in the harbor that was deemed just 15
years ago as the dirtiest harbor in the country.
The challenge remains. We're still consuming
far more than our fair share of the world's natural
resources and depleting the riches of our oceans
faster than they can be renewed. We have long
depended on our preeminence around the globe
to cast our net further and further afield to pro-
vide goods and services to support our society.
But I believe that trends toward increasing glo-
balization and population growth in developing
countries are pushing us to find a new template
for our cities of the future—one that embraces
the principle of sustainability by providing a high
quality of life for today's inhabitants, while ensur-
ing broad opportunities for future generations.
This focus on sustainability •will represent a
test both to those of you in the government and
to myself and my colleagues in the private sector.
Together we must apply our energy and our cre-
ativity to finding new policies, new programs, and
new technologies for protecting our oceans in
the 21st century and beyond. I'm honored to be
part of this conference today. Thank you.
The Honorable Ron Sims
Ron Sims is Executive of King County, Washington, which
includes Seattle, the center of maritime economy in the
Northwest.
Good morning. I'm honored to be here this
morning, and it's a pleasure to have this opportu-
nity to participate in this conference.
I grew up in Spokane, Washington, which is a
landlocked community 300 miles east of Seattle,
Washington, bounded on the west by the majestic
Cascade Mountains and on the east by the Idaho
Panhandle. The oceans of my childhood were
merely large bodies of water that were larger than
Idaho's Lake Coeur d'Alene, and in most cases a
great deal warmer. Once in a while we'd debate
whether the Vikings or Columbus first traversed
these huge bodies of water to discover America.
Later on, a lot of us smiled as we realized that
adults could be so
•wrong for such a long
time by believing that
the Earth was flat
because they couldn't
see over the ocean's
horizons. Little did I
know that the migra-
tory journey of the
salmon that began
close to my home in
Spokane at Red Fish
Lake and ended 900
miles later would have
such a dramatic impact
upon my life.
I'm the elected
County Executive in
King County. King
County is one of the
largest counties in the
United States. We have
a budget of $2.7 bil-
8 • NATIONAL OCEAN CONFERENCE
-------
lion annually and. over 19,000 employees. King
County is growing very rapidly. It has had 197
consecutive months of sustained economic
growth and an unemployment level of just under
2.7 percent. It helps to be the home of Boeing
Aircraft and Microsoft.
Marine waters are the lifeblood of the three
most populous counties in Washington State. The
use of these waters has quantifiable impacts upon
2 million people. Marine waters have continued
to define the region's general economic, political,
and social well-being. These waters bring employ-
ment, but that same employment produces many
challenges that we face.
King County is one of the most trade-depen-
dent metropolitan areas in the United States. We
rely on the activities of the Port of Seattle, since
one out of every three jobs—approximately
90,000 individuals—is dependent upon port
activity. Two-way trade—exports and imports—
totals $35 billion annually in our county. King
County citizens have the highest per capita
income from international trade, more than any
other county or state in the union.
Last year, in order to sustain this growth,
though, we had to invest $350 million of local
funds to have what we call a fast quarter project,
which would complement port development to
sustain our economies. What you're going to hear
me do is go through a litany of things that we in
local government face in terms of what impacts
marine environments have on our lives.
King County, one of our suburbs—the City of
Renton—and the Boeing Company all partici-
pated recently in the financing of a major river-
dredging or scalping project, which included the
creation of a new fisheries habitat and levee recon-
struction. Although I fretted, as did Boeing, that
the Army Corps of Engineers and the National
Marine Fisheries Service wouldn't agree on the
project details, they did so. Now Boeing can con-
tinue to manufacture 737s on the bank of the
Cedar River, which is the gateway to the chinook
salmon-spawning grounds in our region.
All is not well in our state and in our county.
We once had an incredible fishery, which has
been decimated so one no longer has a coastal
fishery of salmon or halibut. No one has a Puget
Sound fishery for salmon or halibut. We over-
fished it and mismanaged it. One of the sad
results is that we have now an incredible degree
of hostility between the Native American com-
munity, which has tribal rights to half our fish. It
has become a major political and .social issue in
our state.
Recently the National Marine Fisheries
Service announced the potential listings of the
chinook salmon, rainbow trout, Columbia River
steelhead, and "Washington's Hood Canal chum
salmon as threatened. All of those impact substan-
tially the three most populous counties in our
state. My county will have to invest $200 million
in up-front costs in order to meet those listing
requirements, and it will cost us, at minimum, an
additional $10 million a year forever. This doesn't
include the $70 million that the City of Seattle is
going to have to spend to restore one of our
major watersheds, or the City ofTacoma's $15
million to restore another watershed in order to
meet these listings.
But I'm not complaining. Citizens of my
state are paying a large price because prior
elected officials thought the world was flat. They
believed that the fish were an unlimited resource
that could quickly adapt to the impacts of growth
and human conditions, and they believed that
terrestrial activity had no impact upon the
marine environment.
In order to meet the obligations to keep the
Puget Sound clean, King County will have to
spend $1.2 billion over the next 15 years on a
waste treatment system designed to remove heavy
metals and to reclaim water. We'll implement that
over the next 15 years. We'll need additional
funds for stormwater collection. As a result, we'll
spend almost $2 bilhon over the next 15 years to
keep our marine environment clean.
I have a list of things I want the government
to do. But in closing, when I was in college, I
had a huge Afro, sunglasses, T-shirt, jeans, and
boots, and came back and told my father that he
was irrelevant. I said, "Daddy, you're the main-
stream, and the mainstream has left us a quantity
of issues unresolved." My son came back from
college recently. He's bald-headed, has an ear-
ring, T-shirt, jeans, and boots. He said to me, as I
was writing his tuition check, "Daddy, you're
irrelevant," and listed an encyclopedia of chal-
lenges that we had failed to meet, including
marine environments.
One would hope that we're going to be capa-
ble, through this conference and other confer-
ences, of stepping up to the responsibilities to
make sure that our oceans, •which are an indicator
environment of human conditions and activity,
are clean. Because if we do that, then we'll have
preserved the quality of life that we've all worked
so hard to enjoy. Thank you very much.
Dr. M.R.C. Greenwood
Dr. M.R.C. Greenwood is Chancellor of the University of
California at Santa Cruz and also currently the President
of the American Association for the Advancement of
Science [AAAS], the largest scientific organization in the
United States.
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Graykowski
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L.
Oceans and Commerce • 9
-------
In 1992, there was a
substantial growth in
patent applications
for new biopharma-
ceutical compounds
and products derived
from the ocean filed
by companies not
previously involved
in ocean research.
Good morning,
everyone. Part of what
I'd like to say this
morning, as coming
from the perspective of
a chancellor of a
research university and
as a biologist myself and
president of the AAAS,
is that of course we all
share the responsibility
and the need to pursue
economic development.
But we also share this
complex duty to pro-
tect and maintain our
natural environment.
The world isn't flat.
Oceans can become
polluted. We can run
out of organisms. We
can kill coral reefs. And
it's certainly possible that we can destroy the
ocean instead of nurture the ocean.
If one accepts the fact that in many ways the
environment—and particularly the ocean envi-
ronment—is our economy, then the question that
we face for the future is whether or not the jobs
we create are jobs that are helping to nourish the
environment and develop the commercial and
productive capacities of the ocean, or whether
we'll be creating jobs to undo the damages that
we weren't smart enough to think about or will-
ing enough to invest in today.
As we know, half of the organisms in the
oceans are still unknown. Many of these organ-
isms we have reason to believe will have com-
mercial potential. A particular example that I'll
choose for a moment to talk about is the bio-
pharmaceutical area. The University of California
[U.C.] has the largest Sea Grant Program in the
country. About a tenth of the resources in the
nation that come into the National Sea Grant
Program come to the University of California
Sea Grant Program. Two of those five chemicals
that Dr. Baker told you were on the way to a $2
billion market were actually developed by scien-
tists participating in U.C.'s Sea Grant Program.
The patent applications on biopharmaceuticals
derived from the ocean are rapidly increasing.
The latest statistics in 1992 showed substantial—
almost logarithmic—growth in new compounds
and products being filed for by companies that
haven't previously been involved in ocean
research.
Now, of course, the first question to ask is, If
we can save lives with these products, can we also
save the lives and preserve the organisms that
produce these products? Can we use the incredi-
ble power of molecular biology and technology
today to synthesize and produce independently,
having once studied the characteristics and the
qualities of compounds that can subsequently
then be manufactured, without incurring addi-
tional ventures into the ocean?
This is very important to us in California,
because our ocean-dependent industries already
provide more than 370,000 jobs and $70 billion
in annual income. In California, even more peo-
ple—more than 60 percent—live in the coastal
counties.Yesterday, when we were dedicating the
NMFS [National Marine Fisheries Service] facil-
ity in the area of U.C. Santa Cruz, it was pointed
out that 30 years ago, the population of this area
was less than half of what it is right now, and it's
expected to grow.
What are we doing here in the U.C. Santa
Cruz area and the Monterey Bay area? Well, one
of the things we're fortunate to have—and one of
the reasons I think you're here today—is that
there are over 28 organizations in the Monterey
Bay Crescent area that are involved in ocean
preservation, education, or research. There are
almost 1,700 scientists and researchers and educa-
tors in this area—a collection of talent that I
believe can't be equaled virtually anyplace else in
the world or the country. More important, it's a
coalition of individuals who don't have all the
same perspectives. So we're forced to learn from
each other—those whose main interest is conser-
vation and those whose main interest is com-
merce and those of us who believe our job is to
help the young in this country, to help young
minds understand that it is, in the final analysis, a
question of balance.
Can we find this balance? Can we find it here
regionally? Can we make Monterey Bay, a large
geographical area, a unique one with a canyon
unlike one finds in virtually any other harbor or
bay? Can we make this a regional model both for
policy analysis and cooperation and also for sci-
entific discovery? That's the challenge that we've
put in front of us.
I don't have time today to go through for you
the various projects that go on in the area, but if
you take the time to look around and talk to
people while you're in the area, I think you'll get
a good handle on that. Up at our end of the
bay—at the northern part of Monterey Bay—
we've tried to put together a unique kind of
partnership that involves a state facility, a federal
facility, the National Marine Fisheries Service, a
privately funded facility, the Marine Discovery
Research Center—which teaches children and
their teachers, K through 12, about the wonderful
organisms, but also about research—and of course
10 • NATIONAL OCEAN CONFERENCE
-------
our own research laboratories. I believe that sus-
tained commercial use of the oceans requires a ,
well-educated public and work force, and this
education has to be both school-based learning
outreach, such as the Marine Discovery Centers
at all the U.C. coastal campuses, as well as efforts
as seen by the phenomenal interpretation of the
Monterey Bay Aquarium programs.
I'd like to close by calling your attention to a
recent report from the President's Committee of
Advisors on Science and Technology, the so-called
PCAST report. This report is called Teeming With
Life: Investing in Science to Understand and Use
America's Living Capital. The PCAST report
reminds us that our environment furnishes us
with clean air, clean water, food, clothing, shelter,
medicine, and many aspects of aesthetic enjoy-
ment. It stresses that we must sustain this capital
by developing a knowledge base that will allow us
to monitor, manage, use, and conserve biodiversity
in ecosystems; to discover and study new species
and their potential uses; and to explore funda-
mental ecological principles and design methods
of valuation of natural capital. Put that together
with the ocean agenda that those of us in the
Monterey Bay Crescent Ocean Research Consor-
tium have asked for, and I believe we do have the
way. The main question is, Do we have the will? I
hope that we can answer some of those questions
today. Thank you.
Charles W. Foster
Charles Foster, Executive Director of the Port of Oakland,
has been involved in the Port of Oakland for many years
and is helping that port, as well as others, adjust to the
new world of doubling or tripling of trade by sea.
Good morning. On behalf of the nation's
public ports, I'd like to thank President Clinton
and Vice President Gore for their leadership in
hosting this important conference and extend my
thanks for the ability to participate in this forum
today.
The U.S. public port industry supports the
creation of a national ocean policy. Ports appreci-
ate the focus of this conference and what it will
bring in terms of challenges and opportunities
we face in managing our coastal resources. Today
I'd like to consider three important points regard-
ing the proper management of these resources:
• First, U.S. public ports are looking for a strength-
ened commitment from the federal govern-
ment to renew its partnership with ports.
• Second, in that we believe that management
and regulation of the ocean and coastal areas
have become increasingly complex, especially
for port and waterway users, we want to
encourage the various federal agencies with
jurisdiction over coastal issues to continue
along the path of establishing better coordina-
tion among agencies and, where appropriate,
reduce or eliminate overlapping regulatory
jurisdiction.
• Third, despite the complexity of the chal-
lenges ahead, we suggest that the ports will
continue to be leaders in the stewardship of
our coastal and ocean resources.
Now, let me elaborate briefly. The port indus-
try feels that the federal government must re-
affirm the 200-year partnership with U.S. ports
that has built and maintained the world's finest
maritime transportation system. Development
and maintenance of transportation infrastructure
in the nation's coastal zone are critical to our
transportation system and also critical to our abil-
ity to compete in the world market.
The worldwide economy is expanding. More
and more nations are enjoying improved eco-
nomic conditions and are entering into a global
marketplace. The result is that the volume of
goods being traded worldwide is growing at an
incredible pace. It is expected to triple by the
year 2020. While trade volumes are growing,
competitive forces within the maritime trade are
greater than ever. Larger vessels and increased
volume of air cargo strain land facilities and the
capacity of our navigational channels in our
nation's ports and waterways.
More trade means more goods •will be trans-
ported in and out of ports via our nation's highway
and rail systems. The need to improve waterway
infrastructure, rail, and highway systems is critical.
Large ships typically require deeper channels and
berths. Channel depths that were sufficient for
large vessels just a few years ago are now substan-
dard. The U.S. public port system spends $1.3 bil-
lion annually to maintain improved port
infrastructure, plus a substantial amount of
monies generated by the private sector. West
Coast ports will reach capacity by the year 2020.
We hope that the federal government will
continue its commitment to its partnership in the
passage of the Water Resources Development Act
of 1998 and recognize the paramount importance
of improving and maintaining the navigational
channels. In addition, the commitment must be
reinforced through the appropriation of sufficient
funds to maintain and improve navigational chan-
nels, associated infrastructure, and environmental
mitigation as required.
Over the last 30 years, •we've enacted dozens
of individual laws and regulations to address
narrowly focused concerns. The time has come
to reexamine this system and to develop a more
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F
Oceans and Commerce • II
-------
Growing trade
volumes have
lead to increases
in the size of
vessels and the
volume of ship-
borne cargo,
straining land
facilities and the
capacity of the
nation's ports
and waterways.
Channel depths
that were suffi-
cient for large
vessels just a
few years ago
are substandard
today.
Photo: Chevron
Corporation
integrated framework so that fewer resources
will be wasted fighting on individual interests
and so that decisions are better made in the
public's interest.
In 1992, it took the personal intervention of
President Clinton to spur an action of public
interest. The President told the federal agencies in
the San Francisco Bay area to get on with it, to
approve a dredging project at my port, the Port
of Oakland, which had been delayed for over 20
years because of regulatory inaction. This is not
to say, however, that the port and waterway pro-
jects should proceed at the expense of preserving
the environment. In fact, the Port of Oakland
built a 300-acre wetland site as a part of its
dredging project.
Ports have been and will continue to be lead-
ers in the stewardship of coastal and ocean re-
sources. Public ports spend millions of dollars
each year in developing public access sites; creat-
ing, restoring, and enhancing wetlands and other
habitats; monitoring water quality; and recycling
various materials.
The oceans are our lifeline. They provide for us
the means of connecting global markets. Ports
provide the platform for the transfer of goods
from ships to truck to rail, as well as facilities for
cruise ships, ferries, commercial fishing vessels, and
recreational boat operators. The port industry has
demonstrated its leadership in developing projects
that achieve the economic and environmental
objectives, and we stand ready to work with the
national commission to develop a coherent, inte-
grated national ocean policy. Thank you.
Richard du Moulin
Richard du Moulin is the Chairman and CEO of Marine
Transport Lines and Chairman of the International
Association of Independent Tanker Owners, INTER-
TANKD.
Good morning. The responsible use of the
ocean is a prerequisite for America's future suc-
cess as a nation in a highly competitive world
market. But other than the Titanic or the Love
Boat or dramatic coverage of a tanker accident,
the maritime industry—ships and ports—is hid-
den from the public.
There is a major disconnect. People fill up
their gas guzzlers, but they hate tankers. The pub-
lic is more familiar with the airline industry. If
suddenly all planes are grounded, vacations would
be ruined, businessmen would revert to telecon-
ferencing. But if marine transportation stopped,
raw materials wouldn't reach America, grain
exports wouldn't get out, and 99 percent of all
manufactured exports and imports would cease.
Industrial America would come to a halt within
weeks. It is our challenge to reach the public and
establish a priority that gets political support. I
compliment the administration for this Year of
the Ocean initiative.
I'm here representing my company and the
world tanker industry. My company is Marine
Transport Lines. It's the oldest company in
America, founded in 1816. It started whaling,
and then in the California gold rush, clipper
ships brought the forty-niners out here. Maybe
some of you still have some of the money that's
left over from their prospecting. Today we're
moving Alaska crude oil and chemicals along
the coast of the United States.
INTERTANKO is the International Associa-
tion of Independent Tanker Owners, a primary
trade organization for our industry. Our members
transport the majority of America's oil imports,
for example, but I'm unofficially representing all
shipping companies—container, dry bulk, passen-
ger, tug, and barge. Why? Because we all have a
common interest in America's port systems, infra-
structure, and associated regulations."We want to
12 • NATIONAL OCEAN CONFERENCE
-------
deal with, the issues of dredging, hydrography,
vessel traffic control and information systems,
pilotage, and terminals all together—what we
would call waterways management.
We have a common problem, like blocked
arteries putting the heart and the body at risk: an
inefficient port system with inadequate invest-
ments and waterways and disjointed waterways
management. Misguided attempts by some states
to create their own vessel operating regulations is
jeopardizing U.S. competitiveness, security, and ,
the environment. This affects all ships, all indus-
tries, and all citizens, whether they know it or
not. Generally speaking, America's port systems
pale in comparison to the great ports, such as
Rotterdam, Singapore, and Hong Kong.
Focusing for a moment on the tanker industry,
we're most visible to the public under adversity.
The grounding of one tanker, the EXXON Valdez,
in Alaska produced OPA 90 [the Oil Pollution
Act of 1990], the most complex law in the history
of the United States. The tanker industry has
never been criticized for service, efficiency, or
costs—only for safety. Whether it's fair or not, our
poor public image is our greatest challenge.
The reality is that only 12 percent of oil in
the oceans comes from tankers. Over 60 percent
comes from industry and the public ashore.
Every mariner witnesses this when they steam in
from the open ocean and approach coastal
waters. They note the change in the environ-
ment, both air and water.
Another reality is that over 20 percent of die
cost of a new tanker is invested in safety and envi-
ronmental features, which compares to about 6
percent for a typical shoreside plant. Nevertheless,
the public is holding us to a zero-pollution stan-
dard, and we're working hard to achieve that and
to communicate better with the public.
As the tanker industry has gone public and
assumed a leadership role for safety, we've picked
up more credibility and allies. Two years ago, we
established ISM—International Safety Management
—certification by IMO, which is the Interna-
tional Maritime Organization. By their deadline
of July 1,1998, we picked ISM as a membership
criterion for all our tanker-operator members. As
of today, 97 percent of our 273 ship-operating
members have ISM certification. If the six or
seven remaining companies don't achieve it by
July 1, they'll be kicked out of INTERTANKO.
This leadership role for ISM, combined with
our 1996 port and terminal safety study of the
United States and our high regard for the Coast
Guard's Prevention Through People initiative, led
us to a formal partnership between INTER-
TANKO and die U.S. Coast Guard, which
Admiral North and I signed a month ago. We're
also working in Europe with Dr. Salverani and
Neil Kinnock of the European Union on issues
of port state enforcement.
The key to economic and environmental suc-
cess is to recognize that we have a system prob-
lem—not just ships—that requires federal
leadership. When we need new regulations, they
must be consistent with international conven-
tions. The Coast Guard's presence at IMO is a
critical part of this process. Transportation
Secretary Slater's initiative for waterways man-
agement recognizes the concepts of a chain of
responsibility and a systems approach. We need
to see a long-term commitment to waterways
management with the federal government pro-
viding leadership and working with the states,
ports, and industry and other public interest
groups. Thank you.
The Honorable Madeleine Z. Bordallo
Madeleine Bordallo has 40 years' experience working in
Guam. She is the first woman to be elected Lieutenant
Governor of Guam.
Thank you very much. Greetings from Guam.
As we say on Guam, "Hafa Adai." I'm here this
morning to deliver the paper on behalf of our
governor, Carl T.C. Gutierrez.
The questions most frequendy asked are: What
are the problems facing the reefs? What kind of
innovative leadership can small islands offer?
How can the processes used in coral reef man-
agement be translated to the management of die
ocean in general?
The single greatest threat to coral reefs today
is land-based pollution: point-source discharges
in terms of sewage disposal and inadequate
design of stormwater discharge, and nonpoint-
source pollution from stormwater runoff. The
Pacific Islands, and particularly Guam, saw major
development investment in the early '80s through
the early '90s. This resulted in a massive amount
of surfacing and paving of land and discharges
into our bays and lagoons, which hadn't been
anticipated. We can pass laws and develop pro-
grams, such as those mandated by federal statutes
to reduce and prevent nonpoint-source pollu-
tion, but until the financial assistance to replace
outdated systems is available, those laws won't be
much more than good intentions.
Overfishing is another major problem for the
island. Populations have increased dramatically over
the past few decades, putting more strain on die
reef resources. The improvements made in fishing
equipment and methods have further strained die
fisheries. The use of scuba gear in conjunction
with spear guns is one of die greatest offenses to
our resources. The largest fish, which will produce
energy an our
creativity to finding
policies, new
E programs^ Ond n,ew_
^— technologies for
«-• pro tecting our
" oceans in the 21st
century and beyond.
-Jekabs "Jake"
P. Vittands
Oceans and Commerce • 13
-------
Rapid population
growth, the
associated
increase in food
demand, and
advances in
fishing gear and
methods are
adding to the
strain on the
nation's fisheries
and reef
resources.
Photo: NOAA
the greatest number of new resources, are the tar-
gets of the new fishing techniques.
The lack of public education is another prob-
lem in protecting our resources. Reefs are, for the
most part, out of sight from the residents. We
have to continue to work to keep the reefs at the
forefront of public attention.
Finally, larger global-scale problems related
to global climate change present a challenge.
Coral bleaching and a frightening new number
of coral diseases will require that our marine
labs devote more resources toward finding the
cause and the solution to these problems, and
this will require significant support from the
world community.
Small islands may provide the greatest leader-
ship in understanding, protecting, and intelli-
gently managing the coral reefs and the reef
resources. Guam is demonstrating leadership
through several projects. The University of Guam
Marine Biology Lab, one of the finest in the
world, has developed methods for coral cultiva-
tion, which not only brings coral aquaculture
into the realm of possibility for small-scale com-
mercial operators, but they have found methods
for increasing the rate of growth in the opera-
tion. The university is currently working with a
private company to develop a commercial coral
cultivation facility on Guam. What is the advan-
tage of this? Corals are valuable in the aquarium
trade, for research, for biomedical and pharma-
ceutical use, and for ornamental use.
Our marine lab is also working on the culti-
vation of certain sponges that grow in Guam's
waters and provide medical benefits in the pro-
duction of substances that are inhibitors of an
enzyme that causes inflammation. The known
value of the benefit today is $3.3 million an
ounce for these substances, and the University of
Guam will lead in the research to increase their
production both in a laboratory and in nature.
Guam has taken the lead by establishing five
marine no-take preserves in order to replenish
our reefs. These preserves are permanent and
comprise 10 percent of our total reef area. Guam
and other small islands are taking it upon them-
selves to provide the management leadership.
Guam is working toward the development of
a new approach to Sea Grant Programs, working
as equal partners with the other colleges and uni-
versities in Micronesia. Guam is attempting to
establish a regional Sea Grant consortium that
will serve all the research interests in the region.
This is a new concept for maximizing the scant
financial resources available and for forming part-
nerships, which will ensure an expansion of infor-
mation exchange as well as in-the-field benefits
for the resources.
The community of Guam has shown leader-
ship in the private sector through such organiza-
tions as Kids for Coral, created by a single teacher
and student in one of our schools in 1989.This
organization quickly expanded, and participants
took it upon themselves to educate the commu-
nity of Guam about our coral reefs and the dan-
gers they face. The organization has garnered
international and national awards and has helped
other schools develop similar programs through-
out the world.
What is making the coral reef initiatives work
on the local level, the regional level, the national
level, and the international level is the realization
of partnerships. I can't emphasize too strongly the
importance of equality at the table. In order to
make the process of environmental management
work—and the coral reef initiative is the first
example where we've seen it works •well—every
participant must check their ego at the door, for-
get territorialism, and develop partnerships that
more closely mirror marriage than traditional
government. There has been very little money
available in the coral reef initiative efforts, but
there has been a tremendous amount of success
because there was a commitment of partners.
Success is as simple as that—partnerships.
14 • NATIONAL OCEAN CONFERENCE
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I'd suggest the coral reef initiative process—
particularly the U.S. process that formally began
in December 1993—be studied for its initial fail-
ures and subsequent successes, and that this serve
as the example for undertaking the vaster issue of
ocean management. I'd also suggest that the part-
ners who made the coral reef initiative work be
integral players in the process of developing
ocean policy and ocean legislation or programs.
This has been one of the great success stories in
resource management, and its understanding will
be important in expanding that success beyond
the reefs and into the management of our deep-
ocean resources. '
It has indeed been an honor for me to be here
to participate in this very important conference.
Thank you.
Philip Anderson
Philip Anderson is the Staff Director oflnterjurisdictional
Resource Management for the Washington Department
of Fish and Wildlife. He also has experience as a charter
fishing vessel operator.
Good morning. My name is Phil Anderson. I
work for the Washington Department of Fish and
Wildlife. I've been a member of the Pacific
Fishery Management Council for the past 11
years. I live in Westport, Washington, which is a
small fishery-dependent community located
along the Washington coast. It has a population
of about 2,000.
The Pacific Ocean's fishery resources provided
the revenue and jobs that created the foundation
for many of the coastal community economies
along the West Coast. Indian tribes have histori-
cally used and continue to use fishery resources,
such as salmon, halibut, and crab, for subsistence
and as a source of employment and economic
well-being.
Today many of the coastal communities and
cultures along the West Coast remain dependent
on the economic and employment opportunities
generated from the recreational and commercial
fishing and processing plants. In 1995 alone, the
value of commercial landings for crab, shrimp,
and groundfish that were delivered into the
coastal ports ofWestport and Ilwaco exceeded
$45 million.The jobs associated with the pro-
cessing of these species also represent a vital
component of the employment base and eco-
nomics of those communities. In 1995, over
100,000 recreational angler trips originating
from Washington coastal ports generated more
than $17 million in revenue. In addition, non-
consumptive recreational activities, such as whale
watching and bird watching provide jobs and
generate revenue for charter boats, motels,
restaurants, and other businesses that rely on
ocean recreational activities.
Salmon abundance has declined dramatically
during the past two decades, and some stocks are
listed or proposed to be listed as threatened or
endangered under the Endangered Species Act.
The declines have resulted from a combination of
factors, including harvest management strategies
that overharvested •wild stocks to access hatchery
stocks; loss of critical spawning and rearing habi-
tat resulting from dam construction, water diver-
sion, pollution, poor logging and agricultural
practices, and urban development; hatchery man-
agement practices that in some cases compromise
the genetic integrity of wild stocks; and chronic
poor ocean survival conditions.
Ocean salmon harvest management currently
uses strategies designed to be responsive to the
needs of wild stocks. However, stock-specific
data are limited and, in some cases, inadequate
to address specific stock concerns. We must
invest in additional resources and research to
provide that important information. Efforts to
achieve habitat conservation and rehabilitation
will be critical for fishery restrictions to result in
improved salmon abundance and recovery of
depressed stocks.
In some cases, certain groundfish species have
purposefully been fished down to levels that are
anticipated to result in maximum sustained yield.
In other cases, weak stocks and multispecies fish-
eries have been overharvested to provide access
to more abundant stocks. Recent stock assess-
ment results suggest that poor ocean environ-
mental conditions have resulted in little or no
recruitment, hastening the decline in some
groundfish populations. Halibut populations
appear to be robust, and crab populations, 'while
cyclical, have remained healthy.
Groundfish management strategies must be
more responsive to the conservation needs of
specific species. We must invest in additional
research and stock assessments to allow fishery
managers to adequately address the needs of indi-
vidual species. In the absence of quantitative
stock assessment information, fishery managers
must employ risk-averse strategies, including the
use of marine reserves, where appropriate, to pro-
tect populations that we know little or nothing
about. On-board observer programs or odier
data-collection strategies are also imperative to
accurately account for market- and regulatory-
induced discard mortalities.
Finally, we must provide managers with the
tools to address the overcapitalization of the
fleet. Congress must remove the moratorium on
individual quota systems. The Pacific Ocean's
fisheries resources can continue to be the source
Wtt''bej:^^ajtle.,pjmj^S "i;
to
sure
an indicator
_. environment of
^i human conditions
and activity, are
clean.
- The Honorable
Ron Sims
Oceans and Commerce • 15
-------
Nonconsumptive
recreational activities,
such as whale and bird
watching, provide jobs
and generate revenue
for charter boats,
motels, restaurants,
and other businesses
that rely on ocean
recreational activities.
Photo: Stan Butler
of important job opportunities and revenue for
coastal communities. Fishery management strate-
gies, when accompanied by the necessary invest-
ment and research and data collection, can
continue to provide recreational and commercial
harvest opportunities, while providing strong
conservation and protective measures for fish-
eries resources.
Thank you for providing me the opportunity
to participate in this most important National
Ocean Conference.
Roger McManus
Roger McManus is the President of the Center for
Marine Conservation and has been involved in marine
management issues for many years.
Thank you. We've come a long way in recog-
nizing the value and the needs of taking care of
our environment. And as I've commented to
some of my colleagues on numerous occasions,
we should take great satisfaction in the accom-
plishments that we've made in our more enlight-
ened attitude toward the environment.
To move on to my remarks, to show you how
bad the situation has gotten, the radical environ-
mental journal The Economist recently featured a
story on the oceans in which it notes, "Despite
being badly governed, the sea provides vast bene-
fits." The pity is that if people gave the sea a
chance, it would repay them handsomely. If peo-
ple want to preserve the seas and extract the full
benefit from them, they must now moderate their
demands and structure them. They must take
stewardship of the ocean, with all the privileges
and the responsibilities that implies.
I know we're going to spend a lot of time
over the next couple of days talking about
problems, but I'd submit that we try to talk
more about solutions because we know the
problems well. Nothing new will probably
come out of the next couple days that will
enlighten us as a community about what prob-
lems we face. The Heinz Center and numerous
other folks have done a valuable service in
articulating those problems very carefully. I'd
note, however, that The Economist noted that
Dr. Baker, for example, was concerned that
changes to coastal water chemistry are as seri-
ous a problem as global climate change, and,
clearly, a number of speakers have looked to
population growth and other problems. The
oceans are going to be stressed and asked to do
more in the future than they can possibly do.
The problems are very well known.
Perhaps the biggest problem we have at this
meeting is the problem of facing up to reconcil-
ing real national security and navigation needs
with coastal and marine resources stewardship
needs. This is a problem that won't be reaching
the surface very often in some forums, but it's got
to start here.
16 • NATIONAL OCEAN CONFERENCE
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.; ''•£-- irt
While -we shouldn't spend a whole lot of time
talking about problems, we should bear witness
to them and take responsibility for them. This
panel has certainly reflected that sentiment. The
real question is, What are we going to do about
these problems? I think the focus on this confer-
ence needs to be on the Congress. The Congress
needs to pass the Oceans Act, It's been 30 years
since the Stratton Commission did a stem-to-
stern review of national ocean policy, and it is
needed again.
We have an Exclusive Economic Zone [EEZ]
that is one of the largest, most diverse in the
world—larger than the terrestrial territory of the
United States. This area should be a stewardship
priority for the nation. A panel on commerce and
the ocean suggests two perspectives. First, what is
the importance of the ocean environment to
ocean commerce? As many people on this panel
have reflected, the simple and correct answer is,
the environment is virtually every thing. When we
degrade the marine environment and diminish its
resources for short-term profits, we pass the costs
on to the American public. We've done that over
and over again. For example, even in this day and
age, we ignore the costs of pollution and public
health. We knowingly send millions of Americans
to beaches in coastal areas in this country with-
out the decency to make sure that those areas are
safe or to inform people of dangerous conditions.
I'll note that we've had a lot of talk about bal-
ance on this panel so far, and I'm sure we're
going to hear a lot about that over the next cou-
ple^ of days. It's hard to come out against balance,
but I'd submit that usually balance in the man-
agement of coastal resources has meant degrada-
tion. We know what the destinations of the
course of balance are. There's declining water
quality to balance immediate concerns. There's
sickness and disease as a result of balance fre-
quendy. Loss of wedands is a result of balance.
Declining fishery production is clearly a loss of
balance. If you've been paying attention to what
happened in New England, loss of biological
diversity is a loss of balance, loss of productivity,
and really loss to the economy. We've got to re-
examine our priorities in this area.
A second perspective for such a panel is, Are
we effectively managing our ocean territory like
a business? I'd submit that •we're not. We need to
be managing our ocean, our EEZ, like a business
in stewardship for the American people. We man-
age it more like we're looking toward the quar-
terly income and expense statement. If you'll
pardon me, I'm from Washington, and I'm not
very happy about that. We usually look at things
for the next election process.
If you look at how •we're doing as a business,
it's not very good. We stand by, we watch our
assets degrade without taking good care of them.
We regularly subsidize activities that lose money.
We routinely give away the stockholders' prop-
erty without any compensation to the stock-
holder, and we have no one in charge overall of
our ocean strategy. We have no business plan for
this business. We have no plan to take care of the
largest territory of the United States of America
[the 200-mile EEZ].We simply have no plan, and
that's why we need the Congress to pass the
Oceans Act.
Who is responsible for all of these problems? I
love, coming from that era, to recall Pogo's state-
ment, "He is us."
We now have an opportunity with this con-
ference—which is an enormous step forward by
the administration—to focus on these issues.
There is no more important challenge to this
forum than confirming the need for a change in
our course and establishing a plan for the oceans
for the 21st century. There's been a lot of work
done in preparation for that. Many of you have
received a copy of the ocean agenda prepared by
the environmental community, the Heinz
Center. Others, as I mentioned before, have also
come up with recommendations toward that
end. It's a good starting point, but we have to
move Congress along and have to get the
administration to support the independent com-
mission that •would come out of the Oceans Act.
I've emphasized the Congress, but I'm here to
tell you that I don't think this administration has
given high priority to ocean stewardship. It's just
not the same as the other environmental issues
that the administration has been concerned
about. This conference, I hope, will give us all an
opportunity to encourage the President and the
Vice President and their staff to change course in
that regard.
The plan that we should develop, as The
Economist notes, must reflect moderation in
demands and the structure to ensure their bene-
fits. It must have clear management objectives—
not calls for balance, but clear management
objectives—based on the best available science.
Recognizing that management cannot wait for
perfect knowledge, it must prescribe active stew-
ardship above all else. That's the most important
opportunity for this administration at this time—
not to postpone action to wait for perfect knowl-
edge, but to commit to leadership for ocean
stewardship. Ocean stewardship needs to be a
national priority. It's not now. It should be there,
and this conference should help make it so.
:-:== '..I
Oceans and Commerce • 17
-------
Comments from the Audience The Honorable John Graykowski
The Honorable John Graykowski
I think this panel and the utility of it will be
judged not only on the quality of the individu-
als—which is remarkable, I'm proud to be a part
of it—but it's going to depend in as large a part
on what you all contribute at this point.
We want to have what would be termed a
"genuine dialogue." "We've got to hear from all of
you, because we've presented some things here
that may have struck you in a positive, negative,
or thoughtful way, anything other than a neutral,
apathetic, "I don't care" way. We want everybody
walking out of here saying, "This was good, this
was useful, and we're going to keep thinking,"
because that will provide the motivation and
impetus for us to move forward in the public
policy realm, certainly, as well as other areas.
Clayton Cook
My name is Clayton Cook. I wonder if the
Administrator Graykowski could comment on
what the Maritime Administration is doing in the
development and construction of new vessel
designs for passenger and cargo carriage to help
in ocean commerce. I have particularly in mind, I
think, their Title XI program and their Maritech
program.
Two things that Rich [du Moulin] alluded to
that I'll mention very briefly, which people don't
realize—and I made that statement emphatically,
and I do believe it to be true. There is no safer,
more economical, or more environmental way to
move goods or people than on the water. What
has been invested just recently, post-OPA 90, by
the marine transportation industry is nothing less
than staggering.
Last weekend I was at a keel-laying ceremony
where Arco is in the process of spending $350
million on two state-of-the-art, absolutely world-
class crude oil tankers that will carry oil between
Alaska and Puget Sound. As Pdch indicated, a
significant percentage—which I think is 20 or 30
percent—of the cost of that is directly related to
environmental controls.
That commitment has been echoed and ampli-
fied and mirrored by the entire marine transporta-
tion industry, which has got it in terms of the
message that emerged from the OPA experience.
We've been supportive of that. We've been financ-
ing ships in that area. Across the cargo spectrum,
ships are safer, and they're smarter by themselves.
The people running them are smarter, not just due
to what we're doing, but what Bob North and the
Coast Guard do to work with the industry to
make safety truly, as the Secretary terms it, "the
North Star we guide our transportation system by."
In recent years,
40 percent of new
commercial develop-
ment and 46 percent
of new residential
development happened
near the coast.
18 • NATIONAL OCEAN CONFERENCE
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On the people front, and cargo as well, every-
one knows how crowded roads are today. There's
no such thing as an open highway anymore. And
I'd submit that every person we can take out of a
car and every box we can take off of the roads
makes all of our lives and the quality improve
dramatically. We're moving in the area of people
as well as freight. And, Clay, we've worked on
it—our high-speed ferry project.This country is
woefully behind the rest of the world in ferry
transportation, so all of you should think about it.
You can move people fast, safe, and efficiently
with a very low cost input. Those are projects
that we're working on around the country, but
we need more of them.
Richard du Moulin
There's been a huge emphasis on the hardware
side of ships in terms of preventing accidents over
the past 20 years. And statistics—whether they be
in shipping or aviation or trucking—show that
80 percent of accidents are caused by human
error. I'd put a bet that 80 percent of the remain-
ing 20 percent are human error in the process of
supplying spare parts or maintenance. So, really,
virtually everything can be connected to the
human factor.
IMO has two conventions that have just gone
into force. One is the STCW, Standards of
Training Certification Watchkeeping, and the
other is ISM, International Safety Management,
•which deals with having a safety management
system on board the ship and on the shore orga-
nization. New technology—e-mail communica-
tion, for example—mixed in with these new
conventions is really moving industry—and this
isn't just tankers, but all types of ocean-going
ships—forward very fast in terms of improving
their safety processes and navigation.
It's really the human factor that needs emphasis
nowadays. Double hulls are fine; they're a help.
But having good crew doing correct navigation
and good shoreside support for maintenance and
planning will get you a lot further than just focus-
ing on hardware. As a parallel, there are times
when our military has focused on hardware and
not on people, and you don't have a good military
force. It's the people and the processes where the
emphasis is now going, and it's about time.
The Honorable Ron Sims
In our county, we have to deal with transporta-
tion issues because we're the provider of it. So we
have an intense interest in the development of
new technologies in transportation. I don't sense
that in maritime, not with the companies.
I'll give you an example. We have real-time
indicators. I don't sense that we have an elaborate
system throughout the country for real-time
information on currents and tidal action. Maybe
I'm wrong, but I don't see it. I have a friend who
boats, and I know that the navigational charts we
have aren't current.
I couldn't run a transit system with the same
information that I've seen people have to navi-
gate in the waters of Puget Sound. I understand
boat technology. But it seems that that is defeated
unless there is a counter-investment by the fed-
eral government on navigable waterways, and
running it the same way we run transportation
systems—real-time, high-technology information
being provided to people.
Dr. Nancy Foster
My name is Nancy Foster. I'm from NOAA. I
manage the part of NOAA that has responsibility
for those two programs. I couldn't agree with you
more.
I think that when we talk about ports in the
21st century, we talk about safety and navigation
and conservation in U.S. effectiveness. It's intu-
itively absurd to talk about those things without
talking about updated nautical charts and the
position of real-time data. I can tell you that this
administration is very supportive of our making
progress in those areas. And we've actually even
attracted the attention of Congress when it
comes to the backlog in nautical charts. It's one
of those things that we got so far behind in that
it •will take us a •while to catch up.
The Honorable Ron Sims
We will look for the year 2000 budget because
to us, policy without budget is no policy at all. We
look forward to seeing an increased amount of
funding in that area in the 2000 budget, and I
hope this conference generates that kind of push.
Jose Campos
Jose Campos from the Caribbean Fishery
Management Council. The Caribbean region
has somewhat been the forgotten zone regard-
ing ocean issues, talking about coral destruc-
tion, habitat, and so forth. Dr. Baker, gentlemen,
any answers?
The Honorable D. James Baker
These are issues that are important to us, and I
think we're doing more in the Caribbean to
focus on them. Last year, during the International
We all share [
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----- Dr. M.R.C. Greenwood
Oceans and Commerce • 19
-------
Year of the Reef, we had some new initiatives
that were important that helped emphasize what
we were spending, and we were able to get some
additional fimding into the coral reef issues. The
coral reef initiative that Lieutenant Governor
Bordallo mentioned is another example of what
we're doing."We're seeing increased stress on trop-
ical fisheries. I think there's no question about
that, and it is an area we're going to pay increased
attention to.
John Gray Smith
Hello, my name is John Gray Smith. I'm
chairman and chief executive officer of a com-
pany called the Conservation Consortium. In
addition to being the head of the company, I'm
also a Cape Codder. Cape Cod is a world away
from here. It's a tiny little spit of sand that sticks
out into the Atlantic Ocean. It was the place the
Pilgrims landed before this country began. It's a
place where we're currently suffering from the
ills of nonpoint-source pollution, the destruction
of our coastal ecosystem, and the poisoning of
our ocean's nurseries.
My personal focus is on alternative resource
development and alternative technologies to find
ways to mitigate this decline, to find ways to
introduce alternatives to the problems that we're
all facing.
We're all equally Cape Codders in a way,
because we all depend on the ocean. As we've
heard here today—as I'm sure we're going to
hear more over the next few days—we have to
take the responsibility to bring this issue to the
forefront of all of our fellow Americans. Because
if this country doesn't take the ocean as a seri-
ous objective in the 21st century, we're going to
be a country in isolation that's going to be
dependent upon the rest of the world in order
to help us.
A comment was made that it's time for us to
back off and stop focusing strictly on the study.
It's time for us to start to get behind the solution,
to bring these things to the forefront, and to start
to implement them. This is 'what is needed.
The Lieutenant Governor from Guam put it
directly and put it succinctly. We need funding to
put these infrastructure changes into play in
order to be able to mitigate these damaging situ-
ations that aren't due to our innocence. They
aren't due to our ignorance. They're due to older
philosophies that didn't understand the complex
web of interconnection between ourselves and
our environment.
It's time for us to take the initiative, to be
good stewards, to take this initiative, to start to
move forward into the 21st century. I ask you all
to please look at alternatives. Let's move into the
21st century.
Another gentleman came up—and I can tell
you we're proud to note he was in a way a part-
time Cape Codder—and he catalyzed this coun-
try to move forward to a great objective. This was
going to the moon. Going to the moon was a
unique initiative. It wasn't done before. It was
something that required us to take advantage of
the ingenuity and the brain power that exists in
this country to move into that new environment.
I tell you today that, in my opinion, as a Cape
Codder, we must take this initiative to look at the
ocean the same way that we looked at traveling
to the moon. We must move forward to take the
initiative to seek those alternates and to bind
together to make this a council that makes some-
thing out of it.
Harry Strong
My name is Harry Strong. I work at MitreTek
Systems in McLean, Virginia. I was taken by your
comments about needing more resources. Our
organization is a not-for-profit that supports the
government.We work with the National Ocean
Service, the National Weather Service, and the
Coast Guard, and have been associated with pro-
grams like work waterway safety, charting activi-
ties, as •well as vessel traffic services.
The thing that strikes me, it's not only the
issue of money. It's also the issue of somehow
integrating dollars—being able to pull dollars
together—in some organized fashion. If you're
going to improve the profitability and the effi-
ciency and safety of ports, there are all these
issues that seem to be in different places. I'd be
interested in any comments that you might have
with regard to how we might do a better job of
being able to integrate the requests for the
resources that are necessary—not only the ones
that we have now, but also for increased
resources.
The Honorable John Graykowski
We've moved out very dynamically with the
Coast Guard on •what is called the Waterway
Management Initiative. But we have to look at
transportation from a systemic approach.
I think everybody would see it and has said
it—and I know Charles [Foster] knows it every
day—everything begins and ends with the port
here. We can have the most wonderful transporta-
tion system in the world, but nothing is going to
leave the shores unless it fits together.
One of the complaints we heard in our seven
regional listening sessions with over 400 people is
20 • NATIONAL OCEAN CONFERENCE
-------
•^oxjx foint entjxely. \_See Summary of the U.S.
Coast Guard/DOT Regional Listening Sessions
on page 214.] There are 50 federal agencies you
have to deal with to get in and out of the port.
What we'd like to put forward, because this is
integral to the transportation system, is this con-
cept of one-stop shopping. The government can
work better, and we have a service community.
We're right, there has to be a business plan.
And I think we're evolving toward sort of one
focal point for ports and waterways management
in the federal government.
Roger McManus
I think this triggers a notion that, while we're
not very well organized right now as a govern-
ment to deal holistically with marine issues, this
comment reflects a growing interesting idea in
this conference that we need a national budget
for the oceans in the year 2000. It's an incredibly
good organizing principle and goes across the
board, from transportation to other issues.
Of course, the budget isn't the sole solution to
our problems. Spending more money won't neces-
sarily solve the problems. One of the comments
that came up earlier along that line is, •while -we
have fantastic riches in the ocean with regard to
the pharmaceutical industry—I think pharmaceu-
ticals would be the major product from the oceans
in the 21st century by dollar measures—we have
absolutely no national policy, no national regime,
no national authorizing legislation, or what-have-
you to manage this enormous potential resource
that could be literally captured by other countries
in our own Exclusive Economic Zone, and we
wouldn't have anything to say about it.
Let me just add one thing to a previous com-
ment, because I don't want to neglect the
Caribbean, which was brought up earlier. Here is
another example where the United States has
one of the largest, if not the largest, of territories
in the entire Caribbean. We're a Caribbean
nation, and yet, again, our plans for managing our
resources and living up to our stewardship
responsibilities for that area along with the other
nations of the region are woefully inadequate.
Richard du Moulin
Basically, a lousy port environmentally is a
lousy port commercially. The two go hand in
hand. A port that operates efficiently has good
maintenance dredging, has good vessel informa-
tion, ongoing information on tides and currents
to the pilots and masters. A port that's run prop-
erly is good commercially and good environmen-
tally. The two go together and must go together.
The great ports I mentioned overseas have very
good environmental records as well as good com-
mercial facilities. So working together is the cor-
rect way to do it.
Rod Peters
Rod Peters of the Environmental Defense
Fund. I want to bring up an issue that's often
overlooked, including by this panel, and it's a
critical issue.
As international commerce expands gready, as
the panelists have said, one of the things that's also
going to expand is the risk of biological invasion.
Just up the coast in San Francisco today we have
the most invaded estuary in the world. These crit-
ters catch rides on tankers and freighters and not
only wreak environmental havoc, but can actually
wreck the infrastructure that supplies water and
goods—in California's case, to half the population
of the state.
The ports have to take the lead, and the fed-
eral government has to support them in this role,
to keep those exotics out. We've got to keep
them out. The technology is there. It takes politi-
cal will and money, and I hope the ports will step
up to the plate.
In design, management,
and maintenance, ports
need to be looked at as
a complete system that
includes vessel traffic
control, pilotage,
terminals, dredging,
and hydrography.
Photo: Port of Seattle
Oceans and Commerce • 21
-------
A port that is run
properly is good both
commercially and
environmentally. It has
good maintenance
dredging, good vessel
information, and
ongoing information on
tides and currents
readily available to
pilots and masters.
Photo: Port of Oakland
Charles W. Foster
Let me add one other observation. I'd add to
that participation of the ocean carriers, the
builders of these vessels. You mentioned the ports
and the federal government, but there are other
parties. If you look at the profile today of the car-
riers serving the world marketplace, 90 percent
are foreign carriers, and in many cases are build-
ing their vessels outside of the country and in
fact are international operators. It means a part-
nership between all of us to build the kind of
technology that will address the issue you just
mentioned with respect to exotic species that are
transported around the world.
The Honorable D. James Baker
Let me just comment on the invasive species
question. We do have an interagency government
program that is aimed at addressing these issues,
and we have some funding for that. We're trying
to have a cooperative effort, but it's one of these
examples where I think we identified a problem
and much more needs to be done.
Scott Hajost
Scott Hajost, IUCN [International Union for
the Conservation of Nature]. I just want to follow
up on Rod's comment—two important points.
Our efforts with respect to invasions and the
way of IMO to address this issue is where we
bring in the foreign carriers. I think we really
have to move aggressively in IMO to address this
issue in terms of ballast water. There's also
another dimension. We need to integrate the
rules of the world trading system. They do have
some implications for our ability to take measures
here domestically that may affect our ability to
control exotic species invasion. I think we need
to integrate both those aspects on the interna-
tional level.
Dr. M.R.C. Greenwood
I want to speak also to the issue of the exotic
species. This is one of those examples where the
ocean really is a living laboratory for us. It's a rel-
atively new problem. It's not an unknown prob-
lem in the ecological systems. But it's one for
which we need substantially more funding and
knowledge because this is one of those issues that
illustrates the point that if you don't fund the
basic research base so that you have the knowl-
edge to make the policies, you end up essentially
having eaten your seed corn and developing a sit-
uation that you can't control.
Ann Notthoff
Ann NotthofF, with the Natural Resources
Defense Council in San Francisco. I wanted to
follow up a little bit on the United States' role in
IMO, and as far as being a leader and providing
environmental stewardship and sound environ-
mental programs internationally.
I'm happy to hear from INTERTANKO that
industries got it here in the U.S. that oil spill pre-
vention is the best way to deal with spills, as
opposed to response. Because once oil hits the
water, we've lost most of the game anyway. One
of the programs that I've been involved in
recently is working with NOAA and the Coast
Guard to try to keep tankers' routing away from
the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.
We keep hearing from our representatives from
NOAA and others who work with IMO that
while we can make these cases for moving the
tankers out of sensitive marine resources here,
that it's very difficult to sell that at the IMO
level. I wondered if there •were some comments
from the panel about how the U.S. could be
more of a leader in the international arena in
terms of promoting sound environmental stew-
ardship and maritime practices.
Richard du Moulin
First of all, my comments about tanker history
are international, not just U.S. The international
tanker industry is really aware of what it has to
do and is working hard at doing it. The difficulty
of approaching some of these large issues locally
is that you've got ships of all flags trading all
around the world, and if you think you solve it
22 • NATIONAL OCEAN CONFERENCE
-------
locally but you don't pull in the rest of the
world's system, you're kidding yourself. It really
has to be an international approach, and then it
has to be enforced very rigidly by the flag and ;
port states.
We used to be a flag state. We used to have a
big merchant marine. Now we have a small mer-
chant marine. We're now more a port state. What
you've seen at IMO is that it's more an organiza-
tion of port states than the original flag states. A
lot of the issues are hitting IMO, and they're
pretty complex. That's why the role of the Coast
Guard is so important to coordinate America's
input and to be there to try to come up with the
solutions that work. They're not simple, but if
they're attacked only in local regions without the
coordination, they're going to fail.
A parallel would be aviation. If every state
tried to have its own local regulations and a plane
flying across the country had to change operating
procedures every time it crossed the border, it ;
wouldn't work. You need some federal guidance,
and it has to be worked internationally.
In the meantime, I think the liability that ship
owners are under has put enough of a scare in
everybody that people are cleaning up their own
acts. OPA 90 did have that positive impact by
putting the final scare into everybody.
The Honorable D. James Baker
Let me just comment on IMO. The responsi-
bility for U.S. input to IMO is through the Coast
Guard, and we follow that. There are rules pro-
tecting the Great Barrier Reef in Australia that
IMO has passed. And in the past couple of
months, the administration agreed that we'd take
the IMO proposal to protect the northern right
whale, an endangered species. President Clinton
agreed we'd take the IMO rules that would
involve warning ships as they go into the feeding
and breeding grounds of the right whale. We're
making some progress in that area.
Fred Westlund
My name is Fred Westlund. I'm with a
research company called Westlund & Tuft
Technology. We're presently harnessing dipole
attraction forces. When you talk about the cut-
ting edge of technology, we're there. We're doing
some amazing experiments, and we now know
how to greatly increase the efficiency of produc-
ing electrical energy. With this, we'll reduce air
and water pollution. This is cutting-edge tech-
nology. We're here to gain assistance from a
research center and also to get funds. Thank you
very much.
Larry Landry
I'm Larry Landry, from Landry & Associates. I
represent 45 fishing-dependent communities in
the Gulf of Alaska. It's interesting that there was
no discussion of Alaska in a commerce panel on
the oceans. I'd just like to make a few comments.
There should be a serious discussion of by-
catch management and tying that to resource
allocation. And, to respectfully disagree with Mr.
Anderson, there should be no new individual
fishing quota systems. They have some merits, but
they have some fatal flaws, and they're destroying
communities in Alaska, especially in the Gulf of
Alaska. It's a complex subject, but I'd like the
panel to discuss the issues of resource access and
bycatch management. There has also been no dis-
cussion of bottom dragging, its effect on the
environment, and those issues.
There are a number of very serious Alaskan
issues that affect commerce. Specifically, there are
45-plus fishing-dependent communities in the
Gulf of Alaska that are being destroyed by federal
and state regulations. I'd respectfully urge that
these issues be addressed as you talk about com-
merce.
Philip Anderson
We know that we have communities that are
dependent on fisheries, from Dutch Harbor to
San Diego. We know that we have communities
within Seattle that are dependent on the fisheries
both in Alaska and off the West Coast. So the
comments that I made relative to the dependence
of coastal communities on fisheries were meant
to be very broad, addressing all of those commu-
nities. We recognize that there are dozens of
communities stretched all up and down the West
Coast and Alaska and on the East Coast and in
the Gulf that are very dependent on fisheries. So
the fact that we didn't have a person here from
each state doesn't mean that the comments that I
made were meant only to apply to Washington or -
West Coast states.
The other response is regarding IQs, or indi-
vidual quotas. I understand your comments and
appreciate your concern about the effects of
individual quota systems, like the one that has
been designed in Alaska. The definition and the
breadth of definition that the National Marine
Fisheries Service has given to IQs, however, have
tied our hands in terms of addressing overcapital-
ization in West Coast fisheries. My comments
weren't particularly directed at the IQ system as
we know it or as it has been designed in Alaska.
But because of the breadth of the definition that
National Marine Fisheries has applied to indi-
•- The oceans are
"£ our lifeline.
«r Development
and maintenance „
Iff of transportation
^infrastructure in
the nation's coastal
zonfTOte critical
fc to our ability to
f compete in the
% world market.
- Charles W. Foster
Oceans and Commerce • 23
-------
'. 'it
.'I' .
The responsible
use of the ocean
is a prerequisite
for America's ™>
future success as
a nation in a
highly competitive
world market.
— Richard dti Moulin
vidual quotas, we have—absent going forward
with some kind of a permit by that program—
been unable to design systems that we need to
address overcapitalization and rationalization of
the fisheries, making those fisheries more eco-
nomically viable in the face of declining
resources.
Roger McManus
Alaska is extraordinarily important to our fish-
eries production in the United States. It's some-
thing like 40 percent of our fisheries. I think the
comment illustrates an important distinction that
we need to make in our policy thinking. That is,
number one, How do you manage the resource
effectively to provide for production and ecologi-
cal needs? Second, How do you allocate that
resource to meet the needs of communities?
One of the things that we have to wrestle
with in the future is finding a way to make those
distinctions and keeping those conversations
clear. The biologists will probably have more spe-
cific responses for the first set of questions, but
the second set of questions has to be addressed by
the communities. The communities have to have
a greater say in who gets the resource. It may be
from a very traditional perspective, or it may be
from a not-so-traditional perspective. But that's
an extremely important point.
I'd like to add that the 104th Congress made
major advances in the reauthorization of the
Magnuson Act, and bycatch was one of the
issues addressed by the 104th Congress. It's not
clear at all to me yet that this administration is
taking as aggressive a stand against bycatch as
that Congress intended, and the 104th Congress
has certainly not got the highest environmental
record of most Congresses we've been familiar
with in recent history.
Last, but not least, we have an extraordinary
opportunity in the near future with regard to
managing the Bering Sea. The reason why I say
that is we have a number of private and govern-
ment efforts starting to focus on the Bering Sea.
It's a very tightly defined, good area to look at.
We need more experience in how to manage
marine areas. The solutions are not nearly as self-
evident as some of us would like to think. The
opportunities for expanding our ability to manage
marine areas are certainly presenting themselves in
Alaska, and we should take advantage of it.
Kathy Fletcher
I'm Kathy Fletcher, with People for Puget
Sound. The discussion of oil spills and tanker
transport has been a little bit one-sided, I think. I
can't respond to a number of issues that have
come up, but I do come from one of the states
that was characterized as misguided in its efforts
to institute some protective measures to prevent
oil spills.
The degraded condition of the oceans and the
estuaries, like Puget Sound, is one of the reasons
that the prospect of a catastrophic oil spill is so
devastating. While it's not the oil or shipping
industry's fault that the marine environment is so
degraded, it certainly puts a heightened reason
for us to do everything we possibly can to avert
the potential for a catastrophic oil spill in a place
like Puget Sound.
One observation I'd like to make is that in
fighting for incremental increases in spill-preven-
tion measures applicable in the maritime industry,
it seems that you almost have to have your
EXXON Valdez spill in order to get the protec-
tions that are obvious and sitting there and wait-
ing to be instituted.
Pdght now we're in the middle of a battle to
get tug escorts on latent tankers coming to Puget
Sound—a 70-mile stretch as they come into our
inner waterways before they pick up their tug
escorts. The Clinton Administration and the Coast
Guard have an opportunity to show they're lead-
ers in this area by helping us get those tug escorts.
Unfortunately, the messages we get so far are that
we're going to have to suffer through some more
years of analysis, further risk assessments and stud-
ies, and so forth. At this point, we have nearly
every local government, Indian tribe, and member
of our congressional delegation saying, "Well, at
least give us some tug escorts on an interim basis.
We can study until the cows come home." I think
these opportunities for leadership are there, and I
hope that the Year of the Ocean will prompt that
kind of action and that we don't each have to suf-
fer our EXXON Valdez spill before we get that.
Richard du Moulin
Tanker accidents and shipping accidents in gen-
eral aren't caused by lack of regulations. They're
usually caused by some problem in the system,
•which could be the ship in many cases. They're
also caused by lack of enforcement. The enforce-
ment has improved dramatically over the years, and
industry is now becoming a more active part in
that in a more positive way, because of the aware-
ness both by the public and by industry.
States, in my opinion, aren't equipped to fig-
ure out how ships should operate any more than
they're equipped to know how airplanes should
operate. Let the authorities who know ship oper-
ations—nationally, at the federal level, and inter-
nationally—set the operating regulations and
24 • NATIONAL OCEAN CONFERENCE
-------
enforce them. If the enforcement isn't being done
adequately, the political process—the local pres-
sure—ought to make sure it's being done right.
Again, it goes back to the system. It's the system
that" needs the improvement. Thank you.
Bob Morris
Bob Morris, Maritime Safety. From a net-
working perspective, I'd be interested to hear
some of your thoughts about what we can do.
We take a U.S. position, so you all have input.
Second, in terms of solutions mentioned
before, as a principal issue and something Dr.
Foster just mentioned and Mr. Graykowski men-
tioned, these regional listening sessions around the
country aren't seeking solutions to the things that
need to be done to ensure that ports, waterways,
and their whole connections can support the
kinds of traffic we've heard will be two or three
times what we have today in the 21st century in a
safe and environmentally sound and efficient
manner. We're moving ahead this fall toward seek-
ing solutions, developing options and things we
can do to find solutions and implement them.
Third, Mr. du Moulin mentioned the concept
of balance—engineering solutions, I like to call
it, versus people solutions. We do need to do
more people solutions and keep that balance. It's
probably been overbalanced in terms of engi-
neering solutions. Over the years, we've
tried to balance that out in the Prevention
Through People program to ensure that
mariners are capable of operating the
equipment they get, as well as having good
equipment and safe equipment for them to
operate. So the STCW amendments that
he mentioned and the ISM Code are all
good things that move in the people direc-
tion, as well as their efforts to arrange a
licensing evaluation program to try to look
at people solutions, as well as engineering
solutions.
Tom Tilas
My name is Tom Tilas, Chairman of the
Whale Conservation Institute. I have a
quick question, because we have a very
pressing problem with the northern Plight
whale, as Dr. Baker mentioned. I'm asking
both John [Graykowski] and Richard [du
Moulin]:What particularly can you do
within your jurisdiction of INTER-
TANKO and the Maritime Administration
with the Coast Guard to intervene and
help with the particular problem we're
having with the under 300 Right whales
that are endangered? I'm looking for help or
comment.
The Honorable John Graykowski
We've got to push everybody to be responsi-
ble. I think the situation generally among ship
owners I know is that they're all approaching my
generation, and they feel the stewardship respon-
sibility very heavily.
Audience Member
We're working with IMO to implement a
reporting system for vessels in those areas.
Rear Admiral Bob North
When will that be done?
Audience Member
We're hoping to start work on that in the
[IMO] Navigation Safety Subcommittee coming
up in July, I believe, working probably in the
summer at the Maritime Safety Committee.
Audience Member
How about INTERTANKO?
Safety is a primary
concern for both
the tanker industry
and coastal states.
Over 20 percent of
the cost of a new
tanker is invested
in safety and
environmental
features. California
legislation requires
oil companies to
have emergency
response plans and
cleanup capabilities
in place before they
enter state waters.
Photo: Chevron
Corporation
Oceans and Commerce • 25
-------
Richard du Moulin
Charles W. Foster
Our expertise isn't the whale issue. But we're
supportive of international solutions, and our
ships will abide by them.
Jim Murley
Jim Murley, Secretary of the Florida Depart-
ment of Community Affairs, along with Bob
Jones. We both serve on Governor [Lawton]
Chiles' Study Commission for the Oceans.
Dr. Baker mentioned the state coastal manage-
ment programs, and many of them address ocean
issues. I was wondering if perhaps Dr. Baker and
maybe Mr. Sims could give us their views or
their visions of the states' role in this issue of
ocean management and government.
The Honorable D. James Baker
We've seen states as critical. California and
Florida in particular have been states that have
developed very comprehensive coastal and ocean
management plans.
The Coastal Zone Management Plan, which
we're responsible for in the federal government, is
strictly a state—federal partnership. States decide
what they want to do and how they want to do
it, and we're simply there to maintain the overall
national standards.We provide funding to those
states that can meet the standards. But these are
things that come from the states.
One of the things that I hope we can get
from this conference is a reaffirmation of the
importance of states' roles in ocean governance.
It's something that several states have led the way
in. We could see much more of that in the 21st
century. This devolvement of power down to
states, to local governments, to the private sector
is critical.
The Honorable Ron Sims
The only thing I'd add to Dr. Baker's com-
ments is that we obviously feel very strongly
there's a role that regional governments and states
must play in coastal management, and there's a
need for a partnership. What we're looking for is
a concise funded partnership. There's been a
devolution, as we say in the vernacular, down to
the states and to the counties. We didn't see a
trickle-down of the funds to implement those
things. It's important to have the partnership. I
think where we need to have another under-
standing is how we will mutually finance what
we wish to accomplish in those coastal areas.
Again, I want to emphasize what Richard [du
Moulin] had said earlier, that this is a national
and, in many respects, an international system.
The Port of Oakland operates not only a sea-
port—fourth largest in this country in terms of
container business—we also operate an airport. I
can tell you that if we aren't very careful, we'll
find ourselves moving in the same direction that
airports unfortunately have gone in addressing to
some degree some of the community nuances:
curfews and departure patterns that are marginal.
I urge us to use caution as we look at addressing
the nuances of our states and our communities, as
we again address also the notion that this is a sys-
tem, a national or international system.
The Honorable Ron Sims
The only thing I'd like to reply to on that is I
can tell you that the inability to site new airports
for increased traffic needs is the result of the fact
that we've been indifferent to customizing
approaches for citizens. Their reaction is: since
you haven't listened, since you weren't willing to
•work with us, we're not going to let you have
another—not only another runway, but another
airport at all.
I think there's a need to recognize we're in a
democracy. People pay their taxes, and they want
their government to listen. There's going to be a
need—whether one likes it or not—to have cus-
tomized approaches at the local and state levels.
Rod Moore
I'm Rod Moore of West Coast Seafood
Processors Association. Our members are all pro-
cessing companies, from San Luis Obispo to
Bellingham, Washington, mostly located in small
communities—all onshore, all American-owned.
In the commercial seafood industry, we hear a
lot of buzz words about overfishing, bycatch, and
this sort of thing. According to NOAA's own
figures, only 12 percent of the stocks that we
know about are overfished in U.S. waters—
which is more than should be. But it's not the
massive number that people keep talking about.
In terms of bycatch, looking at both FAO [Food
and Agriculture Organization of the United
Nations] data and NOAA's own data, a lot of the
bycatch is caused by regulatory discards, rather
than other reasons.
Phil mentioned some of the importance of the
commercial seafood industry to employment. But
what hasn't been talked about here is the fact that
the seafood industry provides healthy, nutritious
26 • NATIONAL OCEAN CONFERENCE
-------
food to the American people. Everybody who
has a tourist economy—for example, the restau-
rants downtown here that serve fish—it all comes
to you compliments of American fishermen and
American processors.
You haven't talked about the importance of
fish as cargo. In King County—Tacoma and
Seattle—I know Mr. Sims is probably well famil-
iar with the volume of seafood that goes through
his port. For smaller ports, commercial fishing
vessels provide a great deal of the tonnage that's
used by the Corps of Engineers to determine
what kind of allocation for dredging and port
improvements to go on.
Also what haven't been mentioned are the
actions of the seafood industry itself. It's been try-
ing to work cooperatively to promote research,
especially on the West Coast. "We've been going
through major efforts to work cooperatively with
the National Marine Fisheries Service. We're try-
ing to develop our own principal responsible fish-
eries. That hasn't been mentioned here, either.
Rather than your talking about retraining
workers or converting to aquaculture, let's recog-
nize both the commercial importance of the
seafood industry and our efforts to use and con-
serve marine resources.
Roger McManus
I think the fishing industry has made enor-
mous strides, like the rest of us, in the last few
years to recognize the real problems and seek to
address them. And I think we need to mention
that. Clearly, we can bandy around statistics.
Maybe Dr. Baker can help us out on this.
But I think worldwide there is legitimate and
real concern about the future of fishery stocks
and •whether they're overutilized, or fully utilized,
or what have you. That's not to say that we
should stop using fish, and I think sometimes we
get confused conversations here. The issue, if we
have challenges on how to conserve fishery habi-
tat or fishery stock, is to do a better job of doing
both—not to translate that as to being opposed
to using fish. I think the industry, largely, is start-
ing to carry a very responsible message in that
regard. If you just track, for example, the editorial
policy of the National Fisherman over the last
decade, there's been an enormous call to say,
"Let's stop denying the problems. Let's start find-
ing ways to solve the problems."
Jim O'Malley
Jim O'Malley, East Coast Fisheries Foundation.
One of the things that's happening here is a lot of
people are getting bogged down in some very
specific issues, and I'd like to try to broaden it a
little bit.
Most of us are strangers in the room. We had
very brief introductions to people sitting near us,
and that reflects the ocean as we deal with it
right now. Whether you're talking about port
development, wetlands, or real estate, there are
conflicting objectives. Even worse, there are enor-
mous language barriers between science and
commerce, commerce and tourism, and ports and
fisheries. It's a drifting policy, as Roger
[McManus] said, and it's also intensely political.
None of these things will be resolved unless we
create a department of the oceans at the Cabinet
level.
If this conference has one real prize within
reach, it's the fact that the gathering here has the
political and commercial and scientific and envi-
ronmental and academic power and visibility to
come out with that call for a department at the
Cabinet level with the equivalent of an ocean
constitution, complete with a bill of rights for
U.S. consumers
spent an estimated
$4 billion for seafood
and fish products in
1996. That same year,
commercial landings
by U.S. fishermen
were 9.6 billion
pounds, valued at
$3.5 billion, making
the U.S. the world's
fifth largest seafood
harvester.
Photo: William B.
Folsom, NOAA
Oceans and Commerce • 27
-------
Success is as simple
as that—partnerships.
— The Honorable
Madeleine Z. Bordallo
""-"" '*-"" "-"f-" ""-I
everybody who is involved in the oceans and the
ocean itself. I'd like to know if any of the politi-
cal soothsayers—not all of them are in politics,
some of the best are outside of politics—view
that as any kind of real potential in this admini-
stration or in the near future.
The Honorable D. James Baker
Let me take that on, as head of the agency
that was proposed originally as an independent
agency, if you remember, in 1968 by the Stratton
Commission. After all the politics had been con-
cluded, it was decided that NOAA would have
fewer of the agencies that had been proposed and
that it would be put into the Department of
Commerce. This is a continuing issue, and I think
these are issues that are Cabinet-level issues. I
think there's no question about that.
As we go forward with this proposal for an
Oceans Act and a National Oceans Commission—
and I have every belief that that National Oceans
Commission is going to be formed this year, that
Congress will agree to do that—I think this is a
point that should be discussed by the Commission,
because it is something that we all believe. These
are Cabinet-level issues that need to be addressed
in a coordinated way, and the federal govern-
ment has to step up and find a way to do that.
This is something that should be pushed hard by
all the constituents as a topic to be taken up by
the National Oceans Commission and a recom-
mendation made about that.
Judy Kildow
I'm Judy Kildow. I'm on the faculty at MIT in
the Department of Ocean Engineering.
Uncharacteristic of an academician, I'd like to
ask a very practical question. Following on the
tone of the last question, I'd like to broaden this a
little bit. I think we have a unique opportunity
today, with all of you sitting on a panel, to hear
from you about your ideas about how we go for-
ward after this unusual opportunity here. We have
you here. I'd like to hear from you what you
think we should do when we leave here to begin
to start action, not just to talk.
All of the other parts of the infrastructure are
important, but what do you think are the key
elements in moving forward to address the needs
you discussed and to create a robust ocean econ-
omy and American economy, of course, and a
healthy ocean environment at the same time?
What do we need to do now? What's missing?
Several of you mentioned maybe we need to
create a business plan, literally look at this enormous
territory that we gained a number of years ago—
the EEZ—as an enormous amount of assets that we
were given. How do we manage them properly?
Do we do it in supporting a business plan? Is that
an appropriate way to look at it? Are there better
ways to look at the management of this?
I'd like to hear from any of you on the panel
who have ideas about how we can better go for-
ward now and actually do what we're all agreeing
that we want to do.
Dr. M.R.C. Greenwood
I don't know that I have the solution for the
business plan, Judy, but certainly before you can
manage your resources, you have to know some-
thing about what they are. One of the areas we
need to concentrate some effort on in the next
decade is the national biodiversity initiative or
variations on that, where we really do take the
opportunity to selectively pick some good exem-
plars and pay attention to what is there and
what's interacting with what.
I'd certainly say one way to go is to first find
out what we've got as well as dealing with some
of these very commercial aspects. I think you
could say two things. One is a better integration
of the already articulated today commercial con-
cerns, such as managing coastal waterways and
having better navigational aids. The other is tak-
ing the time—although it will be difficult and in
some ways tedious—to find out what we really
do have to be concerned about.
Philip Anderson
Fishery managers are desperately in need of
better information on species in the ocean, par-
ticularly in the area of marine fish or groundfish.
The National Marine Fisheries Service began
doing stock assessment surveys in 1977 and did
them every three years thereafter. It gives us very
little and limited information on which to base
management decisions. I think we need to make
an investment in research and data collection that
allows us to maintain and continue healthy
coastal economies through fisheries, but do it in
such a way that we're managing the resources in
a responsive and responsible way.
Roger McManus
All of us should be in favor of more research.
We don't know enough and we need more
knowledge. But the fact of the matter is the most
important thing that we have to do besides get-
ting the Oceans Act passed is for this administra-
tion to take on ocean stewardship positively and
as a priority. I'll give one example.
28 • NATIONAL OCEAN CONFERENCE
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The National Marine Fisheries Service was
fundamentally founded by the Congress in the
19th century to stop overfishing in New England.
We had more than enough information for a
hundred years to know we were on the wrong
course, and we ignored it. My only add-on to this
is that having research, while extremely good and
extremely necessary, is not the total answer. The
bottom line is you have to have a government
that is willing to act on the existing knowledge
conservatively to save the stocks.
Holland A. Schmitten
I'm Rollie Schmitten, the Assistant Admini-
strator of Fisheries, also known as the Director of
the National Marine Fisheries Service. I probably
could pick almost every one of the topics and
respond. I'd like to summarize, though, and just
pick two and respond very briefly, and we'll
cover several of the issues that have been raised.
First, let me acknowledge Alaska's fisheries. It's
the largest by volume and by dollar amount, in
excess of a billion dollars, and it's paramount that
we keep it healthy and stable. It appears to be,
and that is our goal.
The gentleman raised two issues—bycatch and
fisheries-dependent communities. Let me indicate
that the new tools under the Magnuson—Stevens
Act and our national standards specifically tar-
geted those two areas as areas in which we now
have new authorities, and we certainly intend to
use those. Shifting quickly into bycatch, which ,
was raised by the gentleman from Oregon, I "was
very pleased to see that through an innovative
idea of industries, not just governments, we're
going to use bycatch. We're going to bring it in,
rather than discard it and waste it.
We're going to apply it to research. I
think that's a very good partnering
with industry.
Number three, on the issue of the
northern Right whales, just some
specifics, because NOAA's responsi-
bility for stewardship goes to Right
whales. We're promoting in this July
session of IMO that all international
traffic into our waters before enter-
ing would have to call in or check in
with the Coast Guard, which we will
assist. They will receive the most
recent sightings of right whales and
take appropriate action. I think it's a
very aggressive and meaningful move
by NOAA and the Coast Guard, and
we're proud to be a part of that.
Thank you.
Cindy Zipf
My name is Cindy Zipf, and I come from a
group called Clean Ocean Action in New Jersey.
First a general comment. I thought the pan-
elists did an excellent job of describing the condi-
tion of our ocean, and I hope in the plenary we
hear more of a sense of urgency that our oceans
are in trouble. I was concerned earlier there wasn't
a sense of urgency and that we can just go along
and that sustainability is something that is equal to
status quo. It is not, and I'm hopeful we will hear
that as everyone reports back.
I'd like to spend a few moments talking about
contaminated sediments, because contaminated
sediments focus on two things we've been talking
about—fisheries and ports.We're entering the
21st century with 2,100 fish advisories that we
know of nationwide. Fish advisories are useful
tools to tell people not to eat the fish. But they're
really a statement of failure that we haven't done
our job in protecting the quality of the environ-
ment and that we have to stop eating the fish. It's
kind of an end point. These are statements of fail-
ures. We have to do a much better job, because if
fish have so many contaminants in them that we
can't eat them, the ability for them to reproduce
has got to be under challenge.
At the same time, contaminated sediments are
also affecting our ports and port management. I
agree that shipping is the most environmentally
sound way to move lots of cargo around. We
should be doing more of it.
The Honorable John Graykowski
Cindy, we can't if our harbors silt up.
Investment in
fisheries research
and data collection
will enhance the health
of coastal economies
and improve the ability
of coastal communities
to manage their
resources responsibly.
Photo: NOM
Oceans and Commerce • 29
-------
Travel and tourism is
the largest industry,
employer, and foreign-
revenue earner in the
United States. Coastal
states earn 85 percent
of all U.S. tourism
revenues, derived from
about ISO million
people who visit U.S.
coastlines every year.
Cindy Zipf
I understand. I come from a port in New York
and New Jersey where we were challenged by
silting in harbors. We met that challenge with the
administration's leadership of rinding alternatives.
But we have to have sediment quality criteria. We
have clean water criteria, we have clean air crite-
ria, but we have no clean sediment criteria that
we can use to ensure that fish do improve. We
need sediment quality criteria so that we can
implement pollution prevention and clean up the
sediment so that you don't have contaminated
sediments in the port in the future.
With the contaminated sediments that we do
have in the ports, wonderful technologies are
being developed. As a case in point, in New
Jersey, we're developing technologies. They're
not the best, they're not the final answer, but
we're moving in that direction. We're finding
more alternatives now that we have dredge
material to meet the need for those alternatives.
I'm just here to say that the contaminated sedi-
ments issue is one that has to be focused on. We
have to be proactive.
This Oceans Act that I'm hearing about, I
hope it's not more study. I hope it is action and
that we can move forward together. I do believe
that contaminated sediments are crippling the
ports of America. The answer is not to throw it in
the nearest body of water or throw it down-
stream or throw it around. We must take aggres-
sive action to pursue environmentally sound
alternatives for sediment quality criteria.
Ron Stone
My name is Ron Stone. I'm Director of the
Boating Facilities Development Division of the
National Marine Manufacturers Association. I
also speak for the states' Organization for Boating
Access and International Council of Marine
Industry Associations.
Nobody yet has said anything about recre-
ational boating, sport fishing, and allied tourism in
the context of commerce and development of
national ocean policy. Yet in the discussion papers
for this conference, we did take note that these
activities were identified as important contributors
to the economies of ocean-side communities.
We're utterly •water-dependent. We do need
safe, convenient, environmentally friendly access
to public waters, and one of our problems just
now is with dredging policy. When it comes to
dredging, recreational boating and allied interests
are treated as second-class citizens. In times of
budget constraint, •we're typically the first to go,
and our marina and yacht harbors suffer for that.
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30 • NATIONAL OCEAN CONFERENCE
-------
We've gone on record in Congress asking for
more money to be appropriated for the Corps of
Engineers civil works budget, if that will help, but
beyond that, we'd like a mandate for the Corps of
Engineers policy to change to recognize us as
part of commerce. "We feel we're part of com-
merce. We're making a contribution, and I'd hope
a recommendation might come out of this con-
ference for direction to the Corps of Engineers
to take cognizance of us as being part of com-
merce. Thank you.
The Honorable John Graykowski
Sir, just a quick one. The recreational boating
industry is an incredible size and breadth in this
country, and every state is filled with boaters. No
one knows better than Bob North in terms of
•what your industry means to the •waterway sys-
tem, because it's just more things floating in
already-congested channels and ports. Your com-
ments are well taken.
Dean Misczynski
Dean Misczynski, California Research Bureau,
Long Beach. Let me add the issue of watershed
management to your list. The issue of contami-
nated sediments was raised, and as many of you
realize, the ports didn't contaminate the sedi-
ments. Establishing criteria isn't going to fix the
problem.You need to get the people upstream
cleaning up what is going into the waters,
because we're inheriting those things.
Co-chair Summaries
The Honorable D. James Baker
I'm not going to be able to summarize every-
thing that we heard. But I think we can all say
that there's an intense interest in the issues that
we've discussed, and they are all very much inter-
connected.
We've heard about the connection between
economic success and a healthy environment.
We've seen that oceans are an indicator for the
environment and they provide very critical ser-
vices to our economy. We've seen that the coral
reef partnership is a very good example of how
one might move forward, and we can probably
list 10 or 15 other partnerships that work very
well as we look at those kinds of issues. The
recent note about watershed management, I
think, is one that is critical for us as we look at
those issues.
We've also had a very good discussion of ports
and shipping and the issues of management and
governance, and the fact we have so many federal
and state agencies involved in this, and we need
better coordination and to simplify that process.
We have heard that shipping companies face
common problems—problems of global trade and
global security. These all affect quality of life in
the U.S. economy. Ocean and marine transport is
not just an economic issue; it's very much an
environmental issue. I think the ports issue is a
key issue for the 21st century, and we're starting
to address it.
We've also heard, I think, most sides of the
fisheries issue. We're all here, and we all agree that
we want to have sustainable fisheries. We want to
have a healthy fishing industry. We want to have a
healthy recreational fishery. We want to have a
healthy environment. All of those things have to
go together, and we have to find a way to make it
work. We have many tools that we use. We apply
these differendy in different communities, but
we're trying to find some solutions there.
It's very clear we need better coordination in
our federal policy in all oceans issues. The call for
a department of the oceans is an example of the
need for better coordination, better government.
We see a very strong need for enhancing the
state and local government role in ocean gover-
nance, and also finding a way to bring the pri-
vate sector in is something that I think is very
important.
We've talked about finding solutions. I think
the primary purpose of the Oceans Act is to
establish a National Oceans Commission that will
take on these points and try to give us some
answers that could be worked through all the
processes. We've seen a strong call from many
people: don't continue simply to study issues, let's
have some action now. That's a point I think we'll
deliver to the Vice President.
The Honorable John Graykowski
That was a terrific summary of "Oceans of
Commerce, Oceans of Life." I think what I come
away with—and I hope you all do—is:
•I One, there's a common commitment. We're
over the hump in terms of politics. We all
recognize the fact that what we have is very
precious.
•I Two, I think all of the people here are very
sincere and very well meaning and very gen-
uine in their embracing of the concept of
stewardship. All of us want to have what we
have today to pass to the next generation.
I think also what I've seen from a political
context is the energy that can be translated into
appropriate and real forceful political action. And
:\!?/- '-•^•-.•^^'^•^i^sS^'^S^^'.
Oceans and Commerce • 31
-------
We need to make
attinvestmetitin
research and data
collection that _-n-?*~
allows MS to
maintain and
continue healthy
coastal economies
through fisheries in
a responsive and
responsible way.
— Philip Anderson
that's what it's going to take because all of these
comments about government resources have to
be translated into political action, which has to be
translated ultimately into appropriations. That
means reordering priorities and resources in this
country. That means getting a whole lot of peo-
ple in this country to start saying, "Yes, that's
where I want my dollars spent."
"We're going to have spend more because that's
not been the trend over the last few years, not
just in the Congress. I'm not advocating the posi-
tion. I'm talking as the head of an agency. It's
great to say, "Spend more money." But for the last
five, eight, ten years in this country, we've been
hearing the federal government spends too much.
That's the mind-set and the cultural change, I
think, we need to accomplish that.
We have the seeds here, and •we've planted a
heck of a garden, I think, in all the seminars. All
of us now have the responsibility for the water-
ing and the weeding and the nurturing that it's
going to take to translate this intp the fruits of
the labors and to give us a bounty well into the
next century. Thank you very much for all of
your participation.
Issue Forum Summary
Report to the Vice President
(Presented during the Cross-Cutting
Issues Plenary Session)
Vice President Al Gore
Jim Baker is going to give us a report from
the commerce panel. I might just say, by way of
transition, Dr. Baker, that what Mr.W.Thomas
Mitchell told us in the Environment and Health
issue forum really pointed to the strong need for
partnerships among the federal government,
academia, and industry. I want to echo that state-
ment. We'll be able to accomplish a lot more if
we can find ways to work together well. So I'd
like to ask you to give us the report from your
panel. As I'm sure you know, Dr. Baker is the
Undersecretary for Oceans and Atmosphere and
Administrator of the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration in the Commerce
Department.
The Honorable D. James Baker
Mr.Vice President, thank you very much. My
co-chairman was John Graykowski, head of
MARAD, and we did have, in fact, a very lively
discussion about partnerships. So that theme is
picked up. We talked about the many diverse sec-
tors of our economy that rely on the ocean and
its resources.
We saw the oceans as indicators of our quality
of life and environmental health. The panelists
recognized the enormous capacity of human
activities in all sectors to both use but also cause
harm to the oceans. They further recognized the
desirability of extracting the benefits of what the
oceans have to offer. For example, the total eco-
nomic value of coastal and ocean resources and
activities has been estimated to be more than 30
percent of our GDP, but we need a more precise
calculation.
We emphasized the need for new steps toward
active stewardship, recognizing the privileges and
responsibilities this implies. The time is right for a
shared commitment to a cohesive and integrated
U.S. ocean policy. Development and implementa-
tion of this policy •will require involvement and
coordination of all the players, this partnership
you mentioned—government agencies, state and
local level, communities, the private sector, acade-
mia, and public interest groups. The issues raised
included the vital role the oceans play in both
domestic and international trade and how mod-
ernized ports will facilitate our success in an
increasingly global economy.
The future of our commercial fisheries was
discussed, as was the importance of recreational
fishing to the economies of many coastal com-
munities. Tourism, including coastal tourism, is
one of the fastest growing sectors of our econ-
omy. Many of our great cities are coastal commu-
nities and serve as major regional centers of
commerce, and this is leading to explosive popu-
lation growth in these cities, Mr. Vice President,
as you have noted many times.
New and exciting opportunities for biotech-
nology and medicines from the ocean and reefs
are experiencing growth in interest. For example,
pharmaceutical products from the ocean could be
the most important product from the oceans in
the 21st century.
Let me quickly summarize our discussions.
Our economy is dependent on international
trade in an increasingly global marketplace.
Maritime trade is expected to double or even
triple within the next generation. It was noted in
our session that there is no safer, more economi-
cal, or environmentally protective way to move
goods than on the water. The infrastructure
needed to support this must be modernized to
keep pace with increasing demands. One of our
panelists noted that it would take 28 miles of
trucks to fill one large container ship—a good
statistic. We must plan accordingly to ensure that
commerce can move efficiently, safely, and with
minimal impact on the environment, including
introducing exotic species into the marine envi-
ronment by exchange of ballast water.
32 • NATIONAL OCEAN CONFERENCE
-------
It's also -well understood, that many of our com-
mercial fisheries, once seen as limitless, now face
serious declines due to a variety of causes, includ-
ing overcapitalization of the fishing fleet, overfish-
ing, and loss of habitat for young fish in our coastal
estuaries and harbors. Better information is needed
to support fishery management decisions.
New industries based on marine life forms
also require a healthy environment and may play
important roles in the future of our economy and
well-being. More research is needed to reveal and
better understand the benefits the sea can pro-
vide. New technologies being developed right
now through public and private research will
help us meet and overcome the challenges.
We also need more emphasis on the human
factor. People need better information, better
training. Fisheries managers need better data on
stocks. Vessel operators need real-time and
updated navigational information. Where we have
the information, we need to act, especially when
the information tells us there's a problem.
In a •wide-ranging discussion on ocean man-
agement issues, participants noted the need to
reduce the overlapping of jurisdictional responsi-
bilities with respect to ocean management. Mr.
Vice President, we thought this was a good issue
for the National Performance Review to take up
a special oceans emphasis.
Some of our nation's largest cities are strategi-
cally located on the coast and are major centers
of commerce and trade. Yet they're also major
sources of coastal pollution, further contributing
to loss of habitat. Polluted coastal waters also
harm commercial fisheries and have significant
negative impacts on recreational fishing and
coastal tourism—all of which require clean,
healthy waters to sustain the many coastal com-
munities relying on these industries.
In general, there was agreement that the many
important commercial uses of the ocean require a
clean and healthy ocean and coastal environment.
It was also agreed that in many cases, major
threats to those uses come from land-based activ-
ities in the form of runoff and nonpoint sources
of pollution throughout the 'watersheds flowing
to our coasts. Mr.Vice President, the changing
chemistry of the oceans is as important to society
as the changing chemistry of the atmosphere that
leads to global warning. We hope you'll take up
this challenge.
There was acknowledgment in our session that
we've come a long way in recognizing the issues
related to maintaining a healthy and commercially
productive marine environment. But the job isn't
done. We must ensure our future investments con-
tinue to reduce environmental threats as they pro-
mote increased economic opportunity.
Maritime trade is
expected to double—
or even triple—within
the next generation.
Planning is required to
ensure that commerce
can move efficiently,
safely, and with mini-
mal impact on the
environment.
Photo: American President
Lines
Oceans and Commerce • 33
-------
Finally, picking up on the partnership point,
there was tremendous agreement that the best
way to address each challenge is to do so together.
Whether it's public—private partnerships to fund
research or stakeholder involvement in decision
making, the key to success is our ability to work
together. To put this in business plan terms, the
ocean is a collective enterprise, and we need to
develop a national ocean policy—or an ocean
business plan—for the 21st century.
In conclusion, there are a variety of challenges
and opportunities among the many commercial
activities in the ocean that are vital to the econ-
omy. The members of the commerce panel look
forward to discussing the issues with you and
members of the other panels. Thank you.
Questions from
the Vice President
(Presented during the Cross-Cutting
Issues Plenary Session)
Vice President Al Gore
Thank you very much, Dr. Baker. That was a
good report. Before I talk about your report, I
want to make brief note of the fact that all of us
saw the pictures of El Nino forming in the
Pacific Ocean. I'm sure everybody here can call
up a mental image of that big red spot growing
across the Pacific.Well, Dr. Baker and his team
were the ones who produced those pictures.
Because of their scientific expertise, we were able
to get a lot of warning about El Nino. As bad as
it was here in California, particularly, and else-
where, it could have been a whole lot worse
without that warning. I want to thank you on
behalf of a lot of people for the great work that
your team did, Dr. Baker.
Now I'd like to pick up on some of the issues
outlined in your panel's report, and caE on Ron
Sims. Ron Sims, as many of you know, is the
County Executive of King County, •which includes
Seattle. Seattle is an example, in turn, of a great
city on Puget Sound, where the ecosystem is fac-
ing challenges as we all try to conserve die envi-
ronment in the face of urban population growth.
In your area, Ron, you have a busy and
growing port, you have a booming economy,
and at the same time, fish and birds are threat-
ened by development that sometimes encroaches
on their habitat. One of the reasons why Seattle
is such a beautiful place and King County is
such a gem is because of that great environment
and natural beauty. How do you reconcile the
competing demands for natural resources in
King County?
The Honorable Ron Sims
Thank you, Mr. Vice President. Our citizens
feel very strongly that we have a quality of life
that's enviable and that we enjoy the economy.
We know that our marine waters and our envi-
ronment have been very attractive. We're growing
very rapidly, but we have seen decisions that have
impacted that and reduced the quality of life that
we have and have harmed our environment.
Collaboratively, the business community, the
educational community, public officials, and the
tribal nations have organized in the three-county
area and made a decision that we're going to
respond to the challenges of a degraded environ-
ment which has harmed our fish, and that we're
focused on recovering the salmonids that have
been impacted and are now threatened. It has
been a very collaborative process.
We realize—widi the University ofWashington,
the National Marine Fisheries Service, the Corps
of Engineers, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
and our own state agencies—diat if we don't work
in a concerted and collaborative fashion, we won't
recover the species. We're going to recover that
species.We're going to rebalance so we can have
our cake and eat it too. We're going to have a
strong economy, and •we're going to see fish return.
We're going to have a strong environment, and
we're going to have a strong commerce.
Vice President Al Gore
One of the points that comes out of this com-
merce panel is a point that President Clinton and
I have made for almost six years now and before.
And that is that cleaning up the environment and
promoting business growth are goals that can be
pursued simultaneously. That's true where the
oceans are concerned as well.
I'd like to follow up on that by asking a ques-
tion of Richard du Moulin. He's the Chairman
and CEO of Marine Transport Lines and also
serves as President of the Independent Tanker
Owners Association. I understand that in your
discussion this morning, it •was clear that new
technologies are now improving maritime safety
and sharply reducing the risk of accidents. What
new improvements in technology do you see
being developed now, and •what more needs to be
done to further improve navigation safety at sea
and in ports?
Richard du Moulin
Thank you, Mr. Vice President. To answer the
question, I'd like to reference the past. For 20
years the emphasis on improving safety has
34 • NATIONAL OCEAN CONFERENCE
-------
come from looking at the mechanical structure
of ships and the equipment on board. Two items
come to mind.
First, we've been able to reduce operating
pollution by 90 percent by going to segregated
ballast, where you don't mix the oil and the
water ballast in the same compartment in the
ship, and by-also using crude oil washing—using
the cargo itself to wash the tank, rather than
introducing water.
The other has been the reduction of accidental
pollution by 50 percent. One example of technol-
ogy •was inert gas, where an empty cargo tanker •
with fumes was filled with inert gas so there
couldn't be an explosion. The maritime industry
got on to that about 20 years ago. This is before
OPA 90. This was implemented voluntarily.
OPA 90 raised awareness dramatically that
there was a need to do a lot more. Since then,
the reaction by industry and by the U.S. Coast
Guard and other bodies around the world has
been to look at the people factor. Hardware isn't
the answer anymore, but working with the crew
and navigational techniques and processes and
discharging and loading ships at terminals is
where improvement can be made. A ship going
in and out of a port and operating in a port is
like an airplane landing or taking off—that's the
moment of greatest risk. I'd point to ISM—the
International Safety Management process—which
is now going on board ships and in the offices of
ship operators. It wouldn't be possible -without e-
mail—live e-mail through the satellite. This com-
munication revolution has totally changed how
operators can run their ships, which by the
nature of the business are a thousand miles away
from the^ home office or even land.
Another example is in the navigational area,
where we have a great navigational system, the
GPS [Global Positioning System]—particularly
since the government is going to allow the best
of the GPS now to be available for commercial
use, and combining that with electronic charting.
To make that effective, we discussed this morning
that ports have to be looked at as a system. It's
not just a ship. It's navigational aids, the hydrogra-
phy where we need better charts, vessel traffic,
and information and control systems.
When you take the systems approach and you
combine it with the technologies like GPS and
electronic charting and then the ISM and the
improved crewing and training, then you have
the ability to improve the system. It's a systems
approach to the problem that we think should be
the priority in the future, not so much just hard-
ware and ships, but the system the ship operates
within.
Vice President Al Gore
Thank you very much. I saw on the vessel I
was on this morning a system that was amazing
to me. They utilized the global positioning satel-
lites, and it's almost like playing a video game.
You could just pick a location on the digital map
and select that location, and then the ship would
steer itself to precisely that point. It really is very
impressive. One of the announcements that I
made this morning has to do with the Navy
making available now those much more accurate
mapping and navigational techniques.
g of tenhed States^
nca[the
a stewardship
Apriority for the
it nation.
I - Roger McManiis
Oceans and Commerce • 35
-------
Oceans and
Global Securi
liiffi^^
III-
-------
With so much of our security and
trade floating upon those dark-
blue waters, freedom of the seas
is in our clear national interest.
We must work with other nations
to safeguard it.
PANEL CO-CHAIRS
THE HONORABLE JOHN H. DALTON
Secretary of the Navy
MELINDA L KIMBLE
Acting Assistant Secretary •.'.../;
Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs
U.S. Department of State
PANELISTS
THE HONORABLE DAVID A. COLSON
Partner, LeBoeuf, Lamb, Greene & MacRae, L.L.R
PAUL L. KELLY
Senior Vice President, Rowan Companies, Inc.
LEE A. KIMBALL
Independent Consultant
Treaty Development and International Institutions
ADMIRAL JAMES M. LOY
Commandant, United States Coast Guard
PROFESSOR JOHN NORTON MOORE
Director, Center for Oceans Law & Policy
University of Virginia
ADMIRAL DONALD L. PILLING
Vice Chief of Naval Operations
United States Navy
RODVULOVIC
Vice President of Ocean Transportation Services
Sea-Land Services, Inc.
FACILITATOR
REAR ADMIRAL WESLEY JORDAN
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PHOTO: OFFICIAL U.S. NAVY PHOTO BY PHOTOGRAPHER'S MATE AIRMAN BRIAN FLESKE
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Oceans and
Global Security
The Navy plays a major
role in both ocean
research and ocean
operations, including
oceanography, marine
meteorology, and ocean
optics and acoustics.
The technologies and
data developed by the
Navy have numerous
civilian as well as
military applications.
Photo: Official U.S. Navy
photo by Photographer's
Mate James W. Olive
Panel Co-chair Introductory Remarks
The Honorable John H. Dalton
Secretory of the Navy
I'm honored to be leading off this important forum for the National
Ocean Conference. I know that each of you is already as energized as I am
by the important agenda before us.
Let me begin by saying that our overall goal this morning is to raise
awareness and help set the national agenda for the issues that face all aspects
of our nation's use of the oceans. In that light, the vast knowledge that
resides within this room on the many issues of global security is, of course,
important by itself. But I remind this most distinguished group of the inter-
connection of our discussion with those of our colleagues meeting in the
other three forums. I believe that the coherence of our message resides in
the ability to clearly demonstrate the relevance of global security issues to
the tremendous diversity of ocean interests in this country.
Having said that, I'll narrow my scope of remarks and use this opportu-
nity to briefly discuss the Navy's priorities during the Year of the Ocean.
First, our national security depends upon the for-
ward presence of our naval forces and the ability
to get all of our military forces to the battlefield,
should the need arise. That, in return, depends on
maintaining freedom of the seas so that our Navy
and Marine Corps can continue to operate any-
time and anywhere to keep the sea lanes open and
protect our interests.
Given that interest emphasis, I'm very con-
cerned that the United States is not a party to the
Law of the Sea treaty. This fact has potentially
negative effects for the credibility of our overall
national maritime policies. Our absence is noted
by the world community, and our ability to influ-
ence global events demands that we have a seat at
the table. The reservations that exist to ratification
of the treaty no longer stand up under scrutiny.
The treaty in its current form is a winning proposition for the United States,
and I ask each of you to get actively involved and urge the Senate to ratify
this treaty.
The Department of the Navy's secondary emphasis is to promote our
need to exploit the national ocean and marine weather environments for
tactical support of naval operations. Today's high-tech naval weapons increas-
ingly need influence over environmental data to maximize efficiency and
avoid collateral damage. New technologies are being fielded to collect and
process air, ocean, and seafloor data for generating real-time technical sup-
port products for our war-fighting and peace-keeping efforts.
Third, the Department of the Navy has a significant role in improving
and protecting the world's oceans. Our leadership in pollution prevention,
compliance, species protection, and stewardship are integral to our world-
wide naval operations on a daily basis."We will continue to protect and sus-
tain a healthy ocean environment in all that we undertake.
The Navy also plays a major role in ocean research, ensuring access to the
newest science and technology developments. These efforts, which include
oceanography, marine meteorology, and ocean optics and acoustics, account
for 25 percent of the national ocean science investment. The general public
benefits from many civil applications of these Navy-developed ocean tech-
nologies and data.
38 • NATIONAL OCEAN CONFERENCE
-------
That is where the Navy's emphasis lies for
global security during the Year of the Ocean. I
know that these issues are closely related to many
of your own areas of concern. I look forward to
aggressively attacking with each of you the cross-
cutting issues of global security before us.
We are very, very fortunate to have such an
outstanding group of experts, and it's my honor
to serve with them on the panel today.
Melinda L. Kimble
Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans and
International Environmental and Scientific Affairs
I'd like to say right up front that I'm speaking
on behalf of the Secretary of State, and that the
views I express are clearly held and fully sup-
ported by Madeleine Albright.
The oceans play a vital role in our national
and global security, acting both as a buffer from
foreign threats and as a means of projecting our
power and influence throughout the world. As
the preeminent maritime power and the country
with the longest coastline, the United States has
a paramount interest in ensuring order and sta-
bility'on the oceans. We've fought two major
wars to preserve navigational freedoms—the War
of 1812 and World War I. Quite simply, we've
always been in the forefront of promoting the
rule of law in oceans and, when necessary,
upholding that rule by force. To preserve our
future security and prosperity we must continue
to lead in that effort.
Wise and effective use of the oceans depends
on internationally agreed-upon rules. All nations
must work together to create these rules for mili-
tary and commercial navigation, fishing, oil and
gas development, offshore mining, scientific
research, and recreation. These rules are, in fact, in
place in the 1982 U.N. Convention on the Law
of the Sea and the accompanying 1994 Seabed
Mining Agreement.
When the Convention was concluded in
1982, you'll recall President Reagan decided the
United States could not sign. While most of the
Convention served U.S. interests, the deep seabed
mining provisions were deeply flawed and needed
to be fixed. Just as we had led the design of the
navigation provisions, the United States also led
the charge to correct and enhance the provisions
on deep seabed mining. In 1994 we succeeded.
Our U.N. permanent representative at the time,
Madeleine Albright, signed that agreement for
the United States. We had removed or modified
the objectionable provisions, including transfer of
technology, and the new provisions reflect our
preference for sound market-based mechanisms.
The Law of the Sea Convention is now
widely accepted. It is in force. Virtually all our
NATO [North Atlantic Treaty Organization]
allies and all OECD [Organization for Economic
Cooperation and Development] countries are
parties, except for the United States. It is the
international legislative arena for the oceans, and
the United States will lose its opportunity to par-
ticipate if we don't join the Convention by
November of this year.
The Convention in its revised form protects a
full range of ocean interests:
• Secretary Dalton has clearly highlighted the
importance of freedom of navigation. Com-
mercially, 95 percent of U.S. import and
export trade is transported by sea, and this
represents 20 percent of our gross domestic
product.
• Broad jurisdiction over fisheries and mineral
resources off our coast is ensured under this
treaty. As the nation, again, with the longest
coastline and the most extensive areas of fish-
eries and continental shelf jurisdiction in the
world, we benefit more than any other nation
from these provisions.
M Protection for submarine cables that carry
fiber-optic communication links critical to our
telecommunications industry, again, is ensured
by the Convention.
• The Convention's establishment of a frame-
work for global and regional conservation
agreements for the oceans and their resources
also serves critical U.S. interests in fostering
sustainable ocean management.
There's no question that the widely accepted
Law of the Sea Convention will only be the
ocean's gain. U.S. leadership, however, is at stake.
Rules applicable to the use of the oceans will
continue to be elaborated and applied in this
forum. The United States must participate in
developing and applying those rules if we are to
protect our navigational and other freedoms from
illegal jurisdictional claims of other nations.
The Convention has traditionally had biparti-
san origins and support. And now that it meets
our security and economic and environmental
objectives, we're working with Congress to
secure ratification this year.The Department of
State's role in this agenda is to coordinate the
international negotiating activities and to work
cooperatively with the Navy—the Department of
Defense, more broadly—and other U.S. agencies
in elaborating and pursuing U.S. objectives on
the oceans. Clearly, we'll be more successful in
this endeavor if we're a party to the Law of the
Sea Convention.
B I am very concerned
tetejjs notjparfy
we have a
rseat at the table.
— The Honorable
John H. Dalton
Oceans and Global Security • 39
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America's dependence
on the sea has grown
substantially in this
century. One-fifth of
our gross domestic
product is transported
by sea—a method of
trade that relies on
the maintenance of
national and global
security.
Photo: American
President Lines
Panelists' Statements
Admiral Donald L. Pilling
Admiral Pilling is a distinguished career naval officer and is
now serving in the Pentagon in Washington as Vice Chief
of Naval Operations, the number-two ranking naval officer
in the United States Navy.
Good morning. I'm in charge of discussing
two very broad areas this morning: the impor-
tance of naval power to national security and
global stability, and essential missions of the
United States Navy.
Let me begin by stating that throughout his-
tory free access to the oceans has been key to the
security of all nations. America is no different,
and I believe that to a large degree the connec-
tion between our ability to command the sea and
our national security is a widely accepted notion,
given our nation's history. I believe, however, that
familiarity has the potential to breed compla-
cency, and we are well served by a concerted
effort to raise awareness in three areas: (1) a
deeper understanding of the role of naval forces;
(2) continued and widened investment in sea
power; and (3) pursuit of strong legal guarantees
for continued principles of freedom of the seas.
First is the role of naval forces, which gives me
the opportunity to discuss the essential missions
of the U.S. naval service. America's dependence
on the sea was seen originally in the context of
maritime trade and fisheries, but in this century it
has grown substantially. Not only has the need for
a robust Navy increased during the century, but
the nature and complexity of our missions have
expanded, most notably since the early 1990s.
Even as a career naval officer I'm often
amazed when I stop to think of the wide spec-
trum to which our forces are now applied.
They're used in a variety of seagoing missions
ranging from power or force projection; presence
or deterrence patrols, like you saw recently in the
Persian Gulf, where we had two carriers; mar-
itime interdiction of illegal cargoes; humanitarian
assistance; noncombatant evacuations, which
you've seen recently off the coast of Africa, and
possibly off Eritrea in Africa on the eastern coast;
and disaster relief.
Our naval service is no longer predominantly
an insurance policy for war, but an essential and
complex tool for shaping the environment, react-
ing to crisis, preserving the peace, and building
partnerships and coalitions that enhance stability
and peace on a global level. The President's
national security policy of engagement is one
that heavily depends on the versatile, agile, and
multi-talented naval forces at the disposal of the
national command authority.
The second area of concern that deserves a
renewed focus is our investment in all aspects of
sea power. The United States Navy's forward
deployed strategy, which the Secretary referenced,
is a strategy that, in peace and war, relies on mul-
tiple pillars, including a sound maritime infra-
structure, access to ocean science and technology,
and a renewed investment in the intellectual cap-
ital, which will drive the advances we foresee for
our naval service and our maritime strategy.
Regarding infrastructure, a significant portion
of the nation's industrial base is devoted to the
sustenance of the U.S. maritime economy, which
includes shipbuilding, ocean commerce, and
40 • NATIONAL OCEAN CONFERENCE
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coastal development. Defense, the Coast Guard,
and the Maritime Administration provide essen-
tial infrastructure support through a targeted pro-
gram of shipbuilding, conversions, and charter
hires. Defense continues to enjoy advances in :
ocean science and technology for cutting-edge
military systems because of a sound U.S. indus-
trial base, which operates under competitive
principles. Continued investment in naval forces
directly supports our national security strategy,
supports our civil-military maritime infrastruc-
ture requirements, and indirectly supports our
bilateral trade objectives.
Investment in high technology in the indus-
trial base will be for naught without a similar
investment and the intellectual capital to back it
up. Our 21st-century forces and doctrine will be
the beneficiaries of what we're calling the revolu-
tions in military and business affairs—but only if
we've built a generation of bright and engaged
warriors and engineers to lead it.
Third, and finally, our continued free access to
the oceans based on universal principles of interna-
tional law is also essential to America's security. Free
access enables the Commander-in-Chief to use the
oceans as a superhighway to quickly send forces to
areas of potential conflict to meet America's treaty
obligations, preserve the peace, and demonstrate
leadership. Our use of the sea for national security
purposes is underprotected by the 1982 Law of the
Sea Convention, which, as mentioned, has yet to be
ratified by the United States.
The Law of the Sea for the Navy codifies
essential rights and freedoms of navigation and
overflight on the high seas and in foreign littoral
areas. It also reaffirms the sovereign and immune
character of our seagoing military forces. We
don't have the luxury of having extra forces to
fight our way through excessive maritime claims
at navigational choke points. To the extent that
the Law of the Sea Convention can keep open
the sea lanes through the use of rules of law, it
helps us operationally. To the extent that we can
find explicit support for maritime operations in
international law, it also makes it that much easier
for us to garner support for our actions from
our allies, the United States Congress, and the
American public. In the broader context of a
shrinking world, U.S. accession to the Law of the
Sea Convention will help preserve and enhance
U.S. sovereignty relative to control over all U.S.
flag vessels in use of the seas. As more and more
nations rely on the oceans for resources, com-
merce, and as a means to enhance their own
security, America needs a seat at the interna-
tional table. Ratification of the Law of the Sea
Convention will bring us enhanced legitimacy
and power on the world stage.
To sum up, let me say again that the naval
forces have repeatedly demonstrated their effec-
tiveness in responding to international crises and
preserving and building peace. It was a former
Secretary of the Navy, Paul Nietze, who once
said: "Merely to face upon the oceans is not by
itself to have maritime power, but only presents an
opportunity. The test is what is done with that
opportunity."
This conference for the Navy represents just
such an opportunity. The U.S. naval forces, to
remain effective in maintaining international
peace and security, all must work together on our
awareness for the applications of naval power, the
need for investing all aspects of our maritime
future, and for ratifying the Law of the Sea
Convention. Our collective focus in these areas
will serve us well. Thank you.
Rod Vulovic
Rod Vulovic is Vice President in charge of Ocean Trans-
portation for Sea-Land Service, Incorporated. His impres-
sive background in international shipping and marine
engineering provides a unique perspective from industry's
point of view.
Thank you. I'd like to emphasize a particular
segment of the oceans in national security—
namely, the role of the U.S. merchant fleet in
maintaining a high level of sea-lift readiness and
effectiveness. Due to other increasing budgetary
constraints, the provision of an effective long-last-
ing sea lift supported by the U.S. merchant fleet is
becoming more challenging. The steady decline
of the U.S. flag fleet over the years has resulted
not only in fewer vessels but, as important, an
increase in the average age of the fleet, causing a
lower level of state-of-the-art of the fleet as
well—even more so for the Jones Act [Merchant
Marine Act of 1920] portion of the fleet. During
the last decade a number of commercial shipyards
were closed. A number of marine equipment
manufacturers ceased to exist, as well as a number
of ocean shipping companies. It's no coincidence
that the investment tax credit was abolished not
too long prior to that.
In order to adequately support the nation's
sea-lift needs, the U.S. intermodal industry has to
achieve worldwide competitive levels and regain
and maintain its leadership role, which won't be
possible unless these necessary and timely steps
are taken:
II Our ports need to develop and maintain their
infrastructure in such a way that their role as
the major and most important facilitator of
the intermodal interchange is fully met. No
fast, large, modern vessel is •worthy of the
Oceans and Global Security • 41
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Well-designed, well-
built, and properly
manned terminals
need to be comple-
mented by easy and
efficient rail and
highway connections.
Improved port infra-
structure is essential
to continued U.S.
economic security,
as well as to support
traditional national
security requirements.
Photo: Port of Seattle
investment in itself unless hosted by port at a
short distance to and from the seaway afford-
ing easy and safe maneuvering and quick and
safe docking and undocking. But these are just
part of the whole system.
• Terminals that are well-designed, built, and
manned need to be complemented by easy
and efficient rail and highway connections. All
federal, state, and local authorities that are part
of the system have to work as teams.
• Also needed are well-coordinated, noncon-
flicting, and congruent laws and regulations.
Although it varies by locality, the number of
cognizant authorities is large, which inevitably
leads to unnecessary bureaucracy.
The fact that the daily lives of all Americans
are touched one way or the other by the nation's
ability to effectively and without restrictions use
all the oceans and other waterways isn't univer-
sally known or recognized. A farmer's wife in a
small town in Kansas can buy bananas from
Ecuador and grapes from Chile, and she can sat-
isfy most of her household needs at a local Wal-
Mart. Her husband can readily purchase for his
farm machinery fuel refined from Alaskan or any
far-away country's crude oil. The family's farm
products can reach far-away countries and mar-
kets as well. All that, thanks to a functional global
transportation system.
However, for the national security point of
view, this isn't enough. That reasonably well-
functioning transportation system supporting the
nation's commerce has to be national and be
controlled by the nation. It has to be available,
ready, and able to respond at all times. It has to
be adaptive to the U.S. military needs, available
at short notice, and commercially competitive at
all times.
The recently implemented maritime security
program, which supports a small number of qual-
ified U.S. flag vessels, only covers a portion of the
U.S. flag liner economic disparity between for-
eign flag and U.S. flag vessels. Similarly, U.S. cargo
preference for U.S. flag vessels is an important
element that adds value.
However, the two of these aren't enough.
Additional action is needed to supplement the
above, such as statutory and/or regulatory
reforms, like reenactment of the investment tax
credit, abolishment of the ad valorem duty for for-
eign repairs to the U.S. flag vessels, and achieve-
ment of full parity of the U.S. vessel construction
and inspection standards with other IMO [Inter-
national Maritime Organization] member con-
struction standards.
Another important goal is preservation of the
Jones Act as a vehicle for appropriate and steady
training of U.S. merchant seamen, as well as for
preservation of many American jobs. Sea-Land, as
an example, has a significant commitment to the
U.S. government of its assets, intermodal
resources, terminal facilities in strategic areas of
the world, management, and computer systems
for use both in peace and in war. These resources
are paid for by commercial customers on a day-
to-day basis. However, they're available to the
U.S. government in times of crisis and their mili-
tary contingencies.
U.S. flag carriers and the Department of
Defense should further extend their relationships,
specifically in the areas of logistics, ship manage-
ment, and the acquisition of maritime assets. As
an example, fast sea-lift ships once were Sea-Land
SO-7s some years ago. Combination of acquisi-
tion of existing commercial U.S. flag vessels with
42 • NATIONAL OCEAN CONFERENCE
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the necessary modifications in U.S. shipyards
•would yield considerable savings in both money
and time, as compared to new buildings.
What do we need to do in order to meet
these challenges that our national security is fac-
ing when we look at the horizon over the vast
oceans? We need to communicate. We need to
educate. We need to engage. We need to compro-
mise. Above all, we need to work as a team in
order to make the U.S. Merchant Marine healthy
once again in order to support national security.
Thank you.
Paul L. Kelly
Paul Kelly is Senior Vice President of Rowan Companies,
Inc. Mr. Kelly has represented the oil service and supply
industry on a wide variety of committees and boards,
including the Interior Department's Outer Continental
Shelf Policy Committee and the Coast Guard's National
Offshore Safety Advisory Committee. He has written
widely on energy policy, and is a member of the Editorial
Board of World Oil.
Another important component of global secu-
rity is access to energy supplies. As we move into
the next millennium, a larger percentage of oil
and natural gas will come from the oceans. The
United States has a significant opportunity to
influence the future course of events, from both a
private-sector and a government perspective, and
guarantee that there will be secure access to this
important source of energy in the years ahead.
Extraction of petroleum resources from
beneath the seabed is a major maritime activity
in the Gulf of Mexico, offshore southern
California, and in some regions of Alaska.
Petroleum production from offshore federal lands
currently accounts for 20 percent of our domes-
tic oil production and 27 percent of natural gas
production. The offshore oil and gas industry,
including the shore sector, provides Americans
with approximately 85,000 well-paying jobs, the
number of which is likely to more than double
in the next two decades. Oil production in the
Gulf of Mexico, where there is a high level of
industry interest and activities in waters as deep
as 8,000-10,000 feet, is expected to double by
the year 2002. Revenues from OCS [Outer
Continental Shelf] oil and gas development gen-
erate an average of $3—$4 billion a year in federal
receipts and help fund the Land and Water
Conservation Fund and the National Historic
Preservation Fund.
Offshore petroleum production is a major
technological triumph. New exploration, drilling,
and production-related technologies have
brought about world-record complex industrial
projects in 3,000—5,000 feet of water, which
would have been unimaginable a generation ago.
Indeed, exploration wells have been drilled in
close to 8,000 feet of water, and 10,000 feet
seems within reach. Much of this technology may
have application for the Navy, and it certainly can
be used in other ocean exploration endeavors and
in scientific research, as •well as in non-ocean
fields, such as communications and medicine.
Advances in technology and pace-setting safety-
management systems have also contributed to an
improved OCS safety and environmental record.
Over the past 20 years, less than a thousandth of a
percent of the oil produced from the OCS has been
spilled from production facilities. Today, industry,
the Department of the Interior's Mineral Man-
agement Service, and the U.S. Coast Guard are
working in partnership to raise the bar for envi-
ronmental and safety performance even higher.
At the same time, enlightened policies on the
part of the current administration have helped
move the OCS program beyond conflict to con-
sensus and afford hope for even more exciting
ocean exploration in the future. Certain OCS
planning areas in the United States are currently
under Presidential or congressional moratorium,
which will expire by the year 2000. The Clinton
Administration has committed itself to resolve
conflicts raised in connection with OCS oil and
gas development and build a consensus among
stakeholders as to 'where, when, and how activi-
ties should proceed.
A parallel theme has been science-based deci-
sion making. This approach is being used in the
current 1997-2002 five-year OCS leasing pro-
gram. And our coastal state administrations seem
to be much more satisfied with the degree of
communication and consideration that now
exists between the federal government and the
states regarding OCS oil and gas policy. I think
when we look for examples of what works and
what doesn't work in terms of ocean policy, this
is definitely a good example of what does work.
For this reason, I believe it would be premature
to extend OCS moratoria beyond the year 2000.
We should let these consensus-building policies
•work, and evaluate their success before extending
moratoria further.
In the meantime, we're not going to have new
offshore leasing off California. The present pro-
gram doesn't include any lease sales through the
current program, which ends in the year 2001,
and the petroleum industry itself doesn't want to
invest in areas where there isn't local consensus.
There are so many opportunities available today
on a worldwide basis that they have plenty of
other options. So there isn't a high level of inter-
est in leasing in this area at the present time from
an industry perspective, either.
The United States
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Oceans and Global Security • 43
-------
The offshore oil and
gas industry provides
Americans with
approximately 85,000
well-paying jobs—a
number that is likely
to more than double
in the next two
decades. Continued
access to adequate
and affordable oil
and gas reserves also
supports our economic
and national security
interests.
Another consideration is the incredible advances
in drilling technology made over the past decade,
which make the extraction of oil and natural gas
from the ocean much safer from an environmental
standpoint and much less intrusive physically. A
number of the areas in moratoria contain impor-
tant reserves of natural gas, which cannot be spilled
and is more and more the fuel of choice.
Moreover, the world will have a difficult
enough time as it is supplying the energy needs
of the 7 billion citizens who will inhabit our
planet by the year 2010—at least a billion more
than there are today—in effect, another China.
Those involved in global security issues will rec-
ognize that we need to leave ourselves some
flexibility to deal with changing international
conditions—or even evolving domestic condi-
tions and attitudes.
As exploration of the ocean for hydrocarbons
globalizes, the U.S. private sector and government
have an unparalleled opportunity to lead the
world in terms of management technology and
our ability to demonstrate how to extract these
resources in an environmentally sound manner for
the benefit of all mankind. In the first half of
1997 alone there were 176 offshore oil and gas
concessions granted on a global basis. Every coun-
try in the world that has a continental shelf is
looking for a way to explore for these resources.
And they're looking at the United States for the
technology that's been developed. And they are
looking at us for our management system on how
to go about this on the basis of sound manage-
ment and safe environmental conditions.
As stated recently in a report of the National
Research Council: "Ocean observations have
always been the driver of new knowledge and
predictive capabilities in the oceans and its
basins." Ocean drilling has produced sediment
cores that provide our best long-term records of
natural climate fluctuations. Submersible observa-
tions, both piloted and robotic, opened our eyes
to hydrothermal vents and unique life forms that
surround them.
Many of the technological improvements
enabling us to make these observations are driven
by the needs of oil and gas explorers in the ocean.
Seventy-five percent of the business being done
by the underwater industry today is being done
on behalf of the oil and gas industry, and certainly
this is the case in terms of contributions being
made to deep-water technology. This is the case
with drilling, submersible vessels, and robotics.
Technology used in the oil and gas industry was
used in the recovery of TWA 800, for example.
Much of our knowledge of seabed geology and
geomorphology is directly owing to the offshore
oil and gas industry. This is an industry that basi-
cally over the years has been perceived as one of
America's basic industries. But during the past
decade, it's gone through an incredible transition
to become a high-tech, knowledge-based industry.
For example, there's a partnership working in
Houston today on the relay of highly technical,
multifaceted data from remote locations on a real-
time basis through satellites. This demand results
from the need for offshore geophysical vessels to
relay real-time data back to the Houston office so
that it can be examined on a timely basis. Hearing
about this project, the Texas Medical Center and
the Johnson Space Center asked if they could join
in. This is a good example of collaboration on this
44 • NATIONAL OCEAN CONFERENCE
-------
technology and the kind of potential we have in
the future.
Today in Houston, we also have a large-screen
interactive visualization center, which allows
engineers and earth scientists to course through
three-dimensional volumes of subsurface data
worldwide. Also, companies are discussing the
possibility of making available to the scientific
community video film taken by various petro-
leum companies around •wellheads in the ultra-
deep water for purposes of examining marine ',
ecosystems at these depths.
As all of these examples indicate, there's
much potential for acquiring knowledge about
the ocean environment through more joint
efforts among industry, government, universities,
and the scientific community at large. Today sci-
entists are using offshore rigs and platforms to
study everything from marine organisms, physi-
cal oceanography, and meteorological data to
bird migration. The day is approaching when
used offshore oil and gas platforms will be used
for aquaculture projects.
We have some of those projects under discus-
sion now. A converted offshore drilling rig is
preparing to leave Russia for Long Beach,
California, where it will be stationed to begin its
new life as a privately owned, commercial off-
shore launch platform. The co-owners of the
project, Boeing and Hughes, have 17 satellite
launches contracted to date. As can you see,
opportunities for the use of this technology are
diverse and just abound.
As petroleum exploration moves into deeper
and deeper waters, I want to join my colleagues
in stating that, from the perspective of our indus-
try, it's important that the U.S. become a party to
the Law of the Sea treaty. This would ensure the
U.S. of a minimum of 200 nautical miles of OCS
jurisdiction and establish rules and procedures for
delineating the outer limits of the geological
continental shelf, which in some areas extends
considerably farther. The component of the treaty
that protects the right of both commercial and
military ships and aircraft to move freely through
and over straits used for international navigation,
to engage in innocent passage through states' ter-
ritorial seas, and to enjoy high-seas freedom of
passage through the exclusive economic zones
also is important to U.S. energy security, as our
sources of petroleum globalize and diversify in
the years ahead and become even more depen-
dent on secure ocean transportation.
This, indeed, may be an area where technol-
ogy has moved out ahead of government policy-
making. We're ready to explore in 10,000 feet of
water from a technical standpoint. That goes
beyond our Exclusive Economic Zone.We need
to know what the rules are going to be. Thank
you very much.
Admiral James M. Loy
Admiral James Loy is a career Coast Guard officer, who
took the helm as the Commandant of the Coast Guard
in May 1998. He is an expert on the Coast Guard's law
enforcement responsibilities and how his service views
the changing threats to national security, with emphasis
on drug interdiction, immigration, and fishing.
Good morning. I'd like to take this moment
midway down the panel to reinforce what Secretary
Dalton opened for us. I think you've all heard
already the connectivity between what we're sup-
posed to be talking about here in the global
security panel, and what obviously must be being
discussed in Commerce, the Environment, and
the Science and Education panels being con-
ducted elsewhere on this campus this morning.
At the root of it all is the balance that we're
attempting to strike in the future between the
use of our oceans and the conservation of our
oceans. In many of the comments that you've
already heard, you have the sense that both of
those are well reflected, even within our focus on
national security and global security.
President Clinton has stated: "The threat to
our national security today comes not from those
who control enemy silos but from the interna-
tional criminals and drug traffickers who under-
mine the stability of new democracies and
threaten the future of our children." This is one
of many realizations that the phrase "national
security" has taken on new dimensions since the
fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989.
The immediate application of this observation
to our panel is we're forced to recognize that the
security threats mentioned by the President and
many other burgeoning threats are fundamentally
maritime issues. More specifically, they're mari-
time issues that aren't likely to be countered
effectively by the military force projection thought
processes of the past alone, although they certainly
continue to play a role. Instead, they'll require
effective interagency, interservice, and interna-
tional cooperation.
The Office of Naval Intelligence recently
published a document entitled Worldwide Maritime
Challenges. It's a perfect fit as a textbook for our
panel on global security. In it the authors itemize
the array of security threats that we'll face in the
future, and it's not about nation-state sponsored
military threats. It's about everything from mar-
itime environmental protection to arms trafficking.
I've been asked to briefly discuss this morning
just three of those challenges to our maritime
security: drug smuggling, illegal immigration, and
Oceans and Global Security • 45
-------
The Coast Guard plays
a prominent role in the
interagency effort of
maritime drug inter-
diction. In 1997 alone,
it seized over 100,000
pounds of cocaine and
a similar amount of
marijuana. The Coast
Guard is responsible
for U.S. maritime
security in response
to nonmilitary threats,
including smuggling
of all kinds, illegal
immigration, fisheries
enforcements, and
marine environmental
protection.
Photo: United States
Coast Guard
the depletion of fisheries and other natural
resources in our Exclusive Economic Zone—any
one of which would offer an hour's debate for all
of us this morning. Let me attempt to just cap-
sulize those in brief comments.
In my mind, drug trafficking is the largest
nonmilitary threat to national security that we
now face as a nation. There are those who would
certainly have other items that they'd offer in its
place, but drug imports today, as we speak, cause
violent crime and uncontrolled exports of
national revenue. The Office of National Drug
Control Policy estimates that the illicit drug trade
drains our economy of over $67 billion per year.
The United States has a habit of over 300 metric
tons of cocaine on an annual basis. Although
many people are aware of the Coast Guard's
prominent role in maritime drug interdiction—
seizing over 100,000 pounds of cocaine and a
similar amount of marijuana just last year—drug
interdiction is really an interagency, interservice,
international effort. The debate last week and
early this week at the United Nations, which we
all read about in the press, acknowledges the
harsh reality of this scourge as an international
security issue.
In addition to serving as the Commandant of
the Coast Guard, I serve the President as his
United States Interdiction Coordinator under the
Director of the Office of National Drug Control
Policy. In this capacity, I coordinate the drug
interdiction efforts of the Department of
Defense, the Coast Guard, the Customs Service,
and 30 other law enforcement entities. The State
Department leads interagency teams as well, to
negotiate bilateral maritime counter-narcotics
agreements with countries around the world. It's
a $16-billion-a-year program in the budget of the
United States of America. Our sea lanes remain
the path of choice for these smugglers. As a
result, it's clearly one of our maritime challenges.
With respect to illegal immigration, it presents
its own set of unique challenges. Usually, because
of the very unseaworthy conditions of vessels that
carry illegal migrants, the Coast Guard actually
rescues many of the illegal migrants that it inter-
dicts. In fact, together with naval forces, we've
rescued more than 62,000 Cuban and Haitian
migrants in the Florida Straits and in the
Windward Passage just since 1974.
Nevertheless, we must be very clear on the
point that the humanitarian aspect of our migrant
interdiction program doesn't alter the underlying
fact that illegal immigration is essentially a
national security issue. The first criterion for the
security of any nation-state is its. ability to control
its own borders. The President has designated the
Coast Guard as the lead U.S. government agency
for maritime migrant interdiction, and in this role
the Coast Guard works closely with many other
agencies and with many other governments.
In a recent successful interdiction of a mother
ship smuggling PRC [People's Republic of
China] migrants, the U.S. Coast Guard coordi-
nated its activities with INS [Immigration and
Naturalization Service], with Justice, with the
American Consul in
Bermuda, with the
government of the
PRC, the government
of Bermuda, and local
law enforcement agen-
cies. We routinely work
with INS, the Customs
Service, the Border
Patrol, and the Depart-
ment of State. As long
as we have a gulf eco-
nomically between
"have" nations and
"have-not" nations,
illegal migrants will be
on our oceans trying to
find the "land of milk
and honey."
With respect to
fisheries, the depletion
of fisheries and other
natural resources in our
Exclusive Economic
Zone is also a security
46 • NATIONAL OCEAN CONFERENCE
-------
issue. Overfishing has seriously depleted many
stocks and has even led to the extinction of some
species. Our environmental stewardship responsi-
bilities, as well as the economic impact of our
$50-billion fishing industry, oblige us to treat this
issue seriously.
The depletion of the Georges Bank treasure
fish is a sad example. Although the biomass
remains essentially the same on the Grand Banks,
it no longer includes the cod and the haddock
and the flounder of days past.
Over the past two weeks, Coast Guard opera-
tions against illegal high-seas drift netters in the
north Pacific have demonstrated the environmen-
tal threat. And the attendant maritime law enforce-
ment challenge extends well beyond our Exclusive
Economic Zone. Effective measures require inter-
national cooperation. Again, the Coast Guard's
successful interdiction of two of these vessels, and
our assistance helping Russia seize a third, required
cooperation from the Russian Federal Border
Service, the Fisheries Agency of Japan, and the
People's Republic of China, in addition to sub-
stantial coordination within the U.S. government
as we prosecuted those cases.
These threats and many others that we face
have three common factors:
• First, as I indicated in my opening comments,
they essentially are maritime threats to the
security of our nation.
• Second, because the threats are conveyed by
unarmed or lightly armed vessels that often
look like and mingle with legitimate com-
merce and recreational vessels, they must be
challenged by capable offshore law enforce-
ment capability.
• Third, the social, economic, and other implica-
tions of the threats afloat and ashore require
case-by-case participation with many other
governmental agencies.
How do we address these threats? The short
answer is that we will do so together. The more
complete answer is that we must deepen our
cooperation at the interagency, interservice, and
international levels. We must at the same time be
serious about the business of procuring the capa-
bilities for the United States to protect its mar-
itime interests in the open ocean against these
other-than-war maritime challenges.
Let me echo my colleagues on the panel that
an important step toward deeper cooperation is
obviously the ratification of the 1982 UN. Con-
vention on the Law of the Sea. This Convention
preserves the right of U.S. military forces to use
the world's oceans to meet national security
requirements by stabilizing the breadth of territo-
rial seas and by articulating such navigational
freedoms, like innocent passage, transit passage,
and archipelagic sea lane passage. In addition to
allowing our Navy to project force anywhere in
the world, these navigational freedoms allow your
Coast Guard to concentrate its law enforcement
forces in the transit zones favored by drug traf-
fickers and illegal migrants. However, if we
remain on the outside looking in, we jeopardize
our nation's ability to promote international law
and order on the world's oceans.
The oceans have long sustained—and even
protected—us as an island nation. The maritime
challenges of today and the future will test our
capacity to both use and protect our oceans—that
balance I spoke of at the beginning. Maritime
security will continue as a vital concept to our
way of life as a nation and of balanced use of
those oceans we must both use and protect wisely.
Thank you.
The Honorable David A. Colson
David Colson retired from the Department of State with
more than 20 years of distinguished service and served as
the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans. He
is now an attorney with LeBoeuf Greene and MacRae,
L.L.P. He has written widely about and is a recognized
expert on many cross-cutting Law of the Sea issues.
Thank you. I've been asked to say a few words
about international fisheries in the context of the
subject of our panel's global security. First, I'd like
to make a general remark.
Global security in its various aspects requires
stable rules that everyone knows and understands
and respects. It also requires leadership to main-
tain those rules—to see to their proper imple-
mentation, to promote compliance, and to halt
the erosion of the rules. The establishment of
such rules was an objective shared by all United
States administrations since the Eisenhower Admin-
istration. The objective is now achieved in the
now-amended 1982 Law of the Sea Convention.
It's ironic that the United States stands aside
today and doesn't assume its natural leadership
role to ensure the proper implementation of the
rules that our country strove so long to achieve. If
America doesn't take its proper leadership role,
these rules aren't going to stand. Disagreement
over the rules will affect global security in many
ways. "World trade, as we've heard, depends on
those rules. World communication and transporta-
tion depend on those rules. Naval mobility—at
the center of our national security—depends on
those rules.
What about fisheries? Global security certainly
implies sustainable fisheries on a worldwide basis.
You can make a very strong case about how the
world's population will continue to increase, how
The oceans have
sustained and
protected us as
- to
use and protect
--2.s;^";;4-;-'-«C ^ ..... •-••-•-
oceans.
ames M. Lay
Oceans and Global Security • 47
-------
The depletion of
fisheries in the U.S.
Exclusive Economic
Zone is a national
security issue. The U.S.
Coast Guard plays a
vital role in protecting
fisheries by patrolling
restricted areas and
interdicting and seizing
vessels involved in
illegal activities.
Photo: United States
Coast Guard
the world is already overfishing its fisheries, and
the importance of fisheries as a food resource—
not only in the United States but even more so
in many parts of the •world, including the devel-
oping •world.
You can also make a case that as far as mar-
itime law and policy go, fisheries often tend to be
flash-point issues. If you think about the incidents
that have occurred around the world in the last
five or ten years between governments, you'll
indeed see that a fisheries dispute has been at the
heart of what two governments have been scrap-
ping about when they brought their gunboats
together on some strange place that perhaps most
Americans have never heard about.
You can also make a case that as a matter of
law, it's been the fisheries issues that have often
caused the stretch in international law. Over the
last 40 or 50 years, as we've seen the Law of the
Sea expand, as we've seen things change in the
Law of the Sea, it's often been the fisheries issues
that were at the forefront pushing the interna-
tional Law of the Sea beyond current limits.
If we were today in The Hague, we'd be lis-
tening to the case before the World Court that
Spain brought against Canada. You remember the
Estai case a few years ago. Well, that case is now
being heard in The Hague.
We ought to know by now that sustainable
fisheries has less to do with the rules, per se, than
with man's stewardship. The rule of the 200-
nautical-mile zone, which emerged in the 1970s,
wasn't the legal panacea for overfishing that it was
thought to be. We know now that what's required
is a full and proper implementation of the rules
of sustainable fisheries management. For that,
across the board in the international fisheries
arena, you need United States leadership.
To have sustainable fisheries in the 21st cen-
tury, I believe there are five requirements:
• First, coastal states are going to have to do a
better job in managing their fisheries and in
controlling their fishermen.
• Second, coastal states are going to have to do a
better job in protecting their coastal environ-
ments.We're not going to have fisheries if we
destroy our wetlands. It's quite simple.
• Third, high-seas fishermen must become
responsible and become cooperative with
international regulatory efforts.
• Fourth, international fishing institutions must
be strengthened.
• Finally, technology must be used for manage-
ment and control and the enhancement of
48 • NATIONAL OCEAN CONFERENCE
-------
selective fishing practices—not more efficient
ways to kill fish. It's amazing, in the fisheries
business today, you can't get up-to-date statis-
tics with the kinds of technology that we
have in this world. We're so far behind in
bringing that technology into day-to-day
fisheries management.
Accomplishing these objectives requires hard
work in numerous domestic and international
fora, including about a dozen major international
fishing agreements. American moral authority to
lead within these fishing agreements is problem-
atic when we don't yet accept the basic rules for
ocean use—the 1982 Law of the Sea Convention
as it has been amended, and now which virtually
every other country of importance in this world
has accepted.
From the fisheries standpoint alone, the
United States benefits from the Convention.
The Convention confirms our 200-nautical-mile
Exclusive Economic Zone. It confirms our right
to demand that there be no high-seas fishing for
salmon. It confirms the necessity of regional fish-
ing organizations to manage highly migratory
species, such as tuna and biUfish. It confirms the
predominant interest of the coastal states in strad-
dling stocks, such as Bering Sea pollock, and the
need for international agreements to control fish-
ing on those stocks outside the 200-mile zone.
The Convention's dispute setdement provisions
provide a useful tool to enable responsible fishing
countries to go after the bad actor.
I believe the cost to the United States in fail-
ing to approve the Law of the Sea Convention
will be in the erosion of the rules of ocean use—
those rules that we rely on for global security
due to weakened United States leadership in
international ocean institutions across the board.
The cost to world fisheries of a U.S. failure to
approve the Convention will be weakened
United States leadership in the quest for sustain-
able fisheries management internationally.
Let me just give you one small example in
closing. Since the United States hasn't approved
the Law of the Sea Convention, we were unable
to appoint or nominate for appointment a judge
to the new Law of the Sea Tribunal, which came
into being under the Convention. The first major
case before the Tribunal concerns, in part, a legal
issue of whether a vessel that brings supplies to a
foreign vessel that is permitted to fish in another
country's 200-mile zone is subject to that coastal
state control. This may sound like a trivial issue to
some of you who may not be conversant with the
way we go about fisheries management interna-
tionally. But I guarantee you that most of the
world's major fishing operations are dependent in
one -way or another on supply and transport ves-
sels. It's essential to fisheries management, control,
and conservation—I submit, to sustainable fisheries
management worldwide—that such supply vessels
be subject to coastal state permitting procedures.
The United States has a position on that ques-
tion. You can find it in the Magnuson—Stevens
Fishery Conservation and Management Act. We
believe that such vessels be permitted, but now
this critical legal issue that relates to fisheries con-
servation is before the Law of the Sea Tribunal for
decision. There is a risk on this question that it
could come out bad for sustainable fisheries man-
agement. It is too bad, I believe, that the United
States doesn't have a judge today on the Law of
the Sea Tribunal to exercise the leadership that's
necessary to bring about the right decision on this
important Law of the Sea fisheries conservation
question. Thank you very much.
Lee A. Kimball
Lee Kimball, formerly the Executive Director of the
Counsel on Ocean Law, is now a consultant on treaty
development and international institutions. She performs
analyses and offers advice on legal and institutional
issues related to international environment, develop-
ment, and ocean management.
Thank you. I want to touch briefly today on
four points:
M First, to reaffirm what others have said, global
security isn't just a matter of national defense,
but also includes environmental and resource
security, including food security.
n Second, international rules widely accepted by
all states are the most cost-effective way to
achieve global and national security.
n Third, the Law of the Sea Convention is a
unique and essential vehicle to enhance global
security broadly defined.
•I Fourth, our major challenge today is to get
that Law of the Sea Convention in place for
the United States, as virtually every other
speaker has said, and to use it as a vehicle to
build further international commitment to
address land-based sources of marine pollution
and to conserve and restore marine fisheries
•worldwide.
It's clear that all of us as U.S. citizens are
affected by events abroad. We're affected by con-
flicts abroad. We're also affected by resource
scarcities abroad, and we're affected by resource
degradation at home, when that may be caused
in part by foreign actions. We're also affected
through shipboard commerce in terms of access
to commodities produced abroad and in terms
Oceans and Global Security • 49
-------
of market access for goods produced in the
United States.
International rules have effectively balanced
concern for navigation freedoms and marine
environmental protection. International rules
also allow us to set higher standards in terms of
resource conservation and marine environmental
protection for activities in the United States to
set an example for others.
The rules governing ocean use are set out in
the 1982 Law of the Sea Convention, which is a
basic constitution for ocean use. Like any other
constitutional document, it sets forth principles
and parameters for all nations in using the oceans,
and it lays a foundation for the development of
more detailed rules.
The Law of the Sea Convention is unique in
the way that it incorporates by reference more
detailed rules developed in other international
fora—be it for international shipping, for fish-
eries, or for marine and environmental protec-
tion—and extends those rules even to countries
that aren't necessarily party to the more special-
ized agreements. This is a very effective way to
upgrade the rules of international law. It takes
into account new scientific information, techno-
logical innovations, new; expert assessments, and
other emerging issues very effectively.
This mechanism also protects U.S. interests by
promoting harmonization of rules at global and
regional levels. In doing so, it helps establish a
level playing field for international competition—
notably in the area of international shipping,
where the international standards set for environ-
mental safety and,crew for vessels are developed
in the International Maritime Organization.
We've made a lot of progress in protecting the
marine environment from pollution from ships.
But our major challenge today is land-based
activity. Seventy-seven percent of marine pollu-
tion comes from activities based on land—indus-
trial activities, agricultural activities, erosion,
wastewater—pollution borne to the sea by rivers
and airborne deposition.
"We need to work cooperatively with other
states in further developing the rules in this area
and in developing cooperative initiatives to help
all countries apply them. "We need more regional
agreements in this area, and, as has been said in
other contexts, the U.S. needs to be a very active
and influential participant in those fora. As long
as we're not party to the basic instrument—the
Law of the Sea Convention:
• First, we have to spend a lot of time and
diplomatic capital trying to get other nations
to implement the obligations in the Conven-
tion on marine environmental protection and
resources conservation.
• Second, our ability to encourage other nations
to take on further commitment—to develop
further these other rules in the specialized
fora'—is undermined because we haven't
bought those basic obligations in a formal
sense in the Law of the Sea Convention.
Professor John Norton Moore
John Norton Moore is Director of the Center for Oceans
Law & Po//cy at the University of Virginia. Professor Moore
is an internationally recognized expert on ocean issues
and is the author of numerous books and articles on the
subject. He has served as chairman of the National
Security Council Interagency Task Force on Law of the Sea
and has had numerous Presidential appointments related
to ocean affairs.
Thank you. I have an e-mail for America. The
United States should adhere now to the 1982
Convention on the Law of the Sea. This is the
most important immediate United States ocean
interest. There are many reasons for United States
adherence. Let's look at some of the major ones:
• Maintaining U.S. effectiveness in protecting
navigational freedom.
• Enabling U.S. participation in important
oceans institutions.
• Continuing U.S. leadership in promoting the
rule of law in the world's oceans.
• Providing a vehicle to place critical U.S. inter-
pretations of oceans law on the record.
• No U.S. interest is served by nonadherence.
Let's review each of these in somewhat greater
detail. Navigational freedoms are the real core
common heritage of mankind in the world's
oceans. The U.S. has fought at least two major
wars to preserve navigational freedoms, as the
Secretary has indicated: the "War of 1812 and
World "War I.You may recall that in Point 2 of
his famous 14 Points at the end of World War I,
Woodrow Wilson said we should secure "absolute
freedom of navigation upon the seas, alike in
peace and in war."
The UNCLOS [United Nations Convention
on the Law of the Sea] treaty provisions strongly
protect navigational freedoms. And those provi-
sions meet all requirements of the United States
Navy and of United States commerce. U.S. non-
adherence handcuffs Uncle Sam in the continuing
and critical straggle against illegal ocean claims.
This is a partial list of some of those illegal
claims that Ambassador Colson was discussing. I
won't go through all of them, but this partial list
includes at least 141. There's a continuing and vital
struggle for the rule of law in the world's oceans,
and the U.S. must be a player. Let's also look at the
50 • NATIONAL OCEAN CONFERENCE
-------
importance of enabling U.S. participation in
oceans institutions created by the Convention.
First is participation in the mechanisms for
the settlement of ocean disputes set out in the
Convention, and inclusion of Americans as
judges. U.S. participation in the Commission on
the Limits of the Continental Shelf •would give
us a voice in finalizing the criteria for the limita-
tion of the shelf so critical for our oil and gas
interests. To continue its participation in the
International Seabed Authority, the U.S. must
adhere by November 16, 1998.The U.S. must
help shape the Authority to keep it limited and
responsive to commercial realities.
Turning to the importance of U.S. leadership
in promoting the rule of law in the world's
oceans, the U.S. was a principal leader in pro-
moting a basic constitution for the world's
oceans, which would protect our common
global heritage in navigational freedom, the
ocean's environment, fish stocks, cetaceans, and
other ocean interests. Today, U.S. leadership is still
vital in protecting the important achievements
embodied in that basic constitution. No other
nation combines our global ocean interests and
our potential for leadership. If not America in
promoting the rule of law in the world's oceans,
then who? The UNCLOS provides a vehicle to
place critical U.S. interpretations of oceans law
on the record.
Thomas Jefferson dreamed: "The day is within
my time, as well as yours, when we may say by
what laws other nations shall treat us on the sea."
That day is now: America has had a vital say in
developing the UNCLOS treaty, and was the
most important player in the navigational and
environmental provisions. While over 50 nations,
in signing or adhering to the treaty, have made
statements about its meaning, too many of these
statements seek to curtail the common heritage
for special interests. By itself adhering to the
treaty, America will get its opportunity to attach
vitally important interpretations that could be
decisive in the ongoing struggle for oceans law.
Something that we frequently miss in looking
at a cost—benefit equation: there is no United
States interest that •will be served by nonadher-
ence at this time. The principal provisions of the
Convention are already customary international
law, accepted by the United States as binding.
Part 11 on seabed mining was a problem, but that
part was renegotiated successfully to meet all the
conditions set by President Reagan for United
States adherence. Moreover, since Part 11 has
now been renegotiated, continued United States
nonadherence will change nothing.
Over 120 states are parties, including most of
our NATO allies and all permanent members of
the United Nations Security Council, except the
United States.
The ocean is the Navy's
operating environment.
U.S. Navy military
survey ships, such as
the USNS Bowditch,
collect a wide range
of ocean data that
provide essential
tactical support to
military operations
worldwide. Photo:
Official U.S. Navy
photograph
Oceans and Global Security • 51
-------
As exploration
of the ocean for
hydrocarbons glo~
balizes}j$ie U.S.
vrivate-sWtor and
•* -•«*»,. mm, in, mum nn.ii ,„ ... - ,,,,
oppomimty to lead
the world, in terms
of management,
technology} and
our ability to
demonstrate how
to extract these
resources in an
environmentally
sound manner for
the benefit of all
mankind.
- Paul L. Kelly
In the broadest sense, what's really at stake
here is the role of the United States as a leader
in the world. Is America going to choose to con-
tinue to provide leadership to the whole world
in oceans and in the rule of law? Or do we
accept a reduction in our influence in the world
that will make us the equivalent of an isolated,
third-World country?
Thomas Jefferson also noted: "The ocean, like
the air, is the common birthright of mankind."
Let's keep it that way and adhere now to the Law
of the Sea treaty. Thank you.
Comments from the Audience
Lance Alway
Lance Alway, with Ranier Ballistics. I don't
know exactly what the objections •would be, but
I'd be interested in knowing what's different about
November of 1998 from the last 15 Novembers
when the treaty hasn't been ratified. Also, if it has-
n't been ratified, there must be some strenuous
objections in the Senate. What might those be?
Rear Admiral Wesley Jordan
That was something I was wondering as well.
What's the problem? Beyond what Secretary
Dalton suggested, that we all press our represen-
tatives, what can we do to move the ball?
The Honorable David A. Colson
Well, I think it's very clear that throughout the
negotiation period of the Convention up until
1982, one part of that Convention •was creating a
lot of trouble. It was the part that related to the
mining of the deep seabed beyond national juris-
diction—not the oil and gas issues, but the min-
ing of hard minerals on the ocean floor. These
were the manganese nodules that everybody
thought were going to be something that, if the
international community could just figure out a
way to mine these manganese nodules, would
provide enough money to take care of all of the
developing countries around the world.
The negotiated solution that came out by the
end of the Conference was one that was funda-
mentally flawed. It •was one that the United
States couldn't support. It was one that the
Reagan Administration took a very firm stand
against. I think we forget that Ambassador Elliot
Richardson, in his last statement as the Carter
Administration negotiator, in his last statement
before the Congress, said that the solution that
had been found to date wasn't something that
the United States could live with.
President Reagan took the position forcefully
that we wouldn't sign the Convention until it was
fixed, and we outlined a set of numerous objec-
tives that would be required. Our allies, particu-
larly the Germans and the British, stood with us.
They didn't sign the Convention. So, for a long
period of time, the Convention wasn't in force. It
required 60 countries to come into force.
Beginning in about 1987,1988, somewhere in
there, a very small effort began very quietly up in
New York among a number of officials to see if
there could be a deal made that would satisfy not
only the United States' objections, but the objec-
tions of the major European countries and still
satisfy the general requirements of the Convention.
This negotiation took place behind closed doors.
It was a negotiation that began in the Bush
Administration, and it concluded during the first
Clinton Administration.
At the outset, I think we can say we were
skeptical that we were going to get as far as we
thought we needed to go. But as somebody who
participated in the drafting of virtually every-
thing that was said about the Law of the Sea
Convention by the Reagan Administration, I'm
quite prepared to debate anybody who can stand
today and say that the fixes that we got in the
new deal are objectively inconsistent with what
we said we needed in 1982. We can just go
down the line, and we won.
When we •won, instead of standing up and
saying, "We won," we continued to hide our head
in the sand. The Brits said we won. The Germans
said they won, and they got immediately on
board and ratified the Convention. Now, as has
been said, all of the OECD countries have rati-
fied. All of our NATO allies have ratified with
the exception, I believe, of only Turkey for rea-
sons that go to the Turkey-Greece problem. The
major countries of the world are there, and that's
where the leadership is going on international
ocean institutions.
Why haven't we been able to do it? I think it's
quite clear that there are certain members of the
Senate who simply have been unwilling to take a
hard look at the fact that this thing has changed.
They think that all of us—people who have
some past association with this problem—have
simply had some kind of rebirth, and we're back
out there advocating something that got rejected
in 1982. They really don't want to hear about it.
You can take your own conclusion from the fact
that we haven't been able to get a hearing in the
Foreign Relations Committee.
The reason this November is important is that
when the deal was struck on this new deep seabed
mining agreement, there was a mechanism set in
52 • NATIONAL OCEAN CONFERENCE
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place because there were a bunch of legal prob-
lems. We had a bunch of countries that already rat-
ified a Convention that provided for one set of
rules, and we had negotiated a new set of rules
relating to deep seabed mining. There were some
legal tricks that had to be played in order to put
everybody on the same footing. Those countries,
like the United States, that haven't yet ratified the
Convention were allowed to play. We were allowed
to participate in the institutional framework that
had been created for an interim period, and the
interim period ends this November. Therefore, if
we don't ratify by this November, we won't be
able any longer to play in the game that was cre-
ated in the rule making that's going on in the
international ocean institutions.
Bertram Wolfe
Bertram Wolfe. Before retiring, I was aVice
President of General Electric and headed their
nuclear energy organization. I'm a member of the
National Academy of Engineering, Past President
of the American Nuclear Society, and I'd like to
hit on the subject that wasn't touched upon here,
which I think is perhaps more vital to the welfare
of the nation and world than what has been
touched on here.
Let me start out by pointing out that Admiral
Pilling mentioned that we were in the Persian
Gulf. I'd ask why we •were there, and why we
fought Iraq, and why we have troops in Saudi
Arabia, even though a number of men were
killed. The answer is clear, and the answer is that
we import oil. We import more than 50 percent
of it, and we have to protect our oil. This raises
the whole issue of energy, which, for our chil-
dren, is going to be the major issue in my view.
What we see coming is a population increase
by a factor of two up to about 10 billion or so by
2050. If one just makes the assumption that by
that time, people in the world on the average will
use only a third of the energy that we use per
capita in the United States, energy use around
the world is going to triple. And that's going to
lead us to a number of problems. One is fights
over scarce energy. The people here in the Navy
are going to have troubles with that, which is
going to potentially increase the Persian Gulf
problem. In addition, I might just point out that
in the Second World War, one of the key reasons
that Japan entered the war was their concern
about the lack of energy.
I'd just then make the point that maybe we
will, Mr. Kelly, find a lot more gas in the ocean.
That raises questions that other people may raise
about the environment in the ocean. They are
fossil fuels, and that raises the other issue, which
is global warming. In terms of global warming,
there is only one solution. In my view, in terms
of unlimited energy supply, there is only one
issue, and that is nuclear energy.
In this country nuclear energy is dying. The
Energy Information Agency projects that we'll
lose half of our present nuclear plants in the
next 20 years, and the rest thereafter. None will
be built, and the reason we don't build them
here has no technical issues involved. You can
talk about waste and all of this stuff. There are
no real technical issues. The problem here is
institutional issues.
I've tried to converse with Vice President
Gore and President Clinton, and the fact is they
have written to me and say they are against the
expansion of nuclear energy. I believe that they're
being given very poor advice and don't under-
stand the need.
In 1996, about 25
percent of U.S. natural
gas production and
about 17 percent of
U.S. oil production
came from the Outer
Continental Shelf,
which is estimated
to contain more than
50 percent of the
nation's remaining
undiscovered gas and
oil reserves.
Oceans and Global Security • 53
-------
The United States
has more than
95,000 miles of
coastline and more
than 3.4 million
square miles of
ocean within its
Exclusive Economic
Zone. Jurisdiction
over the living and
nonliving resources
in this zone adds
substantially to our
economic security.
I'd make the other point in terms of global
issues. If, according to President Clinton and
Vice President Gore, global warming is real, it
will cause a rise in ocean depth by one to three
feet in the next century. I think Secretary Dalton
mentioned the number of people on the coast,
that half of our people, or something like that,
are on the coast. If you read the background
document here on the problems that would
ensue from global warming and the increase of
ocean height along the coast, you get a feeling
of the dangers.
The point I'm making is I think that the
nation and the world are in danger from lack of
needed energy. President Clinton has talked
about whether his daughter's children will blame
him and suffer from the lack of needed energy.
I've left a paper on the desk out there, which is
entitled "Global Warming—Will Chelsea's
Children Blame Their Grandfather?" I think the
point is that we have to get the Vice President
and the President to understand that the vital
need of this nation and the •world for the future
is nuclear energy.
Admiral Donald L. Pilling
Well, it's difficult to respond to the whole
statement. There are two narrow Navy issues on
nuclear energy. As you know, nuclear energy is
the preferred propulsion plant for our carriers
and for our submarines, which are major capital
platforms for the Navy, and it offers us versatil-
ity. I don't think there's enough money in the
federal budget to have all of our ships nuclear
powered, but we certainly realize the value of
nuclear energy in those two classes of ships—•
carriers and submarines.
The second issue is on competition for re-
sources. I think energy resources and freshwater
resources are going to be problems in the long
term, which we should be addressing. I think we
ought to come to some conclusions on that.
Paul L. Kelly
I'd just comment to Mr. Wolfe that I don't
believe there needs to be competition between
producers of fossil energy and the nuclear energy
business. I'm not sure it does any good to raise
the opportunities for one by explaining the dis-
advantages of the other, because I think it's the
opinion of the petroleum industry that we need
all we can get, whether it be fossil fuels, alternate
sources, or nuclear energy.
When I spoke optimistically about the discov-
eries we've been making in the deep-water Gulf
of Mexico, they are, indeed, exciting. But at the
same time, if we look at the overall context of
U.S. energy consumption, they're still a drop in
the bucket. What the world fails to realize is the
viciousness of depletion of hydrocarbon
resources. For every barrel of oil that we produce
that we think is going to add to the domestic
supply, before we can add that we have to replace
the barrel of oil that's being depleted. So the U.S.
petroleum industry is on a treadmill. It's racing to
keep up with depletion, as well as adding to sup-
ply. The outlook in terms of increasing our sup-
ply over and above 50 percent of the imports or
so is not that good. We're having a hard enough
time just keeping it at that level.
I think that one of the problems in this whole
subject is that we can't get people to look long
term. They think about next week or next
month. For example, today there's an impression
in the world that we're awash in crude oil and
crude oil prices are low. But if you look at
worldwide production, we're talking about a little
difference in supply and demand that's a couple
wi^fe^*^^ '•
54 • NATIONAL OCEAN CONFERENCE
-------
of million barrels that can change very quickly.
Supply and demand on a worldwide basis are
very close to being in balance.
As we look out into the future we have no
objection to nuclear moving ahead as well as fossil
fuels. We think we're going to need all the energy
sources we can get to supply this growing •world.
Melinda L. Kimble
I think this is a very interesting debate, because
what we see here is that we don't really have a
good new political consensus around what global
security in the next century will entail. That's why
we haven't ratified the Law of the Sea treaty yet.,
That's why we're still looking at how to protect
fossil fuel and hydrocarbon stocks, because we
know those energy sources will serve a lot of our
needs in the short term. But we haven't really
addressed the broader question of what our new
energy future is going to look like. That's a very
important component of the whole global secu-
rity and U.S. security debate. "We hope this confer-
ence begins that discussion.
Norman Lemley
Norman Lemley, Center for Maritime Leader-
ship. What's the prognosis of the treaty being acted
on positively by the 18th of November? Second,
the government and various Washington interests
have aggressively supported it. What kind of in-
dustry support or elected support is the Senate
hearing from home, which really is very telling to
them, as opposed to all of us telling how wonder-
ful it is?
The Honorable John H. Dalton
I'd say that the problem that we have today is
that, by definition, we only have one chance to
make a first impression, and the first impression
of this Law of the Sea treaty was negative. There
are those who said, "Look, I've already looked at
that, I'm opposed to it." Clearly, we all agree that
in 1982 the Law of the Sea was flawed. President
Reagan made the right judgment, and Elliot
Richardson offered good advice. By 1994, a sig-
nificant major change took place, and now the
treaty is no longer flawed.
We have a bigger job to do today than we
•would have had in 1982, but it is vitally impor-
tant. I think you've heard from this panel this
morning that we've had many voices, but we've
had the same message. Now it's important that
our elected leadership understand that. This
democracy of ours is wonderful, but it's one that
doesn't respond unless our elected leadership
hears from their constituents. I think one of the
great things that could come from this confer-
ence is for the people here who are true experts
and have great credibility to recognize the role
that each of us has to play and to get energized
and make that happen.
Caitlyn Antrim
I'm Caitlyn Antrim, Council on Ocean Law.
In order to take advantage of the Law of the Sea
Convention, one of all the rules that we like, we
need access to the dispute resolution provisions.
First point.
Second, those are binding. There's not even
the chance of a Connolly Reservation, as in the
World Court, to let us defend those issues that
we feel are essential and possibly domestic.
Third, one of the ways to deal •with that is to
have people on the various panels, as has been
mentioned by several of the speakers—whether
it's the Continental Shelf Commission, the Law of
the Sea Tribunal, or the multitude of panels that
would be established by the Seabed Authority.
The second point that I made—that this is
binding and without an escape clause—is one of
the things that can be an objection by people who
oppose the treaty. Are we prepared to make good
arguments that even without some type of escape
clause these provisions are in the U.S. interest?
Professor John Norton Moore
First, the Convention does provide an oppor-
tunity for nations to opt out on certain of the
most sensitive issues, and the United States has
already indicated its intention in the President's
letter sent to the Senate to opt out on some of
those issues. For example, at the core of these are
the security issues, the military security issues
and defense, in which there will be an opt out.
And I believe many nations, if not most nations
in the •world in the end, will also opt out of
those provisions.
In the area of the environmental issues, for
example, and many others, it is strongly in the
interests of the United States to be able to go to
compulsory dispute settlement. We don't want to
permit others to opt out. That's the whole advan-
tage. One of the great benefits of the Law of the
Sea mechanism is that we do have compulsory
dispute settlement to try to enforce the environ-
mental provisions and the fishery provisions and
other provisions, but particularly the environ-
mental provisions. That was one of the objectives
of the United States—and I might add the envi-
ronmental community—in the negotiations that
led to this Convention. I'd suggest that it is,
Oceans and Global Security • 55
-------
It's ironic that
the United States
stands aside today
jjr • ...... ,„ ;•*
and doesti't assume
its
shi'rie to
memSlon of the
rules governing
global security that
our country strove
so long to achieve.
If America doesn't
take its proper
leadership role,
these rules aren't
going to stand.
— The Honorable
David A. Co/son
indeed, a very important argument for the
United States' adherence to the Convention at
this point.
Let me just also very briefly make a point on
our earlier conversation. We should keep in
mind that there are many different issues that
are important issues for discussion and debate.
The bottom line here is that, as far as I know,
there is no United States interest that is served
by continued nonadherence to the Law of the
Sea treaty at the present time. That's remarkable.
Almost every kind of major public policy issue,
including treaty consideration, that you can
think about has a serious cost—benefit kind of
assessment and weight you have to make. This is
one of the few that I'm aware of that actually
has virtually no cost—and I believe none to any
United States oceans interest—by adhering to
the treaty at this point. There are overwhelming
costs that we're paying every single day, and
we're continuing to shoot Uncle Sam in the
foot if we don't adhere.
William Hargis
My name is William Hargis. I'm Retired
Professor Emeritus or Professor Emeritus from
the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, the
College ofWilliam and Mary, and I've partici-
pated in discussions of the Law of the Sea since
before it was the Law of the Sea.
My question comes to a particular point. Is
there anything that we can solemnly expect to
do? Because I don't know how much influence
these people have here. Scientists don't have
much political influence; generally, they haven't
had. I don't know how much influence there is.
But what should this body do, assuming that it
adopts the unanimous opinion of the panel that
the Law of the Sea treaty should be accepted by
the United States by November? What can we
really expect to do? Pie-in-the-sky is neat, but I
don't believe just a general call or more interac-
tion with the legislature is going to do it. The
question is, Who is the target? What do we have
to do to blow the target out of the water? What
can this body do to effect a participation by
November?
Melinda L. Kimble
I think we need to talk to the logistical prob-
lem we have, which is very clear. The congres-
sional elections will make the Senate calendar
very tight in the remaining part of this year. We'll
have a hard time meeting this treaty because of
that. The Senate now, I think, maybe has 30 or 40
more days, if that, in session.
The first thing we need to do—and we've
been working very closely with the Navy—is to
get the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to
hold a hearing. In fact, the Secretary of Defense
and the Secretary of State will be writing
shortly after this meeting to Senator Helms, the
Chair of the Foreign Relations Committee, to
try to force the pace of that. We're working with
every single person on the Senate Foreign
Relations Committee.
I want to stress very clearly that there is strong
bipartisan support in the Senate. The irony is that
not all of these people are on the Senate Foreign
Relations Committee. So we need to bring to
bear all of the interests out there on the Senate
Foreign Relations Committee to move this. One
of the problems is—and this is just the situa-
tion—there are a number of treaties pending.
Senator Helms has priorities, too, and this isn't
one of his priorities. We need a reprioritization.
William Hargis
Well, it would seem to me that this panel
should address this issue. We know where the
problem lies. The question is, What kind of lever-
age can we apply on that?
I have one other point, and it has to do
with some points that several people, including
Ambassador Colson, raised. That is, the impor-
tance of fisheries. Our own record in manage-
ment of the fisheries in the EEZ is not good.
Our own record of management of the fisheries
in our own internal waters is not good. The fish-
eries issue is important to this global strategy
business. We better make some careful statements
relative to what ought to be done about our own
management of fisheries before we really push a
global position. We're not in a very good posi-
tion.We haven't been leaders.
Rear Admiral Wesley Jordan
Have you got a suggestion?
William Hargis
Yes, and it's institutional. Most of the problems
that we have are institutional. In reality the Mag-
nuson Act, as it was initially promulgated and
even now as it's been reenacted, has certain basic
flaws. One of them is that the foxes are guarding
the hen house, still. That's been a basic problem
with state-by-state fisheries management and still
is in Virginia. My own state is one of the worst.
It's a basic problem with the regional fishery
management. They aren't able to enact quotas
that mean something and then make them stick.
56 • NATIONAL OCEAN CONFERENCE
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Admiral James M. Loy
I'd tend to agree with your proposition. There
are pockets of excellence. For example, what
Maine is doing with lobsters in the aftermath of
what they saw happen with respect to the Grand
Banks.
We're still making the rough efforts manage-
ment-wise, as opposed to being at the more envi-
able position of making the small tweaks on the
margins that sometime in the future we might
get to actually continue to make progress. We're
still grossly dealing with high seas. For example,
the enforceability protocols internationally are, to
some degree, at the whim of each of the nations
that are making the effort.
The simple difference here is in these last two
weeks when we were running these high-seas ••
drift-net cases off in the northwest Pacific. Use
of force protocols on the part of the United
States has never gotten to the point of warning
fire and disabling fire associated with fisheries
law enforcement.Yet, in the assistance process of
dealing with that particular case, we watched the
Russian border guard use a protocol that not *
only dealt with •warning shots, but also their ver-
sion of disabling fire—into the wheel house,
killing the master and several crewmen on board
that particular PRC fishing vessel. We're not on
the margins yet. We're really grappling •with the
basic law enforcement structure.
That goes back, I think, to Ambassador Colson's
point: if we don't have the framework of the
Law of the Sea protocol behind us to set the
constitutional realities of what we're going to
attempt to do with respect to fisheries manage-
ment and enforcement, then how can we grapple
with the specific management issues that are
within that constitutional framework at the
beginning? First, steps must be taken to frame
the issue; then one can get about the business of
individual management and individual enforce-
ment efforts.
The second point I'd make is that, in our own
U.S. definition with respect to regional fishery
councils, it has been a very difficult issue for
enforcement representation to deal with policy
generation. We try very hard to be at the table
with the Fishery Management Council that is
attempting to figure out what the policy manage-
ment package is going to be. One can develop
policy management packages, but if one can't
enforce them, they're relatively moot to begin
•with. As you say, our own behavior is representa-
^tive of that and very much visible to the interna-
tional world. We have a long way to go with
respect to this issue.
William Hargis
I agree with you on the high-seas fisheries.
But again, having sat on the Fishery Management
Council for three terms and having foreseen and
predicted by scientists from Gloucester the failure
of the Grand Banks fishery, we had clear warning
20 years before it happened. We haven't set a very
good example. We threw the Russians off. We
threw the Poles off. We threw the East Germans
off. And then the inevitable rape continued.
Rear Admiral Wesley Jordan
Admiral [Loy], it would be very difficult to
handle this issue at the national level. Something
had to be done to beef up the local capability to
deal with this issue, or it simply wouldn't be
resolved—which I gather is along the lines of
your point.
Robert Irvin
Robert Irvin with the Center for Marine
Conservation. I'd like to follow up on the fish-
eries issue and then pose a question.
You're exactly right. There are flaws with the
Fishery Management Council—serious flaws
that have impeded the ability to effectively con-
serve fisheries in this country. However, there's
a tremendous opportunity. In 1996 Congress
reauthorized the Magnuson—Stevens Fishery
Conservation and Management Act and
adopted three basic reforms that directed the
Fishery Management Councils and the National
Marine Fisheries Service to eliminate overfish-
ing, to minimize bycatch, and to identify and
protect essential fish habitat. It set a deadline of
October of this year for making that happen.
We're very concerned that that deadline isn't
going to be met and that the steps that are going
to be taken aren't going to adequately imple-
ment •what Congress said to do. In fact, two
weeks ago my organization and several other
environmental organizations filed suit in federal
district court in Seattle challenging the adminis-
tration's interpretation of the law to make sure
that the overfishing and bycatch provisions are
effectively implemented.
Mr. Secretary, I was very pleased to hear you
say that the Navy has a special role in protecting
the ocean environment, particularly species pro-
tection. However, in recent months, as you know,
there's been quite a controversy over steps to pro-
tect the endangered northern Right whale, one
of the most endangered whale species in the
world. There was quite a controversy within the
administration over what information U.S. vessels,
Oceans and Global Security • 57
-------
The U.N. Convention
on the Law of the
Sea provides an
opportunity for each
nation to declare a
200-mile Exclusive
Economic Zone in
which it has
jurisdiction over
management of
fisheries and other
natural resources.
including Navy vessels, would be required to
provide to the International Maritime Organi-
zation in order to reduce the danger of ship
strikes with northern Right whales. Fortunately,
the President resolved that dispute in a way that
will protect the •whales. We are very pleased
about that.
I thought that something that Admiral Loy
said was particularly appropriate. He said that in
looking at this issue of national security and
global security in the oceans, we have to balance
the need for use of the oceans against the need to
conserve the oceans. My question is, How do we
recognize the need that we have to strike this
balance without allowing it to become a road-
block to conservation?
Admiral Donald L. Pilling
Life is a series of compromises. In that par-
ticular issue that you raised there was an issue
on whether it should be mandatory reporting
in international waters. We felt in the Navy that
that was a path we didn't want to go down for
a lot of reasons. It was going to be a unique
reporting requirement in international waters,
so we took a position that we didn't want to
go down that path. There were others who
thought that that was the only way this prob-
lem on the northern Right whales was going to
be solved. The President had to make the call,
and we're going to comply with it. That's what
I mean. Life is a series of compromises. You
have to rely on the administration in power,
along with the Congress, to make the decisions
on how you do that.
The Honorable John H. Dalton
On that subject, I think the Navy has an excel-
lent record in terms of things we have done with
regard to that. We thought we had a solution that
would work. Obviously, the President made the
decision. We know how to salute and march ofF
and implement that decision, and we'll do that.
Let me call on Secretary Pirie, who is Assis-
tant Secretary of the Navy for Installation and
Environment. He also has worked on this issue.
The Honorable Robert Pirie
I want to elaborate on your point on law,
which •was to establish an exclusion zone and
exclude traffic from particular areas, rather than
going through it and have reporting.The objec-
tion to reporting •was largely Presidential—that
is, we didn't want the International Maritime
Organization to influence reporting restrictions
anywhere that they felt like imposing them. Our
preferred solution wasn't accepted, and we'll live
with what has been mandated.
Rod Vulovic
I'd like to add a little bit to that. I'm a member
of the Marine Board of the National Research
Council, and we had at least two meetings with
many different people who have various degrees
of interest in the subject.
I'm afraid that we have both times parted
company with a great disagreement in the scien-
tific community as to •whether we really have col-
lision of whales with ships or ships with •whales,
58 • NATIONAL OCEAN CONFERENCE
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and what is attracting whales. I understand you •
can tell me more about it. A great degree of sci-
entific research at this point in time wasn't able to
distinguish what is attracting whales and how you
can create an environment where there is a deter-
rent so that the -whales stay away from ships.
When you take a look at a ship that's going
through the ocean at 35 knots, how can you
react? Even if you see the whale, how can you
react? The issue, it seems, is much more compli-
cated than just, "Let's stop hitting the whales."
Professor John Norton Moore
Just by way of background, before going to the
point I'd like to make about this, when I left as
one of the U.S. ambassadors in negotiating the
Law of the Sea treaty, there was no provision
specifically for the protection of whales. When I
left, one of my hobbies at that point became get-
ting a provision in the Law of the Sea Convention
that protected cetaceans. I worked closely with
Senator Weicker, the Senator at that time from
Connecticut; Robins Barstow, the head of the
Connecticut Cetacean Society; etc. We eventually
persuaded the United States delegation, which I
had formerly been in, to add a provision protect-
ing cetaceans and whales. Elliot Richardson and
the delegation did a wonderful job in getting the
whole world to endorse it. There is now a very
important provision in the Law of the Sea in pro-
tecting whales called "Article 65," which has spe-
cial provisions, particularly for cetaceans.
Now, having said that, the whales are very
important, and something I have particular inter-
est in. I believe the decision we've just made on
this was wrong, and that the Navy "was correct on
this issue. It's extremely important to protect navi-
gational freedom. If we begin to try to compro-
mise on this and to say that the coastal states are
able to have some kind of notice regime, they're
going to use that regulatory power and abuse it in
a variety of settings in ways that will be extremely
harmful and pose the risk of war, in some settings.
And that, in the end, will do more harm to
cetaceans and marine mammals.
Above all, this is a little bit like the nuclear
and the oil and gas issue. There's no reason for
those supporting cetaceans to be on a different
side than basically freedom of navigation. Because
in the end, we're all served by working together
to find the kinds of solutions—of which, I
believe, there are many—that do protect whales
in those settings, whatever we do find appropri-
ately, scientifically, about it. I just want to say that
I, for one, believe that on this one the Navy was
correct, and we made the wrong decision.
Susan Jordan
Susan Jordan for the League of Coastal
Protection, and I'm also working on behalf of the
National Resources Defense Council.
There's a growing awareness among marine
mammal scientists that one of the greatest threats
that cetaceans face now is the cumulative effects
of acoustic pollution, which is essentially noise
in the ocean. The reason I'm here today is global
security. Because one of the threats that we're
concerned about is the advent of the new sonar
technologies that utilize high-decibel, low-fre-
. quency sound. These sonars are capable of creat-
ing widespread habitat disruption about which
we have little information or data on the long-
term effects. People aren't so much concerned
about a whale going deaf or being harmed by
being too close to the sonar source. They re
more concerned about what will happen in
terms of breeding, migration, feeding—things
like that.
The reason we're also concerned is because
there has been, as we understand it, a growing
interest in these more quiet submarines. They're
relatively inexpensive in terms of military hard-
ware, and our understanding is that the antici-
pated global deployment will reach about 80
percent of the world's oceans.
I'm hearing talk about U.S. leadership. There
are no explicit federal standards limiting noise in
the ocean. Not only do we need some federal
standards here, we also need the U.S. to take the
moral stand and increase awareness of this among
the other countries who are looking to utilize
this sonar for their own protection as well.
Admiral Donald L. Pilling
On the narrow issue of low-frequency active
[sonar], we're in the midst of scientific research
off the coast of Hawaii to conduct a series of
experiments to determine if there is any long-
term effect. I think I can tell you that there will
be no unfettered use of low-frequency active by
the United States Navy until we complete this
environmental impact statement in fiscal year
'99—about a year from now, actually.
Susan Jordan
Do you see any role for the Navy in promot-
ing international awareness of this problem?
Because there are tests going on in oceans across
the world now with these types of sonars. And
we really need the U.S. to take a leadership posi-
tion informing them of the dangers for cetaceans.
Global seciirity is
tSinoijiist a matter
Stro/" national defense
tp but includes^
jge^virQnnjj;
accepted
all states are
the most cost-
effective way to
achieve global and
national security.
— Lee A. Kimball
Oceans and Global Security • 59
-------
The U.N. Convention
on the Law of the Sea
plays an important
role in guaranteeing
access for research
vessels to conduct
basic research in the
Exclusive Economic
Zones of coastal
states.
Photo: ©1998 Harbor
Branch Oceanographlc
Institution, Inc.
Admiral Donald L. Pilling
I'm not aware of any other tests, other than a
potential test in the Mediterranean, on low-fre-
quency active. And we're certainly not going to
do anything until we see the results of the scien-
tific research we'll have a year from now, to be
perfectly honest. If it looks like it's going to be
damaging to the environment, we'll have to make
a judgment on the national security value of that
a year from now. I think it's a fair answer on the
narrow issue of low-frequency active.
Paul L. Kelly
From the standpoint of offshore industry use
of this technology, I take it you're talking about
its use in geophysical explorations. This industry
has gone a long way from, for example, originally
using explosive devices in terms of geophysical
exploration to much more modern forms. But I
don't hear that there's a large problem with this.
Geophysical exploration occurs in a limited
phase of exploration. It's done usually at the
beginning of the exploration process in a particu-
lar geographical area, and then the geophysical
vessels go away and move to another area. I
haven't heard of any specific cases where harm
has been caused to cetaceans.
I'd say that with regard to cetaceans, the whole
offshore oil and gas enterprise has involved a
number of mitigation measures that don't go so
much to low-frequency active, but to the noise
that may emanate from our facilities offshore. For
example, in the Beaufort Sea in Alaska we've
worked closely with the Minerals Management
Service to even shut down operations during
migration periods for whales. I know that the
Minerals Management Service has accumulated a
number of studies on this subject, so they try to
stay on top of it. And the industry collaborates to
avoid any problems. Up to now, I haven't heard
of any specific problems in specific areas.
Susan Jordan
The standards aren't uniform. In the Beaufort
Sea you have stronger mitigation measures
because you have an indigenous population that
has an interest in survival whaling. You have dif-
ferent mitigations there than you have off the
coast of Hawaii, and you have essentially none in
the Gulf.
There are no uniform standards that are
applied for mitigations regarding the impacts of
seismic surveys, and that's one of the things that
we'd like to see the industry move toward. It's
going to be an increasing concern because of the
expiration of the moratorium. So I'm just throw-
ing it out there.
Norman Lemley
Coming back to the professor's point on the
effective use of the regional Fishery Management
Councils, several years ago the Marine Board
Committee on Fishing Vessel Safety, in looking at
safety and enforcement, made a recommendation
that the Coast Guard
District Commanders
be made a voting
member of those
regional councils to
enhance their impor-
tance with respect to
the fishing vessel safety
as well as enforcement.
It •was never addressed.
It was never picked up.
In fact, that was one
that fell totally through
the cracks in all areas.
It might be appropriate
to revisit that Marine
Board recommendation
to give the Coast Guard
District Commanders,
who are on the coun-
cils, a vote so that they
have more meaning
and more effect.
60 • NATIONAL OCEAN CONFERENCE
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Rear Admiral Wesley Jordan
I think that goes back to Mr. Mike Ham's
point [via write-in question], Admiral, as to
whether there was enough effort being applied to
a technical solution and the sharing of new tech-
nologies and, particularly, data that could help
mitigate that problem.
Admiral James M. Loy
Again, my comment would be that the sophis-
tication level of where we are currently with
respect to these kinds of issues isn't at the point
where we're making finite, marginal tweaks to get
to 100 percent. We're still grappling at the halfway
point in terms of really understanding the chal-
lenges associated with management on one hand,
and then the enforcement of whatever the man-
agement protocols are on the other.
Standards are wonderful things when you have
them to go by in terms of being an enforcer of
those standards or a creator of those standards by
way of policy development. I agree with the
commentary that I've heard, and it's something
that, with respect to our goal here today, needs to
find its way onto the national agenda.
Mark Rosen
Mark Rosen [Captain, United States Navy]. I
have a question for Mr.Vulovic. I was impressed
by your quote that, with respect to the U.S. mer-
chant fleet, it needs to be national and controlled
by the nation.You outlined some specific things
that perhaps could be done: reenactment of
investment tax credit, abolishment of ad valorem
taxation on foreign repairs, and preservation of
the Jones Act. Do you believe that that is a Band-
Aid, or would it be a shot of adrenaline to make
the U.S. merchant fleet really competitive on a
worldwide scale?
Rod Vulovic
My personal feeling is that when you take a
look at the amount of cargo that is moving both
ways as import and as export, which really
describes the commerce in this country, the
amount of cargo that is moving on U.S. flag
bottoms is minuscule. Would this be a Band-
Aid, or would it be a beginning of a permanent
solution? I don't know. The only thing I know is
that something has to be done. Status quo isn't
going to help.
Maybe what we need to do is establish some
kind of a national policy. Or at least establish a
position where we're going to say that this coun-
try needs to be more involved, much more than
this minuscule amount. And where is that level?
I'm not propagating 100 percent protectionism,
like it used to be with a Red China, saying that
nothing that's leaving that country can be moved
on a non-Chinese ship, and things of that nature.
But we need to come up •with something that's
going to preserve the leadership of the country,
that's going to give us adequate base, that's going
to support the national security in case we need
to do that. I'm not smart enough to say what that
is. The only thing I know is that the current level
is unacceptable.
Mark Schultz
Mark Schultz, National Imagery and Mapping
Agency. I'd like to take us back a moment, back
to the Law of the Sea. As I'm sitting here think-
ing about this and thinking about the recom-
mendation that this panel might make to the Vice
President, it's clear to me that there's unanimous
consent within the room that this is a good idea.
It seems also clear to me that we don't have the
support necessary to bring this to a conclusion, in
that we don't have the support of Jesse Helms to
get this through his committee. I think I heard
from Ms. Kimble that we're about to lose the
capacity to do that as well, in terms of the Senate
schedule. I'm wondering if the two letters—one
from State and one from Navy—are sufficient,
and if we may, in fact, be offering up something
to the Vice President that isn't plausible.
The question I'd like to propose is, How do
we get a hearing? What is the recommendation
that we can make to allow us to get a hearing?
Because I believe it would give us the support—
or at least the debate for the support and perhaps
the capacity. But it seems to me that this is
imperative—that a recommendation go forward
with some element of a solution to it.
The Honorable John H. Dalton
I would agree with your analysis that getting
a hearing is the key. I think if we can get a
hearing, I'd be happy to have the Senate hear
from all sides with respect to this issue. And I
have great confidence in what the outcome
would be, having studied the merits. I think
they are indeed persuasive.
As Ms. Kimble said, the Chairman of the
Foreign Relations Committee is the one who
sets the agenda for when he's going to have
hearings and on what those hearings will be. It's
a matter of making this a priority for him to
have a hearing, and we can influence that by
Oceans and Global Security • 61
-------
other members on the committee. There are
trade-ofis that go back and forth with these
members in terms of something they want versus
something that others want. If all of the mem-
bers of the committee are saying, "Mr. Chairman,
we'd like to have a hearing on this subject," I
think that would have a significant influence.
That's really our charge. I think the merits are
clear. But we need to have that hearing, and I
think we can have an impact on that.
There are going to be a number of congress-
men who are going to be here tomorrow. And
they, too, have voices with their colleagues on
both sides of the aisle and in each body of the
legislature. Granted, you can say politicians don't
normally listen to scientists. But the politicians
listen to their constituents, and if their con-
stituents are telling them that they'd like to have
this issue heard, we have an opportunity to make
that happen.
Bernard Oxman
Bernard Oxman, University of Miami Law
School. I fully agree with everybody's position of
support for early ratification of the Convention,
but you asked at the start for some dissent. I want
to dissent a bit from some of the arguments that
have been made.
Anytime you're trying to persuade someone to
do something, there's always the problem of the
second-best position.That is, as they say, "It's a lit-
tle hard for me to go along with your first-best
position, so let's go with your second-best posi-
tion." That's very appealing, in particular, I think
to members of the Senate and, indeed, the House,
for that matter.
The first-best position, which is ratification of
the Convention, requires that they say something
and take a position and vote yes. The second-best
position—to live in what I think is in the long
run a fantasy world that we can stabilize the cus-
tomary law of the sea as if we were part of the
Sea Convention—is very easy for politicians. They
can say: "President Reagan said it. President Bush
said it. President Clinton said it. It's customary
law. What are you worried about? We don't have
to stick our necks out and cast a vote that some
ill-informed constituent may be angry about, just
as I'm getting ready to run for election."
I therefore would urge the Navy, in particular,
to recognize that it has very little to gain from
constantly emphasizing its second-best position,
which is the customary law position.That posi-
tion is essentially needed only now, so long as the
United States isn't a party, and to deal with the
few stragglers that would stay outside of the
Convention. Thereafter, I think the stragglers
would be very few, indeed. Canada, which has
stayed out—I think notwithstanding its vaunted
notions of independent foreign policy—would
come running along once we did. Iran has pub-
licly offered in a meeting in Miami a few months
ago, in effect, to ratify and make a deal with us
under the Convention on Straits if we go in.
I, therefore, think it's time for the Navy and,
indeed, for my friend Professor Moore to
become more candid about what we all know.
And that is that we need the Law of the Sea
Convention to influence other people's views of
what our rights are, not our views of what our
rights are. Customary law arguments made by the
finest of lawyers aren't as effective in doing that as
a treaty is that they've signed on to and that
•we've signed on to.
There's a quality I think we all recognize here
of preaching to the choir. One of the problems
is that the private constituency in the United
States—industry and environmental and scientific
groups—haven't done enough. I don't know how
to turn this around. It's true that every major
effective industry and constituent group in the
United States has written to Senator Helms in
support of ratification of the Convention. But
they don't seem to be doing very much about it.
Two of the industries represented here—oil and
shipping—worked very, very hard on numerous
provisions of the Convention. The most important
provisions of the Convention to the oil industry—
the continental shelf, the removal of platforms, and
navigation and assurance that oil tankers would
not be subject to a patchwork of different and
potentially punitive enforcement and standard
measures around the world—were worked on
very, very closely. The environmental provisions
represent an unprecedented alliance in this negoti-
ation between the oil industry and major environ-
mental groups. And yet we don't hear enough
about the fact that this was, in fact, a great success
for both the industry and environmentalists.
We're a democracy. And if the Senate is going
to move forward, it has to hear from the con-
stituent groups that have sent letters. But I think
that they have to do more. I think the fact that
the telecommunications industry has lots of other
issues before the House and the Senate shouldn't
stop it from making the point that the entire
future of the global information highway turns
upon the cable provisions of the Convention.
Professor John Norton Moore
First, it's a very important point that Professor
Oxman is agreeing, I think, with virtually everyone
who's talked about the importance of immediate
adherence to the Law of the Sea Convention.
62 • NATIONAL OCEAN CONFERENCE
-------
However, Bernie, I think you've missed one of
the critical points in relation to customary inter-
national law. And that is that someone may feel—
no matter how mistakenly—that by not adhering
to the Law of the Sea treaty, somehow the United
States is free to act in a different way than is pre-
scribed by the treaty. The point is that those pro-
visions are today customary international law.
They're critical in being customary international
law and establishing the point that there is, in fact,
nothing to be gained by the United States at this
point by staying out.
The last point I'd like to make is I think we
should be very careful in assuming that any mem-
ber of the Senate or elsewhere has a particular
position at this point on the Law of the Sea treaty.
This has been throughout a nonpartisan issue. It's
still a nonpartisan issue. There are many things on
the plate of the Senate, and I'm very optimistic
and very hopeful that we'll see this Law of the
Sea Convention moving forward. But I think it
has a way of becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy if
we begin to assume that people have positions on
these things when they may not.
Margaret Leinen
Margaret Leinen of the Graduate School of
Oceanography at the University of Rhode Island.
I'd like to bring up another issue, which will
probably be a cross-cut with all three of the other
groups. And that has to do with the issue of
developing and ensuring capability for ocean cli-
mate forecasting and prediction. I hope that this
is something that could be a consensus position
of this panel and of this group.
There are two aspects that I'd particularly Eke
to highlight. About half of our panel is engaged in
operational activities associated with the ocean. In
your work—whether it's in the civilian sector or
in the military sector—the ability to work in the
ocean and the ability to understand short-term
weather and climate change, current movement,
and so forth associated with the ocean are critical
to your operational ability and, as Mr. Kelly has
pointed out, will be very critical to developing
new capabilities and to saving money.
The world science community and the world
operational oceanography community are engaged
in trying to establish a global ocean observing sys-
tem and a global climate observing system. While
I'm sure that the group would endorse those ideals
in principle, I think there are a couple of issues
that are very important to highlight.
One of those is the ability of that global cli-
mate and global ocean observing system to iden-
tify the most economical set of observations that
are necessary to make predictions and then, sec-
ondly, to operationalize that. We look at, for exam-
ple, the benefits that NOAA has given us through
its Pacific observations of predictions of El Nino.
Looking at the ability to operationalize other such
forecasts, whether they're climate or circulation,
would be extremely important. But it's going to
Any big weather event,
such as a hurricane,
typhoon, flood, or
drought, is generated
by ocean conditions.
Precipitous long-term
changes in the global
environment could
destabilize economies
and, therefore, pose a
threat to national or
regional security.
Oceans and Global Security • 63
-------
There is no U.S.
interest that is
served by continue^
nonadfieyejrice to
the ' """ '
Un^eTstates- .
should adhere
now to the 1982
Convention on
the Laiv of the
Sea. Tfiis is the
most important
immediate U.S.
ocean interest.
—John Norton Moore
take both the observational capability that we have
through satellites and also the observational capa-
bility through new moorings and new data sets. I
think that's a very important recommendation that
I hope this committee could endorse.
The second is the longer-term effects—and
another group of this panel is associated with
policy and management and global security in
the State Department sense. I think that one of
the most important problems that we may face in
the future is long-term changes and precipitous
long-term changes in the global environment
that would destabilize economies and destabilize
political situations. We've seen evidence of that—
for example, in Africa, with the increased deserti-
fication and changes that have happened with El
Nifios and other decadal changes.
There are tremendous potentials that the scien-
tific community has identified for even larger-scale
and more important climate changes. And I'm not
just saying global warming, but other kinds of
environmental changes, precipitation changes, and
so forth. Our ability to forecast those, and our abil-
ity to understand their implications, is very closely
related to both our basic and our applied research
in that area. I hope that this group would also feel
comfortable endorsing the very strong research
agenda in both basic and applied research associ-
ated with ocean climate forecasting.
Lee A. Kimball
I completely agree with you. I think part of
the global ocean observing system is also the
GCOS—the Global Coastal Observing System.
Obviously, in looking at marine environmental
protection and conservation of marine living
resources, we're shifting more and more to an
ecosystem basis for that conservation. And having
the information to be able to make science-based
and informed decisions in that kind of ocean
management is absolutely essential.
I don't think this panel has yet made the point
that the Law of the Sea Convention does have an
important role to play in this as well, which is the
guarantee of access for basic research in the
Exclusive Economic Zones of coastal states.
There's another justification for the ratification.
A third point I want to pick up on goes to
something that Ambassador Colson said earlier as
well—that we have a major ocean research capa-
bility. We also have a major technological capabil-
ity in developing technologies for use in the
oceans. One of the problems of information
management to serve decision making in the
oceans is making sure that that information is in
a practical form—accessible and up to date for
those who have to use it in ocean management.
David [Colson] mentioned that in collective
fishing practices—also in the area of land-based
pollution that I mentioned—the information
management of technical solutions, ways to solve
these problems, is something that's only begin-
ning to be addressed at the international level and
needs a lot more work.
Rear Admiral Ken Barbor
Rear Admiral Ken Barbor, Commander of the
Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Com-
mand. As the operational side of the oceanogra-
phy department, we're obviously very much
supportive of any research that furthers our abil-
ity to measure the ocean. We're fully supportive
within the constraints of national security in
terms of having our data available so that we can
derive those sources of long-term trends and
understand •what-sort of global climate there is.
Of course we're actively modeling the ocean and
monitoring it from that standpoint.
Paul L Kelly
From the standpoint of vessel operations, I
wanted to express my support, too. For example,
in the Gulf of Mexico on any given day, we have
10,000-13,000 people working out there, with
hundreds of helicopter movements and supply
vessel movements. Improved weather predictabil-
ity has vastly increased the safety of our opera-
tions from both the standpoint of people and the
environment—not only the predictability of the
weather, but the ability to communicate it
quickly, either over computers or on the fax
machine. We constantly have weather data rolling
into our office on an hourly basis, and I think it's
extremely important as we all move more into
the oceans that this research continue.
Terry Planner/
I'm Terry Flannery, of the DCI Environmental
Center. The issue I wanted to raise is long-term
security issues relative to the ocean. My question
for the two chairs is: What are your views about
the longer-term issues that we need to •worry
about in 20—25 years, and what, if anything, can
we do about those now?
Robert Heming
Robert Heming, Chevron. My question is
exactly the same. I'd like to hear the panelists talk
about the long-term threats to security and
where they might come from.
64 • NATIONAL OCEAN CONFERENCE
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The Honorable David A. Colson
My response to that question is the world's
population growth over the next 25 years. We
double the world's population, and you can
assume that the oceans are going to be under
more stress 25 years from now than they are right
now. I don't know what we're going to do about
it unless we can find a real way to deal with that
population growth. Because it's all going to come
to the coast. Around the world, that new popula-
tion is going to go into the coastal environment,
and it's just going to put more and more stress on
the oceans.
Pietro Parravano
My name is Pietro Parravano, President of the
Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associa-
tion. I'm a fisherman based in Half Moon Bay,
and I represent the largest commercial fishing
organization in the West Coast. I support the :
comments that Admiral Loy and Mr. Colson said
regarding connecting fishery issues with global
security. I think, agreeing with Mr. Colson, that a
lot of these fishery issues create a lot of flash
points between nations.
Currently, we've seen two events happen. One
is the altercation between Canada and the
United States on the salmon allocation. The sec-
ond is that recently we've had a ruling by the
World Trade Organization, which has struck
down a U.S. law that forbids any shrimp
imported into the United States from vessels that'
don't use turtle-excluder devices. These are
examples of how the United States has to be
very, very strong in the global environment of
enforcing laws that have been brought together
by fishermen and regulatory agencies. I'd like to
offer working solutions that fishermen and regu-
latory agencies can provide, so that we can •work
together in the future.
Admiral Loy, we've had a very, very good
working relationship with the llth District in
San Francisco under Admiral Card, and also
under Retired Captain Hart, and currently
Captain Larry Hall. It's all been brought out
because of a crisis that happened a few years ago
when the fishermen refused to board. Because of
that, we stand side-by-side nowadays in under-
standing much more of what we're all about.We
don't stand in each other's way of working out in
the ocean. I'd like to offer to put this on the table
that this panel support solutions like this, so that
way nobody is put out of work, the environment
is protected, and the people of this world can
appreciate a renewable resource based on sustain-
able fisheries.
I'd also like to support Mr. Colson's five points,
which were very refreshing. If overfishing contin-
ues to happen, we'll be out of •work. Nobody •will
be out there to guard the fisheries like the fisher-
men and regulatory agencies are. We have to work
together toward a renewable future.
Jacqueline Schaffer
Jacqueline Schaffer. I'm the Director of the
California Department of Fish and Game. I'd like
to throw some California big-time support in
league with Rhode Island, that a recommenda-
tion from this committee to the Vice President
and beyond be on the larger question of keeping
our capability to do research on these larger
ocean condition questions. I think that should be
one of our recommendations.
I participate on one of the Magnuson Pacific
Fishery Management Councils, as well. What we
do, for the most part, is to divvy up the shortfall.
People have advised me that ocean conditions
right now are just unfriendly to fish. There are
some larger natural fluctuation questions we've
got to get to the bottom of. If we're going to do
a better job managing on the retail level, we need
some of these •wholesale questions.
Regarding the Navy capability in this area, the
flip side of this is that as the Navy goes from 600
ships down to 300 ships, the tail is going to be
reduced along with the tooth. I agree with the
oceanographer that something else has to be
increased, or maintain that level of R&D capabil-
ity that the Navy has brought to the picture in
the past, but that they may not have the capabil-
ity of in the future. That is, to increase NOAA's
role; fine, but I think that ought to be part of our
recommendation out to the Vice President.
The Honorable John H. Dalton
I want to thank the panelists, who did a won-
derful job, and to thank each of you for the level
of questions. The one thing I've learned from
this is that we need to schedule more than two
hours next year. We had this forum together.
We're just getting started. This really has been an
enlightening forum this morning, and I appreci-
ate your participation.
Someone once said that a conference like this
is "a gathering of important people who singly
can do nothing ... but who together can decide
that nothing can be done."Well, I think we've
gone a long way to disprove that today, and I
appreciate each of your involvement. I think it's
been a very valuable discussion, and I look for-
ward to hearing from the other panelists and our
^...^..••"v-.iSs^g
. ,
Oceans and Global Security • 65
-------
Our naval service is
no longer predom-
inantly an insurance
policy for war, but
an essejttial anjd ^
comptek'tool/or..r~j-
„>* -^i — — "- " 'tv'*^-a~rf*^' '"-•^•"^
shading the'environ^
ment, reacting to
crisis, and building
partnerships and
coalitions which
enhance stability
and peace on a
global level.
— Admiral Donald
L. Pilling
report to the Vice President this afternoon, which
will also be a very energetic discussion of all the
panels. I know the Vice President is looking for-
ward to that. So thank you very much for being
here. I appreciate it.
Issue Forum Summary
Report to the Vice President
(Presented during the Cross-Cutting
Issues Plenary Session)
Vice President AI Gore
Thank you very much. I saw on the ship I was
on this morning a system that was amazing to me.
They utilized the global positioning satellites, and
it's almost like playing a video game.You could
just pick a location on the digital map and select
that location, and then the ship would steer itself
to precisely that point. It really is very impressive.
Of course, one of the announcements that I
made this morning has to do with the Navy
making available now those much more accurate
mapping techniques and navigational techniques.
Secretary Dalton, thank you for being here, and
thanks for the great work that the Navy has
done. There are quite a few representatives of the
Navy here, and I appreciate all of you. I want to
ask you to give us a summary of the discussion
that you had on the global security panel and the
issues that face ships on the high seas.
The Honorable John H. Dalton
Thank you very much, Mr.Vice President. We
had a very rewarding and interesting discussion on
global security this morning. I was most impressed
•with the cross-cutting nature of all the issues and
their connection to the positive spin-offs from
every segment of our national economy.
When you were introducing our panel earlier,
you talked about freedom of the seas. Two of our
panelists pointed out that we've had two wars—
the War of 1812 and World War I—that resulted
from violations of freedom of the seas. It was the
unanimous view of this panel that we need to
preserve our security and prosperity. In order to
do that, there is a need for internationally agreed
rules for multiple ocean uses, and those rules are
contained in the Law of the Sea Convention. It
was most interesting that the panel highlighted
that our security in the current era has taken on
new and broader meanings. In that light, the
panel was unanimous in reaffirming that our
national security depends on the enduring need
to balance use and conservation of the oceans as
our greatest resource.
The relevance of the sea services as a vital part
of our overall national security is also clear. The
forward presence of our naval forces is the guar-
antor of the freedom of the seas upon which our
livelihood and that of our friends around the
globe depend. It was clear from our discussions
that the complex and diverse nature of the mod-
ern U.S. naval operations depends heavily upon
the continued capital investment in the sea ser-
vices. There are many important subsets of this
continued investment, including military sea lift
capability, the merchant marine, and national
shipbuilding and repair infrastructure.
Also, we discussed the increased importance of
oceanographic data to support modern naval
operations and the maritime industry, and the
nature and extent to which we obtained that data
through national and international cooperation.
Investment in our sea services has a tremendous
payoff beyond the security issues by building the
nation's technical and intellectual capital, by pro-
tecting the environment through marine research
and pollution control measures, and—as you
mentioned earlier—by encouraging efforts to
declassify and make available to the public for-
merly sensitive defense information and databases.
The panel also highlighted other important
issues vital to our security including drug inter-
diction, controlling illegal immigration, and
maintaining sustainable fisheries, including effec-
tive enforcement.
We had a number of industry experts in our
forum. In addition to their comments on the
strategic importance of industries, such as marine
transportation and offshore oil and gas develop-
ments, to national security, they raised a number
of issues that were discussed on the commerce
panel, including revitalization of the Merchant
Marine and the development of alternative
sources of energy, including nuclear power. The
panel discussed the issues associated with balanc-
ing these industry concerns with the environ-
mental protection efforts.
More than anything else, our panel addressed
the importance of the Law of the Sea to different
segments of our nation's ocean community—not
just the critical interest in military and commer-
cial aspects of the traditional freedom of naviga-
tion for those interests, but also the importance of
the treaty as an international legal framework for
supporting U.S. interests in offshore energy devel-
opment, shipping, fishing, coastal law enforce-
ment, and environmental protection. Mr.Vice
President, we must have a seat at the international
table to ensure continued leadership and interpre-
tation and implementation of the convention in
ways optimal to our national interest. The panel
66 • NATIONAL OCEAN CONFERENCE
-------
unanimously found that all constituency groups,
especially industry, would benefit from U.S. adher-
ence to the Convention, and there were no
downsides to ratification.
It was a great panel, Mr. Vice President. We
appreciate your being here. We appreciate your
leadership in making this National Ocean
Conference a reality. Thank you, sir.
Questions from the
Vice President
(Presented during the Cross-Cutting
Issues Plenary Session)
Vice President Al Gore
Thanks for your report. I heard somebody say
that Law of the Sea deal was a communist plot.
What's your reaction to that?
The Honorable John H. Dalton
Mr. Vice President, we need to ratify that
Convention.
Vice President Al Gore
I certainly agree. It's very impressive, all joking
aside, that this distinguished panel representing so
many different points of view
and interests and having so
much expertise would be unan-
imous on that point. I don't
think it should be controversial
at all, but, of course, with some,
it is. I don't know why, but it is.
Thank you. That's a very pow-
erful recommendation, and the
whole report was. Incidentally,
thank you, Secretary Dalton, for
your great service as Secretary
of the Navy.
One of the other things I
•wanted to say in thanking the
Navy is to point out that some
years ago, back when I was in
the Senate, I began an effort to
try to declassify some of the
classified information that's col-
lected by our spy satellites and
our submarines and the various
tools of the intelligence com-
munity— some of the informa-
tion that doesn't have to be
safeguarded for national security
reasons but is collected as a mat-
ter of routine. Actually, they col-
lect in secret a million times as
much information about the Earth's environment
as the scientific community collects in the open. I
tried to figure out a way to protect the national
security absolutely and, in the process, release some
of that information for use in understanding the
global environment. The Navy •was the one part of
the federal establishment that took the lead in fig-
uring out how to do that. Then the CIA followed,
and others. And then, ultimately, the Russians and
others jumped on board. It was really the Navy
that took the lead, and I want to thank you for
that.Your panel has been a great one.
Paul Kelly is Senior Vice President of Rowan
Companies, Inc., and has represented the oil ser-
vice and supply industry on a wide variety of
issues, in dialogue with the public policy sector,
helping to inform public policymakers about
industry's viewpoints. Discussion about oil and
gas development in the ocean most often centers
around preventing negative environmental
impacts. That's something that we're all con-
cerned about, and the President •will be saying
more about that tomorrow. You only need to take
one look at the beauty outside this place here to
understand •why everybody is so concerned about
it. Less often discussed is oil and gas development
in the context of ocean global security issues. Mr.
Kelly, you've •worked for over 10 years in the oil
U.S. naval forces
have repeatedly
demonstrated their
effectiveness in
responding to
international crises
and in protecting
global peace and
stability. Our contin-
ued free access to the
oceans is essential to
national and global
security.
Photo: Official U.S. Navy
photo by Photographer's
Mate James W. Olive
Oceans and Global Security • 67
-------
industry. I'd like to ask you what you see as the
emerging policy issues in that overlap between
national security and oil and gas development.
Paul L. Kelly
Thank you, Mr. Vice President. There's defi-
nitely a strong link between access to energy
within the United States and global security, as
you indicated. As our panel discussed a somewhat
expanded definition of global security, we recog-
nize the fact that we could add a billion people
to the •world's population by the year 2010—vir-
tually another China. Obviously, this is going to
put a lot of stress on energy supplies.
As we have developed offshore areas at home,
U.S. offshore oil and gas development has become
a major technological triumph. In fact, we have
world-record industrial developments in the Gulf
of Mexico in 3,000-5,000 feet of water that are a
reality today. We've drilled one exploratory well in
7,600 feet of water, and 10,000 feet seems within
our reach from a technology standpoint.
At the same time, while U.S. industry has been
meeting the challenge of this technology, we've
recognized the concern of the American people
to make sure we do it right. So, simultaneously
working in partnership with the Department of
the Interior's Minerals Management Service and
the U.S. Coast Guard, we've developed pace-
setting safety and environmental management
programs for the industry that are now being
implemented and have been showing tremendous
success. I think our effort in this regard has been
in many ways parallel to what Mr. du Moulin
[Oceans and Commerce Issue Forum panelist]
talked about happening in the tanker industry.
At the same time as it is important that we
continue to develop our domestic resources, we
must look internationally, too. Because in the
long run, we just can't produce enough domesti-
cally to meet our own energy demand. Today, vir-
tually every country in the world that has a
continental shelf that isn't already developing its
oil and gas is issuing licenses and inviting compa-
nies in to help them develop these resources in
order to meet their rising population and to
achieve their own sustainable growth.
With the leadership that we have both in our
technology and in our abilities that we have devel-
oped in safety and environmental management, I
think the private sector in the U.S., along with the
government, has a tremendous opportunity to
show leadership on a global basis. These countries
want to develop their resources, but they're look-
ing to us to a great extent to find out how they
can do it right, as well. I'm encouraged in this
regard. I think that by working with these coun-
tries, we can not only help them do it right, but
we can ensure access to those resources ourselves.
Just adding to the comments that we've heard
with regard to the Law of the Sea, I'd like to join
my colleagues in supporting Senate ratification of
the Law of the Sea treaty. As our energy sources
diversify in the future, it's important that we have
guaranteed freedom of the seas in order to deliver
that energy to our shores. At the same time, the
treaty provides for mechanisms to define the outer
limits of our outer continental shelf, which have
not been defined. It certainly is in our national
interest to define those boundaries so that an
industry that's now ready technologically to move
into 10,000 feet of water will know what the
rules of the game are. We think that this may be
one area where technology has moved out in
advance of policymaking, and that policymaking
needs to be updated to match the technology.
Vice President Al Gore
To follow up on your comments about the
Law of the Sea, I want to ask Admiral James Loy
to address some of the same questions. Admiral
Loy, as you all know, is Commandant of the U.S.
Coast Guard. What does this Law of the Sea
Convention do, Admiral, and why are you talking
about it on the global security panel? What sig-
nificance does it have for U.S. national security
interests?
Admiral James M. Loy
Thank you, Mr. Vice President. I think I'll put
the onus immediately back on picking up
Secretary Dalton's point about placing it in an
international context and understanding that
without a legal framework on the oceans—a
constitution of the oceans, if you •will—as the
legal background against which many of our
national security interests and activities are
arrayed, •we'll lose the understanding of what it
means on the international spectrum.
The Coast Guard certainly believes that ratifi-
cation of the convention is long overdue. For
many of us, certainly the Navy and the Coast
Guard on this particular panel, the oceans are our
working environment. It's •where we literally live
and work and deliver our services to the
American public. Today's proliferation of mar-
itime security issues would be well served if there
were a rule of law context behind all of those
activities as we carried them out.
Countless U.S. activities and interests—from
navigation rights to the maritime law enforce-
ment activities of the Coast Guard and challenges
like drug smuggling, illegal immigration, living
68 • NATIONAL OCEAN CONFERENCE
-------
marine resource enforcement and management—
are the challenges that would demand the propri-
ety of having a background of an ocean
constitution against which to play. I think it's
time for us to rise to the occasion. Again, I'd join
other colleagues on this panel in calling for the
ratification of the convention. The rest of the
world has endorsed it. We were the ones who
were very instrumental in the building process to
begin with, and it seems to me to be time for us
to join the world crowd.
Last, a comment on partnerships, which has
become very much a word of exchange all
around all of the panels you've heard from today.
It's extremely important that we acknowledge
that when we find stakeholders at the table, we
find common solutions to the problems -we're
encountering. I've been pleased to hear the Coast
Guard mentioned on all the panels we've heard
so far as one of those least common denomina-
tors as a stakeholder at the table to produce solu-
tions for America's challenges.
Vice President Al Gore
Thank you very much, Admiral. Just a quick
follow-up on the issue of drug smuggling. When
your folks are patrolling and trying to stop drug
smuggling, what •would the Law of the Sea
Convention do in helping you there?
Admiral James M. Loy
Principally, it has to do -with navigation rights,
sir. We'd have a very clearly established set of
exclusive economic zones. We'd have a very
clearly established set of territorial seas.
With the assistance of the State Department
over the course of the last three or four years,
we've negotiated bilateral agreements with some
19 nations in the Caribbean area of operations
with a view toward taking the territorial sea away
as a safe haven for the smuggler when he's
attempting to introduce his product either up the
outer islands or into San Juan or the Virgin
Islands. For us, as it relates to maritime law
enforcement—and specifically smuggling of any
contraband, but especially drugs—the Law of the
Sea offers us an opportunity to engage other
nations and expand our opportunities in terms of
actually getting to the bad guy.
As our energy sources
diversify in the future,
it is important that we
have guaranteed
freedom of the seas in
order to deliver that
energy to our shores.
Photo: Gulf Corporation
Oceans and Global Security • 69
-------
ATLANTfS
WOODS HOLE
-------
In the list century, the oceans will
have an even greater potential to
yield profound new scientific
breakthroughs. We must seize
these new opportunities now
because we have no time to waste.
PANEL CO-CHAIRS
THE HONORABLE KATIE McGINTY
Chair, Council on Environmental Quality
White House
DR. NEALLANE
Director, National Science Foundation
Director Designate, Office of Science and Technology Policy,
and Assistant to the President for Science and Technology
PANELISTS
DR. RITA R. COLWELL
President, University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute
Director Designate, National Science Foundation
DR. SYLVIA A. EARLE
Director, Deep Ocean Exploration & Research
Explorer in Residence, National Geographic Society
DR. ROBERT GAGOSIAN
Director, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
W. THOMAS MITCHELL
President and CEO, Genencor International, Inc.
URSULA M. SEXTON
National Science Teacher of the Year, 1998
Green Valley Elementary School, Danville, California
DR. WARREN M. WASHINGTON
Senior Scientist, National Center for Atmospheric Research
ADMIRAL JAMES D.WATKINS
United States Navy Retired
President, Consortium for Oceanographic Research and Education
FACILITATOR
MARCIDuPRAW
PHOTO: WOODS HOLE, MA .02543
-------
Ocean
Exploration,
Education,
and Research
Interdisciplinary, integrated
science and partnerships are
proving to be powerful tools
in tackling some of our
nation's greatest natural
resource challenges, as
evidenced fay the ongoing
restoration of the Kissimmee
River, Lake Okeechobee, the
Everglades, and the Florida
Bay ecosystem.
Panel Co-chair Introductory Remarks
The Honorable Katie McGinty
I'm Katie McGinty, Chair of the White House Council on Environmental
Quality. I serve as President Clinton's senior advisor on environmental policy
matters. It is a pleasure, indeed, to be here.
I •wanted to start first by acknowledging my very able co-host Dr. Neal
Lane who—as with many of our other presenters this morning—-has made a
tremendous contribution to the research frontier as the Director of the
National Science Foundation [NSF]. I am particularly pleased because he
will become an even closer collaborator as he moves from NSF to the White
House as the President's new advisor on science and technology matters.
I believe that what we're about to discuss here today is exactly the right
place for starting this National Ocean Conference: exploration, education,
and research. As I've come to know in preparing for this—but as our pan-
elists certainly will elaborate and all of you know well—we know more
about the dark side of the moon than the blue part of our planet. That is a
situation that can change. It must change. I think with the momentum we've
built leading up to this conference and now in our two days together, we
have a hope that finally it will, indeed, change.
Yesterday, I was very pleased to be able to join Neal [Lane] and Dr. [D.
James] Baker and M.R.C. Greenwood and others to launch a brand-new,
state-of-the-art research facility for the National Marine Fisheries Service
that will be right here in the Monterey Bay area to join with some of the
other state-of-the-art research facilities that are being brought together in a
powerful new partnership. We're off to a good start.
For all that we don't know about our oceans, there are some things that
we're coming to know all too well. We know that there are very real stresses
on our marine ecosystem, and those stresses are getting more intense all the
time:
• Pollution in the water itself and running off the land into the water.
• Overharvesting of fisheries, overcapitalization of our fishing fleet, and on
that fleet itself sometimes very aggressive new technologies that almost
literally can vacuum the bottom of the seas.
72 • NATIONAL OCEAN CONFERENCE
-------
• Population pressures—fish and marine resources
are the primary source of protein for a huge
percentage of the world's population. There
are more of us all the time, and we're very
hungry all the time. That pressure is building
as well.
• The surge to the sea—we not only want.to eat
the fish, we want to see the waves as well. A
huge percentage of us already live in coastal
areas or are moving to those coastal areas—not
just in the United States, but around the globe.
• The surge of the seas—we're beginning to
know that greenhouse pollution is now
potentially very dangerously threatening some
of the most basic parts of our ocean world: the
physics of the ocean, the chemistry of the
ocean, and the biology of the ocean.
These things we know. We know that there are
troubles. We know that there are challenges.
There are some other things we know about
the seas as well. We know if we give ourselves half
a second to reflect on it at all, we humans depend
vitally on the seas, physically for food, for suste-
nance, and for protection from storms, but spiritu-
ally as well. We depend on it for excitement, the
frontier yet to be explored. We depend on it for
tranquillity, for perspective, for peace, a sense as
you gaze at the ocean of being part of something
that is truly vast, that is truly great, that is truly
larger than any single one of ourselves.
How do we change this situation? How do
we, in a •word, begin to stem the tide? I think
today, with the presentations we will hear, with
your comments and reflections, we •will begin to
get an idea of how to take the job on.
Over the last five years, under the President's
leadership and the leadership ofVice President
Gore, we in the administration have begun to
take on what have been some of our most nettle-
some natural resource challenges, •which are no
doubt becoming more nettlesome because for
years we either looked away or declined to take
the action that was necessary. I want to share just
a couple of those challenges briefly, because I
think that there is some learning in them that
maybe can be exported into our discussion today.
• California Bay Delta ecosystem—Breaking 20
years of deadlock and court battles, this ecosys-
tem is finally bringing people together. Finally
polarization is yielding to some progress in
terms of managing this vital water resource.
• The Florida Everglades—What a tangled web
we weave, or series of concrete channels we
pour, or dams we build. Finally, here, too, is
progress. The waters of the Pviver of Grass are
becoming restored. The connectedness of the
Kissimmee (River], Lake Okeechobee, the
Everglades, and Florida Bay is recognized and
gradually being restored.
II The forests of the Pacific Northwest—Finally
•we're seeing the ecosystem as a whole. It's not
just the Spotted Owl, stupid. It's the Spotted
Owl as part of an intricate web of life, each
piece of which is essential to restoring that
habitat and that ecosystem.
What is the learning that may come from
those challenges that we've at least begun to take
on that we could bring into our discussion today?
I'd say at least two major points.
First and foremost, the science—Every one of
those issues demanded that we brought to bear
the best science and the best learning that we
have. Interdisciplinary, integrated science—the
physical science as well as the social science.
Bringing those varied and often—too often—
conflicting data sets together. Changing apples
into apples instead of apples into oranges.
Enabling a conversation to be had across and
based on our best information and data. Basic
research as well as know-how as applied. New
technologies, new •ways of getting the job done.
The second essential piece, partnerships—
Government working with industry, •with acade-
mia, with environmentalists, with businesses,
agriculture, and industry. Working with our
seniors—the elders among us, as well as our chil-
dren, who always keep us on the right track. All
of those members of society called upon to be
part of the solution to come out of their various
trenches, to see beyond their special interests to
the larger common interest for •which we must
•work. All respected for the unique perspective
and contribution they bring.
Today, as we look at our oceans, •what is that
science that needs to be done? What are those
technologies that must be brought to bear? Who
are those people and those partners who will
enable progress instead of polarization to prevail?
As I've said, I think we have some of the best peo-
ple in the country to help us to wrestle widi some
of those questions—not only to see the challenges,
but, hopefully, to seize the opportunities.
Dr. Neal Lane
Good morning, everyone. Katie McGinty has
done an extraordinary job in the White House
advising the President and Vice President and
keeping all of the rest of us in government—and
out of government—conscious of what needs to
be done and what can be done. She has been
most instrumental not just in telling us about it,
but in helping us implement change.
=~*^'"" •Fyawesrr-
vast, mat is
MjMapfci™,,, «*«£«»»»^^tt;
truly great, that is
"truly larger than
any single one of
ourselves.
— The Honorable
Katie McGinty
Ocean Exploration, Education, and Research • 73
-------
We're often reminded that the oceans cover
some two-thirds of our planet's surface. But
there's another thing we can say. And that's that
ocean sciences, even today, span many of the
most exciting frontiers—some would argue the
most exciting frontiers for exploration, education,
and research in all of science and engineering.
The future, indeed, is even brighter.
Just over two years ago, I got my first-hand sense
of what lies on these frontiers. "Congressman Jerry
Lewis from California and I were able to take a dive
off the southern California coast near Catalina
Island in the submersible vessel Alvin. The dive was
a highlight of my tenure at the National Science
Foundation. We had a chance to view the life and
the geology of the ocean floor at depths approach-
ing a mile. In this world, a perpetual blackness was
punctuated only by the strange luminescent aquatic
animals all around us. We saw an amazing variety of
life forms that don't exist anywhere else on the
planet. The dive gave us a dramatic sense of the
wealth, the resources, the mysteries, and the natural
treasures that lie below the Earth's ocean surface. It
changed both of us in how we think about the
Earth and about the oceans.
As fascinating as it was for me to see the won-
ders through Alvin's portholes, we should all rec-
ognize that in recent years, our observational
powers have been magnified many times over.
Our various observational tools—whether they're
submersibles, buoys, or satellites—have coalesced
with advances in communications and informa-
tion technologies like the World Wide Web. This
has already changed the very nature of how we
explore the oceans, how we study them, and how
we teach our children about them.
From my desk in Arlington, Virginia, a few
clicks of the mouse can link me directly to the
Monterey Aquarium's kelp cam. The kelp cam
transmits real-time images over the Web of kelp
fields growing just offshore here in Monterey Bay.
It may not sound like an especially exciting use of
technology, but I assure you, it is. It's easy to envi-
sion how these capabilities can result in more pro-
ductive learning experiences for students at all
levels, even if they never actually lay eyes on the
rolling surf or set foot on the seashore.
A number of NSF-supported projects make
this possible through the wonders of virtual real-
ity and the real-time observations. Students and
teachers can now take virtual field trips to places
like the depths of the Monterey Canyon and
thermal vents along the Juan de Fuca Ridge in
the Central Pacific. These kinds of activities are
invaluable for boosting understanding and appre-
ciation for the role of the oceans in our lives.
The emerging capabilities in observation and
data communication clearly open up new
opportunities for research and exploration.
Perhaps the most notable example of this comes
from our improved ability to predict and moni-
tor-the formation of El Nino events. This past
winter, El Nino went from being a scientific
curiosity to becoming a true societal phenome-
non. Even though we're still sorting out how
much of the recent severe weather and its conse-
quences can be blamed on El Nino, one thing is
clear. We should give credit to the host of scien-
tific and technological advances that have made
it possible for to us predict the major El Nino
events. It took better models of the relationship
between oceanic and atmospheric phenomena,
an understanding of the underlying physical
processes, and a vastly improved network of
buoys and other observational stations for moni-
toring the tropical oceans.
The foundation for these important advances
rests upon years of investment and fundamental
research in many fields of science and engineer-
ing, conducted at our nation's universities and
our research laboratories across the country.
Thanks to this combination of better insights and
better data, we now, for the first time, have the
ability to provide reliable seasonal forecasts. That,
in my mind, is one of the most significant scien-
tific accomplishments of recent decades. The sea-
sonal forecasts may not always be to our liking,
but they have enormous economic and societal
value, and •we're very pleased to have them.
We could all cite any number of other exam-
ples that speak to both the scientific and the soci-
etal benefits related to investments in oceanic
exploration, education, and research. We've
uncovered new life forms living in truly extreme
environments—from Arctic Sea ice to deep
within the Earth's sub-seafloor.
We're also making progress on—but just
beginning to recognize, really, how much we
have yet to learn about the influence of the
oceans on our climate, our food supply, our
health, and countless other factors that affect our
lives. To help us address this vast array of chal-
lenges and opportunities, we're very fortunate
today to be joined by a very distinguished and
diverse group of expert panelists.
Panelists' Statements
Dr. Sylvia A. Earle
Dr. Sylvia A. Earle is one of the nation's most recognized
marine explorers and oceanographers. She is Director
and founder of Deep Ocean Exploration and Research,
Inc., and Explorer in Residence at the National
Geographic Society.
74 • NATIONAL OCEAN CONFERENCE
-------
Fve never seen the ocean, community so ener-
gized. And it's no 'wonder after a dry spell span-
ning many decades.
There's an opportunity at last for the ocean
frontier to be for the 21st century what space has
been to the 20th. And why not? The technology
is here, the need is here, and a sense of urgency is
here. Now all that has to come is the commit-
ment to go forward and downward.
Two centuries ago, Thomas Jefferson commis-
sioned Lewis and Clark to explore and document
the nature of the American West. There's an
opportunity now to explore further
west and south and north and east
and down, to understand the nature
of our own aquatic backyard.
In recent times, we've come to
see that the ocean powers climate
and weather, shapes planetary
chemistry, regulates temperature,
contains 97 percent of this planet's
water, and embraces about 97 per-
cent of the biosphere. Yet, paradoxi-
cally, more men have traveled to the
moon and back than have been to
the deepest sea and back. It's a rela-
tively short distance. It's only seven
miles down, where two explorers—
one of them is here in this room
right now, Don Walsh—ventured
for the first and only time in his-
tory in 1960. Only five manned
submersibles operated by four
countries are capable of going to half the ocean's
depth, and this year, this nation •will decommis-
sion Sea Cliff, the only such submersible sup-
ported by the United States. We really must not
let our edge in the deep sea slip away.
There are new technologies, ranging from
space-based sensors and superconductors to
deep-sea robots, complemented, of course, by
acoustics, lasers, and other highly sophisticated
techniques.Yet crucial decisions about policies
for fisheries are based largely on samples taken
by remarkably crude methods—dragging nets or
laying strings of baited hooks along the seafloor.
What would aliens know of Monterey or
Montana or Washington, D.C., or of you or me
if they relied on such methods to sample our
culture, our civilization?
More serious than the primitive techniques
now in use for some aspects of ocean research is
the stunning fact that there is no national plan
for exploration of the vital natural systems that
extend from the shore to the edge of the
Exclusive Economic Zone and no comprehen-
sive plan for cooperating with other nations to
responsibly explore, research, and educate
humankind about the critical natural ocean sys-
tems that sustain us.
We've grown up during this time of learning
about plate tectonics; links among climate, weather,
and the sea; the existence of these previously
unknown ecosystems and new categories of life;
and even clues to our own history captured in
shipwrecks and ancient artifacts. These have revo-
lutionized human understanding about the nature
of the planet and our own past. But they also
highlight the magnitude of our ignorance.
Most of the ocean, including the submerged
part of North America embraced by this nation's
Exclusive Economic Zone, remains unknown,
unexplored.Yet despite the unknowns, we've not
hesitated to exploit the ocean. The collapse of
once-thriving populations of marine species—
cod, capelin, pollock, grouper, blue fin tuna,
swordfish, shark, shrimp, turtles, abalone, urchins,
and name the favorite critter of your choice—
make it clear that we have not managed the use
of the sea wisely and have handled it far from
sustainably.
Moreover, the vital links between land-based
actions and the ocean have not been recognized
widely. The increasing size and abundance of toxic
algal blooms in this country's coastal waters and
the formation of the so-called dead zone near the
mouth of the Mississippi River—larger than the
5,000-square-mile Monterey Bay sanctuary—
appear to be correlated with growing domestic,
agricultural, and industrial pollution. Last Friday, I
flew out over that area a hundred miles offshore,
and instead of seeing clear, blue •water as normally
would be the case, it was green all the way from
the shore to a hundred miles out.
An amazing variety of
life forms that don't
exist anywhere else on
the planet, such as this
nudibranch, live below
the ocean's surface.
Ocean Exploration, Education, and Research • 75
-------
An increase in domes-
tic, agricultural, and
industrial runoff can
result in an increase
in the occurrence of
harmful algal blooms
and associated fish kills.
Photo: News Office,
Woods Hole Occanographic
Institution
While problems relating to what we put into
the sea and what we take out are real, the greatest
threat to the future of the oceans and, thus, to our
own future is ignorance. It's ignorance. An aggres-
sive program of ocean exploration, research, and
education comparable to this nation's investment
and commitment to exploration and use of space
is vital, an enduring legacy from our generation
for all who follow. A Lewis and Clark era for the
sea, coupled with 20th- and 21st-century insights
that will inspire care of what's there.
Consider some of the opportunities available
to us now. We've beeri asked to reflect on cross-
cutting issues: ecosystem health, sustainable use of
ocean and coastal resources, research, Law of the
Sea, and ocean management. All of these topics
and more are absolutely dependent on knowing
what's out there, what's down there.
Our neglect of ocean exploration, research,
and education has proven costly. And not just to
fish, whose populations, some of them, have
dropped to 10 percent of what they were in our
lifetimes and, in some cases, less than 5 percent.
Consider Chesapeake Bay oysters. Consider the
case of the white abalone in California, whose
population is less than one percent of what it was
when you and I were kids.
It isn't just to the fishermen, whose children
can't contemplate lifestyles or livelihoods experi-
enced by their elders. In ignorance, we are mon-
keying around with the vital underpinnings of
Earth's life support system. We're finding that
without really trying, we can destroy ancient
ecosystems—from coral reefs to kelp forests and
who knows what else hi the deep sea—that
developed over billions of years. But with all of
our ingenuity and all of our technologies, we
can't restore what's lost.
In 1872, the year made famous by the
Challenger expedition—the first global oceano-
graphic voyage in history—a plan was initiated
that some call the best idea that America ever
had. The first national park, Yellowstone, was
established. A hundred years later, in 1972, legisla-
tion was enacted in this country to establish a
system of marine sanctuaries. Now there are 12,
including four here in California and, going fur-
ther north, one on the Olympic coast of
Washington—none in Alaska. They are signifi-
cant, but overall, they comprise less than one per-
cent of the total ocean under U.S. jurisdiction.
These may be regarded as young national parks—
an insurance policy against change.
How about this for a project: the National
Geographic Society, NOAA [National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration], The Goldman
Fund, the U.S. Navy, NASA [National Aeronautics
and Space Administration], MBARI [Monterey
Bay Aquarium Research Institute], and a growing
list of other institutions and agencies are setting
about for a five-year sustainable seas expedition
involving exploration, research, and education,
with a focus on this nation's marine sanctuaries,
aiming at exploration and research and education
as well as cross-cutting issues, such as those that
we've been asked to consider. This project is an
example of what might be done to help do what
good stewards ought to do—to take care of
Earth's assets and try to leave the planet better
than we found it.
In our lifetime, we've
witnessed and been
responsible for causing
more change to the vital
ocean ecosystems that
sustain us—a sea change
that has taken place
before our very eyes. We
have a chance, should we
choose to accept the chal-
lenge, of eliciting during
our time a sea change of
attitude about the oceans.
It isn't just our descen-
dants who will be grateful
if we get it right. If we
hurry, perhaps we can
stem the degradation that
we've witnessed in our
lifetime and live to enjoy
the benefits ourselves. As
never before, there is this
sense of urgency. With all
76 • NATIONAL OCEAN CONFERENCE
-------
due respect to Lewis and Clark and all those other
great explorers of the past, the greatest era of
exploration is just beginning. Let's go!
Dr. Robert Gagosian
As Director of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution,
Dr. Robert Gagosian has a wealth of knowledge in the
areas of ocean science and ocean science education. He
has been with Woods Hole for over 25 years.
It's certainly a pleasure to participate in this
forum. I think we have an exciting opportunity,:
and it's going to be up to all of us in the next
couple of days to make this succeed.
As you all well know, the study of oceans is
really a very difficult challenge. Oceanography is
a young field, and it's still very much in the
exploratory mode. We've mapped more of the
planet ofVenus than we have below our own
ocean surface. I'm constantly amazed with the
fact that hydrothermal vents were only discovered
20 years ago, and only 20 sites have been exam-
ined on this 40,000-mile mountain chain two
and a half miles deep below the sea—the longest
mountain chain on Earth.
We're just beginning to realize the significance
of the discovery of the ecosystem that challenges
the very foundation of knowledge about the ori-
gins of life on this planet, as well as the possibility
of its existence on others in the universe. To
quote microbiologist Holger Jannasch,"The vents
are possibly the most significant biological dis-
covery in the latter half of this century."
Oceanography is also an interdisciplinary field
that requires knowledge from several other fields:
physics, chemistry, biology, and geology. No single
discipline can encompass the study of nature in
such a grand form as the oceans.
The oceans are clearly one of the most hostile
environments on Earth—changing temperatures,
densities, pressures, and currents. Corrosion,
severe weather, and the sheer vastness and depth
of the sea make studying ocean processes and
their dynamics one of the most challenging of all
scientific endeavors. For these reasons, we're
heavily dependent on progress in technology.
Advances in the last decade in mooring tech-
nology, buoy and float design, ocean profilers,
autonomous vehicles, sensors, satellite technology,
and data acquisition compression—and especially
transmission—techniques enable us to ask ques-
tions today that we couldn't address only a
decade ago. These answers—coupled with the
scientific knowledge gained over the past decade
from major field experiments, such as those in
the global climate change program—afford us an
unprecedented opportunity as we enter the next
millennium to learn how the ocean works.
We're at a dawn of a new age of global ocean
exploration and observation. To take advantage of
this opportunity, a commitment is needed to the
successful implementation of these new approaches
in order to observe the oceans in time and space
very differently from our past observations. Field
programs creating ocean observatories world-
wide will need to be mounted on an unprece-
dented scale.
Let me give you an example. The oceans are
the weather's flywheel. They contain a thousand
times more heat than the atmosphere. Therefore,
we have to understand the storage and transport
of heat within the ocean and the transfer of heat
across the ocean—atmosphere interface if we're
going to understand our climate. If we want to
predict the weather of the ocean as we have pre-
dicted the weather of the atmosphere, data col-
lection observatories—such as the moored buoy
and float systems that I've just described to you—
will need to be established on a global scale.
What's the benefit of making these extensive
and expensive measurements? One payoff, of
course, is the prediction of El Nino. Here in
California, people know a lot about damage done
to property and agriculture from the recent El
Nino event. With advanced warning, we can mit-
igate the negative consequences of such events
and maximize their societal benefits, making our
economy more efficient, and allowing us to bet-
ter manage our marine and mineral resources, the
marine ones, of course, being the fisheries.
For success, I believe this is going to require a
paradigm shift in how we do our science in this
country. Not only will academic research-intensive
institutions in the United States need to form
new and stronger partnerships with each other
and with the federal agencies, but new alliances
with our international colleagues •will also be
essential for success. They re not in place now.
We must also do a better job of convincing
the taxpayers and the congressional and executive
branches of our government why this is such an
important priority for this country. I believe it's
very simple: if we can't explain why it's impor-
tant, why should they support it?
We have a good start, and I personally am
very excited and optimistic about the future
of ocean sciences, research, and education.
The reason is not just because of the exciting
opportunities we face in our field. It goes
deeper. We have an extraordinary opportunity
and responsibility in educating the public that
the oceans are not just the beaches that they
walk on with their children and their grand-
children. They're much, much more. They cover
71 percent of the Earth, with an average depth
of two and a half miles.
— Dr. Neal Lane
Ocean Exploration, Education, and Research • 77
-------
Advances in
mooring
technology,
buoy and float
design, ocean
profilers,
autonomous
vehicles,
sensors,
satellite
technology,
and data
acquisition
compression—
and especially
transmission
—techniques
enable us to
ask questions
today that we
couldn't
address only a
decade ago.
Photo: NOAA
These facts, coupled with the Earth's mount-
ing population—which is expected to double by
the middle of the next century—lead to the con-
clusion that the oceans cannot be ignored for
using them wisely by society as well as their
stewardship.
The oceans play a key role in this country's
environmental security strategy. They'll become
increasingly important to us as we move through
the next century. Unlocking the key of how the
oceans work will result in how well we as a
species will survive in the next millennium. The
dissemination and understanding of this message
will lead to a very exciting era for oceanography.
There's another reason why I'm optimistic.
Oceanographers are passionate about their mis-
sion. I don't know one who doesn't love the sea.
The ideas are in place, the opportunities are real,
the challenges are clear. How we all address them
is the issue.
W. Thomas Mitchell
As President and CEO ofGenencor International, W.
Thomas Mitchell provides a perspective from the world
of industrial biotechnology.
It is, indeed, a pleasure to participate in such an
important conference. My job today is to explain
how the biotechnology industry and, in particular,
how Genencor International, hopes to employ the
resources of the ocean for human progress.
First, I'd like to clear up a common misper-
ception of many audiences. Most people think
biotechnology is all about drug discovery. Indeed,
many breakthroughs that come from modern
biotechnology are applied to the diagnosis and
treatment of human disease. But there are impor-
tant applications of biotechnology that extend far
beyond this dimension and affect all of our lives
in the most mundane ways.
I'm referring to the industrial application of
modern biotechnology—to everyday activities,
like the weekly laundry, processing of blue jeans,
producing high-fructose corn syrup for soft
drinks, and developing fuel ethanol for vehicles.
As mundane as they are, though, when biotech-
nology is used for industrial activities, energy is
saved, renewable resources replace fossil-fuel feed
stocks, and pollution is prevented or reduced. The
goal of Genencor International is to lead the way
forward in industrial biotechnology.
We stand on the threshold of a revolution in
the way chemicals are produced. The next
decades will see the greening of a number of
industries. For example, with the support of the
U.S. Department of Commerce's Advanced
Technology Program, Genencor and its partners
are working on basic technology to develop eco-
nomically viable processes to produce a wide
range of chemicals using renewable resources as
feed stocks. With the aid of biotechnology, natural
microbial processes will convert biomass into use-
ful chemicals.
Since this might be a new concept, please allow
me to expand briefly on the industry we're creat-
ing. Industrial biotechnology applies the tech-
niques of modern molecular biology to improve
the efficiency and reduce the environmental
impact of process industries. As biotechnology
companies in the health-care sector are transform-
ing the pharmaceutical industry, many observers
predict the same impact in the chemical industry.
Industrial biotechnology companies develop bio-
chemicals and biocatalysts, such as enzymes to be
used in chemical synthesis and as active ingredients
in consumer products, such as laundry detergent,
dietary supplements, and animal feed.
Enzymes are catalytic proteins produced by
all living organisms. In humans, enzymes help
digest food, signal cells to turn on and off, and
perform other complex functions. Enzymes are
part of nature's chemical factories. As such,
they're very efficient at their jobs, turning one
chemical into another.
78 • NATIONAL OCEAN CONFERENCE
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Since all living things produce them, we
explore biodiversity to locate new enzymes.
For a company like Genencor, we have certain
search criteria. Since •we're interested in
enzymes that can operate in harsh industrial
environments, we look in natural environments
to find microorganisms that thrive under similar
conditions. The extremophiles discovered in this
way can lead to enzymes that operate at
extremes of temperature, pressure, and acidity.
These products can contribute significantly to
industrial sustainability.
An extreme environment of particular interest
to the biotechnology industry is the environment
around deep-sea hydrothermal vents. From a bio-
diversity point of view, this is one of the most
exciting places on Earth. At the bottom of the
food chain, around these vents, are microorgan-
isms that have evolved without photosynthesis.
These organisms are able to find energy and
nourishment from the oxidation of sulfur com-
pounds, which are abundant in vent waters. We
need to collect and study these microorganisms
to understand their genetic make-up.
Before I conclude, I'd like to spend a few
minutes speaking about how modern biotechnol-
ogy exploits nature. Unlike mining for minerals,
we only take from nature a small sample for
development. Indeed, all we need to find is one
microorganism with the desired characteristics to
eventually produce tons of product. A spoonful of
sand from a deep-sea hydrothermal vent may be
all we ever need. Once we identify the microor-
ganism of interest, we can grow it in our labs,
sequence the DNA, and use that information to
produce commercial quantities. This is truly sus-
tainable development.
Unfortunately, it's not easy getting that sample.
This is where government must play a critical
role. Industry alone can't afford to explore space
or the deep sea. We need to work in cooperation
with government and universities to reach these
inaccessible places to discover and understand the
environments we find there. Speaking on behalf
of the biotechnology industry, we support a sub-
stantial commitment by the United States gov-
ernment to explore the deep sea.
Earth's oceans are the common heritage of all
its people. The biodiversity we find there could
be the source of new drugs or new biocatalysts
that could contribute significantly to human
progress.
I'd like to close with the words of Teddy
Roosevelt from a speech he made in 1910: "The
nation behaves well if it treats the natural resources
as assets which it must turn over to the next gen-
eration increased—and not impaired—in value."
Dr. Rita R. Colwell
Dr. Rita R. Colwell is currently President of the University
of Maryland Biotechnology Institute and has earned
international recognition for her expertise in marine
biotechnology and waterborne diseases. She has also
been appointed as the next Director of the National
Science Foundation.
As others have said this morning, it's clear that
the oceans have captured the imagination of
poets, explorers, and scholars for centuries. Long
before missions into stellar space, exploration of
the oceans led to discovery of new continents,
new forms of marine life, and an appreciation of
the complexity of planet Earth.
We're at the brink of the 21st century, •with
new opportunities for a vastly expanded explo-
ration of the oceans, using the new tools of the
engineering sciences, information technology, and
molecular biology. We can retrace the footsteps of
Charles Darwin, employing genome sequencing
of the creatures he catalogued and described, and
thereby link even more delicately the compo-
nents of the complex web of biological diversity
that comprises our biosphere. For example, DNA
genome sequencing of the Galapagos animals and
plants will allow a clear tracking of their linkages
to the flora and fauna elsewhere on the conti-
nents and island communities of the Earth.
More immediate and practical is recognition
of the oceans as a rich source of food. The world
fisheries have seen annual harvests increase up to
a level of about 80 or 90 million metric tons a
few years ago. However, •we're now seeing the
results of overfishing and pollution of the oceans,
with collapse of commercial fishing on the Grand
Banks and in the North Sea. The increasing
demand for fish, expected to approach about 135
The biodiversity found
in the oceans could
be the source of new
biochemicals and
biocatalysts that will
affect our lives in ways
as diverse as producing
a more effective laundry
detergent and develop-
ing fuel ethanol for
vehicles.
Ocean Exploration, Education, and Research • 79
-------
Advances in aqua-
culture are bringing
commercially impor-
tant fish into culture
and aiding in the
development of
commercial viability
for other species,
such as the southern
flounder (Pardichthys
lethostigma) shown
below.
Photo: ©1998 Harbor
Branch Oceanographlc
Institution Inc.
million metric tons per year by 2015 or 2020—a
conservative estimate—can't be met by capture
fisheries. Fortunately, intensive land-based, envi-
ronmentally sound, closed-system aquaculture is
both feasible and necessary. Because of develop-
ments of marine biotechnology and biotechnol-
ogy, these applications in aquaculture can provide
the food we need.
Many commercially important species of
marine fish have been induced to spawn in cap-
tivity. And their life cycle is regulated so that the
potential of closed-system, environmentally sound
aquaculture can double or triple our current
annual output of about 20 million metric tons
sometime in the 21st century.
Advances in molecular biology applied to
aquaculture have brought salmon, trout, sea
bream, striped bass, and other commercially
important fish into culture, and advances in
growth and reproductive biology through
biotechnology of these fish will allow natural
stocks to replenish. The growth hormone genes in
several species offish have already been cloned.
The oceans can then be a genetic stock of
germ plasm—a genetic resource to be tapped for
brood stocks, rather than overfished. Thus, fish
won't become commercially extinct, as the cod
has been declared in recent news reports, and
exotic reef fish needn't be recaptured for aquar-
ium and other uses. A marine genome program
surely will be immediately beneficial to
humankind.
These advances will require increased invest-
ment in marine biotechnology and collaboration
at all levels—government, university, and indus-
try—in a national initiative in aquaculture
biotechnology and marine genomics. Expanded
research and exploration of the oceans will
bring better understanding of our planet and the
intricate interweaving of biological diversity
with climate, weather patterns, and, ultimately,
human health.
Compelling is the role of the oceans in human
health and, notably, infectious diseases. An exam-
ple is cholera, a disease that in epidemic form
wreaks misery, economic hardship, and death to
hundreds of thousands of people around the
globe in its •worst epidemic years. With the dis-
covery of the linkage of the bacterium that
causes cholera to plankton in rivers, ponds,
coastal waters, and the oceans, it's now possible to
monitor the Earth by satellite, using remote sens-
ing as an early warning of detecting hot spots of
environmental and climatic conditions associated
with epidemics of cholera.
With the capacity to predict El Nino events,
as occurred in Latin America—recently linked to
the cholera outbreaks in Latin America and
Bangladesh through the plankton, sea surface
temperature, and sea surface height'—we can
build up an encyclopedia of data on ocean con-
ditions. And that will help us seek those geo-
graphical areas where conditions are cholera-prone
and thereby implement public health measures to
prevent—or, at the least, to minimize—the
tragedies of massive epidemics.
Intellectually exciting as well as potentially
commercially useful are the new discoveries from
expanded research and exploration of the oceans.
An improved, more sophisticated, and more real-
istic understanding of our planet will be gained
by the reinvigorated exploration of the deepest
reaches of the world's oceans. A new generation
of submersibles extending manned exploration of
the sea can be extremely valuable.
With a program that includes manned submers-
ibles, remotely operated vehicles, autonomous
undersea vehicles, and seafloor observatories,
we'll expand our knowledge of biological sys-
tems capable of existing in one of the most
extreme environments on the planet—the cold,
salty, high-pressure, and remote regions of the
ocean trenches. The biology of these regions
will provide a new dimension to the story of
life on the blue planet and fresh clues to life on
other planets.
In summary, the oceans are a rich resource. In
fact, they're a security blanket for humankind.
We're now able to tap this resource in environ-
mentally sustainable ways, using the tools of
modern science, engineering, technology, and
biology. The biological discoveries are waiting to
be made, and this will surely benefit humankind.
Our gene pool is far richer than we've dreamed,
and it will provide us with a new window on life
on this planet.
80 • NATIONAL OCEAN CONFERENCE
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Dr. Warren M. Washington
Dr. Warren M. Washington has earned international
recognition for his work as a meteorologist at the
National Center for Atmospheric Research. Much of his
work is focused on the major role oceans play in the
world's weather patterns. He also serves on the National
Science Board.
The federal government has been coordinat-
ing essentially a multiagency research program
toward the goal of sustainable use and manage-
ment of our natural resources. The ocean plays a
role in such issues as climate change, biodiversity,
natural hazards, and security concerns.
"We've seen over this last year the effect of El
Nino in terms of its extraordinary interactions
with the atmosphere and the ocean, interacting in
a very interesting way to have a major impact on
the climate system. In fact, 1997 was the warmest
year in recorded history, and the first part of 1998
continues to establish new warming records.
Furthermore, it should be pointed out that this
century is the warmest century in 600 years.
These changes in the climate system are affecting
our food supply, the economic system, and the
personal safety of citizens who are affected by
exceptional weather events.
The ocean needs to be included as a major
and integral component of a national and inter-
national environmental monitoring system.
Recent research has identified many major find-
ings in how the climate system works, how the
ocean and coastal systems work, and how the
chemical and the biosystems work.
El Nino is only one of the very interesting
and important interactions between the atmos-
phere and the ocean. For example, the North
Atlantic oscillation is a very important regional
factor that goes into changes in the climate sys-
tem in various parts of the world. As we go down
this path of trying to understand seasonal, inter-
annual, decadal, and centennial time scales, they
all have their own variability. Some of this vari-
ability is predictable, and some isn't.
In the early days of the time I was involved in
early climate modeling, the oceans were basically
just a swamp—a very simple swamp, where there
was no heat capacity and very little in the way of
interactions. As we've advanced to modern, high-
resolution climate models of the atmosphere and
the ocean, we're trying to incorporate virtually all
of the interactions in between the atmosphere
and the ocean, including the sea ice.
One of the most major impediments to
improving our climate models is the lack of a
global observing system capable of capturing all
of the important aspects of the oceans, including
their major motions, temperatures, sea levels, and
salinity. We need to monitor virtually all aspects
of the oceans in cooperation with our interna-
tional partners, because it's probably something
we can't do on our own as a nation.
It's also important to measure the ocean
chemistry in the biosphere, so that we can under-
stand such things as the carbon cycle and the fish
stocks. We also need to monitor ocean pollution
and keep track of how much •we're polluting and
where the pollution is going and its effects.
Ocean science and engineering have devised
many novel measurement systems, ranging from
ships to drifting buoys to moored buoy arrays
and vehicles that can go under the sea's surface
temperature. During this last year, the tropical
ocean buoy system has provided invaluable data
on El Nino, enhancing our capability to forecast
El Nino events and life cycles.
What do we need to do to succeed in the
future? We're going to need to have a more sus-
tained and a better observational system, and, if
we have to, use novel techniques, such as
acoustics. We need to make better use of satellite
technology. The ocean research community needs
to articulate its concerns, its needs, to the public
and to the policymakers. We need to also be
aware of the need of bringing in new generations
of scientists who can work in a multidisciplinary
way in the ocean area. Thank you very much.
Admiral James D. Watkins
Admiral James D. Watkins served as the Secretary of
Energy under President Bush and is also former Chief of
Naval Operations. He is currently President of the
Consortium for Oceanographic Research and Education.
He has made extraordinary contributions to advancing
understanding, awareness, and policy regarding the
oceans.
The last several decades have brought changes
in the way we utilize and value our oceans and
coastal areas. Changes in world geopolitical struc-
ture, movement of populations to the coast,
increasing reliance on the seas for food, and other
material goods require a reexamination of our
national interest in the ocean.
Development of new economic sectors, the
need for new technological capabilities and edu-
cational methodologies, awareness of the links
between atmosphere and the oceans, and the
increasing concern about the impact of man's
activities on the marine environment all now
drive the ocean research agenda, which only a
short time ago was dominated by Cold War con-
cerns. This has resulted in the demand for new
applications of ocean science and technology and
has placed many new demands on the nation's
investment in ocean research and development.
- Dr. Sylvia A. Earle
Ocean Exploration, Education, and Research • 81
-------
Advances in ocean
science and engineering
have resulted in
remarkable ways to
measure, model, and
explore the ocean,
including surface ships,
moored and drifting
buoys, and vehicles
that can explore the
ocean depths, such as
the Johnson-Sea Link
manned submersibles
operated by Harbor
Branch Oceanographic
Institution.
Photo: ®I998 Harbor
Branch Oceanographic
Institution, Inc.
One exciting result has been the increased
availability of formerly classified data sets and
technology developed by the Defense
Department and the intelligence agencies during
the Cold War. Data sets processed through what
we call the MEDEA [Measurements of Earth
Data Environmental Analysis] Program, coupled
with the possible availability of systems, such as
the deep ocean acoustic arrays called SOSUS
[Sound Surveillance System], can add tremendous
value to our research endeavors if we make a
serious commitment to their use for scientific
purposes, while protecting legitimate national
security information.
In fact, the discussion this morning focuses a
great deal on the need for a variety of global
ocean observing systems. It is my opinion that
without these data from the Navy—not only
from the U.S. Navy, but from the Russian Navy
as well, particularly in the Arctic area—we cannot
design an observational set of systems with the
specificity that these data could bring to the
table. Without this access to Navy data, we could
at best be redundant, and at worst be grossly mis-
guided and spend money unnecessarily.
You'll see a great pressure this year by our
consortium to move aggressively in this area, to
work with the Congress and with the White
House and others to move expeditiously. I think
one leader in this area has been the Vice
President of the United States.
These major changes in our motivation for
ocean science have taken place during an era
when, since 1982, federal funding for basic
ocean research has remained virtually constant,
even as the total investment in basic research in
the U.S. has doubled. As a result, ocean sciences
now represent less than 4 percent of the total
federal research budget—down from 7 percent
15 years ago. It appears that there was no con-
scious decision to reduce emphasis to this
extent. Rather, it was just allowed to drift down
without objection by responsible officials. So
where do we go from here?
The 7 percent investment of 15 years ago gave
us sufficient resources to generate the outstanding
research products necessary to meet the nation's
ocean science goals of that era. The decline of
this level by one-half is simply not adequate to
support new high-quality scientific research that's
•waiting in the wings, especially in light of the
new broadening scope of applications for ocean
research that you've heard outlined here today.
Clearly, a stronger investment is needed for the
broader set of challenges before us in the next
millennium.
82 • NATIONAL OCEAN CONFERENCE
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Many of the most exciting and high-potential
research challenges have been identified in the
new report by the Ocean Studies Board of the
National Research Council, entitled Opportunities
in Ocean Sciences: Challenges on the Horizon. It's an
easy-to-read, very important document. I hope it
will serve—from our most prestigious scientific
entity, the National Academy of Sciences—as a
baseline for setting the necessary priorities for
advancing research in this area. These include
improving the health and productivity of coastal
oceans, sustaining ocean systems, predicting cli-
mate variations over the human lifetime, and
modernizing ocean observational capability.
In preparation for these kinds of endeavors,
the Congress and the administration have created
and implemented a new National Oceanographic
Partnership Program by law in 1996, which now
provides a mechanism to undertake the complex
multidisciplinary research that contributes to the
missions of nine federal agencies with ocean
responsibilities. The Partnership Program, coupled
with the many new technologies and systems
now available, gives us the means to address grand
ocean science challenges and continue to deliver
on our nation's investment.
This conference is a great opportunity to set
the foundation for renewed attention to the
oceans and an awareness that we must commit to
an aggressive and proactive science and technol-
ogy agenda. We know what we need to do. From
academia to federal agencies to state laboratories
to industry, we have the greatest scientific and
technological capability on Earth to face any
challenge. But we're mired in the status quo para-
digm and a fear of stepping out that has relegated
the oceans to the end of the soup line. It doesn't
have to be this way. It shouldn't be this way. We
need to commit a new paradigm of active part-
nership and engage the leadership at this confer-
ence for support.
Ursula M. Sexton
Ursula M. Sexton was named the National Science
Teacher of the Year for 1998 by the National Science
Teachers Association. She is based at the Green Valley
Elementary School in Danville, California, and is a
national leader in efforts to use ocean research and
exploration to stimulate student interest in the sciences.
It is indeed an honor to represent educators
among such distinguished panelists and guests.
Thank you for the opportunity.
The eve of the new millennium and this
forum give us an opportunity to reflect upon the
crucial role educators play in our society. The
young children we teach today will fulfill inven-
tions and jobs that have yet to become reality in
our own minds.
In the next decade, there will be a need for
nearly two million new teachers for a growing
nation. Our challenge as science educators, from
kindergarten through college, is to be practition-
ers of facilitation and to have a working under-
standing of new technologies and their world
applications.We need to work with the concep-
tual, in-depth, cohesive, up-to-date, developmen-
tal, and meaningful curriculum that utilizes the
real world as its stage.
Our challenge for our society is to facilitate
the involvement and understanding of the nature
of science by a majority of our adult population.
As children, we come already engaged and invig-
orated and involved, with innate curiosity about
the world around us. Later on, when students ask
what is, how something is, how it works, and
why it is the way it is, they're exemplifying the
simplicity of science.
In Einstein's view, the job as a scientist is
nothing more than the systematic refinement
of everyday thinking. However, within our
approaches to curriculum and in our education
history, we have affected the attitude toward sci-
ence by allowing our society, including teachers,
to think of science as a complex set of facts and
formulas, an unattainable subject, or one reserved
for a select few.
To embrace a new view of science and make
it meaningful, we also need a scientifically literate
teacher population who can understand the
interdisciplinary nature of our oceans. Science
needs to be the fourth "R" of instruction, with
equal time, support, skill level, and accountability
as the other subjects.
The national and state standards also need to
include more marine education. The expertise,
respect, and collaboration of educators, scientists,
and the policy-making body that ultimately
decides what our children should learn must be
reflected in the yielding documents. In order to
accomplish these goals, it's imperative that we
focus on providing multiple professional develop-
ment models and opportunities and to make
them widely accessible to new and current teach-
ers.
I urge you to consider the following ideas:
II Provide more access to real science applica-
tions for educators, students, and parents, using
existing national and local human resources,
facilities, technologies, and programs, such as
the Virtual Canyon Project or Jason Project.
II Develop ongoing and permanent teacher-
scientist partnerships, both on site and on line.
Some of the greatest professional exchanges
Ocean Exploration, Education, and Research • 83
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I've encountered were while working with
scientists in teaching and curriculum develop-
ment cadres, visiting national laboratories, film
projects, behind-the-scenes research and devel-
opment institutions, and working on on-line
access and having some support through the
Internet. These opportunities need to be
extended to elementary and middle school
teachers who are building the foundation. Tra-
ditionally, they've only been available to high
school teachers. During the 1998 National
Science Teachers Association convention, Dr.
Pefia, the retiring Secretary of Energy, empha-
sized the need to start earlier than twelfth
grade to do outreach and motivate students to
enter the science field. Likewise, good role
Children are like a
savings account: small
amounts of money
early on compound.
The nation's future
explorers, educators,
and researchers are
now at the K-through-
12 level, where an
interest in science is
first developed.
Photo: California Science
Center
models and inspiration at an early age will
carry them throughout their lives. The next
decade of teachers will come from the popu-
lation of students who are presently culminat-
ing the sixth through sixteenth grades.
Recognize, support, and endorse professional
development networks and effective systems
reform at all levels. Teachers need to build
leadership, science concepts, integration, peda-
gogy, and to have a positive attitude toward
science and mathematics with a supportive
network. Some exemplary ones are the Cali-
fornia Systemic Initiatives, Urban Systemic
Initiative, and the Bay Area Earth Science
Institute.
Support and provide service learning opportu-
nities in marine school-to-work programs,
innovating and involving communities and link-
ing academics to real life, such as the Marine
Advanced Technology Education, the San Fran-
cisco Estuary, and Adopt-a-Creek projects.
• We must also increase and motivate corporate
sponsorship to supplement NSF, Eisenhower,
and district funds for all teachers to participate
in different models of professional develop-
ment at national and state conferences,
through case studies, and teacher action col-
laborative research.
• Ensure funding and resources for telecommu-
nication technologies to exist as successful
reproducible programs across the nation.
• Emphasize and maintain the need to provide
inquiry-driven, meaningful hands-on educa-
tion programs and curriculums that allow
students to do the thinking, matched to
assessment tools that adequately reflect stu-
dents' understanding, bridging the gap
between instructional practices and methods
of assessment, such as the standard-based test
developed by the California Systemic Initia-
tive Assessment Collaborative, with over
50,000 students participating this spring in
five states and Puerto Rico.
After all, our dearest hope is for all of our stu-
dents to grow, to continue to be challenged, to
question, and to find new paths in the vast space
of possibilities to pursue their dreams, to harness
each moment, and to put to use the best of their
abilities for the benefit of humanity, the environ-
ment, knowledge, and life. Thro ugh our actions,
we become examples. Together, we are building
our future. Our children not only deserve—but
need us to invest—the best of our abilities to
facilitate their active part in the decision making
and problem solving of today and of the future.
Through power and knowledge, insight and
discovery, and wisdom and cooperation, the
ocean can be the medium that reaches many of
these goals. We all share our interdependence on
the oceans, and we experience and appreciate its
beauty, its vastness, its resources, and its diversity
of life. It has relevance to our everyday lives and
awakens the wonder in each one of us.
Comments from the Audience
Brian Baird
I'm Brian Baird, the ocean program manager
for the state of California. I think we have an
unprecedented opportunity here to talk to the
Vice President and the President. I agree with
what Dr. Earle said, and also Admiral Watkins, on
the need for strategy. JFK [John Fitzgerald
Kennedy] said we needed to put a man on the
moon. I think we need to have a mantra, a strat-
84 • NATIONAL OCEAN CONFERENCE
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egy.We need to put people on the bottom of
Mariana's Trench, or elsewhere, so we can study
these oceans.
I have two fundamental points that I'd like to
put to the panel:
• I think we need to leave here today with a call
to the President and the Vice President for
development of a national research plan with a
set percentage of the national research budget
for the oceans. I think we need to have some
kind of punch to come out of this conference.
• Also, you're hearing from all the other forums
about the need for applied research for fish-
eries, for habitat management, for water qual-
ity, and for shoreline processes. Let's not forget,
those of us who are on the ground trying to
manage fisheries, manage water quality, man-
age ocean processes, and so forth need this
kind of applied research so we can be out
there and doing the real research.
We have panelists with a lot of academic
expertise here. I want to be sure we don't lose
that on-the-ground emphasis. I hope we see
those two points emerge in the summary that
goes to the Vice President this afternoon.
Admiral James D. Watkins
One of the things we don't do well in this
country is to ask the users of scientific informa-
tion to put demands on the researchers. It's one
of the sad things, because we get into aVannevar
Bush mentality that was very good in the days
when curiosity was what researchers were inter-
ested in addressing.
"We have desperate human needs here that
have to be met. If the communities across the
country, the states, would levy demands on us—
let's take just the El Nino event alone—to know
things earlier and better on human health projec-
tions and coastal hazard mitigation, financiers for
coastal development and insurers could make
demands on us.
How heavy a pressure can you bring on your
constituents in state and national governments to
get going on a research strategy that builds us
back up to where we ought to be—about a bil-
lion dollars a year instead of half a billion? In a
$16 billion basic research budget for the federal
government, we're at a half a billion for oceans.
It's wrong. You have to put demands through the
proper people to get these budgets back up over a
five- to seven-year period. It can be done, and
with the kinds of things going on in this nation
today economically, there's no reason not to do it.
Let me flip it back to the users of science and
technology to start levying demands on the
researchers. "We need this information. Go get it
faster and better." That way, the researchers will
respond. They know how to do that.
We need help from the people on the ground,
as you talked about, to put heavy pressure. Tell
your representatives what you really have to
know and why they have to work harder in
Congress to get the monies.
Dr. Sylvia A. Earle
Just a quick comment to endorse the plea for
getting people under water as well as all of our
instruments. There's no substitute for being
there. With all due respect to the great sensors
and monitors that can do what we can't do,
there's still a place for the human presence. I'm
one of the lucky ducks who have had the fun of
using the underwater equivalent of the space
station, the Aquarius, and plan to go back again
this summer.
But who knows about Aquarius'? It's only
funded at the level of a million dollars a year
out of a budget for the entire National Under-
water Research Program, which embraces the
unmanned as well as the manned technologies.
It's a $12, $13, $14 million-a-year program.
That's little "M," million dollars a year, for six
regional laboratories. And it is really a part of
the problem. It's also a real part of the solution.
The new little subs that are on display at the
Monterey Aquarium we'll be employing, I hope,
in the next few years to help get us down to
where the action is.
Fred McLaren
I'm Fred McLaren, president of The Explorers
Club. The Cold War is over, and one of the things
I think we're all going to have to be is more
imaginative and entrepreneurial as far as using
this past Cold War technology. There's a lot of
interesting opportunities opening up, and I want
to give you one example.
A year from August, Don Walsh, whom
Sylvia mentioned, and I and several others are
taking the Russian Mir submersibles on a
nuclear ice breaker to the North Pole and div-
ing into the North Pole in August. En route on
the way back, we'll be looking for thermal
vents on the Manson Cordillera. We're doing
this commercially, •with private funding, using
former Cold War technology available from
Russia and ourselves.
At the same time, we're losing assets from this
Cold War dividend that concern me very much.
We've mentioned Sea C/J/f already. We're about to
lose the last of the Sturgeon class nuclear attack
Ocean Exploration, Education, and Research • 85
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submarines, the only true Arctic submarine that
can get in and operate anyplace in the Arctic,
including shallow water. No submarine has ever
been used in southern oceans to learn what we
can there for global change research.
time just being transported from wherever they
live to an ocean environment. Because I think,
for so many of us here, the way we got hooked is
we •went and we heard it and we saw it. I'd like
to just pose that to the panel.
There is no substitute
for being in, on, or
under the water. The
importance of field
work in marine
science and of getting
students and teachers
outdoors cannot be
underestimated.
John Carlstroem
My name is John Carlstroem. I'm with
Yosemite National Institutes. We're a private,
nonprofit, residential, experiential, educational
organization. We take students and adults into
national parks. Two of our campuses are in
national marine sanctuaries—one in the Golden
Gate National Recreation Area in Marin
Headlands, and the other one in Olympic
National Park on the Peninsula.
I'm a big fan of Internet science. I was a fifth-
grade science teacher for quite some time and
used it a lot. But in my work, what I've come to
realize, is that—as you said, Dr. Earle—there's no
exception, there's nothing more exceptional, than
being there. We've found that with students. I
want to make sure that the idea that field work in
marine science is as truly important as work
within technology and using as many tools as we
can to get students involved over multimedia
ways is augmented by getting them outdoors and
getting them down into tide pools.
I want to know how we can do that as more
and more of our students are having a difficult
Ursula M. Sexton
That's one of my pleas—to have perhaps cor-
porate sponsorships to be able to go beyond the
limited funding that's already available to be able
to make it accessible for all students. Keep it up.
Keep sending the monies.
Dr. Robert Gagosian
I think, clearly, one way that you've already
mentioned is the Web. We're in the process of
putting together a program where children can
actually hear from the captains on the ships and
then talk with the pilots in Alvin as to what
they're seeing. There's been a lot of support for
this. I think having children actually observe with
the scientists themselves is going to have an enor-
mous effect on the future.
Dr. Sylvia A. Earle
One picture is worth a thousand words, but
one experience is worth a thousand pictures. This
concept of going out and getting our feet wet
86 • NATIONAL OCEAN CONFERENCE
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and taking a kid along—or taking 10 or 20—is
one of the best things we can do to help turn
things around about our attitude concerning not
only the oceans, but all of nature.
Peter Green
I'm the mayor pro tern of the City of
Huntington Beach in Southern California. We
have nine miles of beach and two wetlands, and
we're on the Santa Ana River floodplain.
I'd like to turn to Mr. Washington for a ques-
tion. Last August, some of us visited your Web
site, and we saw El Nino as a possibility. In our
city, we appropriated emergency appropriations
to clean up all of our flood-control channels, to
buy sandbag-filling machines, and have volunteers
bring in the sandbags to senior citizens. We
bought emergency pumps for flood control. As a
result, the property damage was minimal, and no
lives were lost. We appreciate the knowledge that
you disseminated.
However, during the fall of the year, we were
ridiculed. They said "El No-Show," or El Nino
has become "ElViejo"—the child has become
the old man. But once it came along, we saw
your Web site and took appropriate action.
I don't think there's enough communication
between the people on the panel and the local
elected officials, regarding very practical knowl-
edge of what they need to do because of weather
conditions. Can you help us with that?
Dr. Warren M. Washington
You bring up a very important point, and I
believe that the research community needs to be
able to communicate better. There are a lot of
very useful things that are coming out. For exam-
ple, the capability of predicting El Nino and its
impacts on various parts of the climate system.
In the area of climate prediction, however,
there are limits. Even if we had perfect models,
perfect data, they aren't going to be able to say
it's going to start raining in Huntington Beach
on a certain day. All that we're essentially capable
of doing at this point is to give you better infor-
mation so that you can plan better. But we prob-
ably won't be able to pinpoint exactly when
some unusual sort of weather event •will happen.
Susan Hansch
I'm deputy director of the California Coastal
Commission, and I'm here today representing a
very good partnership of the academic commu-
nity in this area, the private industry. What we'd
like to propose for you is Sea Camp Monterey
Bay as a site for a national association for sea
camps, residential camps. We have all the universi-
ties in this entire area. We're hoping to get Dr.
Earle there the first summer of the year 2000. We
have lots of information. It brings together all the
themes that all of you •were bringing up today:
science, education, partnership, commerce, tech-
nology, training the scientists for tomorrow, train-
ing the teachers for tomorrow, and bringing
families together so we have a multigenerational
approach to science training.
Dr. Sylvia A. Earle
You're on.
Bonnie MacGregor
I'm Bonnie MacGregor. I'm with the U.S.
Geological Survey, and I have two challenges for
the panel.
We started off this morning with Katie
McGinty's challenge to us about integrating sci-
ence. I've always felt we, as oceanographers, have
a true advantage, because we share the same field
vehicles. We go out and we look at processes as
geologists and as oceanographers—physical
oceanographers or chemical oceanographers or
biologists. I don't think we're utilizing that field
vehicle of bringing our disciplines together. True
integrated science is looking at the boundaries,
the interfaces.
We heard about the interface of energy
between the oceans and the atmosphere. There's
an interface of the oceans with the ocean floor.
We heard a little bit about the vents and what
that means, but there's a whole record in the
ocean floor. We talk about cholera and water-
borne diseases. Those things are recorded in
those ocean sediments. We can go back and
look in estuaries for the past record of those
sorts of events.
There are also the challenges we heard of the
interface of the oceans and the land surface—
•whether it's nutrients for the dead zone, or
whether it's El Nino or coastal erosion. All of
those processes take place. It's not just doing
global observing systems to look at parameters.
It's looking at the processes that occur at that
interface. That, I think, is the challenge for the
ocean community. Let's bring the disciplines
together, use them, and create really robust mod-
els of what's happening at the interface.
My second challenge goes back to the com-
ment that the mayor made. As scientists, •we're
not using the socioeconomic capabilities of the
research community. If we're going to communi-
cate El Nino to users of our information, we
Ocean Exploration, Education, and Research • 87
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-.-'-figntjica'tiily to "'.
human progress.
- WTltomas Mitchell
have to understand how to communicate risk
and how to communicate probability.
Ants Leetmaa from NOAA led us in trying to
understand what El Nino meant to all of us as
federal agencies, as state and local people. But
when one communicates information, there's a
probability factor. We're not real good at how you
make the average person understand there's a 50
percent probability of an earthquake or an El
Nino. What does that mean to me on the ground
as a citizen?
Dr. Robert Gagosian
Let me address the first question. The issue of
observatories is to actually go out and under-
stand processes, and that's the whole point. Right
now, the problem, as you know, is whether it's a
seafloor observatory or observatories in the mid-
waters of the surface of the ocean or in the
atmosphere, we end up going out and getting
some data in one place at one time and sort of
try to understand a process over time. And the
influence horizontally and vertically is really not
there. That's really what I was mentioning and
pushing for with respect to observatories.
The second issue is a cultural issue in scien-
tists' getting involved in this. It certainly has been
with me. The 1970s and 1980s were pretty good.
We had 10 percent increases every year, and we
had to worry about how to spend the money.
Then the wall came down, and we won the war,
and everything changed. National security
changed from just defense being the component
to economic security, environmental security, and
educational security as being partners in that. My
sense is that we're just beginning to get into
that, and that's really where the exciting oppor-
tunities lie.
Dr. Rita R. Colwell
I'd like to say that one of the very useful
aspects of biological oceanographers has been
that they save everything. We've been able to go
back to the collections of plankton and the data
from the '80s, the '90s, and the present, to be able
to very excitingly put together the pattern of
human diseases that are associated with climate
events. The aspect of climate and health is turn-
ing out to be extraordinarily interesting.
I think, Bonnie, you've brought up some very
important points—to maintain databases and to
have them available. I'd like to make another
point. The basic and applied research discussion
has really become a little bit outmoded, because
research findings are moving so quickly into
application that it's very hard to discern what is
applied and what is basic. I think we need to
focus on research and focus on making the infor-
mation available as soon as possible.
The Honorable Katie McGinty
Both of your points were really well taken,
and I thank you for them. I want to start with
the second, if I might.
To underscore and reinforce what you're say-
ing, from a policy point of view, we depend so
much on a crisp and clear-as-possible articulation
of what the state of the science is and what we
do and don't know. I appreciate that that is some-
times a challenge for scientists, because we in the
political and policy realm look for perhaps
clearer, more definitive statements than you're in
a position to be able to make.
I think one success story in that regard has
been on the issue of climate change—the coming
together of the Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change succinctly summarizing in very
clear terms, "Here's what we know, here's what
we don't know, and here are the things we don't
quite understand yet." That clarity has been
tremendously important to us.
On your first point, I wanted to turn to one
of my panel members here, Dr. Colwell. When I
was on the Hill, we would put together various
hearings. We quickly moved away from the tradi-
tional hearing format because we came to realize
that it was very artificial to have one presenter,
one series of questions. So we moved instead to
round-table discussions. One of the things that
was most compelling in those discussions was that
no matter what the scientific question we were
pursuing, various disciplines had an angle and an
insight on that issue. But those various disciplines
almost never had been brought together around
that same table for a discussion.
As we reflected on that, some of the scientists
commented, "But the reward structure just isn't
there for those who are in the business of synthe-
sizing," or "The opportunity isn't there to take
time from pushing the envelope in the frontier
on your particular discipline to looking across the
disciplines." I just wonder, as you're putting your
NSF hat on, if maybe some reflection could be
given to support for that kind of interdisciplinary
work and those who want not necessarily to pur-
sue one discipline, but maybe to synthesize the
disciplines that are there.
Dr. Rita R. Colwell
The challenge, I think, is going to be to foster
and nurture interfacial science, interdisciplinary •
science, but at the same time maintaining our
88 • NATIONAL OCEAN CONFERENCE
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leadership and strength in the basic disciplines. I
think this is, going to be very critical in the years
ahead.
There's no doubt that the excitement is coming
between bioengineering, biology, and engineering;
between oceanography, biology, atmospheric sci-
ences, etc. That is where we have the capacity,
because of the developments in computer science
and information science, to bring diose together
and to share the data not only among die disci-
plines, but internationally. That's another point I'd
like to emphasize—die need to make sure that we
have international cooperation in these major
global questions.
Ursula M. Sexton
I wholeheartedly agree with the need to dis-
seminate the information, especially to make it
trickle down to the teaching profession and in
the classrooms as well. There has to be some kind
of structure to be able to facilitate that. And I
really encourage all scientists to get involved in
the process of standards development, as well as
curriculum development, because without your
help it just doesn't get taught in the classroom.
I think that also for the dissemination aspect
of it, maybe perhaps even our children will be
the ambassadors of that by the use of telecommu-
nications and having them use real-time data, as
well and collect and exchange data across schools
and build databases, such as Adopt-a-Creek pro-
jects in the Bay Area, and then, finally, merge to
the San Francisco Estuary Project. Even in that
model, the children would be able to emulate ,
what the real scientists do in the real world. So
there are possibilities there as well.
Admiral James D. Watkins
Bonnie MacGregor brought up one thing we
haven't addressed direcdy, and that's how to com-
municate risk.
Let me give you an example. It deals with
an illiterate society in science and math. The
nation has a serious problem there. Unless we
deal with it in the long range, we're never going
to get there from here. "We spilled 20,000 gallons
of tritium-containing fluid at Savannah River in
a reactor. It goes into the river, and the press says,
"This is five times the EPA [Environmental
Protection Agency] standard."
Well, what's the EPA standard? Well, it's 60,000
picocuries per liter. But who knows what a pico
is? Who knows what a curie is? And who knows
•what a liter is? That wasn't even the standard. The
standard was you had to consume two liters of
that every day for 365 days a year to get a dose
equivalent of one ski trip to Aspen. Now, that
was the real risk. The risk to the politicians was
tether your elephants, bamboo your huts, close
out the oyster beds, and everything else.
How do you communicate risk? For example,
if we decide to put more money into one form
of medical remediation, have we compared that
with the need, say, for breast cancer research? No.
So we don't even compare risks.
How do you communicate to the public? You
start with the next generation and hopefully start
today •with science education, with preschool, K
to 12. Teach fundamentals in what is going on in
the life around us. But that's the long-range fix. I
don't know how to communicate it in die near
term.
"Ibny Fowler
I'm Tony Fowler, with the U.S. Department of
Education. I'd like to thank Ms. Sexton for her
presentation. But I'd like the rest of the panel to
address the idea of the future scientist.
As you're well aware, there have been discus-
sions on Capitol Hill about raising immigration
levels so that we can, in essence, import scientists,
because we're not producing enough scientists in
this country. It's my personal belief that changes
need to be made at the K-to-12 level, just like
With advanced
warning, the negative
consequences of
natural disasters can
be mitigated and their
societal benefits
maximized, making the
U.S. economy more
efficient and allowing
for better management
of marine resources.
Photo: NOAA
Ocean Exploration, Education, and Research • 89
-------
The biology of the
remote regions of
the ocean, including
these tube worms,
may provide a new
dimension to the story
of life on the Earth and
fresh clues to life on
other planets.
Photo: Woods Hole
Occanographic Institution
Ms. Sexton has been saying. I think it would be
important for the panel to discuss, for one thing,
the demand for new scientists and what the
future demand is going to be, and also the
changes that need to be made in the curriculum
in the K-to-12 level in order to produce the kind
of scientists that are going to be needed to do the
kind of work you're discussing here today.
Dr. Sylvia A. Earle
In response to this and also harking back to
something that Admiral Watkins said, in terms of
investing in the long term, when you think
about it, the people who are going to be run-
ning things 30 years from now are kids. They're
K through 12, or even younger. It's not such a
long time to wait. We think of it as a long-term
investment. But 30 years goes by pretty fast.
"We've really got to think in terms of 30 years
being like a short-term, necessary commitment.
"We've got to do it now.
Dr. Rita R. Colwell
I think that graduate education that's focused
entirely on replicating faculty needs to be really
readdressed.We need scientists and engineers and
technologists in all aspects of society, and there
are many, many jobs that they will fill.
I'd also like to see us bring our graduate stu-
dents closer to teaching in our K through 12 lev-
els. It might be very nice to have a program
whereby graduate students would get their edu-
cation tuition covered and their stipend, but they
would have an opportunity to do those 20 hours
a week not in the undergraduate laboratories, but
out in the school systems, working with the
teachers. I think this kind of bringing together
the tremendously exciting views of the graduate
students who are doing their research with the
students before they become "Joe Cool" about
science would create a combustible mixture. We
might be able to do something very exciting
through these kinds of innovations.
Dr. Neal Lane
I very much agree with Rita's comments. I'd
like to add that one of the problems we've had
for a very long time and haven't made much
progress with is that of making all this excitement
that has drawn us into science available, known,
and accessible to most people in this country.
That has something to do—a very big thing to
do—with our educational system.
90 • NATIONAL OCEAN CONFERENCE
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We've been importing scientists for a very
long time. Think what would have happened to
our nation's research capability if we hadn't been
attractive to so many bright young people from
other parts of the •world. They came here to study
because we have the greatest system of higher
education in the •world. We must ensure that we
continue to do so.
But why haven't we been able to attract in
our own country more women, more people
from minority communities—in fact, more
Americans of all walks of life and from all differ-
ent backgrounds? This isn't a new phenomenon.
We, for decades, in a real way, have been unsuc-
cessful in attracting from •within our own country
the best and the brightest—or, if you like,
enough of the best and brightest of our own
people—to work in science. The challenge is
huge, and it relates to many of the things the
panelists have already said.
We don't have much longer to address that,
because, increasingly, these young people who
were attracted to our shores to study science in
America aren't coming or are going back once
they finish their education. To the extent that
those human resources were valuable to our
enterprise—and I believe they were—we mustn't
assume that they'll continue to be there. Besides
that, we owe it to our own people to do a better
job of including them in what is arguably the
most exciting and rewarding professional career
one can imagine.
Ursula M. Sexton
I think that one of the underlying problems or
opportunities is the fact that there are several lev-
els of intervention at which we need to 'work.
When you actually get into the classroom or the
schools and you see the different levels of com-
fort at which teachers are for teaching the differ-
ent subject areas that they have, there have to be
multiple ways of approaching them. There might
be the one-on-one approach, or there might be a
collaborative team approach. It can't be just one
shoe fits all. Whatever outcome of whatever is
decided needs to be grounded all the •way down
to the local level as •well, so that it affects the
teachers and they have a say in it. That way, they
have a buy-in. Otherwise, it's not productive.
Dr. Robert Gagosian
I'd like to look at the other half of it—the first
half being the pipeline, the second half being the
money. I don't know many of my colleagues in
research institutions in this country—or for that^
matter, undergraduate schools—who have had a
problem -with the applicant pool. The problem is
the resources aren't there. There are plenty of
extremely bright people who apply for graduate
school and undergraduate school in this country
who want to get into science. But the resources
aren't there. Until we change that formula, we can
excite all the kids we •want, but they're not going
to get to be scientists, because they're not going
to be trained, because the resources aren't there.
Admiral James D. Watkins
I want to follow up on what Rita Colwell
said. We don't have a good relationship between
researchers and the teachers. That needs to be
changed.
One of the ways to do that is to think of sci-
ence education up front, along with, in this case,
say, ocean-observing systems. If we make it an
afterthought, we never get there. We've got to put
education right up there on the front burner. It
•would go something like this. In the Year of the
Ocean, there are several hundred drifter buoys
that are being put out there that will drift along
the Gulf Stream and in the equatorial latitudes,
and so forth. The data aren't only good for
researchers; they're •wonderful in the classroom
for kids to be able to plot currents, salinity, and
temperature as it moves along. If we get into this
observational system development, then in that
process, because of the Internet and the Web, we
can bring large data sets ashore. And from that,
we can make available from various centers in
this country data access for teachers at various
levels. That can be done. We haven't done it in
this country, and we need to do it.
There are ways to couple researchers and edu-
cators together through the researchers' systems
themselves. There are many universities today that
are working, say, in the Human Genome Project,
up at the University of Washington, where kids
are working alongside the scientists in gathering
the voluminous data needed to work human
genome. We need to keep pushing the researchers
and the teachers together through the same
instruments, but read out differently for different
purposes. I think this needs to be part of our
long-range goal to bring science education up in
the country.
Dr. Sylvia A. Earle
I want to endorse this concept of engaging
youngsters and everybody—to bring out the kid
in all of us—in using these techniques of actively
looking over the shoulder of people who are out
in the field or instruments that are drifting
around in the ocean.
:i>K Rita R. Cofwell
Ocean Exploration, Education, and Research • 91
-------
I also want to put in a good word for aquari-
ums as institutions that have not just the poten-
tial, but the reality, of communicating in ways
that transcend textbooks. Aquariums are a
halfway house for the ocean, in a way, both for
the fish and for us.
There are other very creative ways to get at the
education issue that we didn't have 50 or 20 or
even 10 years ago. A new era is opening, and cer-
tainly this new kind of communication, such as
the Jason Project takes advantage of, linking to
some of the institutions that are represented here,
is just one of the great tools that are now available.
Joe Clark
Joe Clark fromVideodiscovery in Seattle.
That's a company that makes multimedia prod-
ucts for science education. I've been in education
for a long, long time, and I'm interested in this.
I wanted to extend, I hope, what Dr.
Washington said about trying to teach the next
generation about working in a multidisciplinary
world. The suggestion is that we develop a
national institute for integrated learning and
research. I think that this could be really a mar-
velous thing, because teaching in a multidiscipli-
nary way in high school or in the university is
not done at this point at all.
"Vbu can get experts to collaborate on that sort
of thing much easier at a university level than you
can at the high school level. But it strikes me that
an institute that was serious about implementation
of the multidisciplinary approach of doing actual
research on what works and what doesn't—so it's
not just ad hoc in one location and not some
kind of central depository for the experience—to
collaborate that way would be a very, very useful
thing. I also think that the oceanographers have
an absolutely wonderful opportunity to take
charge of this thing in this way.
I would suggest that the institute focus on a
small thing—I don't consider oceanography
small, but it's smaller than environmental sciences
and space sciences—until we get it right, until we
get some momentum going within the institute.
And then expand it like a spiral, and start to •work
and think in a multidisciplinary way for a multi-
disciplinary world.
Peter Eisenberger
Peter Eisenberger from Lament—Doherty Earth
Observatory. I'd like to return to the comment
that Admiral Watkins made earlier. You all should
recognize that in this post— Cold War era, that a lot
of groups like this have exciting opportunities.
We're not alone. The problem is that there's a
competition for a finite amount of resources, and
in the post—Cold War era, one important compo-
nent in getting claim of that resource besides the
excitement of your •work is the social value that
you return to society for that investment.
Therefore, what Admiral Watkins was saying
earlier, how do we close the gap that exists
between what we all believe is the potential and
the fact that at this conference there are only 3
percent representing the private sector, who are
benefiting potentially from the ocean in many of
these •ways. I think it would be very useful if we
could think of a process that would bring those
communities together and accomplish what
Admiral Watkins wanted to do—that is, to find a
way to get the information transfer occurring so
that they can in turn respond and say, "This is
what we need. This is why it's important." Only
then can you really compete with the many
other exciting opportunities that exist, in their
own communities finding ways that they can
communicate to the Congress and others and the
people why an investment in them is valuable.
I'd like to turn it into a question and not a
speech. What is the process that this community
could go through that would help define in con-
crete terms and involve the statement of'who
would benefit, so that we can have a very clear
document that describes the value to society not
by ourselves, but by the people who benefit
from it?
Admiral James D. Watkins
That's an incredible question. I think what I
mentioned earlier was the need for some kind of
a strategic document that we're going to follow
here in this very complicated area of the oceans.
We don't have such a document.
If you just take the Arctic alone, there are
many people in this country who think that the
Arctic is a continent. We talk about "polar."
Because they're both cold, we say it's all the same.
Well, of course, it's not the same.
The Arctic is an incredibly valuable resource
for the world. It's the heart pump. The declassifi-
cation of data coming out of the Russian and
U.S. classification program under the Gore-
Chernomyrdin agreement has been incredible. It's
opened up our eyes as to what the gateway is as
to the cold water going south and the belt of
water coming back to the Arctic and how it dri-
ves the climate of the world. We know so little
about it.
How do we get processes like that going at all
levels that affect the entire world? One of the
things we tried to do when we established the
Partnership Act of 1996 and developed a council
92 • NATIONAL OCEAN CONFERENCE
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at the top levels of government was, for the first
time, bring people together. Nine federal agencies
who today go before 47 different committees of
the Congress, and you want to have a cohesive
ocean policy? It's impossible.
We have to change our way. That's why I
talked about the paradigm change. It's necessary
to set up a new process of doing business, not just
in the ocean area, but in all areas of science,
where you take broad cross-cutting areas, such as
the ocean, the atmosphere, and so forth—health,
for example, human health—and cut across the
agencies that work these problems. Sometimes
there are as many as 15 agencies. For example, in
climate change there are huge numbers of people
involved. States have to be involved when you
get into estuarine and coastal areas.
We're trying to set up that process now for the
first time. The nation doesn't have such a para-
digm for integrating research and development
information where we use common data. And so
in the Partnership Program, for example, one of
the elements that's been funded by the Congress
is a virtual common data center. We don't want it
in one place. We just want it coordinated—
regional, national, international information
where teachers and everybody can have access to
the same modern, up-to-date data flowing in. It
has to be peer-reviewed, quality-assured data, we
know that, so that we can use the data properly.
The process, I think, is beginning to grow. But
it needs an impulse from the output of this con-
ference to say, "Let's get on with it and work
together on this thing." In the design of the con-
gressional bill, state governments are in there.
NGOs [nongovernmental organizations] are in
there. They re all stakeholders in the game, and we
think we know how to pull that together eventu-
ally in a very complicated area that cuts across all
lines in the country and affects our daily lives.
The process needs to be set up. It's not there
today, and we won't get it until we all decide that
we can work together. The researchers themselves
have to be •willing to support other disciplines
and not run them down, which they do some-
times when they're fighting for the same research
grant dollars. The researchers themselves have to
come alive and say, "High-energy physics is okay,
even though I'm an oceanographer."We have
some major cultural changes to take place. The
answer, Peter, to your question is extremely com-
plicated. You're asking for a major cultural change
to take place, and I think we have to push it from
this conference.
The Honorable Katie McGinty
I wanted to come back to the element of your
point also, which •was about communicating in
real-world, real-life terms what the benefits are of
As institutions, aquaria
have not only the
potential, but also the
reality, of communicating
in ways that transcend
textbooks. Aquaria are
a halfway house for the
ocean, both for marine
organisms and for
humans.
Photo: Ronald Bell, U.S.
Department of Commerce
Ocean Exploration, Education, and Research • 93
-------
Estimates suggest
that 25-50 percent
of all species on
earth live in the
ocean, yet these vast
resources are largely
unexplored. Of the
ocean's potential 15
million species,
scientists have only
described 250,000.
some of the research that's being done. I have to
say, being on the front lines and fighting for a lot
of these budgets, it is essential and extraordinarily
helpful when you've got the real-world example
of what might sound to be quite abstract or quite
difficult to get your arms around. I was just
thinking, as Tom Mitchell was speaking, about
going back and talking about the excitement we
now have with "extremophiles;" I, for one, will
use the mayor's story over and over and over
again, as just the kind of example we need to
show the tremendous benefit that comes from
the labor in the laboratory that many of you
engage in. It's very, very helpful.
Dr. Neal Lane
That is a very important question, and cer-
tainly I'd like to identify myself with the excel-
lent responses already given.
There are some real dangers in this. On the
positive side, I'd like to suggest that we don't
continue to think in terms of a pie and how we
divide it up and who gets what—particularly
commenting on Admiral Watkins' warning—
because there's a tendency to hunker down
when times are tough. I think, on the whole,
during my experience in Washington, I've seen
less of that from the community than I might
have expected, given the times that •we've been
going through in terms of budgets. That has
helped us, but it's still there.
I worry about two kinds of things in approach-
ing this challenge that's been laid out to us. One
is that there is no reason why, if the case is prop-
erly made, our investment—even in tight times—
in research and development and in education
cannot be larger than it is. The problem is, there
is no simple way to explain to the public and the
policymakers just how large it ought to be. What
is it for? How does it benefit society?
In the ocean sciences we have one of the most
terrific opportunities to make that very clear,
through examples like we have just heard. One
must think boldly—not in terms of we need
more, we have to have more, we want to do more
of the same so that we can then do more of some-
thing else. That's not the argument. The argument
has to do with why this investment is so important
to people's lives that we must make a larger invest-
ment. That's the kind of argument to make.
The second piece of this that always troubles
me is when I become a part of a community
trying to grapple with a complex science/tech-
nology issue like this one, there's a tendency to
form a new thing. Government should form a
new agency or something else. Please don't do
that. Please think about all of what government
is, the way our government works, and just
come to grips with the fact that the agencies,
94 • NATIONAL OCEAN CONFERENCE
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•with all their missions, are going to have differ-
ent approaches and different priorities. And
help us see how to do a better job of coordi- ,
nating all of that on behalf of addressing the
challenges that you give us. I think if you can
help us with that, then maybe we can do a bet-
ter job inside government.
Dr. Rita R. Colwell
I'd like to be a little bit more pragmatic. I
think all of the points that have been made are
very, very important, but I'd like to get down to
what the scientists can do right now.
I discovered by trying to bring together
oceanographers, meteorologists, ecologists, physi-
cians, clinicians, computer scientists, and micro-
biologists, they couldn't talk to each other. In
their language, literally, the terms mean different
things in different disciplines. Furthermore, it
was really incredible to try to bring meteorologi-
cal data, climatological data, oceanographic data,
and epidemiological data together so that they
could be interpreted—so that I could actually
take hospital admissions and clinical cases and tie
them to weather patterns and to the kinds of
meteorological data that are available.
This comes back to Admiral Watkins' point.
We've got to, among scientists and engineers,
figure out a way of not putting all these data in
one database, but making them accessible and
interpretable so that we can utilize this tremen-
dous information that we already have. Peter,
that's a challenge for you that you might want
to undertake.
Dr. Robert Gagosian
Peter, I •want to address the "Who cares?" part
of your question. I'd like to break it down in two
parts.
The education and the environmental part is
sometimes very hard to quantify on a short-term
basis, and I think that's part of the question that
you're getting at. It's sort of like looking at your
health insurance every year and saying, "Well,
they just raised the coronary part by 30 percent. I
wonder if I should take it next year." What we're
talking about are priorities, and we're talking
about probabilities.
On the economic side, being the second part,
I think we can do a better job. There are some
models out there that have shown how much
money can be saved with respect to agriculture
in planting in this country—when to plant and
when to bring the crops in for a number of dif-
ferent parts of the country. For instance, the
Southeast is somewhere around a quarter of a bil-
lion dollars a year. You can take the amount of
investment that one put into the TOGA [Tropical
Ocean-Global Atmosphere] TAO [Tropical
Atmosphere Ocean] Array, and take a look at
how much money the NSF and NOAA and the
Navy have put into other sensor systems that
have helped us put together the models for El
Nino. Presumably, one can match those together.
It turns out that you recover your investment in
somewhere around five to ten years, and then
every year thereafter, you're "making money."
I think that's an example of what we need to
try to help do a better job of. I'm certainly not
claiming to be an economist myself, but I think
getting together with those other disciplines and
bringing those other disciplines in to try to solve
some of these problems is the -way to go, to
quantify it.
Dr. Warren M. Washington
I was just going to add that the establishment
of the priorities is very difficult, as we all know.
The success story, I think, in terms of these
issues dealing with the environment and climate
change, is the U.S. Global Change Program. I
think it's working. It struggles because each
agency goes through various agencies. Each
agency goes through different committees in
Congress and, therefore, has lots of difficulty
coordinating with other agencies.
I do think that we need to be careful of two
aspects. One is that we have a program that is a
certain amount of top-down as well as bottom-
up, and that we have to try to find ways to main-
tain a reasonable balance, because we don't want
everything to be in the Soviet Union style, where
the big committees decide every thing. The small
science has given us tremendous breakthroughs,
and we need to still encourage that. I think sev-
eral of us who have served on the National
Science Board have found that judging multidis-
ciplinary, interdisciplinary research has always
been extremely difficult. We have to do a better
job of that in the future.
The Honorable Katie McGinty
I just wanted to go back again to the point
about the real-world benefits. I was curious and
actually wanted to ask Tom Mitchell, from an
industry point of view, your own perspective in
terms of how good—or not so good—govern-
ment is doing right now in getting the break-
throughs we come up with in our research, in
our science, in our laboratories out to the private
sector so the private sector can turn them into
real success stories.
Ocean Exploration, Education, and Research • 95
-------
Expanded
research and
exploration of
the oceans will
bring better
understanding
of our planet
and the
intricate
interweaving of
biological
diversity with
climate, weather
patterns, and,
ultimately,
human health.
This photo
shows the
deployment of
the remotely
operated vehicle
Jason, operated
by Woods Hole
Oceanographic
Institution.
Photo: Robert
Bollard, Woods
Hole
Occonogrophfc
Institution
W. Thomas Mitchell
I don't know exactly "where the problem is,
but I can tell you that it's not a very efficient
process. In fact, speaking from a middle-sized
company, we find that dealing with the federal
government is more challenging than dealing
with regular customers. The government is arbi-
trary, and there are as many agencies as there are
customers in the U.S., so that's a difficult problem
for us. For large companies, the Fortune 500,
maybe that's not so much a problem, because
they have large government relations departments
to make that connect. For what I think is the key
to America's success, which is the small- and
medium-sized companies, we just have a hard
time doing that. We wind up with one agency or
two agencies, and we don't know the rest of
them exist. It's just hard to figure that out.
Kym Murphy
My name is Kym Murphy, and I'm with the
Walt Disney Company, a small 501(c)(3). First, I'd
like to compliment whoever put the panel
together—especially having Ursula on it—
because this is so refreshing coming at these
problems from an educational perspective.
I sit on the Climate Change Subcommittee,
and I listen to days and days of dialogue of scien-
tists talking to industry. Public education is virtu-
ally just an afterthought, and children are never
mentioned at all. Our company has tried to work
with government agencies and create partner-
ships, and so forth, which we have.
One of the points I'd make is that children are
like a savings account. Small amounts of money
early on compound. And it really becomes star-
ding what can occur when you take children
seriously. I think that's maybe one of the most
important things that we need to concentrate on.
Certainly science and technology are critical.
Just to second Tom's comment, we have a pro-
gram called the Environmentally Challenged,
which is for fifth graders in Florida and
California. It took two and a half years just to get
the state agencies involved. I thought they all
talked with one another and dealt with one
another, but they didn't. They didn't even know
each other in many instances. I think that's a
problem for corporate America trying to get in
there and be partners, just because the dialogue
and the culture and the competition between
agencies—state and federal—make it difficult.
There are companies out there who are willing
to help and to get involved creatively. So I think
this is wonderful. It's entirely different from any
of die meetings I've attended previously. So con-
gratulations!
Ursula M. Sexton
If I might catch a litde bit of your idea on
investment and keeping track also of your
accounts and thinking of teachers and the differ-
ent levels of expertise or the investment that we
need to make in them.
We can't quite afford to wait until the fourth
graders who perform above average get to be the
next te'achers.We need to work with the ones
who are presendy working. We keep going at the
idea of where is this gap, how do we build the
scientists and explorers of the future. We need to
work with the present population. Otherwise,
•we're just going to have the cumulative effect of
scientific illiteracy passed on just because "I didn't
feel comfortable enough to choose science."
What right do we have to take away that
learning from our students? We need to work
with the present population and make it cumula-
tive. As I've said, sixth graders through sixteenth
graders will be the next decade of teaching pop-
ulation. We need to work with them now—the
current as well as the ones to come.
96 • NATIONAL OCEAN CONFERENCE
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Kym Murphy
The kids and the grammar school teachers are
the ones who recognize this more than most
folks. When we get into a room like this and we,
talk tech talk, it's kind of overwhelming—espe-
cially for the CEO of a company—to try to get
into all this new language. But children are the
language learners. It doesn't intimidate them at
all. They're also the adventurers. Their imagina- .
tions are just going a mile a minute. So they're
not jaded and cynical and pessimistic—they're
ready to go. There's this great resource, and we
just sort of say, "Oh, isn't that sweet." We really
need to go after it in a big way.
Ursula M. Sexton
We do need to capture the momentum.
W. Thomas Mitchell
I'd just like to make a comment, too, on the
education. From the private industry standpoint,
our view of our responsibility is changing—and
changing rapidly. As a representative of the high-
tech industry, we used to believe that our respon-
sibility was to provide post-docs and fellowships
and outreach programs to college-level people.
But recently, and especially in our company,
we've realized that you have to start at the K-
through-12 level, because that's where you get
the children interested. And there's nothing like
your own children to convince you of that.
When we started to look around at our scien-
tists and found out that a lot of their children
didn't really know what science was all about, we
got very active in the bring-your-child-to-work
programs and also very active •with our local high
schools because, as Dr. Earle said, a picture's
worth a thousand •words. But an experience is
worth a thousand pictures. Bringing them in to
•work and letting them •work with you for a day
or two gets kids excited, because there isn't any-
thing more exciting than science, if you know
what it's all about.
The Honorable Katie McGinty
I thought I'd just briefly be impolitic again
and introduce our friends from Walt Disney to
our friends up there who are looking for support
for a new sea camp.
Jerry Tuft
I'm Jerry Tuft, CEO ofWestlund &Tuft
Technology. I think I represent the smallest of
small companies. We're a two-man research oper-
ation, and we know a tremendous amount of
American technology and investment comes
from companies of this size.
We've developed some technology that
stretches a lot of the benefits of scientific
research, and we've been able to develop electric
mechanical power, using dipole attraction forces
out of the ocean, using the ocean temperature
differential. If this comes to fruition, it could be
replacement for all electricity in a nonpolluting
way, because there's so much electricity available
in the ocean.
As Mr. Mitchell said, we at this point, being
our size, are looking for grants or help from the
government. I've spent so much time filling out
forms, trying to prove that I'll hire disabled veter-
ans. I don't intend to hire anybody immediately.
To get small companies that have the guts and
the ideas some support to go ahead, we need to
make the application process much simpler, eas-
ier, and probably take some risks. Admiral, you
•were in the Department of Energy. What's your
feeling about how you can help a small, small
business?
Admiral James D. Watkins
I probably should refer this to Neal Lane,
who's in the business of responding to requests to
unsolicited proposals for grants to do various
kinds of work. I know it's tough and laborious to
go through, but it's a process that we have to have
in this country to compete.
I know that 53 percent or more of what
comes out of research comes from the small
entrepreneurs in this country, and has for many,
many years. When I was in the Department of
Energy, what I tried to do was engage for the
first time the small mom-and-pop drillers for gas
in the southern part of the country, for the most
part, and bring them into a world of help.
I do think that there are opportunities for the
federal government to host seminars and to pro-
vide the kind of information you need where
you can engage the small entrepreneur or
researcher to do the wonderful work that's done
in this country. I don't know what the opportu-
nities are, but I don't think you should be dis-
couraged by the fact that you have this difficulty
in a small organization to compete in the large
•world of research. There are ways to help you.
We tried it in the Department of Energy to
make sure that we were focusing on the little
entrepreneur, because they were doing, frankly,
most of the work. The big oil-and-gas people
have gone overseas, because of the complexity of
the environmental impact statements and the Eke.
fin the
paradi
fear o
that
— Admiral James D.
Watkins
Ocean Exploration, Education, and Research • 97
-------
Satellites give us a
unique global view of
the sea surface,
temperatures, wind
speeds, biological
productivity, and
numerous other
factors.
Photo: NOAA
"fr /jff'.'S'-
This does expose the much larger base of small
businesses. Maybe that's something that we need
to take a special look at in the federal govern-
ment. I certainly felt it was important in the
Department of Energy.
Dr. Neal Lane
Let me mention a couple of programs, but I
think they're programs you know about.
The Small Business Innovation Research
Program is specifically aimed at small businesses,
and all agencies that have extramural R&D pro-
grams participate. By Congress, it is mandated to
be a certain percentage. I think it's now 2.5 per-
cent of the total extramural R&D budget of the
federal government.
A second program of several is the Advanced
Technology Program, which the Department of
Commerce runs. Increasingly, there is interest in
focusing that also on smaller enterprises.
Applying for these programs is torturous.
They use peer review. We've all suffered peer
review. Nobody has come up with a better
way—if we're talking about research funding—
than peer review. It just takes time. It takes time
for the person proposing the work, and it takes
an enormous amount of time for the people
evaluating it.
What we can do in the federal government is
try to make our procedures more uniform. Get
out of paper as quickly as we can and onto the
Internet, so that we can try to reduce some of
that overhead that small companies particularly
can't afford to put money into. Our researchers
and universities and laboratories also have serious
overhead problems, sometimes caused by our
own bureaucratic way of dealing with these
things in Washington.
Co-chair Summaries
Dr. Neal Lane
This was an incredibly rich discussion. This is,
•without doubt, the most exciting time for all
facets of learning about and exploring the ocean
frontiers. Let me comment on three points—and
I'll add a fourth because it's so important—that
pull together some of the challenges and oppor-
tunities.
• First, we have more powerful means of gaining
access to the oceans—and I define "access"
very broadly in this context. Observation
technologies are advancing virtually as we
speak. Submersible robots give us the ability to
explore the interior of the ocean and seafloor,
and advanced human-occupied vehicles will
also let us go where we've not gone before.
Satellites give us the unique global view of the
sea surface, temperatures, wind speeds, biologi-
cal productivity, and numerous other factors.
The advances in observational technologies
are proceeding at pace •with advances in infor-
mation technology. Supercomputers give us
the ability to develop robust and reliable mod-
els of complex ocean—atmosphere interactions
and other physical and biological processes.
Improvements in data storage and transfer sys-
tems have given us the means to develop and
manipulate terabyte-sized databases. It's a big
98 • NATIONAL OCEAN CONFERENCE
-------
challenge there. There are fundamental
research questions in information science
•we've not cracked yet that •will enable us to
access enormous amounts of data coming in at
an incredible rate in •ways that are friendly to
the researchers •who need to get at them and
to others who need to make use of the data
for other means. The Internet and the World
Wide Web have made these advances -widely
available to researchers and to students and
classrooms at all educational levels. But we
have a long way to go.
This improved access leads directly to a second
thematic thread that I'd like to mention. We're
still exploring. We must continue to explore.
But our explorations have taken on a new
dimension. We're no longer restricted to
exploring in the spatial sense—meaning going
to new places and finding new things. That
remains important, but we can now also
embark on explorations that include the time
dimension as •well.
Recent developments and discoveries show :
how dynamic the planet is. All aspects of the
systems are under constant change on all kinds
of time scales, and we have to understand
those. Hydrothermal ecosystems get wiped out
and then return in a matter of months. Other
systems—from fish stocks to weather patterns
to parasitic outbreaks—fluctuate wildly over
seasons and sometimes years and decades for
reasons we don't yet fully understand. All of
this places priority on obtaining long-term
observations that probe the temporal varia-
tions we see and a whole host of physical, bio-
logical, and chemical processes.
A third theme that emerged from our discus-
sion was that of partnerships. All of the
advances and breakthroughs we've discussed
emerged from cooperative arrangements of
one form or another—interagency, intergov-
ernmental, intersectoral, and so forth. Many of
these include an international dimension.
Increasingly so it has been emphasized, our
international activities, collaborations, and
agreements are going to be important in this
field. Suffice it to say, these partnerships come
in many shapes and sizes and are very impor-
tant to our efforts.
Finally, I want to add the fourth theme, and
that's educating our children, as well as public
outreach. We tended to focus on our chil-
dren—children from all backgrounds, all parts
of the country, all cultures. Ocean science is an
extraordinary way to reach these curious and
capable minds.
To recap, •while it's impossible to capture all of
the issues and opportunities we covered in just a
few sentences here, these themes—access, explor-
ing in time, partnerships, and education—res-
onated throughout much of our discussion. I've
found in every forum like this I go to, education
ends up taking a much larger fraction of the dis-
cussion time—appropriately so—than we might
have thought •walking into the room. It's clearly
not only a major challenge, but a very important
one for our country.
Though there's little doubt that exploration,
education, and research—the general words that
capture all of what we're about today here in this
session in ocean sciences—will provide us and
our children and our grandchildren with the eco-
nomic benefits that result from sustainable fish-
eries and biotechnological developments, with
security of a known and predictable environmen-
tal system, and improved education in all of the
natural sciences at all levels and to all children in
our society.
New technologies—particularly information
technology I mentioned earlier—provide us with
a mechanism to reach all children. But it has
been emphasized here that there is no substitute
for hands-on, being-there research experiences. It
takes both approaches. They have to be viewed as
complementary to one another. It should be clear
to everyone that there's a very bright future for
ocean sciences in the next decade.
The Honorable Katie McGinty
I'd just add two ideas. One is the as-applied
benefits—the real-world kinds of fruits that we
see from the research and the exploration that we
have under way, and the investments we're mak-
ing. Whether it's industrial and commercial in the
biotechnology sector—or the other kinds of com-
mercial applications we've talked about or could
think about—or •when it com.es to preparing our
communities, as the mayor spoke about. Real-
world, real-time benefits, as applied benefits from
the research and the exploration that's being done.
Second, something I've found quite refreshing
and didn't necessarily expect coming into this
discussion, is that I think it led all of us—no mat-
ter what institutional hat we wear—to do a little
bit of introspection and to recognize that there
are barriers we're part of putting up that have
broken down communication, that haven't been
very helpful to facilitating interaction among us
as we've been able to have today. I've found that
to be very healthy and interesting and, hopefully,
something that can open the doors to even fur-
ther and more productive dialogue in the days
and years ahead.
Ocean Exploration, Education, and Research • 99
-------
Our
-------
Ursula Sexton
We need more teachers who are well prepared
to be able to excite and bring that wonder and
maintain it. We need to take into consideration
that lifelong learning is a journey for all
Part of the answer to this question hopefully
resides with each of us here today in the form of
one of those teachers who made a difference in .
our lives, the Mrs. Southerlands who taught us
how to read, those who simply encouraged us to
justify responses, or the professor who changed
our career path.
To do so, we need to instill the wonder and
understand that the focus of science is: "I think, I
wonder, I understand." We need to capitalize on
that to bring a new view of science to our society.
We also need to approach our goals in science
education with equal access for all and realize
that not all the children will become scientists or
researchers, but they will be part of a scientifically
literate citizenry capable of leading and collabo-
rating, making informed decisions about the
ocean, about the environment, and about their
lives—and, in turn, inspiring the next generation.
Vice President AI Gore
Thank you and thanks for what you do every
day as a great, great science teacher.
Let me ask a question of Thomas Mitchell,
who is President and CEO of Genencor
International. Mr. Mitchell, you represent the
industrial biotechnology sector, which screens
nature for useful compounds and microorgan-
isms, for example, that are found in the ocean
that can be commercially valuable enzymes, pro-
teins, and the like. I understand that you were
discussing the commercial and industrial applica-
tions found in and around those deep-sea geo-
tliermal vents that Katie McGinty was referring
to earlier. What are the challenges facing your
ability to access those vents, and how can the
government and universities work in partnership
with industry in meeting those challenges?
W. Thomas Mitchell
Well, Mr.Vice President, the challenge is one
of complexity—just the number of places in the
world and in the oceans where one can find the
kind of biodiversity that would yield the new
microorganisms to give us the new opportunities.
I think the key thing for us is to forge coopera-
tion and partnerships among industry, govern-
ment, and academia, not only to share resources
but to share data, because the information that
we gather might be of more interest to govern-
ment or academia or vice versa. It's not only a
sharing of the costs and the logistics of making
that kind of an exploration, but also the data.
Vice President AI Gore
Okay. Very good.
As more and more
people move to coastal
communities, our
ocean resources face
myriad and growing
stresses. Ocean
education plays an
essential, vital role in
preparing us and our
children for informed
policymaking and for
life in a technologically
advanced society.
Ocean Exploration, Education, and Research • 101
-------
vvW****"*..'!
-------
We must balance the economic
growth that comes from our
seas with the protection and
preservation of the fragile and
unique ecosystems that thrive
in them.
PANEL CO-CHAIRS
THE HONORABLE BRUCE BABBITT
Secretary, U.S. Department of the Interior
FREDHANSEN
Deputy Administrator, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
PANELISTS
CAPTAIN BILL AMARU
Commercial Fisherman
Member, New England Fishery Management Council
DR. DANIEL BADEN
Director, NIEHS Marine and Freshwater Biomedical Sciences Center
Professor of Marine Biology and Fisheries, University of Miami
BILLY D. CAUSEY
Superintendent, Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary
SARAH CHASIS
Senior Attorney, Natural Resources Defense Council
ALLEN GARCIA
Farmer Director, Center for Sustainable Agriculture
DR. JANE LUBCHENCO
.Wayne and Gladys Valley Professor of Marine Biology
Distinguished Professor of Zoology, Oregon State University
LARRY MERCUllEFF
Coordinator, Bering Sea Coalition
THE HONORABLE LEON PANETTA
Former Director, Office of Management and Budget
Former Congressman
Former Chief of Staff, President William Jefferson Clinton
Consultant
FACILITATOR
DEBRA NUDELMAN
PHOTO: S.C. DELANEY, U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
-------
Ocean
Environment
and Health
In 1995, the U.S. fishing
industry added more
than $20 billion to the
economy, and coastal
tourism generated more
than $54 billion. One out
of every six jobs is
linked in some fashion
to our oceans—in
tourism, fishing,
shipping, research, and
other sectors. These
revenues and jobs
depend on a healthy
marine environment
Panel Co-chair Introductory Remarks
The Honorable Bruce Babbitt
Secretory of the Interior
Good morning. I suspect I reflect the feelings of many of you here today
that we are at the threshold of an historic opportunity. President Clinton and
Vice President Gore—together with Sam Farr, the Navy, and the Commerce
Department—have brought us together and are providing an opportunity to
begin to write a new chapter in the history of marine resources and conser-
vation on our planet.
I think we all understand, and the world increasingly understands, that the
ocean commons is now being pressed to its limits. It's a difficult concept
because for centuries, cultures around this world have viewed the ocean as a
commons without limit, available for use without restraint. Worldwide, we
now see the warning flags of collapse and decline of this resource.
We've been through this before, and I would offer just a brief analogy. In
the 19th century, as we moved west in this country, we viewed the great
western lands beyond the Mississippi—the American land commons—as a
limitless resource. We moved west and began to utilize the terrestrial com-
mons with an attitude very similar to the perception of oceans today. That is,
that we can move out across this land; it will yield its bounty without limit;
it will sustain any level of abuse.
Beginning in the late 19th century we began to see limits. And for the last
century, we have been struggling to build institutions to manage the terres-
trial commons. Frankly, we've not done a very adequate job, because we've
always been behind the curve, putting together piecemeal responses to spe-
cific crises, and evolving a jumbled set of institutions that lack overall coher-
ence. It seems to me our challenge is to learn from this century of history
with the terrestrial commons and, at the beginning of our effort in a serious,
sustained way with the ocean commons, to say this time we can do better.
This time we can anticipate. We can understand the urgent need for compre-
hensive, broad, imaginative solutions; intensive use of science; recognition of
those limits; and the need for a comprehensive plan for management. That is
our task, because we today are present at the beginning—present, if you will,
at something that we can look back upon and say it began there.
104 • NATIONAL OCEAN CONFERENCE
-------
Fred Hansen
Deputy Administrator
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Welcome. Our purpose here today is to be
able to hear from a very distinguished group of
panelists. And although their charge may well be
to be brilliant, let me assure you that they are, in
their own right, brilliant. What we're looking for
is to be able to hear not only from the panel as a
way to stimulate discussion, but to be able to
then hear from all of you about what we should
be recommending to the Vice President and the
President in terms of the what this group thinks
we need to do more of, differently, or fundamen-
tally continuing on the course.
We've made great strides in addressing envi-
ronmental issues.Yet we've found that over 40
percent of the coastal waters and estuaries that
are surveyed don't meet water quality standards.
And over the last decade, almost 19,000 of our
beaches have been closed because of health advi-
sories. This is simply not acceptable.
Scientists, by and large, have linked excess
phosphorus and nitrogen to last summer's out-
break of Pfiesteria, a toxic microorganism that
killed fish in Maryland, Virginia, and North
Carolina. We've noticed that these outbreaks,
needless to say, are occurring more and more. We
cannot, as a nation, afford this.
In 1995, the U.S. fishing industry added more
than $20 billion to the economy, and coastal
tourism generated more than $54 billion. One
out of every six jobs is linked in some fashion to
our oceans—in tourism, fishing, shipping,
research, and other sectors.
President Clinton is taking action to clean up
the nation's waters. In February, he and the Vice
President announced the Clean Water Action
Plan, our national blueprint to be able to deal
with environmental issues. It has over 100 specific
actions that we need to take, and we're certainly
hoping that today and through tomorrow we'll
come up with new actions—additional actions—
that we must take.
The President and Vice President have also
put their money where their mouths are. They .
have committed over $2.3 billion over five years
to be able to address these issues. Unfortunately,
as the President is moving this effort forward, the
Congress isn't stepping up to the mark. The
Senate Appropriations Committee just earlier
this week cut funding for our administration's
efforts to clean up the country's waters, as well as
address the nation's most urgent other public
health and environmental challenges. This action
by the Congress sends the wrong message to the
American people. It tells them that the American
government isn't behind public health and envi-
ronmental protections. This is not the time to let
down our guard.
This administration—the Clinton Administra-
tion—is committed to protecting all of our
ecosystems, and we must take steps to be able to
move that forward. We have moved in a number
of important ways to be able to identify better
science so that we can, in fact, test our ocean
waters and more quickly tell the American
public whether the water is safe for their con-
tact, their children's contact. In addition, we
have put in over $85 million into our national
estuary program and have made great progress
in being able to address those high national pri-
ority estuaries. Everywhere—from the Florida
Keys, San Francisco Bay, the Everglades, the
Chesapeake, and the Gulf of Mexico—more
needs to be done.
It is with great pleasure that we •will hear from
each of the panelists.
Panelists' Statements
Sarah Chasis
Sarah Chasis is an attorney with the Natural Resources
Defense Council. Throughout her career, she has been
committed to reversing the declines in fisheries and
arresting coastal habitat degradation. She has also been
a very strong supporter of the public's right to know
about beach water safety and fish contamination. It's
through her pressure on the Environmental Protection
Agency [EPA] and others that additional steps are being
taken to provide community "right-to-know" provisions.
Her expertise ranges from fisheries and coastal manage-
ment to the Coastal Zone Management Act and others.
Good morning. It's wonderful to see so many
familiar faces in the audience of people who
have worked on these issues with me for 20 and
more years.
There are a number of important steps that
have been taken in recent years to protect the
ocean environment and public health. These
include:
•I passage of the Sustainable Fisheries Act;
•I U.S. ratification of the Straddling and Highly
Migratory Fish Stocks Agreement;
•I the Clean Water Action Plan;
•I moratoria that have existed on offshore
drilling off sensitive areas;
•I the recent International Whaling Commission
expansion of whale conservation measures to
address habitat degradation and pollution;
• the interim final rule on essential fish habitat;
and
wewowjee
••
a
llapse and
3t$j3Sas»S*! «> '^SSas'K.-.'SKSS™!*
me of this
I
-The Honorable
Ocean Environment and Health • 105
-------
A network of marine
and estuarine reserves,
such as Elkhorn Slough
National Estuarine
Research Reserve
shown here, estab-
lished in every region
of the country could
protect the diversity
of ocean wildlife and
habitats unique to
North America and
serve as testing
grounds for new
sustainable manage-
ment techniques.
Photo: Ronald Bell, U.S.
Department of Commerce
• the administration's decision to appeal the
World Trade Organization panel decision
against the U.S. embargo on shrimp imports
from, countries that do not require the use of
turtle excluder devices.
These steps represent progress, but a great
deal more needs to be done. Laws need to be
implemented, treaties need to be applied, rules
need to be promulgated, and funds need to be
appropriated.
There are three areas to which we must direct
our attention as priorities: water quality, marine
fisheries, and ocean habitat. People should be able
to enjoy a swim at the beach or a day fishing with-
out worrying about whether the ocean water they
swim in is contaminated or the fish they catch is
contaminated.Yet in 1996, there were thousands of
beach closings and fish advisories because of pollu-
tion. Harvest is limited in over 30 percent of our
nation's shellfish beds, and toxic algal blooms, such
as Ppesteria, are increasing along our coasts. There is
a dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico the size of New
Jersey. The picture is not pretty.
The primary pollutants of concern are disease-
causing bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens in
poorly treated or untreated sewage and polluted
stormwater; toxic organic chemicals, metals, and
persistent pesticides in air and water emissions
and in contaminated bottom sediments; fertiliz-
ers, manure, and other nutrients in agricultural
runoff; and air emissions."We need to clean up
these sources of pollution and in the meantime
ensure that swimming waters and fish are care-
fully monitored and the public •warned when
there are pollution problems.
To accomplish these goals, we,urge the fol-
lowing:
• speedy implementation and full funding for
the President's Clean Water Action Plan;
• water-quality criteria for the nutrients nitro-
gen and phosphorus—a necessary step in
curbing the increasing problem of nutrient
enrichment of coastal and ocean waters;
• sediment-quality criteria—a necessary step in
protecting the food chain from contamination;
• national health standards for beach water qual-
ity and fish safety and for state monitoring and
public notification programs;
• strengthening of the Clean Water Act to pro-
vide enforceable tools to deal with polluted
runoff from agriculture and other activities; and
• adoption of a strong global treaty to restrict
and phase out the use of toxic chemicals, such
as DDT [Dichlorophenyl trichloroethane].
Sixty to 70 percent of the •world's marine fish-
eries are classified as either fully fished or over-
fished. To reverse this decline in global fisheries,
the U.S. needs to press other fishing nations to
ratify and regional fishing organizations to imple-
ment the UN. Agreement on Straddling and
Highly Migratory Fish Stocks. In addition, steps
need to be taken to reduce the size of the •world's
fishing fleet.
For U.S. waters, we need prompt and effective
implementation of the Magnuson—Stevens
Fishery Conservation and Management Act.
Recent problems have arisen with implementa-
tion of the overfishing and bycatch requirements
106 • NATIONAL OCEAN CONFERENCE
-------
of this act. These problems need to be satisfacto-
rily addressed if marine fish populations that are
depleted—such as red snapper, swordfish, bkck
sea bass, and the many other species that are
overfished—are to be rebuilt. :
Healthy ecosystems are the foundation of
the benefits we receive from the ocean's living
resources. Yet the U.S. protects less than 1 per-
cent of the total marine waters under its juris-
diction. To remedy this situation, we urge the
following:
• First, a network of marine reserves should be
established in every region of the United
States. These areas should be set aside as test- ,
ing grounds for new sustainable management
techniques and as refuges where the diversity
of ocean wildlife and habitats unique to North
America can be protected.
• Second, the essential fish habitat provisions of
the Magnuson—Stevens Act must be faithfully
implemented. Current pressure to weaken or
delay implementation must be resisted by the
administration and by Congress.
• Third, measures must be taken to protect
whales from noise, salt projects, and ship
strikes.
• Finally, the Oil Pollution Act must be fully
implemented, and permanent protection
should be given moratoria areas around the
country from oil drilling in order to protect
ocean habitats from oil spills and our coastal
zones.
The agenda is ambitious, but the resources and
the people depending on them demand no less.
Thank you.
Dr. Daniel Baden
Dr. Daniel Baden is a professor of marine biology and
fisheries at the University of Miami and Director of the
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences'
Marine and Freshwater Biomedical Sciences Center. His
expertise is marine toxicology.
Thank you. Human health and human disease
result from three interactive elements: environ-
mental factors, individual susceptibility, and age. I
direct one of five marine and freshwater biomed-
ical sciences centers that are sponsored by the
National Institute of Environmental Health
Sciences [NIEHS].The mission of our center and
of NIEHS is to reduce the burden of human ill-
ness and dysfunction from environmental causes
by understanding each of these elements and
how they interrelate.
All living creatures are affected by foreign sub-
stances from their environment in similar ways.
Studies utilizing animal systems provide essential
information for both animal and human episodes
of intoxication. Human environmental health
studies provide information relevant to animal
environmental health.
The ocean environment affects humans
through several routes of exposure and from
many sources, both man-made and natural. Of
the natural environmental contaminants that are
health risks, harmful algal blooms are the most
prominent. The toxic materials pro'duced by
harmful algae are environmental chemicals—
toxins that interfere with human and animal
metabolism, nerve conduction, and central ner-
vous system processing of information. The
highly toxic materials produced by harmful algal
blooms are present in our seafood, in water. And
some types can become airborne in sea spray.
Harmful algal blooms are responsible for five
different types of seafood poisoning, some which
can be lethal. North America experiences all five
types of seafood poisoning known. It has been
estimated that over half of all seafood intoxication
is the result of harmful algal bloom toxins.
• Paralytic shellfish poisoning occurs from
Alaska to Mexico and from Prince Edward
Island to Massachusetts.
• Neurotoxic shellfish poisoning is a hazard in
all coastal regions of the Gulf of Mexico and,
at times, on the Atlantic Coast as far north-
ward as the Carolinas.
• Amnesic shellfish poisoning causes human ill-
ness from "Washington State to southern Cali-
fornia and on Prince Edward Island.
• Diarrheic shellfish poisoning has been docu-
mented in Nova Scotia and may be an emerg-
ing syndrome in the United States.
• Ciguatera fish poisoning is the most common
type of seafood poisoning and occurs in virtu-
ally all tropical reef regions.
lis is not the time
zt down our
.iff T- ^
i. Everywhere—
i^""V;s/i^*,B8giwf^i,!qii»i^
rom the Florida
's, 'Sji^Francisco_
te SverglaSes,
leaRe
toj^e done- . ,,,,„.
'• Hansen
Natural toxins in
seafood, water, and
air affect human
and animal life alike.
Sentinel species like
marine mammals,
fish, and birds provide
initial indicators of
declining environ-
mental conditions.
Photo: Florida Department
of Natural Resources
Ocean Environment and Health • 107
-------
Heatthy ecosystems
enejlts we
tltStye from the
, [ >'n|' * * •* "1IIE 1!l1 '"
''uTS.protects less""
than 1 percent of
the total ntarine
waters under its
jurisdiction.
- Sarah Chasis
Airborne harmful algal blooms can produce
illness when inhaled. Respiratory distress encoun-
tered during red tides in the Gulf of Mexico is
well documented as far back as 1844, and the
mental confusion experienced by people exposed
| to Pfiesteria blooms is an environmental phenom-
* enon we are only now recognizing. Both types of
I hazard are poorly understood from a toxicology
I point of view, and there is very little quantitative
j information on how much toxin it takes to
I intoxicate, how long the toxic symptoms last, and
1 whether there are long-lasting residual effects
* from either single or multiple exposures.
I The detailed mechanism of toxicity is known
| for only one of the harmful algal bloom toxins.
This information is essential for development of
any therapeutic strategies. Thus, although we
know that harmful algal blooms produce chemi-
cals of high toxicity, we need more information
on exactly how they work at the cellular and
molecular levels. Success in this area will lead to
diagnostics for people who become ill, develop-
ment of potential therapies, and early warning
systems for prevention and monitoring purposes.
The work undertaken to define the human
toxicology of harmful algal blooms—in addition
to its value to public health in general—provides
synergistic support to other agencies and depart-
ments of the federal government concerned with
animal health. Tests to detect Florida red tide and
ciguatera, developed for emergency room use,
were used to identify red tide brevitoxin as the
reason for manatee deaths in 1996. The cause of
gannet and other seabird deaths in 1995 was
linked to paralytic shellfish poison, using tech-
niques developed to study human nerve function.
One lethal agent in the current sea lion epizootic
in Monterey Bay has been identified as amnesic
shellfish poison using tests developed for molecu-
lar brain research.
Animal model work funded by NIH [National
Institutes of Health] has provided answers to how
toxins are accumulated and the effects these tox-
ins have on nerves and metabolism. Clues to
potential antidotes, therapies, and treatments
result from this knowledge. Current work in this
area of oceans and human health should continue
to focus on developing specific tests for each haz-
ard, on deciphering their lethal mechanism of
action, and on developing science-based strategies
for prevention of human illness.
In conclusion, it has become increasingly evi-
dent that natural toxins in seafood, water, and air
impact human and animal life alike. Sentinel
species like marine mammals, fish, and birds pro-
vide initial indicators of declining environmental
conditions. Mechanisms of disease in animals and
man share common elements. In the biosphere,
man is but one of the sentinels of environmental
health. Thank you.
Larry Merculieff
Larry Merculieff is an Aleut native from Alaska and
Coordinator of the Bering Sea Coalition. He is and has
been an activist intent on preventing a collapse of the
Bering Sea ecosystem and the world's largest commercial
fisheries. He promotes holistic senses of how to deal
with these problems and has extensive experience as a
community leader in both private and public sectors.
Thank you. [Speaking in Aleut.] In the Aleut
language, "the morning tastes good." That's a dif-
ferent perspective.
Mr. Secretary, I'd like to thank you and your
staff who have been largely responsible for my
being here and the attention being called to the
area where I come from, which is the Bering Sea.
In aboriginal cultures, it's understood that
ecosystems are chaotic, complex, organic, in a
constant state of flux and filled with diversity—
although such cultures would not choose to use
or do not use that terminology. It's our under-
standing that no one part of an ecosystem can be
considered more important than any other part,
because the whole is greater than the sum of its
parts, and the parts act synergistically to make up
the whole.
Cartesian-based environmental science and
research systems are centered around the para-
digm that studying the parts will lead to under-
standing—or enough understanding—of the
whole to guide critical environmental restoration
and protection decisions. The science can gener-
ally be characterized as linear, mechanistic, reduc-
tionist, and numerically based.
Given the serious and daunting environmen-
tal problems and challenges that we face, it
behooves us, I believe, to understand our limita-
tions in order to construct better solutions. And
Cartesian-based science does have its limitations,
like any other system. Singular ways of thinking
and singular ways of viewing the world can be
significant limitations in addressing environmen-
tal issues if such ways and views are the only
source we use to find solutions.
Our wisdom keepers teach that there are
many truths, and every person's truth is as equally
valid as every other person's truth. This wisdom
has direct application to this singular way of
thinking and viewing the world. We, in fact, do
see things differently. That's the beauty of the
human being. Allowing this kind of diversity, I
believe, is the cornerstone of America's strength
and ingenuity.
Consider how much more different the per-
spectives can be with indigenous cultures •whose
108 • NATIONAL OCEAN CONFERENCE
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characteristics are circular, organic, holistic, quali-
tative in their ways of knowing—which, by the
way, is also generally the way that women view
the world. I maintain that a global monoculture
may not be wise if we're seeking better solutions
to environmental problems.
Our people have identified 16 higher trophic
species in a state of severe and sustained decline
in both the Russian and the U.S. sides of the
Bering Sea. The magnitude of these declines now
threatens to fundamentally restructure the Bering
Sea as we know it. It threatens the viability of the
cultures that depend on it—very similar to what's
happening to South American rainforest cultures.
However, in all the adversity, I believe there is
an opportunity. The Bering Sea people have had
a symbiotic relationship with the Bering Sea for
at least 500 generations.They have traditional
knowledge and wisdom passed down to each
new generation. As such, I know we can provide
different but critical insights to understanding the
causes and providing the solutions to the signifi-
cant wildlife population declines and to under-
standing marine ecosystems in general.
For example, wildlife biologists, as a different
perspective, study energetics as part of the food
web. But they don't analyze with these energetics
the food budgets required by the wildlife that's
out there. We do make allocations in budgets for
fisheries, but we don't make similar allocations or
calculations for the wildlife that's out there.
I also believe we have a globally unique
opportunity in the Bering Sea to develop prece-
dent-setting partnerships to explore these ideas.
And it may fundamentally and positively change
the way we conduct our marine science and our
understanding of the human being's role in the
environment. Thank you.
Billy D. Causey
Billy D. Causey is the Superintendent of the Florida Keys
National Marine Sanctuary. He has first-hand knowledge
of and expertise in issues affecting marine protected
areas, including the link between a healthy environment
and a healthy economy and the balance between use
and conservation.
Good morning. Every day scientists and
resource managers are documenting the decline
in the health of the ocean. As a result of this
decline, the economies that are dependent upon a
healthy ocean environment are being affected on
local, regional, and global scales.
The health of the ocean environment is eco-
nomically important to the United States.
• One of every six jobs in the U.S. is related to
the ocean. Coastal and marine waters support
28.3 million jobs in the U.S.
• In 1995, the U.S. commercial fishing industry
generated $20 billion, the recreational fishing
industry generated $30 billion, and coastal
tourism generated $54 billion.
Human activities are
inadvertently changing
the chemistry, physical
structure, and biological
composition of the
oceans, resulting in
degraded ecosystems
that cannot continue to
supply the goods and
services on which
humans depend.
Ocean Environment and Health • 109
-------
,»r'- ...In .,*»
-41
IVfechanisms of
JiiseQseJitt anttnals
:'=':- 'ffiia man'^share ,
„',;: ^iii^jj Clements.
In the biosphere,
Mj3n is but one of
ii dull i, ill,, .Ml,
the sentinels of
environmental
health.
— Dr. Daniel Baden
• U.S. coastal areas are the destination for 180
million visitors yearly. For example, in the
Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, we
get two and a half million visitors every year
who spend 13.3 visitor days and $1.2 billion
in the area. Coastal tourism and recreation are
the largest and fastest-growing economic seg-
ments of the U.S. service industry, and beaches
are the leading destination in the country.
Now we're witnessing a decline in the health
of our ocean by way of polluted waters; collapsing
fisheries; loss of critical coastal and marine habi-
tats; harmful algal blooms; fish, bird, and marine
mammal die-ofis; hazardous stormwater runoff;
introduction of exotic marine species; and contin-
ued ocean dumping. Among our mistakes has
been to treat our oceans as an infinite resource.
Our success in addressing these declines in the
ocean depends partly on our collective recogni-
tion that the ocean is finite. We must apply the
concept of sustainability and recognize that the
environment and the economy are linked.
The ocean, and its associated coastal and
marine environments, are resilient and can
rebound to a healthy state through good man-
agement, improved water quality, and habitat
protection and conservation. In order to be suc-
cessful, we must apply an ecosystem manage-
ment approach and recognize that the spatial
extent of a functional ecosystem includes all the
watershed and drainage system from its source
to the ocean. We must implement the principles
of ecosystem management through an integrated
process that brings all the stakeholders and
affected parties to the table. We need to manage
the ecosystem in a seamless way and eliminate
barriers to establishing ecosystem function.
For example, in 1993, Secretary Babbitt initi-
ated the South Florida Ecosystem Restoration
Task Force, which today has federal, state, local,
and tribal representatives working together to
restore and sustain the Everglades and the South
Florida ecosystem. In addition, Governor [Lawton]
Chiles [of Florida] has formed the Governor's
Commission for a Sustainable South Florida,
which has 47 members including federal, state,
local, and tribal representatives, along with a wide
variety of stakeholders in South Florida. These
two efforts serve as models for ecosystem man-
agement and provide an excellent forum for inte-
grated management and policy development.
We must explore new ways to manage our
oceans and turn to innovative, effective methods
of ocean governance that will lead to better inte-
grated ocean policy development. One suggestion
is to consider regional ocean committees. We
must start utilizing the principles of adaptive man-
agement and make the best management decisions
possible based on the best science available.
Another key to success is through the support
of integrated coastal zone management programs
and setting aside critical estuaries and marine
areas for special management, such as the
National Estuarine Research Reserve Program,
the National Marine Sanctuary Program, or
EPA's National Estuary Program. For example, in
the United States, the U.S. has a system of 12
national marine sanctuaries that have been set
aside as treasured places protected for future gen-
erations. These areas protect some of this nation's
most important marine resources. Through edu-
cation, research and monitoring, enforcement,
and marine zoning, these areas serve as models
for marine protected-area management. Marine
sanctuaries provide the place and opportunities
for interagency partnerships to focus on major
problems. An example is the EPA, which has
taken a leadership role in Florida to address
water-quality problems within the sanctuary.
In the area of improving fisheries, we have to
depart from traditional means of fisheries man-
agement. A first step has been initiated with the
passage of the Sustainable Fisheries Act of 1996
and NOAA's [National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration's] implementation of the Essential
Fish Habitat Program. A major step is through
the use of marine reserves, or "no-take areas,"
where marine life is fully protected in critical
marine environments. This strategy has been
implemented in the Florida Keys National
Marine Sanctuary. The sanctuary has set aside no-
take areas where the natural coral reef popula-
tions can reestablish themselves to what they
were before man intervened.
Reaching sustainability for our natural envi-
ronment will require a balance between protec-
tion and use, erring on the side of conservation.
The ocean is a common resource and we must all
be concerned about its survival. Thank you.
Captain Bill Amaru
Captain Bill Amaru is a New England commercial
fisherman and a member of the New England Fishery
Management Council. He is a lifelong fisherman from
perhaps one of the nation's best-remembered fishery
resources and one that has experienced decline in very
dramatic ways.
Thank you very much. I called my five-
minute presentation "An Issue for the Ages in
Five Minutes or Less."
Secretary Babbitt, Administrators Browner and
Hansen, fellow panelists, and guests and friends,
in a time when environmentalists, farmers and
110 • NATIONAL OCEAN CONFERENCE
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• fishermen rarely have the opportunity to discuss
H relevant conservation issues and their oftentimes
• surprisingly similar goals, it is with genuine grati-
• tude I speak to you today. The opportunity and
• challenge of working toward sustainable harvest
I of our seas, protecting their habitats and learning
I to live beside it will, indeed, be rewarding. I thank
• my government for embracing the remarkable
I value of the oceans that surround us, and I sin-
I cerely hope this conference will result in a
• national movement to learn more about our
marine environment, to involve far more people,
and to use it wisely for many, many years to come.
I know you realize and appreciate that folk
and fish, like E Scott Fitzgerald almost said, are
different from you and me. Fitzgerald was talking
about the rich being different from the rest of us,
but if he had written that about people who fish
for a living, he would have really hit on some-
thing.
I'm a little reluctant to get too serious in a
place as beautiful as Monterey, but I have to say
this sooner or later. Commercial fishing people
have taken a real beating in recent years. "We've
taken the rap for overfishing, stock depletions,
and, most recently, habitat degradation. I'm not
going to lecture about unsustainable fishing prac-
tices. We still have plenty of them going on, and I
hope we can talk about how to eliminate them
during this conference. In the final analysis, people
who fish for a living are no different from you or
me. We have dreams of success, children to edu-
cate, schedules to meet, and pride in what we do.
The present generation—myself included—
came along at the same time a revolution in har-
vesting techniques was developing and, along
with it, an awareness of what some of us already
knew: fish is great food, and catching it in the
late 20th century can be very, very profitable. Not
slowly, not gradually, so that resource planning
could take place. But rapidly, growth spurred by
demand and good old American entrepreneurship
drove our lifestyle-rich industry into an unprece-
dented growth spiral. I'm sorry it happened the
way it did, but it did happen.
Everyone in this room, I believe, knows or
should know that that spiral is over. Today, more
and more commercial fishing interests are becom-
ing aware of the need to balance between the
exploitation of the resource they depend on and
the resource itself. We're rising to the challenge,
looking for ways to become more involved in set-
ting a course for our futures.
Toward that end, I'm proud to be a member
of the New England Fishery Management Coun-
cil. I'm more proud to say that because of strong
new initiatives enacted through the Sustainable
Fisheries Act, we're seeing the end of overfishing
and the rebuilding of virtually all commercially
exploited stocks. In New England where I live
and work, we're experiencing the best fishing in a
decade and a strong reversal of stock declines
unprecedented in the late 20th century.
I want to thank Congress and those who
work to strengthen the Sustainable Fisheries Act.
Your goals, the nation's goals, are being met.
More than that, I want to thank the real fisher-
men and real fisherwomen and their families who
have sacrificed, who have attended meetings, who
have given up half of their traditional days at sea
and substantial portions of their fishing grounds,
who improved their ways of fishing to save
immature fish, who have developed alternative
markets, and who have waited for people like me,
managers like myself, to make the hard decisions
that are resulting in better fishing. Your patience
and willingness to hold on is admirable, and we'll
not let you down.
At the very start of my talk I mentioned the
surprisingly similar goals environmentalists and
fishermen have. I'm going to end by saying again,
we all depend—real fishing people and real envi-
ronmentalists—on a healthy, sustainably managed
resource. We have far more in common than is
commonly written or discussed. Please, let's work
together for our common good so all Americans
who together own the national marine resource
and benefit from that resource will do so with a
sense of living within reasonable limits. For peo-
ple who value the fish, the environment from
which they come, and those who harvest it with
dignity and respect, this is the only way we can
afford to go. Thanks.
Today, more and more
commercial fishing
interests are becoming
aware of the need for
balance between the
exploitation and
preservation of the
resource on which they
depend.
Photo: Ronald Bell, U.S.
Department of Commerce
Ocean Environment and Health • III
-------
Innovative sustainable
management tech-
niques being used on
cropland in California
and elsewhere are
enhancing productivity
while reducing nutrient
loads in nearby rivers
and streams.
Allen Garcia
Allen Garcia is a third-generation farmer from California's
Central Valley and a specialist in organic farming. As
Farmer Director for the Center for Sustainable Agricul-
ture, he provides a perspective on the relationship of
agriculture to coastal ocean health, including agricul-
tural-related pollution, nutrient enrichment, and related
consequences of farm runoff.
Thank you very much for this opportunity,
Secretary Babbitt. I'm a third-generation California
farmer, and I'm also a 10-year veteran as a mem-
ber of the Board of Directors of the Glenn County
Resources Conservation District. Actually, I've
been up since 3:30 this morning. I'm still on my
planting schedule. I've been spreading compost
and planting seed for six weeks. I think that was
really appropriate for a conference like this, since
I think that's what we're really up to here.
I operate a farm. We call it a bed and breakfast
for ducks. We also have another saying on our
farm, and that is, "We can have our environment
and eat it, too." I get to teach this message to
school children because my farm happens to be
on the Cosumnes River Preserve outside of
Sacramento.We have 5,000 school children visit
us every year at the preserve and come through
our Sustainable Agriculture Center.
A very interesting student walked up to me
the other day, and he asked me, "Well, how does
the land lie around here?" I said, "It's not the land
that does the lying around here. It's those people
on television telling you to eat all their junk
food." These children teach me a lot out there.
They teach me that we have a legacy that we
need to pass on to future generations, and that's
why I've become a leader in this area of agricul-
ture called sustainable agriculture.
When I first got on as a Resource Conserva-
tion District director about 10 years ago, I picked
up this Bulletin '99, "Conquest of the Land for
7,OOOYears."We had a conservation service chief
go around the entire world, and he looked at civ-
ilizations and how they managed resources in
time. Well, there were more failures than suc-
cesses, and the message that he brought back was
that civilizations disappear off the face of the
Earth if they fail to manage their natural
resources sustainably.
My mission as an agricultural leader was to
make sure that there is a legacy here in America—
that we do pass on a very healthy, sustainable
agriculture system to the next generation. How
we are accomplishing this in California is that
there are numerous demonstration-type projects.
One of them I've been familiar with is in our
112 • NATIONAL OCEAN CONFERENCE
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conservation district in Glenn County's upper
Stony Creek watershed project, one of the first of
566 land-treatment projects in the nation. It was
actually begun in the '70s when farmers were
looking at land treatment, management of their
grazing lands, in order to improve water quality,
sediment loads in rivers and streams, and to make
the land sustainable and more productive.
I invite everybody here, if you ever have an
opportunity to come and see this project in full
bloom. It is very magnificent. What they do is use
fencing. And they manage these little creatures—I
call them mobile solar energy units—but they're
actually cattle. The catde harvest the grasses,
which is the sun's energy placed upon the Earth,
and they turn it into protein so they can fuel
human beings. Very interesting process.
Another project that I've been working on is
called the rice habitat partnership. All of us rice
farmers in California opened up a bed and break-
fast for ducks in the wintertime. It's very success-
ful. We have partnerships with Ducks Unlimited,
the Nature Conservancy, and the Department of
the Interior. What we're doing is actually manag-
ing our rice fields for wildlife habitat in the win-
tertime. The wildlife come in, and we put them to
work. I call them my migratory farm workers.
They come all the way from Asia, some of them,
to help me dispose of my rice straw and help me
with the nutrient cycles. They work that rice
straw right into the soil, and they manure it. It's
about 50 percent of my fertilizer now.
We've forgotten how to really use some of the
natural systems that we're very, very dependent
on. A real good example of the dependence on
our natural system is a little high-pressure ridge
off the coast of California that basically keeps the
great Central Valley a hot, dry Mediterranean
environment. When we lose that high pressure,
we become semi-tropical. Most of the things that
we have growing there won't grow in that envi-
ronment. We're definitely right here on the bal-
ance of nature being farmers.
Another thing I teach the kids out at the pre-
serve farm is that when we really commune with
nature, it's not when they're walking our beauti-
ful trails through the riparian forests or canoeing
down the Cosumnes River like Secretary Babbitt
has just done a few days ago, but actually when
they sit down at the table three times a day and
they participate in the bounty of our beautiful
Earth. That is the connection with nature we all
have and cannot lose.
What we're doing at the preserve is a very,
very complex partnership. There are over 15 dif-
ferent organizations that are now involved with
the preserve. I'm a partner in the preserve. We're
actually a Hammer Award recipient from the
National Performance Review of Al Gore. I have
a little plaque with Al Gore's signature in my
office for actually building partnerships to make
the government work better. That's the key—the
partnership coming together, diverse groups ful-
filling common goals.
The true goal that we have is to try to man-
age our resources in an integrated resource
management framework. We try to accomplish
economic, community, and environmental goals
with the same dollar. We used to have a dollar
for the environment, a dollar for the farmer, and
a dollar for our communities. Well, we only have
one dollar to squeeze out of Congress now, and
those dollars should be spent to accomplish
multiple goals, not one goal at the expense of
another. It's really a simple formula, but come
and see how it works out there on the land.
Thank you very much.
Fred Hansen
Thanks, Allen. I think it was particularly
important, your perspective that from the farm-
ers' standpoint, it's not just the pollution that may
be coming from the farm but, rather, also how
the whole environment—controlled obviously by
weather patterns and others affecting the ocean—
affects you as well. Thank you very much.
Dr. Jane Lubchenco
Dr. Jane Lubchenco is a Wayne and Gladys Valley
Professor of Marine Biology and a distinguished professor
of zoology at Oregon State University. Her scientific
background and expertise are balanced by active involve-
ment in numerous professional organizations and other
efforts. She is by training a marine ecologist and has
been one of the strongest and most consistent voices
about the threats to our marine environment.
Thank you. Mr. Secretary, Mr. Deputy
Administrator, distinguished panelists, and distin-
guished members of the audience, our global
environment has changed dramatically. We now
live on a human-dominated planet. Even the vast
ocean is being significantly altered by human
activity. These changes are more serious than is
generally known or appreciated. These changes
are being insufficiently addressed. If you haven't
had the opportunity to read Carl Safina's new
book, Song for the Blue Ocean, I strongly recom-
mend it as an eloquent and accurate portrayal of
some of the changes in our oceans today.
My focus this morning will be on systemic
changes in the oceans. We are inadvertently
changing the chemistry, the physical structure,
and the biological composition of oceans. The
scale and magnitude of these changes were
Ocean Environment and Health • 113
-------
More than one-half of
the nation's population
now lives and works
within 50 miles of the
coastline, but coastal
areas account for only
eleven percent of the
nation's land area.
unimaginable a few decades ago. The conse-
quences are degraded ocean ecosystems that can-
not continue to provide the goods and services
that we need.
"We're changing the very chemistry of our
oceans, especially in coastal waters. Particularly
problematic are the increases in nitrogen and
phosphorus. Over the last century, human activi-
ties have now more than doubled the amount of
nitrogen that is coming into the nitrogen cycle
each year. Excess fertilizers are applied to crops,
human and livestock wastes are washed down
coastal streams and rivers, and many of these com-
pounds end up in our coastal waters. Some 30—40
percent of the nitrogen entering our oceans is air-
borne—exhaust from burning of fossil fuels, from
our tailpipes, and our smokestacks—yet another
reason to wean ourselves off fossil fuels. Increases
in this nutrient pollution are strongly correlated
with increases in the frequency, intensity, and spa-
tial extent of harmful algal blooms, with the
attendant fish kills, poisoning of marine mammals,
and human health consequences.
We're also inadvertently destroying ocean
habitats at ever-increasing rates. I'd like to high-
light the dragging of trawling nets across the
seafloor as a little-appreciated and particularly
destructive activity. Trawls crush, kill, and expose
to enemies the rich assemblage of life found on
the ocean bottom. They also destroy the homes
and hiding places of marine critters. Trawling has
been compared to harvesting corn with bulldoz-
ers that scoop up the topsoil and the cornstalks,
along with the ears.
You might be surprised to learn that the
entire Gulf of Maine is raked annually by nets
and that Georges Bank is swept three to four
times a year. This is strip mining plus clear cut-
ting, but on a much grander scale than is happen-
ing on land. The area hit by trawls each year is
estimated to be between 15 and 150 times that of
global deforestation.
We're also destroying the rich legacy of life in
the oceans. It's impossible to overstate the rich-
ness of life in the sea. Thirty-three of the 34
major groups of animals are found in the oceans;
17 of these are found exclusively in the seas.
These are the products of billions of years of evo-
lution. This diversity is being changed in a geo-
logical instant of time.
One of the most serious but least-appreciated
causes of this change is invasive species. On the
114 • NATIONAL OCEAN CONFERENCE
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orcfer of 3,000 species are hitchhiking in the bal-
last water of ships around the world on a daily
basis, landing in new, often degraded bays and
estuaries where they may thrive and outcompete
or eat native species. The destructive potential of
invaders can be seen in one particular example.
The comb jelly Mnemiopsis, which came from
our Eastern Seaboard, was a stowaway in the bal-
last water of ships and transported to the Black
Sea. It multiplied very quickly and took over,
until at one point in 1992, this comb jelly repre-
sented more than 90 percent of the wet biomass
of life in the Black Sea. This particular invader
not only consumes fish, it eats fish eggs and fish
larvae as well, and has contributed to the dra-
matic demise of the fisheries in the Black Sea.
The sum total of these and other changes in the
chemistry, physical structure, and life in oceans is
threatening the very ocean ecosystems on which
all of life on Earth depends. The problems we
face now are fundamentally different from any-
time in the past.
We talk about stewardship, we talk about sus-
tainability, we talk about the year of the ocean,
and even the year of the obvious. Yet our actions
don't match the rhetoric. Many of the changes in
our ocean ecosystems have appeared as serious
problems only in the last decade or so—seem-
ingly overnight. The litany is large and growing:
harmful algal blooms, demise of fisheries, dead
zones, loss of species, coral bleaching, and mass
mortalities of marine species ranging from whales
to urchins. The scale and increasing frequency of
the problems have caught us off guard.
We've responded to each incident as an indi-
vidual problem isolated from the others. As
important and as appropriate to the overall goal
as many of these responses have been, in sum
total, they've been ineffective. We've treated
symptoms, not the underlying problems. This
piecemeal, ad hoc, reactive response is not in our
best interests.
This conference, I believe, provides us an
opportunity to lay the groundwork for a bold,
innovative, forward-looking, comprehensive
approach to our oceans. The nation needs more
ocean awareness and a more comprehensive,
enlightened ocean policy. Such a policy would
protect human health, well-being, and prosperity
by protecting the ocean ecosystems on which we
depend. It would evaluate the broad sweep of
land-based and ocean-based activities that affect
oceans and determine our future. Guarding
against uncertainty, shifting the burden of proof,
and protecting essential habitats will be corner-
stones of this policy. The establishment of a sys-
tem of no-take marine reserves will be an
essential component of the overall strategy.
The oceans and our lives are inextricably
linked. Their future is our future. Now that we
understand the extent to which humans domi-
nate the oceans, as much as they do the land
and freshwater ecosystems, we must act to pro-
tect our own interests by protecting oceans.
Thank you.
The Honorable Leon Panetta
The Honorable Leon Panetta has had many responsibili-
ties within the Clinton Administration—first as Director
of the Office of Management and Budget and then as the
Chief of Staff to the President. Prior to that, while serving
in Congress, he was the author of legislation establishing
the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. He brings
a wealth of commitment to environmental issues from his
career in the Congress and beyond.
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to my home,
and welcome to the home of Monterey Bay
National Marine Sanctuary, which is the largest
sanctuary that we have in this country. As you
know, my expertise and my background lie not
so much in the sciences associated with the
oceans as in how to get it done politically—or
maybe in Allen's [Garcia] words, how to convert
manure into crops.
The example of the sanctuary is a goed one to
draw some important lessons from for this confer-
ence. The sanctuary is not only a good example of
how we protected the vital resources that are part
of our ocean and our bay here. More important,
it's an example of how to develop a unified strat-
egy to make that protection happen.
The ocean conference is focusing, obviously,
on a series of topics—from the environment, to
health, to education, to research, to exploration,
to commerce, to global security. But I think the
fundamental challenges of this conference are
how can we balance all of the competing inter-
ests that are involved with our oceans, and how
can we unify those interests to achieve the proper
stewardship of our oceans.
There were competing interests in Monterey
Bay. As you can imagine, there were a series of
different interests that were involved with the
bay—research and educational institutions, our
aquarium, the Naval research weather forecast-
ing institutes that were here, commercial and
recreational fishing, tourism, environmental con-
cerns, tanker traffic, recreational boating, agri-
cultural runoff, and onshore and offshore
developmental interests. Prior to the sanctuary,
those interests basically operated in their own
spheres with very little coordination or commu-
nication between the different interests in terms
of protecting our oceans. The result was that
management was very haphazard.
Ocean Environment and Health • 115
-------
I've often said that in a democracy you get
things done either through crisis or leadership.
James Watt provided us with crisis. What hap-
pened is, most of you know, in the early 1980s,
James Watt put up all of our ofishore tracts for
auction to the highest bidder for ofishore drilling
purposes. That action in itself constituted a com-
mon threat to all of the interests that were involved
with the future of our bay. What happened as a
result of that was that a coalition developed of all
of these diverse interests involving a lot of the
people in this room who came together to form
what I think was an unprecedented political
force. This couldn't have been done by one inter-
One important
mechanism for habitat
protection is the
creation of marine
reserves where human
activities are put off
limits. Fagatele Bay in
American Samoa,
shown here, is a
National Marine
Sanctuary.
Photo: Fagatele Bay
National Marine Sanctuary
est operating alone. It took an unprecedented
political force working together.
What we did at first was to adopt a series of
moratoria on offshore drilling—moratoria that
continue to this day and to the year 2000. The
way we did that was annual moratoria through
the appropriations process requiring that no
funding would go to pursue offshore drilling
off of our coastlines. We not only developed a
coalition of interests here, but throughout the
state, Washington, Oregon, Georges Bank, as
well as other areas along the coastline that were
threatened with offshore drilling. That force is
what produced the moratoria that we were able
to achieve.
Our concern was, obviously, that annual
moratoria did not provide permanent protection
for our coastline. So as a consequence, what we
did in Monterey Bay was to try to pursue more
permanent protection through sanctuary status.
NOAA, while it had considered the possibility of
the bay for that status, never acted on it. What
we did was we used the science of our area—the
deep underwater canyon that we have off of our
coastline and species associated with the bay—as
the justification for legislation that established
the sanctuary.
Even the legislation establishing the sanctuary,
which I authored, wasn't very easy. In 1988,1 had
to direct NOAA to designate a sanctuary status.
They still, by 1992, hadn't designated sanctuary
status for Monterey Bay. So I passed additional
legislation to, in fact, designate Monterey Bay as a
sanctuary. We were able to dedicate that in 1992,
making it a reality for this area.
What are the lessons that we
draw from this experience that
relate to the ocean conference?
• First of all, I don't think we
have to wait for a crisis, because
the crisis is here now.You've
heard a lot of it described to you
on this panel. Part of the problem
we have here is that there is a
series of individual crises that are
being described—whether it's
runoff, whether it's fishing,
whether it's pollution, whether it's
health. Unfortunately, what that
creates is not the sense that there
is one large crisis. What this con-
ference has to do is say to the
country we have one major crisis
affecting our oceans, and it is
made up of all of these elements
that are producing it. We don't
have time to wait.
Second, action must be coordinated. Individ-
ual interests fighting their own battles will
never be enough. There must be a coordi-
nated effort at the local, national, and world
levels to try to provide the kind of protection
that's necessary. We have the sanctuary status
here. It's my view that almost every area of
our coast ought to have some kind of protec-
tive status in order to provide the forum and
the planning mechanism that you need to
protect our oceans.
In addition to that, at the federal level—some-
thing that I'm particularly familiar with—
there are too many jurisdictions that deal with
the ocean. Now, that's not to say that they all
don't do a good job. But the fact is when they
all have their different jurisdictions, they all
operate in their own spheres. It's just the
nature of how Washington operates. You've got
Interior, you've got Commerce, you've got
EPA, you've got State, you've got Defense,
116 • NATIONAL OCEAN CONFERENCE
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you've got other groups that have their own
areas of jurisdiction. In the very least, we have
to establish some kind of Oceans Task Force at
the federal level to coordinate policy with
regard to the ocean so that these people sit in
the same room and talk the same language
when it comes to developing policy.
• The third point I'd make is that obviously suf-
ficient resources have to be provided. All of
the good will and good intentions are simply
not enough unless we're -willing to put our
money where our mouths are. It's not a prob-
lem so much with the administration, because
I think the President and the Vice President
are truly committed to putting the necessary
funds into this. But if you're going to get the
Congress to come along, the only way you do
that is to show that kind of coordinated force
that includes business interests as well as envi-
ronmental interests to force them to put the
necessary funding into these areas.
• Last, we need the will to fight and continue
to fight for the protection of our oceans.
There's a great story that I often tell, which I
think fits here, about the rabbi and the priest
who decided they'd get to know each other a
little better. So one evening they went to a
boxing match, and just before the bell rang,
one of the boxers made the sign of the cross.
The rabbi nudged the priest and he said, :
"What does that mean?" And the priest said,
"It doesn't mean a damn thing if he can't
fight."We bless ourselves with the hope that
everything is going to be okay with the
oceans. But very frankly, it doesn't mean a
damn thing unless we're willing to fight for it.
Thank you very much.
Fred Hansen
Thank you, Leon, particularly for ending on
the point of how do we move from here and for
some of those practical steps. Thank you panelists
for all of your comments, your insight, and your
expertise.
We've heard a lot of challenges today, but also
a lot of opportunities. Based on what we've
heard, we all know that polluted runoff, air depo-
sition of toxins, boating waste, sewer overflows,
and a host of other problems are contributing to
the degradation of our waters. We know our
economy suffers when oceans suffer.
We know also that we need to take strong
action—more public access to timely and accu-
rate information, more monitoring, more part-
nerships, better pollution controls and prevention
of spills and chemical accidents, and faster and
more timely responses and better protection of
our fisheries. One of the threads that I've heard
this morning and will want to hear more from all
of you about is how much we yet need to know
and how much science still has a key role to play.
On the flight in to Monterey last night, I was
sitting on the airplane and overheard a conversa-
tion of one of the scientists here in the audience
who was talking to one of his colleagues and was
describing how, with each new scientific under-
standing, we somehow feel we have "the answer"
and can now go about not worrying anymore
about science. He was describing with a voice
both of enthusiasm and of awe how he realized
how complex nature was and that we needed to
fully and continually understand that complexity.
Thank you for that comment. As we go forward
into this discussion, the list is long about what
needs to yet be addressed, but certainly it's not
yet exhaustive.
Comments from the Audience
Captain Ed Davidson
I'm chairman of the board of the Florida
Audubon Society. In Florida we have more
coasts and estuaries and wetlands than many
countries of the world. While we have huge
problems, we have some tremendous successes,
thanks very much to the leadership of the good
Secretary [Babbitt].
The point is that the whole 60 percent of
South Florida is one great ecosystem—the great
Everglades ecosystem, which most of you have
heard of. We've done terrible damage to it, but
we have some unique solutions that I don't think
are happening in the rest of the country.
I think a couple of panel members ought to
talk about how we managed to put together this
great composite, because we started out with
nine primary federal agencies, a couple with
peripheral jurisdiction; six or seven state agen-
cies; and a multitude of county, municipal, and
regional agencies, all of them with different
pieces of jurisdiction—sometimes overlapping,
sometimes conflicting, sometimes with gaps in
between—all peering myopically through small
windows of limited jurisdiction.
Through the Secretary's leadership, we now
have a federal task force, and we have a gover-
nor's commission, which is independent. We have
terrible problems with the Federal Advisory
Committee Act. Agencies aren't inherently
designed to work together and, in fact, are pre-
vented in some ways. There -were huge chal-
lenges, but this model is working.
We have the governor's commission now in an
advisory capacity. All of these are advising the
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Ocean Environment and Health • 117
-------
Corps of Engineers. We designed one of the
biggest systems in the world, and I think it •would
be very helpful to people in the rest of the coun-
try if we discussed how we were able to work
with some of those difficulties and get this inte-
grated because that's the problem—too many lay-
ers, too many players, and not getting integrated.
Billy D. Causey
I touched on the South Florida Ecosystem
Restoration Task Force. And again, Secretary
Babbitt has shown leadership in South Florida to
initiate an unprecedented ecosystem management
approach.
We started moving in 1993 as federal agencies
to sit down and first define the ecosystem. Many
of us, as resource managers, were looking at our
little parcel of the system, thinking we were man-
aging the ecosystem. The Secretary challenged us
to define the ecosystem, and we now define it
from Orlando all the way through the Everglades
agricultural area, all the way through the heart of
the Everglades, the Big Cypress National Preserve,
the west coast of Florida, the east coast, all the
way through Florida Bay, and all the way through
the Florida Keys to the reef track. It's only until
we get that kind of vision and that kind of admis-
sion that that is the ecosystem can we start doing
the things that we have to do to improve our
quality of life and protect the resources.
As we were moving forward, the governor
became a little concerned that all these agencies
were moving along and doing good work, and
that we may be leaving out people. People are a
critical part of the ecosystem, especially when
you have five and a half million in South Florida.
He made sure, with the Commission for Sustain-
able South Florida, that people were brought into
the picture.
Niaz Dorry
My name is Niaz Dorry, and I work for
Greenpeace. I want to thank you for this oppor-
tunity. There are three points that came up here
during the presentations that I wanted to offer
some actions on and see if we get some reaction.
One of the comments is about essential fish
habitat—and this is specifically for you, Mr.
Secretary, and Mr. Deputy Administrator. The
assault right now on the essential fish habitat reg-
ulations that are coming out of the National
Marine Fisheries Service are by nonfishing indus-
tries, such as lobbying, mining, oil and chemical
companies, that fall under your jurisdictions as
well. I'd like to know what your agencies are
going to do in order to help strengthen the
essential fish habitat and to actually protect
marine ecosystems. We always can identify the
worst of the worst, if you will, and there is legis-
lation currently in Congress that will take care of
industrial spill problems that are primarily operat-
ing in the Bering Sea region. I'd encourage folks
to consider taking this position and supporting
the American Fisheries Act, Senate Bill 1221.
The other issue that came up was common
property. I heard a lot of folks respond to the
need for preserving our oceans because we all
have common access. There are threats to priva-
tizing our oceans through individual property
rights. I'd encourage folks to weigh in on the
National Academy of Sciences' decision and the
recommendations they're going to make in
Congress in order to stop the privatization of our
resources and our ocean resources and actually
allow for common property to remain common
property with proper management—not for
everybody else to go willy-nilly, but actually to
have some proper management in place.
The last point that came up was what Mr.
Panetta said. We all have to identify one major
crisis. I'd suggest that the most major crisis that's
facing our ocean is the industrialization of our
ocean—from industrial scale agriculture, to
industrial scale mining, to industrial scale fish-
eries. If you want to address something, we've got
to look at small scale. We've got to look at low-
impact fisheries. Thank you.
Angela Sanfilippo
Good morning, everyone. Thank you for giv-
ing me this opportunity. My name is Angela
Sanfilippo. I'm the president of the Boston
Fishermen's Wives Association, and I also was the
only representative to the World Forum of Fish
Workers last November in New Delhi. Three
things came out of there: we must stop coastal
pollution, we must stop industrial agriculture, and
we must protect our oceans, because without the
proper protection, the world cannot sustain its
habitat.
We worked very hard for 27 years in protect-
ing the ocean. My group was the people who
asked for the original Magnuson Act. We got it.
Right after that, we had to stop oil and drilling
on Georges Bank. Pvight after that we had no
option but to declare Stellwagen Bank a National
Marine Sanctuary because of oil drilling and
mining that were going to take place at that time.
We are fishing people, and I represent fishing
families and a fishing community. I come from
seven generations of fishermen in Sicily and the
United States. The coast of California is where all
my ancestors started fishing, so I feel very
118 • NATIONAL OCEAN CONFERENCE
-------
attached to this part of the
country. We have suffered,
and we have disrupted
many families' lives in
order to do the best in
New England. I'm proud
of Bill and his comments.
We, as a fishing people,
have given up bays. AH this
happened to us because in
the early '80s, money came
and was available from the
U.S. government to build
better and more efficient
boats for fisheries. Because
of that, we're suffering. Just
last year, when we were
struggling, again a factory
trawler 'was given a permit
to fish in New England—a
360-foot factory trawler
that is hurting the bottom
of the ocean.
We have fished for gen-
erations. I grew up on the
waters I fish. My family is
there. We have a special
love for the ocean. It's everything to us. Protect
it. We must keep the ocean healthy because the
sacrifices we'll make as fishing people •won't •work
if we keep dumping and poisoning. Yes, Mr.
Panetta, all branches of government have to come
together and talk to each other. Now on one of
the Boston fishing grounds, a pipeline has been
proposed. It has to stop.
Elliott Norse
Thank you very much. I'm Elliott Norse,
president of Marine Conservation Biology
Institute in Redmond, Washington.
Earlier this year, 1,605 marine scientists and
conservation biologists from 70 countries world-
wide issued a statement called "Troubled Waters"
which said: the sea is important, the sea is in
trouble, and here are things that we have to do
to make the situation better. One of the five
things that they identified •was to establish a sci-
ence of marine conservation biology and fund-
ing mechanisms thereof. The idea behind that is
that ignorance is our greatest enemy. If we don't
know, we can't do it right. And we need to do it
right. I think fishermen and scientists and envi-
ronmentalists can all agree on that. That's a com-
mon point.
We don't have a funding mechanism in the
United States for marine conservation biology.
The National Science Foundation won't fund it;
it's too haughty. NOAA won't fund it; it's too
pure. It falls through the cracks. I'd like to ask the
panel how we could establish appropriate funding
mechanisms for the integrated multidisciplinary
science of marine conservation biology so we can
deal with harmful algal blooms, we can deal with
overfishing, we can deal with the effects of global
climatic change on the marine environment, we
can deal with the epidemics that are taking
marine mammals and sea urchins and other
organisms. What are funding mechanisms for
doing this?
The Honorable Leon Panetta
One direct way to do this •would be to intro-
duce legislation and specifically focus on this
area. Develop a program, and then hope that you
can get it funded through the appropriations
process. I have to tell you that's probably a waste
of time right now, just because of my sense of
•where this Congress is in dealing with these
kinds of issues.
I think you're better off, through the admin-
istration in its funding areas—whether it's the
National Science Foundation or whether it's
•working through some of the myriad funding
programs that exist throughout these agencies
that we have, working to administratively estab-
lish a fund for the purpose of developing that
kind of integrated science that you're talking
The decline of once-
thriving populations of
marine species such as
cod, capelin, pollock,
grouper, blue fin tuna,
swordfish, shark,
shrimp, turtles,
abalone, and urchins is
a clear indication that
the use of the sea has
not been managed
wisely or sustainably.
Photo: NOAA
Ocean Environment and Health • 119
-------
Ports spend millions of
dollars each year in
developing public
access sites; creating,
restoring, and
enhancing wetlands
and other habitats;
monitoring water
quality; and recycling
various materials.
Photo: Robert Campbell
Photography
about. I think that can be done. I don't think,
j&ankly, the Congress would challenge that kind
of administration, because I think there's the flex-
ibility in those programs to develop that. What
you just have to do is change the mind set of the
people who are in some of these programs who
like to do their own thing, as opposed to trying
to expand their programs and making them fit
the needs that are out there.
Fred Hansen
I think that's exactly the type of recommenda-
tions we need from you—in this case, a particular
issue around funding. There are structures, as Leon
indicated, that we already have established as an
administration, that •would allow for us to be able
to address this. I think that's the perfect place to
do it. I'll take that message back personally.
Allen Garcia
You know what I really see as the problem is
the international cheap-food policy of this world.
We're only paying the fishermen to harvest. We're
not paying them to plant. They're not farmers of
the sea. There's no mechanism in place for farm-
ing it. As consumers, we go in and we just basi-
cally pay for the cost of the harvesting of the
ocean, not for the cost of managing the resource
sustainably.The cheap-food policy in this country
across the board is probably responsible for most
of the nonpoint-source pollution going into the
ocean. Think about it. Thank you.
Ken Olden
I'm Ken Olden, director of the National
Institute for Environmental Health Sciences in
the NIH. It seems to me that the panelists have
made a compelling case for protecting the envi-
ronment and, more specifically, the ocean. If
we're going to get recommendations out of this
group—which I think is what we're supposed to
do—we have to focus this discussion on three
issues. One was identified—investment in the
science—because science is going to inform pol-
icy. Policy is the second issue we need to focus
on. The third issue, identified by Mr. Panetta, is
coordination.
It's a fact—and I think to anybody in here
who is with the federal government and has any
responsibility for funding the science—that we
don't have the adequate science base for environ-
mental policy decisions. These decisions have
tremendous impacts not only on the economy,
but on the health of the American people, as well
as on plant and other wildlife species. These deci-
sions are going to cost us money, and we need
more of these decisions based on science.
Sarah Chasis
I think funding for science obviously is criti-
cal. But funding for management and carrying
out the controls necessary to stop the pollution
that threatens our fisheries and our habitat is
absolutely critical. Congress just authorized an
ISTEA [Intermodal Surface Transportation Effi-
ciency Act] bill—$200 billion for transportation
projects. The Clean Water Action
Plan would cost $500-$600 million.
If we can't invest in protecting the
coastal and ocean resources and put
our money there, then we're not
doing our job.
Bud Laurent
Thank you. Secretary Babbitt,
thank you very much for your role
in this. My name is Bud Laurent.
I'm a county supervisor in San Luis
Obispo County, the county immedi-
ately to the south of Monterey.
We're part of the Monterey Bay
National Marine Sanctuary. Thank
you, Mr. Panetta.
I •was delighted to hear the com-
mon themes in the presentation
today. Basically, we need better holis-
tic management. We need to manage
on the basis of habitat, rather than
120 • NATIONAL OCEAN CONFERENCE
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single species. We need to bring governance to
the people.We need to continue decentralization
of policy. We need to get rid of the waste in the
overlapping and competing interests.
Mr. Panetta mentioned one of the factors we
need is political will to achieve all of these things.
While more funding for science and the gathering
of information is certainly indicated, possibly
there's enough money already to do a better job
than •we're currendy doing. My question to you—
and the challenge to all of us—is how do we over-
come the human resistance to change? How do
we beat the turf battles that will inevitably occur if
we're going to restructure governance as it needs
to be structured? And when does that begin?
Larry Merculieff
Our elders and wisdom keepers say nothing is
created outside that isn't first created inside. The
reason that we trashed the environment on the
outside is because we're trashing inside. The rea-
son we're fragmented outside is because we're
fragmented inside. We're in conflict outside be-
cause we're in conflict inside. It begins with us, ,
and that's all.
Billy D. Causey
I wanted to address the three areas—invest-
ment, policy, and coordination—and address the
funding issue of science. Right now, I don't think
we're doing a good enough job with the funding
that we have. It doesn't mean to say that we don't
need more funding for research, but while we have
academia present, I want to challenge academia to
start giving managers answers. We need to have the
science more directed at answering critical issues
and questions that managers have and not just
pure research. We have space for pure research and
a need for it, but what we need are answers.
In the policy area, the Federal Advisory Com-
mittee Act, FACA, is something we need to put
on the table—that needs some revision. We have
a difficult time bringing partners and stakeholders
to the table because of a very old piece of legisla-
tion. FACA is something that is useful and has
been useful in its time. It's been a way to get over
some of the hurdles that I mentioned earlier. But
we need to have better coordination between
academic science and agency science and bring
all of those into focus.
Gary Lytton
My name is Gary Lytton. I •work for the State
of Florida, and I'm the president of the National
Estuary Research Reserve Association.
Many of the issues we've heard about are
linked to local, coastal problems. My issue is more
concerned with information management. My
question is, How do we as federal and state
agency representatives do a better job of getting
relevant science information into the hands of
local communities?
I've got one answer to that, but I'd be inter-
ested to hear how other people might respond to
it. My answer is to use existing networks—
marine coastal protected areas, like national estu-
arine research reserves, marine sanctuaries, state
coastal programs, and NEPs [National Estuary
Programs]—because they represent federal, state,
and local partnerships that have existing networks
with open communities.We have an excellent
opportunity, but I don't believe federal agencies
are taking advantage of that opportunity yet. I'd
challenge federal agencies to think about that.
The other part of this is the feedback loop of
local communities' getting science information
needs back to academia and to federal agencies.
And that gets to one of Billy's [Causey] ques-
tions—making sure that we're addressing science
relevant to issues that are important to local and
regional communities.
The Honorable Bruce Babbitt
I'm hearing an important common theme
here reflecting the supervisors. And that is that
this coordination issue runs not only horizontally
among federal agencies, but it must, in some
measure, draw vertically upon state, local, and
community organizations.
Mark Gold
Thank you. I'm Mark Gold, executive director
of Heal the Bay. I've been involved in a lot of
these stakeholder processes, but I'm going to
focus on a more specific issue.
So many of our coastal pollution problems
and environmental public health risks stem from
stormwater and nonpoint-source pollution.
However, the Clean Water Act stormwater regu-
lations and CZARA [Coastal Zone Act Reau-
thorization Amendments of 1990] have proved
largely ineffective to date because of lack of
funding, lack of enforcement, and lack of sub-
stantial incentives for stormwater management.
Watershed management is often offered as a
more effective stakeholder consensus-based
approach to solving water problems and protect-
ing public health.
Again, these programs are underfunded and
don't have teeth to ensure commitments are
followed through upon. Increasingly, the envi-
resource
conce/ffe^,aboutf
Survival. _
- Billy D. Causey
Ocean Environment and Health • 121
-------
ronmental community has turned to total-
maximuni-daily-load [TMDL] lawsuits to
ensure that impaired water bodies are managed
for designated-use recovery. Often these lawsuits
are as a result of environmental group frustration
with the increasing degradation of our nation's
waters by stormwater and nonpoint-source pol-
lution. The Clean Water Action Plan is a good—
yet relatively small and grossly underfunded—step
in the right direction.
What should the federal government do to
ensure thatTMDLs are being developed outside
the litigation realm? That's where they're all
occurring right now. And what should it do to
ensure that CZARA and the Clean Water Act
stormwater requirements are being complied
with and—more important—lead to protected,
designated uses and the elimination of impaired
water bodies?
Fred Hansen
Mark, a series of very good comments. Just a
couple of quick things. One, this administra-
tion—as you know, President Clinton and Vice
President Gore—stands firmly behind the Clean
Water Action Plan. Although you say there's not
as much money in there—and Sarah's point as
well, recognized that—just this week, the Con-
gress on the Senate side has already cut that
number in half.
Number two is, as an administration, we're
committed to not just using the direct funding in
a program, such as what EPA operates, but also in
the Department of Agriculture and in other areas
to be able to ensure that we're bringing together
not just the coordination, but the other resources
of the Department—other programs that in fact
can provide more benefit. The issue that I think is
here—and it's what Bruce [Babbitt] mentioned
earlier—we're hearing that we need to find a
more complete fashion for integrating up and
down and across our normal structures to do
that. Couldn't agree with you more.
Mike Ham
Thank you. Mike Ham from the Guam
Coastal Management Program. I'm also the point
of contact for the Coral Reef Initiative, which
serves as a good example of how partnerships
evolve and become workable.
I'm sitting here with my science side. I'm the
management side. We work together. Everybody
checks their egos at the door when you walk in.
You sit down at the table—science, management,
at all levels. One of our partners at the federal
level from Interior is sitting right next to me. We
work together, we talk together, and nobody is
trying to run the show. We're all trying to find
what the problems are, what's the best way to
resolve them. And you do that if you find that
everybody is an equal partner at the table.
We've done without money. We've been in the
Coral Reef Initiative now for about five years, and
there's been no money. It would be great if there
were. But if there isn't, you still have to plug
ahead, and you still have to do the work. There are
things being done in coral reef initiatives with
very, very little money. We're talking $5,000,
$10,000, $15,000. Any amount of money you get
is a benefit.You do it anyway. It's the same thing
with developing ocean programs and ocean policy.
Billy D. Causey
I just want to point out that that's an excellent
observation, and that definitely we've been experi-
encing tremendous decline in coral reefs globally.
Ten percent of our coral reefs are lost beyond
recovery; 30 percent more are threatened. Clearly
it's a resource that has given us a signal interna-
tionally that things are changing and happening.
During the International Year of the Reef, we
learned that we had to start looking more broadly
at die impacts affecting the coral reefs. And defi-
nitely the Year of the Ocean is the time to step up
to that next level of awareness.
Allen Garcia
I'd like to make one comment on the non-
point-source pollution issue on coral reefs. I'm
going to appeal to you as consumers, instead of
scientists. We could actually use the cash register
at the grocery store to spend our dollars wisely—
to use it as a ballot box, to vote for whatever
kind of environment we want by supporting
those businesses that are green. That is probably
more important than education and research.
How the consumers spend their dollars is going
to create the kind of environment in the future.
Thank you.
Matt Hayden
My name is Matt Hayden. I'm manager of
environmental affairs for ITW [Illinois Tool
Works] Hi-Cone.
In deference to the encouragement for sound
science, I applaud that. We really need that. We
also need the partnerships to be spoken about.
There's talent in this room. There's no mystery
about what a lot of the science is here, is there.
We understand the priorities, and we know how
to put partnerships together. But I think Mr.
122 • NATIONAL OCEAN CONFERENCE
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Panetta hit it right on the head when he talked
about the will of the people to achieve the
objective.We can have all the sound science in
the world, but it's actually the voters who decide
\vhat checks get written.
I chair a research team at Rutgers University,
and I can teE you that if you poll a thousand
consumers and ask them what's the most impor-
tant issue facing the United States today, 3 per-
cent will tell you the environment—3 percent.
There's a lot of scientific information out there
resident in the minds of the voters and the peo-
ple who write the checks. Almost all of it's
wrong. I was •walking over to this forum today
with a young volunteer. He's a toxicologist. And
we •were talking about the quality of the report-
ing—the quality of the information available to
the consumers. I said, "How much of that is cor-
rect?" He said, "Almost 100 percent of what's
reported is incorrect."
If you polled a thousand science teachers, you'd
get 900 of them to tell you there are chlorofluoro-
carbons in every aerosol can. There's a lot of bad
information out there that needs to be replaced.
That's an educational process over time. It needs to
start now. If you want to have the right money—
to fund the programs properly, to fund the part-
nerships properly—it's going to have to come
from the people, all of •whom get bad information.
Zeke Grader
My name is Zeke Grader. I'm the executive
director of the Pacific Coast Federation of
Fishermen's Associations.
We largely have a fishery still left in California
because •we've had a good coalition between
commercial, sport, and conservation groups for
the past 35 years. The thing I've noticed—and
what I think needs to be emphasized—has been
said by a number of speakers before: the two
things lacking right now are the funding, as you
mentioned, and the political will.
By the funding, I don't think we should be
looking at just going after each appropriation in
sight and getting more money from the Con-
gress. But perhaps we might look at developing
a long-term funding source—a trust fund, if you
will, similar to what we have on the highways.
"We might consider looking at it from that
standpoint, because we're terribly underfunded
right now on everything from basic research to
enforcement to management. All of those things
are missing, and we desperately need them.
That gets to the issue of political will. I know
some people aren't going to want to hear this.
But, frankly, it's been a coalition of commercial
fishing groups and conservationists that has often,
so often, had to sue government agencies to get
them to enforce the law—the Endangered
Species Act, the Clean Water Act. Every year, we
have to sue the National Marine Fisheries Ser-
vice to try to do something on the Columbia
River because of endangered species. That's a lack
of political will. We had to sue the EPA to
enforce TMDLs. That's a lack of political will. We
need both the money and the will, and those are
critical. We're not going to do it unless we have
both of those elements.
There has been a
tremendous decline in
coral reefs globally: 10
percent are lost beyond
recovery, and 30
percent more are
threatened.
Ocean Environment and Health • 123
-------
[f» ...... We all depend—
|j~ ;; n, i, "qi , ,„. .„:„... ;;;
|f "healthy, sustainably
'tr^jijaged resource.
— Captain Bill Amaru
: ..... , ......... .........
The Honorable Bruce Babbitt
I think Mr. Grader is proposing that as a coun-
terpart to the Land and Water Conservation Fund,
we need a dedicated Ocean Conservation Fund. Is
that your proposal? Everybody support that?
Audience
Yes.
Jack Caldwell
Fin Jack Caldwell, Louisiana Secretary of Nat-
ural Resources. I agree with Leon Panetta when
he says •we've got to learn to hit. You just put
your finger on the key. We need a dedicated fund.
I had the great honor to serve on a Manage-
ment Service Advisory Committee that has
come up with a plan to dedicate a portion of
nonrenewable offshore oil and gas revenues into
renewable investment—into coastal environ-
mental projects for preservation and protection,
such as estuaries, the fisheries, the wetlands, the
wildlife habitat—in Louisiana, where we're bear-
ing the tremendous impact of offshore activities.
I want to say that this plan is gathering biparti-
san support right now. I'd like to have Mr.
Panetta's views on whether this is a worthwhile
avenue to pursue.
The Honorable Leon Panetta
I think this is a worthwhile avenue to pursue.
I think the effort to try to get additional funding
is a worthwhile effort to pursue. But let me be
frank with all of you. This is politics. And you're
not going to move anybody unless you bring
political pressure on the people who have to
make decisions on this issue.
It's a little bit like when we were dealing with
the offshore drilling issue on the moratorium. I
had great support among the coastal communi-
ties, but there's a vast area between California and
New York that doesn't lie near the ocean. People
there don't have the sensitivity that a lot of us
who live near the coast—and are a part of the
ocean, and see the ocean every day, and recognize
how important it is—have. Frankly, they'd care
more about the price of gasoline at the pump
than whether there was a rig off of Big Sur.
What we had to do was not only create a
coalition but engage in an information strategy
that said to the country, "Wait a minute. Wait a
minute. Are we going to destroy some of the
prettiest areas of our coastline in exchange for
that?" If people think about Big Sur, and then
think about what we could do to damage Big
Sur, then people relate to that.
We're in the Information Age. There's a lot
about the Information Age that I hate, particu-
larly in politics. I think there's too much money
that's now used in politics to try to get your mes-
sage across. But we're stuck there, and that's what
the future is all about.
This isn't about grassroots. With all due respect
to all of you, this isn't about grassroots communi-
cation at your level. All of you are •well informed.
All of you know what the crisis is. What you've
got to do is get to the public. And the only way
you get to the public is through the media. This
means that instead of having programs that focus
on the latest scandal or the latest killing or the
latest three-headed monster, we've got to get
them to focus on the dangers that are involved
•with the ocean and develop the kind of series
that the American public can look at, and then
bring pressure on their representatives to deal
with this issue. That's the only way you're going
to deal with this kind of situation.
Captain Bill Amaru
Thank you. I've been listening to these com-
ments concerning the best way to be organized
to approach the problem. And I sense that we're
nibbling around the edges—although I must say
the nibbles are being delivered by some giant
bluefin tuna and white sharks in the room!
My comment •would be this—and it goes
toward the cause and not the symptom. I'd prefer
to see my fishery run under a department of gov-
ernment that has at its root the belief that sus-
tainable protection is necessary, rather than
exploitation. I'm under the Department of
Commerce as a commercial fisherman. It doesn't
make sense to me as we're trying to rebuild the
fish stock that we have commerce as a root.
My comment would be this, Mr. Secretary.
Somehow, through work with President Clinton
and tomorrow with Vice President Gore, we let
them know that we believe that Interior and
Oceans is an appropriate title for the department
that you head. And that we have a strong leader
who can bring the elements—that we've been
hearing now seem to be splintered—under one
roof and act as a parent to an agency that will
then gather in all the people from NOAA, from
EPA, from these other distinct groups that are far
apart. And then when we have these kinds of
meetings you won't have to have 25 different
agencies all running around trying to coordinate.
It will be under one roof.
124 • NATIONAL OCEAN CONFERENCE
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Sarah Chasis
I wanted to insert some notes of caution
about this idea of a creation of an ocean fund—
not so much the idea of the fund, but •where the
revenues would come from. This was an issue in
Congress in the early '90s.There has been re-
peated talk of using offshore oil revenues as a way
to fond this kind of fund, and our concerns are
that it not be structured so as to provide an
incentive for offshore drilling in sensitive areas.
That's a major concern. That's the way these have
always been proposed from Don Young and oth-
ers. I think we have to be very, very cautious.
Second, the uses to which a fond like that
would be put would need to be very carefully
spelled out. And there would need to be clear and
careful oversight of how the money was spent.
Third, we'd have to be very cautious that just
by creating a fund, we wouldn't be diverting
monies that are currently appropriated for our
clean water and CZM [coastal zone manage-
ment] and other programs. And that the fund
wouldn't be used as justification for not continu-
ing to fond those programs.
Debra Williams
Hello. My name is Debra Williams. I have the
privilege of representing Secretary Babbitt in
Alaska. I have a series of three quick rhetorical
questions the panel members can answer that will
lead me to an observation that will lead me to a
question for the panelists.
Alaska is proud to claim 50 percent of the
coastline of the United States. There is one
marine ecosystem in the United States that boasts
the largest commercial production of fishing—75
percent, that boasts the largest aggregation of
marine mammals in the United States, and that
boasts the largest aggregation of international
birds in the world. While I'm sure many people
in this audience "would answer Bering Sea, which
is the correct answer, you could stop a thousand
people in Omaha, ask them that question, and
how many people would answer the Bering Sea?
You'd be lucky you if you get one or two.
The challenge we face in Alaska with respect
to our marine ecosystems—fortunately many of
them are commercial—is how to keep them
flourishing. We're not, for the most part, in crisis.
We have some significant blinking yellow lights,
but we're not in the emergency room. We're preg-
nant, or just about conceived, and we're in the
doctor's room. And we're just asking for vitamins,
please, so that we don't have our child in ICU.
That's our big challenge, and I have two ques-
tions. One for Mr. Panetta: How, when we're not
in crisis, do we convince the American people
that the marine ecosystems in Alaska should have
an opportunity to flourish? Here's a subquestion.
Do you think in coming up with an oceans pol-
icy that one of the planks of that policy could be
to recognize the intrinsic right of marine mam-
mals, birds, and other marine species to flourish
in the marine environment? Of course, that
means that—while we all know and appreciate
and recognize and embrace the anthropocentric
values of the marine environment—should this
plank be considered?
The Honorable Leon Panetta
If you say the Bering Sea isn't in crisis, but if
we don't get sufficient funding, if we don't get
the policies we need, then surely we may very
•well be in the ICU. The problem you have here
is it's not just leadership from the administration.
It's leadership in the Congress, and the Congress
basically divides the stuff up and plays jurisdic-
tional games with each other. They decide how
they're going to fond and •whom they're going to
cut. There's no kind of unifying force that forces
these different members to really recognize the
overall oceans policy that you've got to have.
I'm not •worried about Bruce Babbitt. I'm not
worried about Bill Clinton. I'm not worried
about Al Gore. But I do worry about your chair-
man of the Appropriations Committee from
Alaska. I do worry about some of the chairmen
of these other subcommittees •who, very frankly,
don't sense that there's enough political pressure
out there to be able to put the proper fonds into
these programs.
How do you build that pressure behind them?
That's the fundamental question. And the only
way you do that is when their people and their
constituencies say to them, "Get off your butt. We
need to do something about oceans protection."
That's the only •way you get it done.
Mimi McConnell
My name is Mimi McConnell, and I've
worked for many years on coastal issues. What I'd
like to point out is that the nonprofit organiza-
tions—that are in the interior part as •well—are a
great power we haven't talked much about today.
We've talked about the end result, how we •want
the Congress and our so-called leaders to carry
out what the people want. But how do we
inform the people about not only how they
should be living their lives, and not using poi-
sons,, and how to take care of their septic systems,
and all of that, but how to have the political
clout? This is •where the nonprofit organiza-
Ocean Environment and Health • 125
-------
Eighty percent of
pollution entering the
marine environment
comes from land-based
sources, including
runoff from city
streets, suburban
lawns, and rural farms.
tions—we who get along basically on a shoe-
string—are doing powerful things and coura-
geous things.
I'd like to suggest the EPA do even more on
your educational programs. I know from my own
experience that you can take a small sum of
money and you—the EPA—can then take our
product so that everybody isn't reinventing the
wheel. That's one of the curses of small organiza-
tions. They always have to start from ground zero.
I think that's a crucial way to start to get the
American people much more informed and
much more galvanized so that they'll beat upon
their people in Congress, because that's where
the power is. Politics is always right at home. Let's
put more emphasis on the nonprofits, help them
do a better job.
I
Fred Hansen
Mimi, thanks very much. "We obviously think
that that's a very effective part of our education
and outreach, but I also think it's important to be
able to think in the broadest context. We had
2,600 warnings this last year in terms of beach
closings that, my guess is, most people didn't
know existed. By the end of this conference,
you'll be hearing about a major effort to make
that information much more accessible to the
public—as a way to be able to help encourage
and allow for nonprofits and others to be able to
engage that broader public in these very issues. I
agree with you completely in terms of that seed
money helping.
Dr. Jane Lubchenco
I'd like to comment very briefly on the anal-
ogy between human gestation and changes in
ecosystems. We know a huge amount about
what happens when a baby is developing in
utero. We understand what those changes are. We
know how to understand the warning signals
about something that's going wrong, and we
know, in many cases, what kind of mid-course
corrections to take when problems arise. In con-
trast, our information base for marine systems is
nothing like it is for human physiology. We sim-
ply don't have the same kind of information,
number one.
Number two, we know that marine ecosys-
tems often change very dramatically, very quickly.
There are real threshold events that happen in
marine ecosystems. And the collapses of many of
the fisheries that we've seen have come almost
instantaneously where people thought that, in
fact, things were pretty hunky-dory.
There's a very real difference between manag-
ing human health and managing marine ecosys-
tems—in part because of the difference in the
knowledge base, but also in part because of the
nonlinearities of these systems. That's one of our
biggest challenges, and it means that we need to
think about oceans and deal with ocean manage-
ment in a very different way from what we have
in the past.
We need to be able to see early signs of
change. We need to be much more proactive.
We need to take a much more precautionary
approach and not allow changes to happen until
all of a sudden there's a crisis. We need, in fact, to
err on the side of caution—to be much more
precautionary. We need, in part, to change the
•way all of us—and the public in particular—
think about ocean ecosystems. They don't just
change very slowly, and you can't often reverse
126 • NATIONAL OCEAN CONFERENCE
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changes that have been set in motion. They're
fundamentally different.
The Honorable Bruce Babbitt
Jane, I want to give just a brief example of
what you've spoken about, and it comes from
Guam. The coral reefs offshore of Guam repro-
duce just once each year, and they do it in a two-
hour period, seven to ten days after the first full
moon in July.
At that little point, packets of sperm and eggs
are discharged. They float to the surface and then
explode into the mix on the ocean surface. Fer-
tilization happens at that moment or not at all for
the entire year. Polluted runoff, freshwater dis-
charge at the surface and that year is gone in that
two-hour period. The result in Guam is that
many reefs now are headed toward becoming
fossil reefs. There are no children.
Dr. Daniel Baden
That's actually a very good scientific observa-
tion, because, in fact, for years and years, no one
knew how coral reproduced. Once that was
determined, we were able to say, "Yes, the fertil-
ization takes place at the surface, and if pollutants
are at the surface, then we have a total loss of that
year's recruitment."
In educational terms and in scientific terms,
let me say that talking to Larry [Merculieff] here,
we don't know if the Bering Sea is healthy. And
the reason we don't know is because some of the
scientific methods that we use to statistically
measure and mathematically calculate that did
not succeed the collapse of two fisheries in
Canada, where a year and a half after the fish-
eries, it was already too late. They said it was
going to be too late, and it was already too late.
What we need to do in that case then, as Dr.
Olden stated much earlier, is to enable the sci-
ence-based funding aspect to take on the policy
development aspect, so we can have the good sci-
ence necessary for making good policy.
Duane Silverstein
My name is Duane Silverstein of the Goldman
Foundation. As a recommendation coming from
this session, I'd like to endorse the concept that <
Jane Lubchenco raised about no-take marine
reserves, -which has been successful for thousands
of years in the small Pacific islands with the
indigenous people. In western culture, the leader
of that is New Zealand.
My question for Bill is that when the no-take
reserves were established in New Zealand, the
fishing community was very much opposed to
them generally. And now they're very much for
them, because they see it leading to an increase in
stock. How can we get the fishing community to
support that in the U.S., so that these become
politically feasible?
Captain Bill Amaru
I have a brief answer to that question, and it's
a great question. Thanks for asking it.
In New England, as I mentioned in my dis-
cussion, we closed substantial portions of the
banks. Initially, the fishermen -were against it,
because they were boxed out of their traditional
fishing grounds. Now, almost to a one, they're in
favor of keeping the areas closed. We've created de
facto sanctuaries by doing a management strategy
that was designed to protect species. The fisher-
men are in favor of it because it's producing
results—excellent results—that I outlined in my
discussion.
I'd say this to your question, specifically. How
do you do it elsewhere in the country? Use New
England as an example, for starters. Send them
up, and we'll show them what we did, how we
did it, and now what we're getting for results.You
have to have the will of the people in the man-
agement councils that will be deciding on these
areas. You have to work with the people in the
sanctuary departments to identify critical habitat
that you can get the biggest bang for the buck
from. You don't need to close the entire area. In
some cases, they can be very specific locations
where you have the most critical habitat pro-
tected. We tried to do that with our work, and
we think we've done it.
Eiilly D. Causey
Eleven months ago we implemented a man-
agement plan in the Florida Keys where we're
using no-take areas. We've set up a three-level
monitoring program, and already we're anecdo-
tally seeing positive changes.
To get to your question, the -way to get the
fishermen on board along with the other stake-
holders is to bring them in at the beginning and
work with them every step of the way. It can't
just be lip service. It can't be just artificial. It has
to clearly be with them involved in a role.
We've started a process now we call Tortugas
2000 to establish a second ecological reserve of
large size in the Tortugas area to the western end
of the sanctuary. Already -we have the fishermen
at the table. The main thing is—and this is to the
environmental conservation community—we all
have to play by the same rules. Number one,
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Ocean Environment and Health • 127
-------
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don't start talking geography or percentage.
Rather, you should start setting up criteria and
objectives, and then you have everyone talking
about what you're trying to do and identifying
commonly to the goal. That's how you bring the
fishermen in.You turn to the fishermen for their
wise advice because they've been out there and
they know the area. And that's what we're doing
now to bring the fishermen on board at the
beginning of our process.
Wolcott Henry
Wolcott Henry, Munson Foundation. One
of the issues regarding affected areas is enforce-
ment. One of the facts that comes at us is
maybe 30 percent of protected areas have any
enforcement globally. I was just wondering what
would the potential for using our military and
Coast Guard be for that. I know it's a little "out
there," but if we don't need money, let's put per-
haps the Navy and Coast Guard to work espe-
cially in the legal realm.
Captain Bill Amaru
In our case, the Coast Guard is the agency
that does the patrolling, and they're extremely
effective, primarily because the fines now are so
dramatic that fishermen simply choose not to
take that risk. Plus you don't have to take the risk
when the fishing is getting better.
Tom Malone
Thank you. Tom Malone from, the University
of Maryland Center for Environmental Science.
We've been reflecting on one issue, and a lot of
issues we've been talking about have to do with
disclosure of information between various groups.
One of the issues that has just almost been touched
on by Jane and Dan a little bit is the fact that
we're functioning blind at just about all levels—
whether you're talking about scientists, policy-
makers, or managers. This isn't the only problem,
but it's a big problem that we're not taking the
right kinds of measures in the environment with
the right kind of frequencies to get into seriously
talking about outcasting and forecasting environ-
mental change or linkages between land use and
what's going on with the water.
My question is that the technology is there all
the way from the sensors to telemetry to visual-
ization to assimilation models. Why can't we
combine our resources to focus in on that issue
in terms of just making the right kinds of mea-
surements? Where would the National Weather
Service be without having anemometers?
Larry Merculieff
Again, bringing another perspective on this,
northern fur seals in the Bering Sea have been
the most studied marine mammal in the entire
world. We have over 100 years of research with
comprehensive data in every single aspect of fur
seals, and scientists from four different countries
have been studying that. Even after that, we still
don't understand why fur seals have declined 60
percent from their historical peaks. When we
look at the situation, we find that the amount of
variables in creation is so huge that it's impossible
to determine which factor is more important
than another. For example, of the organisms in
the world seas, the most abundant are sea viruses.
Nobody studies them. How do we know if
they're not being ignored as a significant compo-
nent of the environment, which we believe they
are? I think that we need to start having some
humility in the process.
Dr. Tyrus Cobb
My name is Dr. Tyrus Cobb. I'm president of
Yosemite National Institutes, and we're an official
partner of Secretary Babbitt. We're the National
Park Service's only multi-park partner.
I'd like to touch on a point I don't think has
really been emphasized today. And that goes back
to the education, the role of nonprofits. I'd like to
see an endorsement for this aspect of it, because
we've spoken so much on specific issues. What
we try to do is bring 30,000-plus people a year
through our experiential programs. Two of our
campuses, Olympic and Marin Headlands, are
located in marine sanctuaries. So we stress marine
education very heavily. The output is designed to
ensure that school groups—which come five
days, five nights—walk away with a sense of spirit
of conservation and a sense of personal steward-
ship for the environment.
It seems to me that when we're talking about
building a sympathetic public for the future that
will join us in order to make the change that
Congressman Panetta talked about, that we
don't do it unless we have built up this sympa-
thetic public through this experience—and, in
our case, informal environmental education.
One of the tasks that was laid out before this
conference was that we should have concerted
efforts to introduce environmental studies into
all levels of form and curricula in order to elim-
inate environmental illiteracy, increase environ-
mental awareness, and promote environmental
advocacy. I'd like to see that factor woven into
our discussions as well.
128 • NATIONAL OCEAN CONFERENCE
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Dr. Daniel Baden
Many of the federal agen-
cies—NIH, NSF [National
Science Foundation], and oth-
ers—already have educational
programs in place—K-
through-12 programs, high
school teacher programs, etc.
In fact, in most of these agen-
cies, the centers, programs, or
concentrations of experts
actually do this already. Those
are already on a federal fund-
ing basis, so success is variable.
Those all do exactly what
you're talking about—getting
that educational work down
into the kindergarten-
through-12 grade levels.
The Honorable Leon Panetta
Let me suggest one possibility that might help.
I know when we were dealing with AIDS, part of
the problem of dealing -with AIDS research was
that it was located in many different parts of the
federal government—in [the] Veterans [Adminis-
tration] and NSF and NIH—and you never had a
sense of what exactly was going for AIDS.
One of the things, Bruce [Babbitt], I think
that might be a good idea is to consolidate a
budget on oceans, and even separate it out in the
budget at the federal level so that you really do
see what all the programs are that relate to the
oceans. Then you know what the consolidated
number is that you're after in terms of funding. It
will help. I think instead of having this battle over
who does what, you can at least see it in one
place, what is being devoted at the federal level to
oceans research and education, etc. I think that
would help out the lobbying effort as well.
Billy D. Causey
I want to address the issue of education because
it's one that keeps coming up, and I think it's an-
other common thread that we can weave with one
of our other panels. In turning to the co-chairs of
this conference, the Navy has been extremely suc-
cessful over the years in reaching middle America
with their message of getting sailors from middle
America to ships on the coast. We need to tap into
that kind of educational success to get the message
to middle America that our national marine sanc-
tuaries, our oceans, and our estuaries are impor-
tant. However the Navy has done that, we need to
capitalize on that opportunity.
Yield Nichols
Hello. My name is Vicki Nichols, and I direct
Save-Our-Shores. Save-Our-Shores has been very
instrumental in sanctuary protection and in des-
ignation, so I very much understand the concern
and the quandary of how you get money into an
area that's already protected.
That leads me to another question about pro-
tection and then the implementation of these
measures. Can you give us some guidance as to
how we can actually implement the essential fish
habitat provisions? It looks like they're getting
weak; it looks like we might be losing them. It is
so important to really work on habitat. I bring
that to the panel.
Jake Merculief
I'm Jake Merculief. I'm mayor for the city of
St. Paul, Alaska. We have a Bering Sea pamphlet
here that lists four points on how we like to
manage the ecosystem in St. Paul. St. Paul Island
is in the middle of the Bering Sea, about 750
miles west of Anchorage, 200 miles west of the
Aleutian chain.
Gerald Barber
Thank you, sir. I'm Gerald Barber. I'm the
chairman of the National Wildlife Federation,
and I think that we've come to a consensus by
talking about several different things. One of
them was that we need more science, we need
more education, we need more enforcement.
On the education front, we have 700,000 hits
a week to our Web site in the National Wildlife
Federation, so we know about education. On
Ocean education
provides an exciting
means to draw children
in to science and
technology and a
commitment to the
stewardship of our
planet.
Photo: New York Aquarium
for Wildlife Conservation
Ocean Environment and Health • 129
-------
Healthy beaches,
estuaries, and oceans
depend on the health
of the upland areas,
like those bordering
the Columbia River
shown here, and on the
control of nonpoint and
point sources of
pollution.
enforcement, particularly the Clean Water Act,
we're real concerned that there's not good
enforcement in many cases, particularly when it
comes to enforcing mitigation that's already been
promised. I'd like to know, how do we get the
promised mitigation, not future promises? If we
can't get the past taken care of, I know we can't
get the future taken care of.
Peter Douglas
My name is Peter Douglas. I'm the director of
the California Coastal Program. I'm also the co-
chair of the Coastal Zone '99 conference. And I
appreciate the importance of leadership—Leon
[Panetta], Mr. Secretary [Babbitt], the administra-
tion—being here.
I'd suggest that you target Coastal Zone '99—
which is a biannual conference, a premier national,
international conference on coastal and ocean
management that's going to be held at the end of
July of 1999 in San Diego—as the forum to give a
report card on what actions have been taken to
follow up on this conference here in Monterey.
The Honorable Bruce Babbitt
Excellent. Good idea. Specific challenge. We'll
take that under advisement. We'll carry that to
our superiors.
Michael Wilson
Thank you, Mr. Secretary. My name is
Michael Wilson. I'm the director of the Depart-
ment of Land and
Natural Resources in
the state that our gov-
ernor distinguishes as
being managed as an
inland state—and actu-
ally, it's Hawaii.
I want to thank you
for the sanctuary pro-
gram. And I want to
endorse the idea that if
we're going to bring
together various inter-
ests for political devel-
opment, there is no
better way than with
the sanctuary. It brings
in enforcement. It
brings in education.
For us, it's creating a
partnership with fisher-
men. I'd suggest that,
referring to your ter-
restrial analogy, if we can increase the number of
sanctuaries—start thinking of them more as
national parks—it could be a tremendous point
of cultural inspiration so we can get organized
politically.
Cliff Curtis
My name is Cliff Curtis with the World Wild-
life Fund. I direct the toxic chemicals program.
Two points. The precautionary approach can
be a very exciting, dynamic framework for the
recommendations coming from this panel. Jane
[Lubchenco] alluded to it and others indirectly. I
hope in the co-chairs' and panel's recommenda-
tions, that's a key component of a symbol for
what's at stake here in terms of ocean manage-
ment and decision making.
Second, on toxic chemicals, several of you al-
luded to the land-based impacts in our coastal and
marine waters. It's a critical issue that needs to be
addressed at the national level through reductions
at the source, but it also needs to be addressed in-
ternationally. The U.S. needs to show leadership in
an upcoming global treaty negotiation that starts in
two •weeks in Montreal on this terribly important
subject of persistent organic pollutants. Thank you.
Richard Charter
My name is Pdchard Charter. I'm co-chair of
the National OCS [Outer Continental Shelf]
Coalition. I think I need to introduce a caution-
ary note to this quest for funding. There was
mention made earlier of a report from the OCS
130 • NATIONAL OCEAN CONFERENCE
-------
policy committee. I'd direct each of you to go to
the NFS "Web site, download this under "Impact,"
and go to page 9."What you'll find is a very inter-
esting set of formulas that provide incentives for
new offshore leasing, new offshore drilling. It says
the closer your community is to the drilling
activity, the more money you get. Particularly of
interest in Alaska, it says that, after the OCS pro-
gram in your state, if you're willing to allow new
offshore drilling or new production to existing
leases, you'll get more money.
This bill is going to be introduced by Con-
gressman Don Young in about two weeks. It is
being billed as a rehash of the Land and Water
Conservation Fund. And I'd suggest that as our
distinguished co-chairs return to the plenary ses-
sion and convey to the Vice President our need
for funding, we don't make a Faustian bargain
that undermines the moratorium that Mr. Panetta
explained to us was generated by Interior Secre-
tary James Watt 17 years ago. We come from a
coastal state that's protected by the OCS morato-
rium. That's any East Coast state, any West Coast
state, Alaska, and parts of Florida. Be very careful
about OCS impact assistance. It is a bargain with
the devil.
Linda Krop
I want to follow up on what Richard Charter
just said and ask for some real specific advice and
commitments from our illustrious guests here
today. My name is Linda Krop. I'm with the
Environmental Defense Center, which is a non-
profit political environmental law firm in Santa
Barbara, California. A lot of our work deals with
ofishore oil and gas facilities, which are a major
source of pollution in our ocean environment in
terms of air quality, spills from platforms and
pipelines, discharges of toxic chemicals, and now
platform disposal at sea.
We have great policies and laws at the state and
local levels. We need support from the federal gov-
ernment. Despite state bans on oil and gas leasing,
the federal government, every five years, pushes
more leasing off our coast. Despite state and local
policies against marine pollution, the federal gov-
ernment authorizes development off our coast.
We have different strategies to pursue. I have a
question for Mr. Panetta. Which of the following
do you think would be most effective in terms of
designating more marine sanctuaries: pursuing
legislation for a permanent ban on oil and gas
leasing, such as the Coastal Fisheries Protection
Act; administrative policies; or buying back leases?
I'd also like to hear from Secretary Babbitt. What
kind of commitment would you be willing to
make, given that these actions I'm talking about
have been taken by the Minerals Management
Service, which is under your oversight?
Dr. Pierce Flynn
I'm Dr. Pierce Flynn, director of the Surfrider
Foundation.! wanted to endorse the idea that
our healthy beaches and coastal waters are depen-
dent on healthy inland watersheds.
My question is for Congressman Panetta and
Secretary Babbitt. What are the administration
and Congress doing to increase welfare grazing,
mining, and timber-cutting subsidies on publicly
owned federal lands that contribute to nonpoint-
source pollution, and what are we doing to
increase economic incentives to business for
compliance?
Carl Safina
I'm Carl Safina from the National Audubon
Society. Jane [Lubchenco] identified these follow-
ing problems: nitrogen, phosphorus, algal blooms,
destruction of ocean habitats, invasive species, etc.
I'd submit that these are not problems. These are
symptoms, and the root problem is overpopula-
tion and overconsumption.
Another quick comment is that some themes
that have emerged are that this administration
hasn't enough money, this administration hasn't
enough science, and Congress has too many
Republicans. That Republican-dominated Con-
gress gave to this administration the Sustainable
Fisheries Act. I'd like to posit, since we don't have
time for questions, that the National Marine
Fisheries Service isn't faithfully implementing the
intent of the Sustainable Fisheries Act, with
regard to ending overfishing and rebuilding
depleted populations. Thank you.
Panelists' Closing Remarks
Sarah Chasis
I want to address the fisheries issues because
we're very concerned right now about overfish-
ing, bycatch, and essential fish habitat. We're see-
ing the National Marine Fisheries Service and
NOAA and the White House appear to back
down in terms of really sticking to the mandate
of the Sustainable Fisheries Act.
We need support from scientists, from fisher
people, from not just the environmental commu-
nity to reverse this and to make sure that the
fisheries are managed in a sustainable way and
that serious compromises aren't made at this very
critical time in the implementation of the act. I
look to all of you for support on that point.
Ocean Environment and Health • 131
-------
Marine reserves, or
"no-take" areas, where
marine life is fully
protected have
successfully allowed
natural coral reef
populations to recover
from the damage
caused by human
activities in certain
areas.
Dr. Daniel Baden
For those issues that we already know about,
the solutions we ought to be implementing. For
those that we don't, we ought to be developing
the science-based measurements, correlating with
effects, developing the solutions, and then imple-
menting. Thank you.
Larry Merculieff
I don't come from a place that subscribes to the
belief or paradigm that we can control or manage
ecosystems. I think the only thing that is under
our influence is the ability to influence human
behavior, and there are no scientific studies being
done on that in terms of the environment.
Billy D. Causey
I have to point out that there have been sev-
eral themes that I've picked up on, and one is the
concept of marine protected areas and marine
reserves. I think that we need to continue to be a
leader and forge ahead in adopting this concept
to protect the biodiversity of our marine envi-
ronment.
Captain Bill Amaru
I'm going to try to answer one of the ques-
tions. It was the first one posed by the director of
Save-Our-Shores.As the vice chairman of the
habitat community on the New England Fishery
Council—and, by the way, it's the councils who
have the responsibility for drafting the wording of
protecting habitat areas—we're not giving in or
letting up on our determination to identify
essential fish habitat and to make changes in fish-
ing activities. I don't know about the other coun-
cils. I know that the National Marine Fisheries
Service, as part of its responsibility to the country,
has addressed comments made by people who are
in the nonfishing sector concerning what we're
doing with essential fish habitats. I think there
may be a rush to judgment on exactly how much
is being let go on this issue.
Allen Garcia
It was very interesting that someone brought
up the fact about subsidized industries. Agricul-
ture is heavily subsidized for one thing: producing
commodities. Why don't we take the commodity
program and turn it into an environmental pro-
gram. Then it will pay farmers to be the good
stewards of the Earth that we really are. The
money is in place. It wouldn't cost the American
public one dime more.
Dr. Jane Lubchenco
Three quick points. First, I'd urge us not to
unnecessarily politicize ocean issues. They're far
too important. We need broad bipartisan support
to move ahead. Second, Carl [Safina] drew our
attention to the overarching drivers of population
and overconsumption, and to that I'd add inequity
and ignorance, that are right on the money. We
have to address those issues. Third, I endorse the
suggestion that the single most powerful manage-
ment and conservation action that we could take
at this point would be
to establish no-take
marine protected areas.
- ' fe-^
The Honorable
Leon Panetta
I want to respond to
a couple of issues.
Number one, the OCS
issue is an issue close to
my heart because in the
year 2000, the morato-
ria that was put in
place expires. I think it's
very important that
rather than hope that
you can develop sanc-
tuaries or protected
areas that ultimately
would solve a lot of the
problem, what's neces-
132 • NATIONAL OCEAN CONFERENCE
-------
sary is for the administration to issue an executive
order that continues the moratoria on offshore
drilling. George Bush could do it. I think Bill
Clinton can do it as well. :
On the issue of subsidies, I think it comes
back to the necessity to have an Oceans Task
Force at the federal level. Unless you put all of
these people in one room, and unless they face
each other, you have no idea what kinds of
incentives one department is doing that conflict
with policies in another department.You've got
to put people in the same room. They've got to
know what the ocean strategy is. Ultimately, that
kind of coordination is absolutely essential if
you're going to be able to develop some kind of
common oceans policy at the federal level.
Fred Hansen
There were so many comments.We'll be weav-
ing them into our report to the Vice President
this afternoon.
Two points I'm struck particularly by. First is
that there are four panels ^>r four different discus-
sions going on this morning. We, by far, in this
group have a disproportionate number of people
in this room because of how very critical the
health and ecological issues are around oceans. I
think that is—just by numbers, if nothing else—
underscoring the importance of the issues we've
been discussing.
Number two is that, as both Jane [Lubchenco]
and Carl [Safina] said, we need to be able to
make sure we focus on the problems, not the
symptoms. We've identified a lot of different parts
of the problems and some symptoms. We'll be
pulling them together and making recommenda-
tions on them.
Thank you all. This has been very, very valu-
able. A special thanks to our panelists.
Issue Forum Summary
Report to the Vice President
(Presented during the Cross-Cutting
Issues Plenary Session)
Vice President Al Gore
The Deputy Administrator of the EPA, Fred
Hansen, is prepared with the report of the panel.
I know Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt
was with you all this morning, but left to attend
his daughter's graduation. Of course, the EPA
Administrator, Carol Browner, is here now. But
Fred, you're kind of the continuity on this panel,
and you've got the report of the panel, correct?
Fred Hansen
I do, Mr. Vice President. It is the environment
and health panel. Although certainly taking noth-
ing away from the other three panels, it's impor-
tant to note that the attendance at this panel was
the largest among all of the panels. I think it under-
scores how the people in this room believe that
the environment and health issues are absolutely
critical to long-term sustainability, and it is essen-
tial to be able to protect this very vital resource.
The causes of the ocean crisis are real. And I
think our panel did put it clearly in terms of cri-
sis that the oceans are under assault from pollu-
tion that comes from both the land and the air,
destructive practices from dragging of certain nets ;_
or other fishing practices, overfishing, and cer-
tainly habitat loss. As one of our panel members, '
Jane Lubchenco, said, systematic changes are hap- '£-
pening to our oceans. We're changing the chemi- jj.
cal, physical, and biological composition of the ^
oceans. ;
Some of the things that people saw as the ^
symptoms of the issues were: fl
II First, the damage to the quality of the beaches,
the oceans, and the estuaries is showing up in
beach closings and contaminated shellfish
beds, contaminated waters, dead zones, and
harmful algal blooms—a series of issues that
are of very real concern, certainly in 1996, as
we saw beach closings of 2,600 across this
country, and increasing in 1997, as well as over
2,200 fish advisories that were issued for fish
consumption in 1996, again increasing in 1997.
• Second, the symptoms also pointed to the loss
of the carrying capacity of the oceans, declin-
ing fisheries, loss of habitat, loss of biodiversity,
and invasion of exotic species. All of these again
underscore the issue of declining capacity.
• Last, the panel spoke to the lack of under-
standing on the part of the American public
as a whole about how important the oceans
are, how critical they are to our long-term
sustainability.
The specific areas that the panel focused on
that needed to be addressed broke down as fol-
lows:
• The first dealt with how we manage—or, in
some view, how we don't manage—effectively
our ocean resources. As one looks at the issue
of healthy beaches, estuaries, and oceans, we
understand that they depend to a large degree
on the health of the upland areas and the con-
trol of nonpoint-source pollution, additional
controls on point-source pollution, and incen-
tives as ways to be able to address those issues.
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"We also beKeve that the lining up of the pub-
lic interest •with the threats and the risks that
are facing our oceans was particularly impor-
tant. There is the need to bring together ocean
interests and competing interests from multi-
ple stakeholders, to be able to produce a uni-
fied powerful force to build political will for
action. In that, a key ingredient was to be able
to have broader information for the public
about what those risks are.
"Within that management of the resource, we
need to be able to focus on the role that gov-
ernment plays and the disparity across the fed-
eral government and also among the federal,
state, and local governments—the fact that
those are not coordinated. There is a need to
be able to have a much better integration both
across and among those different governmen-
tal levels.
We need to be able to build substantially in
the areas of partnerships.You've heard this
from each of the panels. There is the need to
be able to bring all interests together—from
indigenous people who are relying upon the
oceans for their livelihood, for their very lives,
to commercial and sports fishery interests, to
the environmental and community interests, to
shipping, to all parties.
Next, the panel discussed education and the
need to be able to bring a much higher level
of understanding to all Americans about the
need for protection of the oceans and a
much better understanding of the health of
our oceans.You announced this morning
some of the efforts that are in fact being
taken to be able to address more information
to the public—absolutely critical.
We also focused on research and the need not
only to be able to have a better understanding
of exactly what the risks are to the ocean
environment, but also to be able to ensure that
research and that information lead us to be
able to address better management decisions,
to be able to manage the resource better.
Last, there was some discussion about the need
for additional funding. The concept of being
able to have this tied, as some have suggested,
to any form of royalty or extraction met with
large amounts of skepticism in terms of
\vhether or not that would in fact build
incentives that did not appropriately balance
the long-term protections of the ocean
resource.
The specific recommendations were:
• To establish a federal Ocean Task Force to
coordinate national ocean actions and the
policies of all parties.
• To be able to coordinate much better the fed-
eral agencies, in terms of their research bud-
gets, to use existing structures within the
administration, and to coordinate and better
focus those efforts.
• To construct a national network for marine
protected areas.
• To establish systems of no-take marine areas as
a way to be able to further protect sensitive
marine areas.
• To implement the Clean Water Action Plan
that you and the President have so strongly
supported and have reflected in the budgets
that are before Congress now.
• To be able to finally report back to the
Coastal Zone '99 meeting—the next year's
meeting—what the results are that have come
from the actions being recommended here
today. There are obviously very real interests in
terms of being able to make sure that we have
overall a comprehensive approach to oceans, to
be able to balance and involve all different
parties, and to be able to make a science to
address problems both to understand and to
better refine our responses.
• Last, again, public education is necessary to
better address all of these issues and have the
support of the American public.
Questions from
the Vice President
(Presented during the Cross-Cutting
Issues Plenary Session)
Vice President Al Gore
Well, thank you very much, Fred, and thank
you, Administrator Browner, for what you all
have been doing at EPA on these issues. One of
the announcements that I made this morning had
to do with a new Web site that EPA is putting up
to give the public—all of us—the chance to
instantly find out about the health of beaches that
we might want to take our families to. If there's
some problem or beach closure, then the infor-
mation is there immediately. It was up as of today,
right? Do you know the address?
Carol Browner
You go to the EPA site.
134 • NATIONAL OCEAN CONFERENCE
-------
Vice President A! Gore
Okay. If you don't know that one, you can get
to that through the White House Web page,
which is "whitehouse.gov." Then you go to EPA,
and then you go to Beach Watch.
I want to call on Sarah Chasis, a senior attor-
ney with the Natural Resources Defense Council.
She has a lot of experience in serving as an attor-
ney for this environmental group, working to deal
with the problems of pollution in the oceans and
decline in fisheries and coastal pollution and the
like. In that capacity you've been involved in these
ocean and coastal issues for quite a while. In your
opinion, based on your experience, what is the
most important thing that the federal government
and state governments can do to address problems
that result in these beach closures and fish kills
and loss of marine habitat?
Sarah Chasis
They need to do a better job of cleaning up
the sources of pollution. We're still seeing un-
treated or poorly treated sewage and polluted
runoff from agricultural and urban areas entering
our coastal and ocean waters.
In the meantime, states need to more compre-
hensively monitor and notify the public when
there are contamination problems in our beaches
or in our fisheries and shellfisheries.We think
there needs to be a national safety standard that
•will guide the states and standards for •what con-
stitutes an adequate monitoring and public notifi-
cation process. The people should have a right to
know what they're getting into and whether the
fish they catch are contaminated.
The Clean Water Action Plan that you and the
President released in February contains many
important elements that would address these
problems. What we see now as the challenge is to
secure funding for implementation of that plan.
We think that if Congress can authorize $200
billion for transportation projects, they should be
willing to appropriate half a billion dollars for
implementation of this.plan.We think the federal
agencies that have committed to quite specific
timetables for action need to adhere to those in
the implementation of that plan.
In terms of protecting marine habitat, we see
two very critical and important opportunities.
One is the newly amended nation's fishery law.
The Magnuson—Stevens Fishery Conservation
and Management Act provides a real opportunity
to enhance habitat protection. It has a provision
for the identification and protection of essential
fish habitat. We are somewhat concerned right
now that there is pressure to weaken implemen-
tation of that important provision, and we would
urge the administration to stand strong on that.
There were many panelists and members of
the audience at our environment session this
morning who strongly believed that another
important mechanism for habitat protection is
the creation of these marine reserves in each
region of the country where there would be no
take offish, and human activities, essentially,
would be put off limits. There has been experi-
ence reported in New England and Florida and
elsewhere that when this has been done, there has
been a resurgence of marine life in these areas,
and they can, in fact, contribute to sustainable
fisheries.
Those are important mechanisms we see to
help address some of these environmental issues.
Vice President AI Gore
Very good. Thank you. I remember coming
out here to this location in 1992, right after I
had worked •with Leon Panetta in support of his
effort to establish the national marine sanctuar-
ies, the largest of •which is here. That's been a big
advance, hasn't it?
The Administra-
tion's Clean Water
Action Plan com-
mits to a net gain
of 100,000 acres
of wetlands annu-
ally by the year
2005.
Photo: S.C. Delaney,
U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency
Ocean Environment and Health • 135
-------
ji^!|fi of protection
that's necessary. We
need the will to
Jight and continue
fo fight for the
protection ofoiw
oceans.
-Ttte Honorable
Leon Panetta
Sarah Chasis
That's been tremendous. It's a great example
of how you can bring agencies and different lev-
els of government in an effort to more compre-
hensively and effectively manage a resource. I
think we need to see more of that experience
replicated elsewhere.
Vice President Al Gore
Now, years ago there used to be a saying, long
since thoroughly discredited, that the solution to
pollution is dilution. A lot of people had it in their
minds that there's so much water in the ocean,
you're not going to do that much damage if you
just let some pollution drain off into the oceans.
Now tell us succinctly why that's so wrong.
Sarah Chasis
I think Jane Lubchenco on our panel this
morning was very eloquent in describing how
excessive nutrient pollution has really changed
the chemical content of the ocean and has con-
tributed to the proliferation of toxic algal blooms
and dead zones. We have a dead zone the size of
the State of New Jersey in the Gulf of Mexico
during the summer months.
Vice President Al Gore
And it's growing rapidly.
Sarah Chasis
Yes. And pathogens. We have beach closings
mainly due to the fact that we've got disease-
carrying bacteria and viruses entering our coastal
waters. So, clearly, dilution is not the answer.
We're seeing acceleration of contamination
because of the pressure on our coast from so
many more people living in our coastal areas.
Vice President Al Gore
I know that in some quarters, people some-
times get angry at what you all do, and frustrated.
I'd just like to say on behalf of millions of people,
there are lots of us who appreciate what your
group and other environmental groups do in
helping to marshal the forces that are needed to
clean up the water and the air, and we appreciate
that very much. Please keep it up.
I'd like to call now on Larry Merculieff, who
is an indigenous people activist with the Bering
Sea Coalition. Mr. Merculieff, you've spoken of
the valuable resources in the Bering Sea and of
the need to seek traditional knowledge and wis-
dom from Alaskan natives in understanding that
sea and to engage Alaskan natives in collecting
new information. Could you please elaborate?
Larry Merculieff
Yes, I'd be glad to, Mr. Vice President. In the
Bering Sea, our people have noted at least 16
major species in a state of severe and sustained
decline. The magnitude and geographic spread of
these declines on the Russian and U.S. sides of
the Bering Sea are such that they threaten to
fundamentally restructure the Bering Sea as we
know it and threaten the viability of the coastal
cultures in a way very similar to what's happen-
ing to South American rainforest cultures.
Our people have been out there for at least
500 generations, and we have traditional knowl-
edge and wisdom passed along from each genera-
tion to each generation. We also are raised in a
way that we have a holistic view. We see things in
the environment in terms of connections.
In the Bering Sea, we have an unprecedented
opportunity to connect—given today's technolo-
gies in telecommunications—all these coastal
communities around the entire marine ecosys-
tem in a formalized network of information
sharing. If we were able to do that, we'd be able
to, for example, perhaps function as an early
warning system and identify environmental and
biological anomalies very quickly and over a
very large area. We can also have a big-picture
view of the Bering Sea, very quickly, in a way
that we can identify whether or not an anomaly
is an isolated incident or something that's ecosys-
tem-wide. I believe that these kinds of things can
help formulate the scientific hypotheses to better
target what really is going on.
Fundamentally, what this is all about is whether
or not we have a process in the systems of
marine science that embraces different ways of
viewing the world and different ways of think-
ing. I think if we do that, we're going to come
up with much better solutions to what's going
on in our marine systems.
Vice President Al Gore
Thank you very much. Now, incidentally, they
say that the effects of global warming are more
pronounced in the higher latitudes. Have you and
your people noticed changes in this generation
compared to the previous ones and the onset of
spring, the warmth, etc.?
136 • NATIONAL OCEAN CONFERENCE
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Larry Merculieff
Yes, we have very significant changes. Some of
the information passed along for generations goes
back, in some cases, a thousand years. All of the
native peoples, particularly in the further north ,
latitudes, the Siberian Inupiat and the Inuit peo-
ples have noted that sea ice is thinning very fast
and in a way that has never been known in
memory for a very long time.
We're also seeing very subtle but significant
changes in the behavior of animals, where they're
moving, reproduction, etc. They re very, very sub-
tle, but we picked those up. We believe that in the
Bering Sea and in all northern latitudes, global
warming probably is going to be identified
quicker in terms of significant impacts than any
other place in the globe.
Vice President Al Gore
A lot of the scientists confirm what you say.
One of the reasons, as they explain it, is that the
effect is magnified in areas •with a lot of snow
cover because when the snow melts at the edge,
there's a great big change in the amount of sun-
light that's reflected. Where, as more than 90 per-
cent of the sun's heat as well as light bounces off
snow and ice when it melts, more than 90 per-
cent is absorbed by the dark earth and by the
dark sea. That magnifies the extra heat right at
the edge of that ice and speeds up the ice melt-
ing and kind of magnifies the phenomenon
there. That's one of the main reasons they say that
that warming trend will be significantly more
pronounced in the Arctic and in parts of the
Antarctic also.
Of course, since the climate
system of the Earth is partly an
engine that balances out the
heat around the •world and
moves heat from the equator
toward the poles, if that tradi-
tional ratio of heat at the equa-
tor to coldness at the poles has
changed not evenly at every lat-
itude, but dramatically at the
poles and less dramatically at
the equator, then that ratio
changes. And some of the pat-
terns of wind and ocean cur-
rents and clouds and storms
that transfer heat and exchange
heat—some of those patterns
that have been stable for thou-
sands of years can be disrupted.
We had an event in the
White House earlier this week
•where the scientists from Jim Baker's agency,
NOAA, showed us the evidence that appears to
demonstrate that this global warming trend is
associated with much more frequent and much
stronger El Nino events. While more research
needs to be done to pin down the relationship
and explain it, we know that El Nino is driven
by heat, and if there's more heat in the system,
then that correlation is one that shouldn't be all
that surprising.
The real point is that if it's the way they think
it is, we could be seeing a lot more strong El
Ninos like the one this past year, and they could
be coming more frequently. That, in turn, has an
impact on the distribution of the species in the
ocean and what latitude these fish species are at.
There have been studies about the salmon mov-
ing much farther north, just to take one example.
Certainly the experience of your people is a
unique source of knowledge to try to better
understand all this, and I want to thank you.
Larry Merculieff
Mr.Vice President, I just want to say one last
thing. What you just said is absolutely true. The
El Nino events are so huge we already have a sit-
uation where the species are weakened because
of the decline, and our people throughout the
Bering Sea are now noting tens of thousands of
sea birds washing ashore dead on a monthly basis.
Vice President Al Gore
Maybe that will make some people wake up.
No one won't think it isn't a serious problem.
In far northern and
southern latitudes,
global warming may be
identified quicker, in
terms of significant
impacts on ecosystems,
than other regions of
the globe.
Photo: NOAA
Ocean Environment and Health • 137
-------
m
Cross-Cuttin
Ocean Programs
-------
Five cross-cutting issues were
key points of discussion during
the conference: ecosystem
health/sustainable use of
ocean and coastal resources,
research, Law of the Sea, and
ocean management.
CHAIR
VICE PRESIDENT AL GORE
OCEANS AND COMMERCE
THE HONORABLE D. JAMES BAKER
THE HONORABLE JOHN GRAYKOWSKI
PHILIP ANDERSON
THE HONORABLE MADELEINE Z. BORDALLO
CHARLES W. FOSTER
DR. M.R.C. GREENWOOD
ROGER MCMANUS
RICHARD DU MOULIN
THE HONORABLE RON SIMS
JEKABS "JAKE" P. VITTANDS
OCEANS AND GLOBAL SECURITY
THE HONORABLE JOHN H. DALTON
MELINDA L KIMBLE
THE HONORABLE DAVID A. COLSON
PAUL L KELLY
LEEA.KIMBALL
ADMIRAL JAMES M. LOY
PROFESSOR JOHN NORTON MOORE
ADMIRAL DONALD L. PILLING
RODYULOVIC
OCEAN EXPLORATION, EDUCATION, AND RESEARCH
THE HONORABLE KATIE McGINTY
DR. NEALLANE
DR. RITA R. COLWELL
DR. SYLVIA A. EARLE
DR. ROBERT GAGOSIAN
W. THOMAS MITCHELL
URSULA M. SEXTON
DR. WARREN M. WASHINGTON
ADMIRAL JAMES D. WATKINS
OCEAN ENVIRONMENT AND HEALTH
CAROL BROWNER
FREDHANSEN
CAPTAIN BILL AMARU
DR. DANIEL BADEN
BILLY D. CAUSEY
SARAH CHASIS
ALLEN GARCIA
DR. JANE LUBCHENCO
LARRY MERCULIEFF
THE HONORABLE LEON PANETTA
PHOTQrNOAA
-------
Cross-Cutting
Issues in
Ocean Programs
and Policy
[Editor's Note: Issue forum summary
reports and issue-specific questions
from the Vice President presented
during this plenary session can be
found in the preceding chapters on
commerce; global security; exploration;
education, and research; and environ-
ment and health. For page numbers,
see the contents list at the beginning
of th/s document]
Introductory Remarks
The Honorable Sam Farr
Good afternoon. I'm Congressman Sam Farr. It gives me a great deal of
pleasure to welcome you here to King Hall at this great naval facility here in
Monterey, the birthplace of California government.
I stand here as a Congressman in the shoes of Leon Panetta, my predeces-
sor, who served so ably in Congress and entered Congress with the Vice
President in 1976. Leon went on to become Chief of Staff to the President
and is now an activist citizen and a panelist.
The Vice President first visited the Monterey Peninsula in 1992 as a can-
didate for Vice President. At that time my daughter had the honor of intro-
ducing the Vice President, so I stand here today as the father of the daughter
who gets to introduce the Vice President. Perhaps this Vice President, to this
room, doesn't need any introduction. Nobody in this role in the White
House has ever done more for protecting the global interests in the environ-
ment than Al Gore.
Arriving in Congress in 1976 as an activist Congress member and then
getting elected to the Senate in 1984, Al Gore was the voice that started the
cry about deforestation of the rainforest and the need to pay attention to
global warming. Certainly those of us who have served on the Armed
Services Committee recognize his leadership in being able to unite the
defense industry in the United States to collaborate with the scientific com-
munity so that we could use the intelligence-gathering satellite systems and
other monitoring systems to enhance our understanding of the planet.
Vice President Al Gore has been an activist Vice President. And it gives
me a great deal of pleasure to introduce you to a person who is probably
the greatest friend of all the people in this community of interest here
today—whether they be the defense interest, the environmental interest, the
economic interest, or the social welfare interest—because today we are wel-
coming the person who has stood tall to bring the issues of environmental
science and ocean protection to the street level and interactions of all poli-
tics and all community discussions. Our great Vice President, Al Gore.
Vice President Al Gore presided over the
conference's plenary session on Cross-Cutting
Issues in Ocean Programs and Policy.
Photo: Official White House photograph
Vice President Al Gore
Thank you very much. I want to thank Sam Farr for his wonderful lead-
ership in this district and our country. He does a fantastic job. He's been
telling me about this conference since before it was even planned, and I'm
just thrilled to be here. I've been looking forward to it. Sam and I had a
140 • NATIONAL OCEAN CONFERENCE
-------
good time earlier today exploring the ocean bot-
tom with that remotely operated submersible
vehicle. It was really great. Anyway, thank you
very much.
As you mentioned, Sam, 'we're here today with
my long-time friend whose shoes you've filled,
who did such a great job as Director of OMB
[Office of Management and Budget], Chairman
of the Budget Committee before that, and then
Chief of Staff to the President—-Leon Panetta.We
had a great visit earlier today. I want to say to the
people of this congressional district that you've
developed a really good pattern of sending ter-
rific people to the Congress, and I really mean
that. Leon and Sylvia [Panetta] both had lunch
with me and Tipper [Gore], and we've been very,
very close for almost 23 years now. Anyway, it's
great to be here with both of you.
To my colleagues and President Clinton's
Cabinet; Administrator of the EPA [Environmen-
tal Protection Agency], Carol Browner; the Chair
of the Council on Environmental Quality, Katie
McGinty; the Secretary of the Navy, John Dalton;
Admiral James Loy, Commandant of the U.S.
Coast Guard; Administrator Jim Baker of NOAA
[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra-
tion]; and Rear Admiral Chaplin, Superintendent
of the Naval Postgraduate School, thank you very
much for your hospitality. To all of the other dis-
tinguished guest? who are here, I'll be calling on
many of you as this session goes on.
To every one of you, welcome to the nation's
very first National Ocean Conference. Just a
short time ago, as I mentioned, I was aboard the
MBARI's [Monterey Bay Aquarium Research
Institute's] Western Flyer, and I saw that remotely
operated vehicle and had a chance to steer it a
little bit. It was great fun and very impressive,
because it's able to gather specimens and geologi-
cal samples from the seabed. It's able to drill holes
in the bottom of the ocean floor and take broad-
cast-quality video, all at the same time. It made
me realize freshly just how much scientific
knowledge is now at our fingertips and how
important it is for us to harness it.
Let me move now, since we've heard a report
from each of the four panels, to some of the
issues that cover all of the panels.
Law of the Sea
Vice President Al Gore
We talked about that Law of the Sea earlier,
and I don't •want to dwell on it overly, but it
seems to be a very, very important issue that
touches all of these panels. The hallmark of the
Convention on the Law of the Sea is the fact that
it strikes a balance in setting an overall legal
framework for the high seas. I'd like to call on
John Norton Moore, who is on our Oceans and
Global Security panel. Professor Moore, you were
one of the U.S. negotiators for the Convention,
and you serve as a leading expert on the Law of
the Sea. "What has changed since that Convention
was first negotiated, and why is it significant to
U.S. economic interests?
Professor John Norton Moore
Mr. Vice President, America should adhere to
the Law of the Sea Convention now. You've
heard from Secretary Dalton and from Admiral
Loy and many others on the many important
U.S. oceans interests and environmental and secu- '
rity interests that are served by adherence and,
very important, that no U.S. interests 'would be
served at this time by continued nonadherence.
Our interests strongly favor the United States'
accepting the treaty at this time.Very rarely does
one find any major public policy issue—much
less a treaty—to be considered by a nation that
has virtually all benefits and virtually no costs as
you look at the difficult cost-benefit equation.
And this is one of those.
I think, Mr. Vice President, that in the broadest
sense, 'what's really at stake here is America's lead-
ership role in the world. Our nation did lead the
world in the very long negotiations lasting more
than a decade for the Law of the Sea Convention
and, as you indicated, in terms of what changed
yet another decade of renegotiation to get the
deep seabed mining issues right. And we have
done so. I think to some extent people haven't
noticed that fundamental second decade of rene-
gotiation that leaves us in this happy cost-benefit
position where we are now. As a nation, do we
choose to continue that leadership in the oceans
and the rule of law? Adherence to the Convention
now, I believe, Mr.Vice President, says that we do.
Vice President Al Gore
Thank you.
Research
Vice President Al Gore
Thank you. Let me move to another cross-
cutting issue. I want to call on Admiral Jim
Watkins. He's retired as an admiral; many of you
know this. He's President of the Consortium for
Oceanographic Research and Education, or
CORE, and I had the privilege of working with
Admiral Watkins when he had a distinguished
Cross-Cutting Issues • 141
-------
Photo inset: The
Honorable Bruce
Babbitt, Secretary of
the Interior and Ocean
Environment and
Health panel co-chair.
Top row—Ocean
Env/ronment and
Health panel—from
left to right: Dr. Daniel
Baden, Fred Hansen,
The Honorable Leon
Panetta, Allen Garcia,
Carol Browner, Larry
Merculieff, Dr. Jane
Lubchenco, Captain Bill
Amaru, Sarah Chasis,
Billy D. Causey.
Bottom row—Oceans
and Global Security
panel—from left to
right: Melinda L.
Kimble, Admiral James
M. Loy, Professor John
Norton Moore, Rod
Vulovic, The Honorable
John H. Dalton, Paul L.
Kelly, The Honorable
David A. Colson, Lee A.
Kimball, Admiral
Donald L Pilling.
Photo: Ronald Bell, U.S.
Department of Commerce
naval career as Chief of Naval Operations and
then served as Secretary of Energy under
President Bush. It's great to see you again,
Admiral.
We talked a little bit about making available
some of the classified data, or data that used to be
classified by the Navy and by the intelligence
agencies—data that have been carefully scrubbed
for national security reasons but are very valuable
for commercial interests and for scientific pur-
poses. I'd like to ask you, since you've been in
both worlds now—academia and the commercial
realm, as well as in the military and security and
intelligence area—what do you see as the poten-
tial benefits of the increased availability of these
formerly classified data sets and other Department
of Defense technology and knowledge and mak-
ing them available to the public?
Admiral James D. Watkins
Thank you, Mr. Vice President. As you well
know, in your presentation before the National
Oceanographic Society here not too long ago, we
saw the benefits of the first atlas of declassified
information from the Russian Navy and the
United States Navy in the Arctic. Our researchers
have never seen anything like that. They were
astonished to see the incredible isothermal layers
and the gateway, you might say, to the conveyor
belt that feeds the climate of the wo rid. We're
looking at the heart pump of the world, and we
know very little about it. Only the United States
Navy and the Russian Navy have that data. To
get that data now, with all of the archival interests
by researchers, by any other means, •would be
impossible. That's just an example.
We have the same thing today. I appreciate
your taking action on my recommendation this
morning in our panel, Mr. Vice President, on
public access to military data and technology. It's
at the heart of the building of the kind of model-
ing systems that we need to begin to get into the
management of things like biodiversity, things like
climate change, and so forth. In fact, I believe
very strongly that if we try to build the kind of
ocean observation system that was clearly the
consensus of our panel, we need desperately to
be able to monitor what's going on in a variety
of forms in the world. Unless we have access to
the archival data that exist—the volumes of infor-
mation that's there—we're going to make many
mistakes. As I said this morning in the panel, at
best, what •we're going to do is design a system
that's redundant; and, at worst, it's going to be
grossly misguided and very expensive.
There is a $16 billion investment just in the
SOSUS [Sound Surveillance System] array. This is
the big acoustic array from •which we used to
track the Russian submarines that are no longer
there. It has tremendous value for fisheries track-
ing, mammal tracking, seismic projections—the
kinds of things that predict tsunamis and the like.
This information can be sanitized and can be
moved. The United States Navy has just agreed
to a protocol where not only the old data are
142 • NATIONAL OCEAN CONFERENCE
-------
made available, but it's very important we don't
allow those arrays to disintegrate on the basis that
they're no longer able to justify it on the basis of
national security from defense. We should work
with the Hill and get them to pick it up in the
NOAA budget, in the NASA [National Aeronau-
tics and Space Administration] budget, and in the
other budgets. We desperately need that informa-
tion to flow, and many of the researchers don't
even know the value that is there, sitting there to
be worked.
I'd say the number one value of all of this is
the fact that the Navy has the data. But the brains
are in the research institutions that can take that
data and feed back to the Navy information
today they don't even understand themselves. The
Navy looks at the data for national security pur-
poses—a beautiful acoustic record—and knows
how to track submarines. But there's so much
other data there. We rejected all the fisheries data.
We rejected all the biologies. So the algorithm
has got to be reversed. Let's get the algorithm to
go for the biodiversity and for the other things
now, and let's pay for it by other means. But don't
throw it away. Return to the public the great
investment of $16 billion just in that one alone.
There are many other applications. I think in
your environmental task force work, we saw the
GEOSAT [U.S. Navy GEOdetic SATellite]
declassification of incredible value to the
researchers. We haven't gone fast enough, I think,
on the military side, and we need high-level
attention to this. We can't leave it down at the
bureaucratic level. We have to get it up to the
high level to get panels together to really push
this. The Navy is doing it, and there are some
modest gains there. But they're going to need
some resources and guidance from you and the
Secretary of Defense to get on with it and report
back. I know that the Congress is ready to do
this now, and they want to see that done. I think
we're going to find that there's incredible new
treasure. This is a submerged treasure of great
value, and we need to bring it to the fore.
Vice President AI Gore
I appreciate that, and I had a lot of fun work-
ing with you all in the Navy, putting that deal
together back in the late '80s and early '90s. I'll
never forget. I took two trips with the Navy on
submarines under the Arctic ice pack, and on one
of those trips went all the way to the North Pole.
The instruments they were using to measure the
thickness of ice for purposes of launching missiles
and for other military purposes turn out to be
extremely useful in scientifically measuring the
thickness of the ice cap, in measuring the effects
of global warming.
Likewise, what he was talking about when he
used that word "SOSUS"—the undersea hydro-
phones.There may be some of you •who don't
know about that system. It's an elaborate network
of hydrophones—listening devices on the ocean
floor—that were extremely important during the
Cold War to listen for Soviet submarines. You
Top row—Oceans and
Commerce panel—
from left to right: The
Honorable Madeleine
Z. Bordallo, Roger
McManus, the
Honorable Ron Sims,
Jekabs "Jake" P.
Vittands, The
. Honorable D. James
Baker, Dr. M.R.C.
Greenwood, The
Honorable John
Graykowski, Charles W.
Foster, Richard du
Moulin, Philip
Anderson.
Bottom row—Ocean
Exploration, Education,
and Research panel—
from left to right: Dr.
Robert Gagosian,
Ursula M. Sexton, W.
Thomas Mitchell, Dr.
Sylvia A. Earle, The
Honorable Katie
McGinty, Admiral
James D. Watkins, Dr.
Rita R. Colwell, Dr.
Warren M. Washington,
Dr. Neal Lane.
Photo: Ronald Bell, U.S.
Department of Commerce
Cross-Cutting Issues • 143
-------
Vehicles that can go
beneath the sea's
surface, such as the
Deep Submergence
Vehicle AMn operated
by the Woods Hole
Oceanographic
Institution, have
revolutionized oceano-
graphic research and
exploration.
Photo: Rod Catanach,
Woods Hole
Oceanographic Institution
remember the Hunt for Red October. That's probably
a bad example, I guess, but you remember some
of the popular descriptions of that technology.
Correct me if I'm •wrong, Dr. Baker, but I'm
going to tell a brief story of what happened
when we finally got this environmental task force
worked out. Some of the researchers who are the
leading experts on whales went to the place
•where you can put on the headphones and listen
to those microphones on the ocean floor. Right
away, they heard this sound, and one of the Navy
technicians said, "That's a snapping shrimp, isn't
that right?" The researcher said, "Snapping
shrimp? That's a blue whale." He said, "Look at
the outline of this sound on the instruments."
The technician said, "Well, if that's a blue whale,
we sure do hear a lot of them."
It turned out that in the first 60 minutes that
these whale researchers were down there in this
formerly top-secret place, they made more obser-
vations of •whales than had been recorded in the
entire scientific literature in all of history up until
that time. Just in one hour. It's an example of
how valuable this incredible array of information
collected during the Cold War is. It is collected
still with these very expensive and highly sophis-
ticated collection systems. Most of the informa-
tion was just thrown away, considered irrelevant
to tracking the Soviet military threat, stored, as it
•were, in electronic silos, and considered useless,
but still classified top secret. In field after field
after field, there's more information available in
that treasure trove than the environmental scien-
tists and other kinds of scientists have been able
to get in the traditional way of studying their
fields. In field after field, when they get access to
that information, it's completely revolutionizing
their knowledge of what's going on.
This atlas of the Arctic seafloor is another
example of that. That came from the top-secret
submarine data. Then in the former Gore-
Chernomyrdin Commission with Russia, we per-
suaded the KGB [Komitet Gosudarstvennoy
Bezopasnosti, or Committee for State Security]
and the Russian Navy to give up their informa-
tion. That was a little "bit easier than getting our
Navy and the CIA [Central Intelligence Agency]
to do it. Some of those responsible for that are
here, and we're very grateful. Together, the
Americans and the Russians put together this sea
atlas, published for the very first time. Some of
that data are also being released for the first time
today, and it's yet another example of a revolu-
tionary advance by using these systems.
What he said about making sure that now that
the Cold War is over, we don't just throw away or
144 • NATIONAL OCEAN CONFERENCE
-------
aflow tfiese systems to fall into disrepair is very,
very important. And I hope you're right about
there being enough support in the Congress to
do that. We're certainly 100 percent committed to
it and working very hard to make sure it happens.
Now, let me move in the time we have
remaining to a few more people before we close.
I'd like to call now on Warren Washington, who
is a meteorologist with the National Center for
Atmospheric Research, NCAR. He's the climate
division director and a senior scientist at the
National Center for Atmospheric Research. As
we've learned so well with El Nino, the oceans
not only affect our climate, but shape our cli-
mate. What are the highest-priority research areas
that you can specify for us that will help us better
predict future El Ninos and better understand
this complex interaction between the ocean and
our atmosphere producing our climate?
Dr. Warren M. Washington
Thank you very much for asking that ques-
tion. I believe that we have the scientific priori-
ties established by the U.S. Global Change
Program, which I think is a real success story for
all of the agencies that are involved in atmos-
pheric and ocean research.
The highest priority, in my opinion, is that we
have a good ocean observing system. The interan-
nual sort of variations like the El Nino and the
decadal changes that we're observing are essentially
ocean—atmosphere interactions, and we haven't had
the pleasure of a good observing system for any-
time in the past. I believe that we're putting
together a system that's based upon in situ mea-
surements, also satellite and other sorts of measure-
ment techniques, to try to measure all aspects of
the chemistry of the current systems, the salinity
on the biosphere, and even on the pollution.
Now, one of the problems for trying to under-
stand things that have time scales on the order of
decades to centuries is that we need to monitor
in a systematic way. And we essentially must have
observational systems that work with computer
models so that we can use those models to pre-
dict into the future. I'd say that the highest prior-
ity is to have a well-balanced research agenda and
observational system to succeed.
Vice President Al Gore
All right. I appreciate that. I noticed in the
news that some of the TV stations that showed us
those pictures of El Nino and found out that peo-
ple were tuning in in large numbers to find out
what the latest El Nino news was are now telling
us about La Nina, •which they describe as the
reverse of El Nino, with cooler waters in the
Pacific Ocean, and yet with very pronounced
effects on the climate, different in the pattern, dif-
ferent in the nature of the effects from El Nino,
but still strong effects.Tell us how these things are
related. Jim Baker, you want to take that one?
The Honorable D. James Baker
Let me answer that. La Nina is the opposite
phase to an El Nino. If you think about the way
El Nino is formed, it first starts with a relaxation,
a weakening of the trade winds in the tropical
Pacific, way over in the western tropical Pacific.
This causes kind of a slosh of the water as it goes
across the tropical Pacific, and then it splits and
goes north and south. Then there's a reflection of
that wave that goes backwards, and it is in that
reflection that—
Vice President Al Gore
Let's pin down the first part of that, first. With-
out El Nino, there's a strong wind that blows west-
ward across the Pacific near the equator, right?
The Honorable D. James Baker
Strong wind that blows toward the west, yes.
Vice President Al Gore
When that wind weakens, then the water just
kind of pools up and gets warmer in the part of
the Pacific near us, near Central America, anyway.
The Honorable D. James Baker
When the wind weakens, the sea surface tends
to change. It gets flatter, and you have a move-
ment of water and heat across the equator toward
the east.
Vice President Al Gore
Toward Central America and toward the
Americas.
The Honorable D. James Baker
That's right, and we see the warm anomaly
then.
Vice President Al Gore
Then that warm water that's gathering there
drives the storms that come across and drives the
rest of the El Nino pattern. So far, so good?
Cross-Cutting Issues • 145
-------
El Nino is a disruption
of the ocean-atmos-
phere system in the
tropical Pacific, having
important conse-
quences for weather
around the globe.
Large changes in the
global atmospheric
circulation force
changes in weather in
regions far removed
from the tropical
Pacific. The sea surface
temperature anomaly
during an El Nino year,
as depicted here in red,
shows clearly that the
water in the center of
the Pacific Ocean is
much warmer than in
non-El Nino years.
Photo: NOM
The Honorable D. James Baker
So far, so good. The changing temperature
moves the precipitation patterns, which then have
an effect on the jet stream that affects the
weather of the United States.
Vice President Al Gore
All right. Now, then you talked about some—
what was the phrase you used?
The Honorable D. James Baker
I said reflection. What you have is these waves
that come across the equator split at the South
American coast, going north and south. And in
fact we see a movement and a change of the
water temperature north and south, both along
Mexico up to California, and then down along
the coast of South America.
Vice President Al Gore
Getting warmer along the coast.
The Honorable D. James Baker
Getting warmer along the coast.
Vice President Al Gore
So when we see that picture, if you can imag-
ine it, of that red warm water as the El Nino
progresses, it keeps on coming toward the
Americas and then it .splits, and the warm water
comes up the coast toward us and down the coast
along Peru, where it creates a catastrophe there.
That's what you're saying?
The Honorable D. James Baker
That's exactly right, and then that's, of course,
superimposed on longer-term changes that are
also happening. Then as this phenomenon slows
down, there's a relaxation or a reflection—that is,
•water moves back in the other direction. It's that
movement that begins the process of what we
call La Niiia. That's the change of El Nino as it's
moving back. The relaxation of El Nino starts the
phase that would move it in the opposite direc-
146 • NATIONAL OCEAN CONFERENCE
-------
tion toward colder water—in fact, in the case of
La Nina, colder than normal. It keeps moving in
that direction.
Vice President Al Gore
Now, what's this oscillation business they talk
about?
The Honorable D. James Baker
The southern oscillation?
Vice President Al Gore
Yes.
The Honorable D. James Baker
The southern oscillation is a difference of air
pressure between the tropical island Tahiti and
Darwin, which is in Australia. It was noticed late
in the 19th century by Sir Gilbert Walker, who
was looking at the impact of the change in air
pressure and the Indian monsoon and the prob-
lems with famine. In fact, he discovered that there
was a large-scale oscillation of air pressure. Later
research showed that that connection of air pres-
sure was connected to the water movements and
then the changing temperatures.
Vice President Al Gore
So the La Nina they're telling us about now is
just the flip side of El Nino?
The Honorable D. James Baker
That's right. It's a cooler anomaly, as opposed
to warm. It's the flip side of El Nino.
Vice President Al Gore
Well, the connection between the ocean and
our nightly weather reports on television and the
consequences of weather and climate for us is
very, very pronounced and much clearer for all of
us since we've lived through this El Nino. What
should people expect from La Nina?
The Honorable D. James Baker
Well, if we had a strong La Nina, we'd expect
that normal kind of winter, but exaggerated—
that is, colder, drier winters.We'd expect a colder,
drier California, a colder, drier Florida, and a
somewhat colder northern part of the United
States—exactly opposite to what we saw this last
winter. In fact, the models are predicting that
we'd probably see a weak La Nina this winter,
but I have to say the models are notoriously
unreliable such a long time in advance. We can't
really give you an official forecast at this point.
Vice President Al Gore
Well, one of the things that we heard from Dr.
Washington is about the need for more research
to help these scientists get an early warning for us
about what's happening out there so we can not
only predict it, but prepare for it as well. One of
the things that I announced on behalf of the
President this morning was a new network of
more ocean buoys and more satellite data collec-
tion systems that are focused on the oceans.
Because while we have a lot of data collected
about daily weather patterns over the land masses
of the Earth, it's not as available over the oceans.
This is designed to help remedy that.
Ecosystem Health
Vice President Al Gore
Now, let me move to Billy Causey, who is with
the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. We
just heard some of the impacts of changes in the
ocean on global climate. And I've personally
observed the impact of climate on coral reefs in
the form of coral bleaching. As the Superintendent
of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary,
you have extensive experience in the issues facing
the largest coral reef system in the U.S. In addition
to the effects of warming, what are some of the
other stresses facing U.S. coral reef ecosystems?
Billy D. Causey
Thank you, Mr.Vice President. Last year, in
1997, we just ended the International Year of the
Reef. It was a tremendous opportunity for us to
raise awareness around the world about the
threatened global coral reef ecosystem. In fact, we
learned many, many different lessons from that
tremendous year in that we learned that many of
the threats facing coral reefs—such as water qual-
ity degradation, habitat destruction, and overfish-
ing—were happening on a very large scale.
One of the most important things we learned
during the International Year of the Coral Reef
•was that we had to look more broadly at the
problems. We had to -look -more globally. In fact,
we learned that many of the problems affecting
the coral reefs were coming from other parts of
the marine ecosystem. In fact, we had to start
looking at all the oceans.
Cross-Cutting Issues • 147
-------
Many of the
problems affecting
coral reefs—such
as water quality
degradation,
habitat destruction,
and overfishing—
occur on a large
scale and need to
be addressed
globally.
Photo: NOM
You hit it right on the head earlier. The ocean
is really a finite resource. We can't just keep
dumping things into it. "We're changing its chem-
istry. We're changing the ecology of the oceans.
We need to start looking on a broader scale and
addressing globally the health and the environ-
ment of our oceans.
Vice President Al Gore
Thank you for that. I appreciate what you all
are doing down there.
Sustainable Use of Ocean
and Coastal Resources
Vice President Al Gore
Let me direct a question to William Amaru,
who's a commercial fisherman in New England.
He's a member of the New England Fishery
Management Council.
In the late '80s and early '90s, Mr. Amaru, you
and your fellow fishermen in New England wit-
nessed firsthand what happens when a fishery just
collapses. Today we're witnessing similar problems
in fishing communities across the nation. Based
on your experience in New England, how should
we address overfishing, while at the same time
minimizing the impact on coastal economies?
Captain Bill Amaru
That's quite a task, quite a question. I'm glad I
was taking notes, as the earlier speakers were
actually creating an outline, or a framework, for
ways we could do that.
We did have some substantial problems in the
New England area. We still do. But because of the
excellent work that's been done on the Sustainable
Fisheries Act, we have a very good framework for
rebuilding the fisheries. And we're beginning to
move in that direction, especially in New England.
I can speak for New England because I'm part
of the process there. I'd suggest that you continue
to support overcapitalization reductions. These
can be done through vessel buyouts. We've just
completed one in New England, which effec-
tively reduced the number of days at sea by 20
percent that the fleet can continue to fish with.
This was a difficult pill to swallow, but it was a
graceful way for a lot of people to leave the
industry who had no other choice. I thank the
government for making the funds available. It was
over $30 million to do that. In the future, I think
that the fishing industry should become a partner
in providing the funds.
Vice President Al Gore
Now, when you say "overcapitalization," what
you mean is we've got too many boats and not
enough fish? There's too much money invested in
fishing boats compared to what can be sustained?
Captain Bill Amaru
That's the simple definition. In a lot of cases,
we don't have enough boats of the right kinds
and too many of the wrong kinds. We could
probably have a lot more boats fishing in New
England if we fished in fish-friendlier ways.
This gentleman up here in the picture, who's
dumping a basket of shrimp, is a good example of
the kind of clean fishing that
we'd like to see, especially for
the shrimp fishery. We in New
England have a regulation and,
fortunately, a really good system
for catching shrimp that elimi-
nates bycatch down to—believe
it or not—5 percent. For peo-
ple who think that you can't
catch shrimp without catching
a lot of other fish and killing
them, that's not necessarily the
way it is. We have a regulation,
and it works at 5 percent.
The other methods that I'd
suggest include the manage-
ment process that the new
Sustainable Fisheries Act puts
into place. It identifies critical
habitat needs, -which we're now
working on. I hope Sarah
148 • NATIONAL OCEAN CONFERENCE
-------
[Chasi's] motivated you to continue to pursue
that level of dedication toward our critical habitat
needs. It's certainly an important part of the
Sustainable Fisheries Act, and it will be very
important to sustaining the growth in the fish
that are starting to come back.
I'd say that if you could continue to fund the
Coast Guard at a rate that perhaps is a little greater
than what you currently do, it would allow them
more hours at sea and more vessels to do the
patrolling. And we do need effective enforcement.
Effective enforcement is a great deterrent in
engendering cooperation by the fishing fleets.
Finally, it hasn't been mentioned yet, but
recently there was an FAO [Food and Agriculture
Organization of the United Nations] code of
conduct that the United States is now adopting
to our own fisheries for responsible fishing. I
hope that we can get the commercial fishing
public on board to understand that their connec-
tion to the resource is a direct one, and that every
fish they take out or damage in the process of
fishing is going to affect their future and the
future of the nation.
I hope that there is a way we can develop a
sense of more responsible fishing through educa-
tion programs, involving the fishermen more
directly in the process that's there—their fishery.
Today it takes place on the water pretty much
only. But we're evolving and changing and seeing
that our responsibilities are more than just har-
vesting, but being good shepherds as well.
Vice President Al Gore
Thank you very much. Thank you for what
you're doing.
capture rates increasing. It's a very important thing.
I'd like to see a continuation of the coordination
between sanctuary •work and closed areas for com-
mercial takes.We don't need to necessarily close
any more in New England. But if we could have
critical areas identified within our present closed
areas and have those become sanctuary areas, then
in the future they're protected when people on the
councils perhaps aren't as in tune to the needs of
closed areas in the future as we are currently.
Vice President Al Gore
In farming, it's common knowledge that you
have to give the land a rest after a while and
rotate crops. In many religious traditions, includ-
ing my own, there are injunctions directed at that
ancient wisdom. "When you look at the massive
impact of industrial fishing on the seas, obviously
the same basic principles apply. You just need to
give it a rest from time to time in these areas that
are in danger of being overfished. To have the
commercial fishing groups come to the table
exercising leadership, as you are, is one of the real
keys. Of course, not everyone thinks the •way you
do, but more and more do. With you talking like
that, the way you do today, it's going to speed up.
So I really do appreciate that.
Let me move on to Rita Colwell, who is
President of the University of Maryland
Biotechnology Institute. Earlier, Tom Mitchell
talked about some of the rapid breakthroughs in
biotechnology, and Bill Amaru just now discussed
some of these sobering issues related to overfish-
ing. As a marine biologist, please explain to us how
biotechnology might help us in our effort to meet
the future food needs for the world's population.
Captain Bill Amaru
Can I add one other point, since you
reminded me? One of the primary reasons that
we're having the recovery of groundfish stocks in
New England is because we've got substantial
closed areas. These are de facto no-take zones. We
don't allow any fishing. The recovery is being
fueled, I believe, as a person who spends my time
out on the water catching these critters, by the
fish coming out of those closed areas. They're
being left in a natural environment. They're doing
their spawning. The habitat has come back in
those areas. They're growing out and they're
moving out of those zones in search of more
prey, and we're having opportunities to catch
them outside those areas. They're really working.
We have a substantial amount of the Georges
Bank complexes closed to all forms of groundfish
fishing, but the areas outside are having additional
Dr. Rita R. Colwell
I'd be glad to, Mr. Vice President. There have
been some very exciting new developments that
have been coming out of the applications of mol-
ecular biology and biotechnology to marine biol-
ogy and also to biological oceanography.
For example, salmon, trout, sea bream, sea bass,
striped bass, and a lot of other commercially
important fish have been brought into culture, a
land-based intensive aquaculture. We've overcome
the barriers in getting reproduction in captivity.
Really what's very exciting is that the genes con-
trolling growth and reproduction in these fish
have been cloned, so now we have the ability to
produce faster-growing fish that achieve larger
size, and they're more efficient in utilization of
their food.
In addition, current research on disease detec-
tion, diagnostics for fish diseases, as well as devel-
Cross-Cutting Issues • 149
-------
In farming, it's
common knowledge
that you have to give
the land a rest and
rotate crops. The same
basic principles apply
to fishing.
oping fish that are resistant to disease allow us to
take aquaculture, which is probably around 20
million metric tons at present, and double it or
triple it. This would be another way of allowing
rest for the capture fisheries.
In fact, I'd say in the future that the oceans
would really be a repository—a gene bank—in
that we'd be able to do our intensive production
offish through aquaculture.We can also protect
ornamental fish in aquariums, in that we can then
get them to reproduce in captivity through bio-
technology and allow our reefs to be a resource
rather than a source offish for aquariums.
So biotechnology offers some tremendous
potential for contributing to the sustainability of
our world oceans.
Vice President AI Gore
Thank you very much, Dr. Colwell.Very
interesting.
I'd like to call on Dr. M.R.C. Greenwood,
who is Chancellor of the University of California
at Santa Cruz. As we look to the future of the
local economy here in Monterey, M.R.C., what
do you see as the potential for new jobs and eco-
nomic growth derived from ocean resources, and
how can we best balance that economic growth
with protection of the environment?
Dr. M.R.C. Greenwood
Good afternoon, Mr.Vice President. Well, of
course, I'd really need a crystal ball to be able to
answer that question entirely correctly. Certainly
the economy in California right now looks very
bright—something we're very pleased with. That's
a derivative, at least in part, of the high-tech
industries here in the state of California.
I'd say that one of the things we have great
hopes for is that the biotech industry and the
industries associated with it, which are actually
quite clean industries and tend to be very envi-
ronmentally responsible, will continue to grow.
We're trying to encourage that in the Monterey
Bay area through the Fort Ord base reconversion.
The University of California at Santa Cruz is
involved in the Monterey Bay Education, Science,
and Technology Center. One of the things we
hope from that is that we'll be able to house a
marine village set of industries that will help us
both with the important jobs that are associated
with analyzing such data as those talked about by
Admiral Watkins and others, so a scientific com-
ISO • NATIONAL OCEAN CONFERENCE
-------
ponent, but also with, a component for the new
industries that we do think will be derivative of
the oceans in the Monterey Bay area.
In many ways, this area here in Monterey Bay is
a living laboratory. It is in many ways a model for
many of the questions that have been raised in
today's—and I'm sure in tomorrow's—sessions, and
we'd like to keep it that way. As one of those
members of a coastal community where everyone
wants to live—and increasingly we see more folks
wanting to live—we'd like to encourage people to
build the kind of industries here that allow them
to sustain the growth of commercial foods and also
to produce some new ideas and new products.
How well we do that, I'm afraid, is a bit in your
hands and in the hands of the administration and
the rest of us. How well we do our job here today,
and whether the outcomes are really important for
the future probably is a much better indicator of
the quality of life and economic development in
Monterey Bay than anything I can forecast today.
Vice President Al Gore
Thank you. That's a powerful point.
Ecosystem Health
Vice President Al Gore
Just two more questions to panelists.
Administrator Browner, tell us what EPA has
been doing to promote public health in the
coastal areas, in our coastal waters.
Carol Browner
First of all, Mr. Vice President, thank you for
bringing all of us here today. I think this has been
a great session.
"When it comes to oceans, EPA's particular focus
is really the near-shore waters, where our fresh
•waters meet our salt •waters, where our rivers and
estuaries give way to our beaches and oceans, and
•where so many of us like to vacation with our fam-
ilies. What we see, unfortunately, is too much
sewage discharge, polluted runoff, air deposition,
and air toxics. We see marine toxics.We see algal
blooms. We see red tides. We see dead zones—areas
where literally nothing can live, nothing is growing.
Today, despite all of our efforts over the last 25
years to address water pollution problems, 40 per-
cent of the coastal waters and estuaries in the
United States that have actually been studied still
do not meet water quality standards. They still
have real problems. Over the last 10 years, almost
19,000 closings of beaches, health advisories, have
been issued across the country.
We think it's really quite simple. No parent
should have to tell their child that the fish is
unsafe to eat or that the water is too dirty to
swim in. No fisherman, no restaurant owner, and
no tourism business should have to worry about
polluted water keeping the customers away. I
think many of us have focused on the fact that
clean, safe, healthy oceans also mean a healthy
economy and vibrant communities.
Mr.Vice President, under your leadership and
under the President's leadership, we're taking a
number of actions at EPA. Fundamental to many
of those is the Clean Water Action Plan, announced
by the President and yourself earlier this year. It is
really a national blueprint to clean up and restore
the nation's waters, rivers, lakes, underground
aquifers, and estuaries. While the Clean Water
Action Plan is largely focused on rivers and lakes, it
forms an important backbone for the ocean work
we all need to do. If you think about it, the entire
country is in some •way a giant •watershed for our
oceans. It all ends up there, ultimately.
The Clean Water Action Plan was designed to
address the next generation of water quality prob-
lems: the polluted runoff, the loss of wetlands, the
restoration of our waterways. As you mentioned
earlier, it makes a commitment of tools and it pro-
vides the flexibility, the technical expertise, and,
most important, the money—$2.3 billion over a
five-year period—to bring people together to find
the common-sense, cost-effective solutions.
I know, Mr.Vice President, you share our dis-
appointment that the Senate subcommittee
responsible for the EPA budget didn't provide full
funding for the EPA's share of this program.
Obviously, we're all going to be continuing to
work in Congress to see if we can resolve that.
We think these dollars are extremely important.
They're part of the President's balanced budget.
Wetlands naturally
filter and cleanse the
water flowing from
rivers and streams into
the ocean. Estuaries
depend on wetlands to
maintain water quality.
Photo: San Francisco Bay
National Estuarine
Research Reserve
Cross-Cutting Issues • 151
-------
The Environmental
Protection Agency's
Beach Watch Web site
tells users which
beaches are closed, the
sources of the
pollutants that have
caused the closures,
and whether a beach's
water has been tested.
They would go out to the states to develop
watershed, polluted runoff plans to address that
remaining water pollution problem.
We're also focusing at EPA on things like ani-
mal waste runoff and the large animal feeding
operations. We're looking at algal blooms, includ-
ing Pfiesteria outbreaks. We actually have a new
technology that will cut in half the time it takes to
test the waters for dangerous pathogens, so we can
tell swimmers whether or not it's safe to swim. A
lot of the testing now has a lag time. It takes a
long time to get the information. This new tech-
nology will literally cut the testing time in half.
We're continuing to work through our
National Estuary Program. We've now provided
almost $85 million to protect and develop plans
at how best to protect estuaries across the coun-
try. We're working in the Florida Keys, San
Francisco Bay, the Everglades, the Chesapeake,
and the Gulf of Mexico. We've committed $3
million in the past two years to research Pfiesteria
and to help control other nutrient problems.
The plan that the President put forward also
commits to a net gain of 100,000 acres of wetlands
annually by the year 2005.We've curtailed the loss
of wetlands. We're not losing as many acres as we
used to. We're still losing some, but the plan actu-
ally calls for a net gain, which will be extremely
important to the health of all of our water bodies.
Finally, as you said earlier, most important to all
of these efforts is engaging the public and honor-
ing the public's right to know. We were excited to
have you announce today our Beach Watch Web
site. Sarah [Chasis] spoke about the need for a site
about fish consumption advisories. We'll have one
shortly. We're working at getting that up and get-
ting that information available to the public. This
Web site isn't just about finding out if a particular
beach is closed today or was it closed yesterday. It's
also about finding out whether or not a local
beach's water is tested. It's about finding out
where the pollution is coming from that is actu-
ally causing the problem, and really giving people
a right to know about what's happening in their
community, and building on a number of right-
to-know initiatives that you've been involved in.
In closing, Mr.Vice President, let me again
thank you for bringing us all here today. I think
what I've heard today and what is so important to
all of us is to remember that we have to remain
vigilant both as a nation and as a global commu-
nity if we're going to be able to address these prob-
lems. Thank you for your leadership in that regard.
Vice President Al Gore
Thank you, Administrator Browner. Thank you
for what EPA is doing. We appreciate it very much.
Ocean Management
Vice President Al Gore
Now I want to call on just one more person
before we close this session. Roger McManus,
your organization, the Center for Marine
Conservation, recently published a 10-point plan
for protecting America's oceans. You believe there
have been major changes in domestic ocean
152 • NATIONAL OCEAN CONFERENCE
-------
p_
activities since the Stratton Commission issued its
landmark report back in 1969. What are those
changes, briefly, and why do you believe that
now is the time for the new commission to
examine our domestic ocean policy?
Roger McManus
Thank you, Mr. Vice President. As you know,
it's been 30 years since the Stratton Commission
did its work.We saw many important changes
occur because of that: the formation of NOAA,
the passage of the Coastal Zone Management Act,
and many others. Many things weren't done that
would have better ensured that we had an effective
ocean management regime for the United States.
Not including many of die agencies—for example,
die Coast Guard—widiin the new ocean agency,
NOAA, was an issue. There's a lot of controversy,
too, about the independence and the ability of our
ocean agency to lead in a Cabinet level.
Since the Stratton Commission did its work,
the population of the United States has grown
tremendously, and our demands on the oceans
have also grown tremendously. The pollution
loads diat we're putting into the marine environ-
ment and our harvest of marine wildlife have
increased incredibly.
I think all of this points to the fact that it's
time now for the country to review its national
ocean policy. This idea has been referred to by a
number of terms throughout this conversation: a
national ocean strategy, a plan, a business plan.
The fact of die matter is, we have in our ocean
territory a larger area dian the entire terrestrial
part of the country combined. But we have no
overall national policy or plan for taking care of
that territory and the resources in it. We're
beyond the time when we need that. I think if
one thing came out of this conference besides
recognizing the importance of ratifying a Law of
the Sea, we need Congress to pass the Oceans
Act and establish a new commission to do a
stem-to-stern review of our ocean policy.
Now, I'd like to add to that that getting some-
thing passed is just die first step—die beginning
of the work. There will be a couple of years of
real hard work for the commission and, I dunk,
for the administration. It will require, if I may say
so respectfully, a dedication on the part of the
administration to really give ocean stewardship a
priority. This administration is probably die great-
est environmental administration since the found-
ing of the republic. And we're all very thankful
for your leadership and that of the President. I'd
have to say that one can't always do everything all
the time. And one of die problems we've seen is
ocean stewardship hasn't gotten die priority that
it needs and deserves. Over the next two years,
hopefully, with the commission in place, that pri-
ority will be diere.
In the meantime, I'd like to add a couple of
things that have come up during this meeting
that I think will deserve serious consideration.
There's been a rather interesting idea about hav-
ing an ocean budget for the year 2000. While
we're waiting for die results of the commission, it
might be a good idea to see if we can expand
and coordinate the federal budget in one piece to
really direct our attention to some of the many
pressing problems we face right now.
Finally, there's a lot of indication that you and
the President are paying a lot of attention to this
issue. I want to commend the President on his
Right whale decision recendy, which was a
tremendous decision. This conference and the
work that has gone into preparing it and doing
it so successfully are certainly evidence of a
commitment from the administration, and we're
very thankful.
Finally, cueing off of Admiral Watkins' com-
ments earlier, I really appreciate the initiatives
that have been announced by you today. I want
to thank you for picking up on so many of the
ideas that were in the 10-point plan, and we
hope that the President will make similar use of
it tomorrow. Thank you, sir.
Vice President Al Gore
Thank you for your work. I appreciate it very
much. I'd like to say, in response to your com-
ments, that I give you my commitment that you'll
see this administration give die ocean the priority
that it deserves. In fact, diis conference was viewed
by us from die very start as an opportunity to gain
just the sort of overview and perspective that's
needed in order to chart a comprehensive course
on ocean policy. We did that 30 years ago as a
nation. The time to do it again is now, taking into
account all of die changes that have taken place.
This conference gives us that opportunity. The fine
work diat you and the others here have done can
serve as the basis for very sensible recommenda-
tions to move forward in balancing the environ-
ment and die economy and protecting the oceans
for ourselves and for future generations.
I look forward to seeing many of you at the
aquarium tonight. I look forward to die rest of
the deliberations and the President's visit tomor-
row. In concluding this session, I'd like to ask the
audience here to join me in expressing gratitude
to each and every member of all four of these
forums for doing an outstanding job in develop-
ing recommendations and policies. Thank you
very much.
Cross-Cutting Issues • 153
-------
Congressional, State,
and Local Perspectives
fc'fr «
-------
The world's oceans are
essential to our economy, to
our national security, and to
our physical, intellectual, and
spiritual well-being, and are
home to organisms found
nowhere else on Earth.
u.
CHAIRS
THE HONORABLE WILLIAM H. DALEY
Secretary, U.S. Department of Commerce
THE HONORABLE RODNEY E. SLATER
P _ Secretary, U.S. Department of Transportation
PANELISTS
REPRESENTATIVE BRIAN BILBRAY
REPRESENTATIVE EARL BLUMENAUER
SENATOR BARBARA BOXER
REPRESENTATIVE LOIS CAPPS
REPRESENTATIVE ANNA ESHOO
DELEGATE ENI FALEOMAVAEGA
REPRESENTATIVE SAM FARR
ASSEMBLYMAN FRED KEELEY
REPRESENTATIVE GEORGE MILLER
DELEGATE ROBERT UNDERWOOD
REPRESENTATIVE LYNN WOOLSEY
PHOTO: ROXANNE NIKOLAUS _
-------
Congressional,
State, and Local
Perspectives
The Honorable
William H. Daley,
Secretary of Commerce
and panel co-chair
Photo: Ronald Bell,
U.S. Department of
Commerce
Introductory Remarks
The Honorable William M. Daley
Good morning to all of you. My name is Bill Daley, and I'm the Secretary
of Commerce. It's indeed a pleasure to welcome you to the second day of
the National Ocean Conference. Let me say how pleased we are for the par-
ticipation in this tremendous conference. It is the first of its kind where all
of the ocean community has come together to discuss the issues that are
affecting the future of the ocean.
I'd obviously like to thank our co-host of this conference, the Department
of the Navy, and its terrific Secretary John Dalton. I'd also like to thank at
this time our host community, Monterey, its people, and its institutions, who
have made this conference possible and also so successful.
Yesterday, our focus was on specific issues and on cross-cutting themes.
Today, our focus •will be a little different. We're going to talk
about the oceans from a regional and also a legislative perspec-
tive. We're fortunate to have a number of elected officials from
; California and from island nations. They have a deep interest in
the oceans, both from an environmental and also from an eco-
nomic point of view. We'll hear from governmental officials with
an acute understanding of how important healthy oceans are to
all of us on this planet.
I'd like to introduce our very special congressional panel
members. First, Senator Barbara Boxer; Representatives George
Miller, Anna Eshoo, Lynn Woolsey, Sam Parr, Brian Bilbray,
Earl Blumenauer, Lois Capps; and Delegates Eni Faleomavaega
and Robert Underwood. We also have with us California
Assemblyman Fred Keeley, who, as you know, is from Monterey.
Many of them, joined us at the Department of Commerce to
open our Year of the Ocean celebration a few months back.
We've been privileged to work with all of them on the most important
issues of the ocean. I'm also delighted to have 'with us Secretary Rodney
Slater, who is co-chair of this panel.
Before I turn the podium over to the Secretary and we open our discus-
sion, I'd like to say a few words about an issue critical to the debate of our
oceans' future, and that is the fact that we don't have enough information
about the oceans' impact on our economy. A complete and accurate assess-
ment of the ocean bounty has never been done, and I think this has been a
serious handicap in our decision making over the past number of years. We
need such information to make decisions on how to responsibly use our
ocean resources. And we need it to protect the marine environment. We
need it if we're going to give the public a better understanding of how the
oceans directly affect our lives.
Waters like these offer so many gifts that build our economy: food, trans-
port, medicine, and, of course, recreation. The first step in balancing the riches
of this territory is to fully understand the economics involved. That is going
to require a lot of information and also cooperation.We have to know the
true value of the many ways in which we use our oceans, whether it's for
shipping or fishing or for surfing. We need to factor in things that aren't usu-
ally assigned economic values—h'ke seascapes, sensitive ecological systems, and
shifting sands—and then assess values. Then we must determine all together
exactly how they contribute to our national GDP [gross domestic product].
To do this, we've got to have business, government, and the public stake-
holders all working together. That's why we •were all so pleased yesterday
when the Vice President announced that the Department of Commerce and
a group of renowned economists will conduct such an economic assessment.
With this critical information, we can better make the decisions to preserve
156 • NATIONAL OCEAN CONFERENCE
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our oceans' heritage for generations to come. We
all look forward to hearing from our panelists. At
this time, let me turn the podium over to the
Secretary of Transportation, Rodney Slater.
The Honorable Rodney E. Slater
Thank you, Secretary Daley. The buzzword for
this Congress or for this administration—and for
that matter, for this gathering—has been "part-
nership." There is no better manifestation of that
partnership than the great work of the Depart-
ments of Commerce and the Navy, led by
Secretary Daley and Secretary Dalton and their
team, in bringing us all together for this, the first
National Ocean Conference. A debt of gratitude
is owed to both of them and to their staffs in
making this conference possible.
I'm also honored to be here among so many
distinguished people who care deeply about the
oceans of the world as we gather to commemo-
rate the "Year of the Ocean. Let me say, if ever
there were doubts about the significance of our
\vork, look only to Secretary Daley, who flew
across an ocean and a continent, more than 12
hours from Ireland to be here with us today. That
is a very strong statement about the importance
of his commitment and the importance of this
conference.
Let us also acknowledge the members of
Congress, with whom we work on a daily basis
on behalf of the American people. They're here
with us during this session so that we might
grapple with the important legislative issues that
have to be addressed as we go forward. If I might
just take a point of personal privilege, I'd like to
thank all of them for the leadership role that they
played in the tireless effort to move through the
Congress the historic surface transportation bill,
The Transportation Equity Act for the 21st
Century, which the President signed just the
other day. These individuals and the partners with
whom they 'work delivered to the President a
major piece of surface transportation that will
help us in our connections with our airports and
seaports, giving us access to the world as we
move into a new century and a new millennium.
Through a solid commitment of fiscal respon-
sibility, we will maintain a balanced approach in
our investments in our transportation systems,
both highways and transit, and also intermodal
connectors and safety programs, connecting us
again with airports and seaports and giving us
access to the world, but doing it in a way that
enhances safety, creates jobs, provides for global
trade, and protects our environment. Working
together, we have achieved passage of this impor-
tant piece of legislation, but we've done it in a
way that protects other priorities of this adminis-
tration and the American people: education, child
care, social security, and the like.
Those of you representing state and local gov-
ernments, we gather on the heels of this success
to listen to you and to learn from you about how
the oceans and the waterways and the ports
impact your cities and states.Your work is invalu-
able to this administration that works actively
every day in every way to bring a common-sense
approach to the work that we do with you in
partnership as we work on behalf of the American
people whom we have the privilege to serve. As
stewards of the ocean, representing more than 500
scientists and business leaders and dedicated work-
ers and military commanders and environmental-
ists participating in this conference, you care
deeply about our oceans. We share your concerns.
Secretary Daley represents, again, one of the
strongest voices of commerce. And, again, Secretary
Dalton represents one of the strongest voices of
national security. Our economic security and our
national security come here together hand in
hand in a powerful way as we discuss the impor-
tance of our oceans as we move forward into a
new century and a new millennium.
Many of you also share a responsibility for
America's marine transportation system. All of
you know this nation was built on its •waterways
and ports. Our economy today is still inextricably
linked to the ocean. One in every six jobs in the
United States is marine-related. More than one
billion tons of cargo move through U.S. seaports
every year, and the volume continues to grow.
Nearly all—some 95 percent—of U.S. trade is
carried by ship back and forth across the oceans
and the seas, and it is expected that i
this will double over the next 20
years—the capacity as well as the vol- -
ume. Clearly, sea and ocean power is p
vital to America, not only since its fir:""' ....'.
birth, but as it continues to grow and
to prosper.
Franklin Roosevelt said, "The
ocean has laid much of the founda-
tion on which the nation has grown
to the America that it is today." I
often say that transportation is about
more than concrete, asphalt, and steel,
so I join you. I join you in making
the case as we look forward to the
ratification of the UN. Convention
on the Law of the Sea and the fact that it must
be a priority during this legislative session.
We also seek to work with you to enhance
the condition and the strength and the power of
the transportation system that is so vital as we
move America forward. I'm proud of the work of
The Honorable Rodney
E. Slater,
Secretary of
Transportation and
panel co-chair
Photo: Ronald Bell,
U.S. Department of
Commerce
Congressional, State, and Local Perspectives • 157
-------
Senator
Barbara Boxer
Photo: Ronald Bell,
U.S. Department of
Commerce
the Coast Guard as it continues to ensure the
safety of our waters and to protect us from dan-
gers, especially the threat of illegal drug traffick-
ers. I'm proud of the work of the Maritime
Administration and the fact that it finances many
of our environmentally sound developments as
related to our seaports and our waterways. I'm
pleased to be here to join Secretary Daley and
our members of Congress as we listen and we
learn from you.
In closing, let me say that it is indeed a plea-
sure to be here.We join you in the commitment
of partnership as we work to give a strong voice
to the importance of our work and as we work
to make real what is an inscription on the U.S.
Navy Memorial, which says, "The waters that
divide unite us." President Clinton, Vice President
Gore, and all the members of this administration
have taken that message to heart, and we're
pleased to join with you today in an effort to
unite us and to ensure that our best days as a
nation are yet ahead of us. Thank you.
Panelists' Statements
The Honorable Rodney E. Slater
Secretary Daley, I'm pleased to join you in
asking a series of questions of our panelists, and
I'd like to start with Senator Barbara Boxer.
Senator Boxer, you know the importance of
oceans as they relate to the economic well-being
and the national security interests of our nation.
"You were very instrumental in ensuring that pro-
visions dealing with trade corridors and border
crossings were a part of the recently passed T-21
legislation, the Transportation Equity
Act for the 21st Century. Please share
with us why you feel it was so
important to have provisions dealing
with trade corridors and border
crossings as we deal with the impor-
tance of transportation to the future
strength of our nation, especially in a
mighty state like California.
Senator Barbara Boxer
Thank you very much, Mr.
Secretary, for asking me this ques-
tion and for your great leadership
on these issues.
For us in California, trade is of great impor-
tance, and as we look at the value of our ocean—
I think we can come up probably with more
than this—but I came up with five of these val-
ues: (1) fishing; (2) tourism and recreation; (3)
commerce and trade; (4) education; and (5) spiri-
tual, which you can't quantify, but it's there.
When we look at this issue of commerce, it is
very, very important. What we have done with
your leadership and with my colleagues here is to
point out that it is very important, since we're
going to be the number one economic power in
the world, to be able to move our goods and
people. When we look at what is happening now,
we find that our commerce is infringing on our
quality of life. So what we attempt to do is focus
on the border and focus on the ocean trade.
We have two elements in the ISTEA [Inter-
modal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act] bill
that will deal with these that will give us the
funding we need to be able to—once we get the
goods—move them efficiently and in an environ-
mentally sound way through our country, away
from ports' and to the ports and certainly at the
border where we now see—and I'm sure that
Congressman Bilbray can expand on this—the
tremendous glut at the border with Mexico. We
see a lot of pollution and a lot of stalled time.
When you waste time with these kinds of prob-
lems, it's bad for your business and it's bad for the
environment. Again, improvement in these two
elements—the border infrastructure and the trade
corridor—would be immensely helpful so that
once the goods get through the ocean to the
ports, we can move quickly through and con-
tinue to utilize our oceans.
The Honorable William M. Daley
Let me ask a quick question of the Senator
also. You mentioned many of the uses of the
ocean, and that was one of the themes at yester-
day's conference forums: how to balance these.
What kind of actions do you think are necessary
to address that need to balance all the uses of this
finite resource of the oceans?
Senator Barbara Boxer
Mr. Secretary Daley, I would say this. I think
we can and should take eight actions to make
sure that we can value and honor this resource
called the ocean.
• First, Congress should pass the Coastal States
Protection Act, which so many of us here sup-
port. I introduced it in the Senate, and Lois
Capps introduced it in the House. I really do
believe everyone sitting at this panel is a
strong supporter. We should pass it. It would
say that if the state has a moratorium on off-
shore gas drilling and oil drilling, it should be
extended to federal waters. It's very clear, very
158 • NATIONAL OCEAN CONFERENCE
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simple, and it will work. We should send it to
the President. May I say that for those who say
the President has the power to permanently
protect the coast, I wish that he did. The fact
of the matter is, Congress must pass perma-
nent protection. A President needs to sign it
into law, and then we'll have that permanent
protection.
Second, we should ratify the Law of the Sea,
the international protection of the ocean that
Secretary Dalton has been railing on us to do
in the Senate. We should be leading the world,
not standing in the 'way.
Third, we should pass the Oceans Act. This is a
bill written by Sam Farr and Fritz Hollings.
Again, so many of us are on that bill. It would
set up a commission and give us a road map
on how to protect the ocean out into the next
century.
Fourth, fully fund President Clinton's Clean
Water Action Plan to clean up the rivers and
the oceans and the streams of our nation. If
"we don't fund it fully, it's not going to happen.
Fifth, expand marine research and education.
We don't know the mysteries of the ocean. We
have an Endangered Species Act, Mr. Secre-
tary, and what we found is that some of these
plants hold the key to curing diseases. We
don't know the promise of the ocean. We
need to know.
Sixth—an idea from the wonderful Sam Farr
again—is to get behind a sea camp for our
children. We have a space camp for our chil-
dren, and we have a whole generation of
young kids who want to be astronauts. Well,
let's have another generation of kids who want
to study and learn about the sea.
Seventh, we should expand our sanctuaries to
protect •wildlife habitat that are so important
to our country.
My last point is this: we should come up with
an ethic about the ocean. We should have zero
tolerance for ocean dumping, zero tolerance
for damaging our ocean. When I first got
involved in this, I was talking to Rachel
Binah, one of the heroines of mine, on this
•whole issue of ocean protection, and I real-
ized—it was in 1983,1 had just gotten
elected—the military, which has gotten better
since, wanted to dump nuclear reactors out
near a sanctuary up in northern California. It
galvanized the whole community, and then
they decided not to do it. Then we had to
fight EPA [Environmental Protection Agency].
They were going to grant a permit to allow
ocean incineration of hazardous materials. We
just can't go back to those days. We must say
zero tolerance for damaging our oceans.
With that, I'll stop and thank you for asking
me that question, Mr. Secretary.
The Honorable Rodney E. Slater
Thank you. I think it's clear from the response
to the question and also the response from the
audience that Senator Boxer gets it. She's a strong
voice for you, and she's also •willing to give credit
to others who work in a mighty way on your
behalf. I appreciate the mention of Congressman
Farr. Over the course of the session we'll talk
about roles being played by the other members of
the Congress here.
Congressman Blumenauer, as you know, the
Department ofTransportation—led by the Coast
Guard, Admiral Loy, and members of the Maritime
Administration here today—has been working
with a number of federal agencies that have
responsibilities for the nation's waterways and
ports and intermodal connectors. They've actually
held a series of listening sessions. In addition to
the specific issues and needs that were identified
during these listening sessions, the uniform call
for a national vision for maritime transportation
and effective leadership and coordination at the
federal level was something that came through
time and time again. As we now complete work
on a highway bill that deals with our policies on
the surface side for the next six years to a decade,
how do we move forward in dealing with the
important issues of marine transportation and its
importance and how our surface system has to
connect with our waterways?
Representative Earl Blumenauer
Thank you, Mr. Secretary. I think
the point is one of connection, and I
think the Department of Transpor-
tation, under your leadership, helps
illustrate how we cannot look at these
as separate elements anymore. Indeed,
as my friend Sam Farr continually
points out, given global warming and
the opportunity for rising levels of the
oceans and •what we know about seis-
mology and earthquakes, we're all
going to be coastal communities at
one point or another. It's just a ques-
tion of'when. If we persist on trying to slice these
problems up into little tiny pieces and use that as
an excuse for not solving them in a comprehen-
sive fashion, we're doomed to failure.
Representative
Earl Blumenauer
Photo: Ronald Bell,
U.S. Department of
Commerce
Congressional, State, and Local Perspectives • 159
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Representative
George Miller
Photo: Ronald Bell,
U.S. Department of
Commerce
The reauthorization of ISTEA is a blueprint
for continuing three critical elements:
• One, even though it's anathema to some peo-
ple, we need to plan for the future—whether
it's land-use planning or it's work with oceanic
transportation. We need to plan.
• Second, this gathering here this weekend is an
example of having a meaningful engagement
with the citizenry. Under ISTEA in its reau-
thorized form, citizen participation is not sup-
posed to just be an afterthought, something
that's checked off on a list. But by engaging
citizens who are deeply involved in these
issues and their solutions, we can qualitatively
improve the product that comes out of it.
• Last but not least, using the resources—and
the ISTEA reauthorization is an example of
that—is it enough? Probably not, but with a
couple hundred billion dollars, we ought to be
able to make a start in a number of places, and
we have examples of where a small amount of
money invested wisely will make a huge dif-
ference.
It's sad to say, but the federal government is
still part of the problem."We still have federal pro-
grams that are wasting dollars and using failed
technologies of the past. California again is a
leader, making us look at cheaper, greener alter-
natives for flood control, for instance. We throw a
lot of money trying—a futile effort in some
cases—to keep a shoreline that God doesn't want
us to have. Or the administration having real
leadership with FEMA [Federal Emergency
Management Agency] with disaster relief where
we have the federal taxpayers spending billions of
dollars putting people back again
where God doesn't want them,
instead of maybe using that as a signal
that we ought to be able to have
greater harmony with the natural
environment.
I see the ISTEA reauthorization
and this administration having an
opportunity for us to take simple
steps to be able to pull those pieces
together to make a big difference in
the future.
The Honorable Rodney E. Slater
If I may, Secretary Daley, I'd just
like to mention one point that Congressman
Blumenauer mentioned, and that deals with the
work of FEMA. James Lee Witt, the Director of
FEMA, is taking a different approach to this issue
and is trying to work with communities after
they have dealt with disasters to deal with land-
use questions and to really bring more prevention
into the process. I'm glad you raised the point. I
just felt it necessary to acknowledge his leader-
ship in that regard. Thank you.
The Honorable William M. Daley
Thank you, Rodney.
Congressman Miller, we all know that coastal
tourism is extremely big business and has had a
tremendous positive impact on our economy over
the last number of years. Obviously, in many parts
of the country—the East Coast and the Gulf
Coast specifically—there's been real concern about
pollution problems with red tides and brown tides.
I'd just ask a general question. What do you think
that the administration, the Congress, and the gen-
eral public stakeholders can do to try to address
this, because it is a big part of our economy in so
many regions of the country?
Representative George Miller
Thank you very much, Secretary, and thank
you, Secretary Slater, for being here today.
As we learned yesterday and we've learned
over the last couple of decades, much of what
plagues the oceans is caused on the shore. The
problems of our fisheries on the Pacific Coast
start in the watersheds of Idaho, Washington,
Oregon, and the Sierras in California and how
we manage those forest areas. As Sam Farr has
reminded us, he sits on the Agriculture
Committee, we now see in California huge
feedlot operations and very, very large dairies.
We're seeing them in the Midwest and on the
East Coast. We now see nutrients flowing into
our streams and our waterways and into our
oceans, and we now see the economies of
Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina
plagued by the Pfiesteria problem in that area.
We see a 7,000-square-mile dead zone at the
end of the Mississippi PUver in Louisiana. We
see thousands of beaches closed periodically
across the coast, across the country.
As Senator Boxer mentioned, the President's
Clean Water Action Plan, and I think the President
put it best, is an effort to finish the job. The
Clean Water Act is one of the fundamental basic
environmental laws of this nation. It's the model
across the world, but we need to finish it.
The President has set forth trying to give local
communities the remaining tools that they need,
some resources, but we need better monitoring.
Some of our municipalities aren't doing the job
they should in treating their waste products.
The EPA has now started some actions against
some of these large feedlots.We now have five
160 • NATIONAL OCEAN CONFERENCE
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tons of animal waste for every man, woman, and
child in this country. We can no longer just
spread it on the land and hope that the rain will
take care of it. It's ending up in the oceans.
The President's plan sets forth this effort. He's
asked for about a half a billion dollars to finish
the job. And it's terribly, terribly important
because the runoff from our farmlands and from
our municipalities and the failure of some people
to tend to the law are now causing huge prob-
lems in all of the coastal areas of this country. I
think in one of her eight points that Barbara
[Boxer] had it right with the Clean Water Action
Plan. I think the President's call to finish the job
is one that, hopefully, the Congress will heed.
The Honorable Rodney E. Slater
Congresswoman Lois Capps, first of all, let me
say we enjoyed very much the opportunity to
work with your husband, and we look forward to
the opportunity to work with you. We know of
your interest in national security and trade. My
question is, as the United States enters into the
21st century, what advancements in transporta-
tion would you envision for California, and how
can we in the Department of Transportation
work with you to bring that vision to life?
Representative Lois Capps
Thank you very much, Secretary Slater. I just
want to say what a tremendous honor it is to be
a new representative in Congress from the neigh-
boring district south of here, the two beautiful
counties, San Luis Obispo and almost all of Santa
Barbara. We have Bud Laurent, supervisor from
San Luis Obispo County, here and quite a good
delegation from our area. We're pleased to be part
of this conference.
My hat's off to my neighbor, Sam Farr, for
organizing this.You've set the model. I have a
feeling that we don't do this often enough. This is
a very good way to have a conversation. We have
the administration represented with its highest-
ranking officials in commerce and in transporta-
tion. We have our Senator, well known for her
leadership in this area, Senator Boxer. We have a
delegation, as many of us who can be here,
tremendously interested in your ideas and in
putting forth what you want us to do to protect.
When we sit here with the waves crashing
behind us, what more of a lesson do we need
than what our mandate is now: to protect, to
conserve, and to educate ourselves and our chil-
dren about this most wonderful resource we
have—the ocean. And what lessons we can learn
today? Many of you have spent lifetimes learning
lessons about the waters that we're on, how -we
can apply this to our transportation needs. It's a
challenge.
When we're sitting on this fragile coastal area
that runs up and down this beautiful state where
Highway 101 links us all along the coast, we real-
ize what a limited means we have in this four- to
six-lane highway. It runs down my county, too,
my counties. The alternative that we must look
for, in terms of the trade, the commerce, and the
sheer ability to bring so many people who want
to get what Senator Boxer called the spiritual
resources also from being near the ocean, is that
we need to use transportation with respect to the
ocean. It's a magnet. It's a mecca, and we need to
be creative in our way of transporting people and
goods and services and ideas.
Our district has commercial space developing.
That was the frontier we all talked about for so
long. We need to look now at the ocean as a fron-
tier that includes transportation, but also that will
be a life-renewing source for us all. Thank you.
The Honorable William M. Daley
Let me at this point ask Congressman Farr a
question. But before I do, let me acknowledge, as
I know has been acknowledged before, the
importance of his determination that this confer-
ence take place. All of the members up here and
so many others have encouraged that this con-
ference take place. I have to tell you from a per-
sonal perspective, I couldn't see him or run into
him over the last number of months without a
strong statement by him as to the importance of
this conference and the need to move forward
and, once it was set, to make sure
that it's the success that it's become.
We thank you, Congressman, for
your leadership.
The question I have is, you've
been the author of the Oceans Act in
the House, and I know yesterday,
Roger McManus spoke of how
important it is as one of the things
we have to address after this confer-
ence. This is terrific, but it's really
about where we go from here, not
•what happened yesterday or today,
but more important, what happens
after today. Could you give us an
overview of the act, where we're at,
and what we—not only those of us up at this
table, but, more important, the people who are in
the audience from all over our country—can do
to help in moving that forward?
Representative
Lois Capps
Photo: Ronald Bell,
U.S. Department of
Commerce
Congressional, State, and Local Perspectives • 161
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Representative
Sam Farr
Photo: Ronald Bell,
U.S. Deportment of
Commerce
Representative Sam Farr
Thank you very much, Mr. Secretary, and
thank you for being here, both you and
Secretary Slater. It's indeed a pleasure to sit here
in my own backyard with this distinguished
panel and members of Congress who helped
bring this conference together. We circulated a
letter on the House floor, and Senator Boxer in
the Senate, requesting the administration to have
a conference like this for the very reasons that all
of the panelists have talked about. I was over-
whelmed when they decided that those who
squeaked the loudest get the grease, and they
would have it here in Monterey. I'm pleased to
have you all here.
We need to have a national act, a new law,
creating a Stratton-like commission, which was
the commission that was created back in 1966 to
take a look at the oceans. That commission sat for
a very short time and made some very strong
recommendations to Congress and to the execu-
tive branch suggesting that we needed to get our
national house in order. Out of doing that was
the formation of NOAA, the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration.
It's interesting that at about that same time, we
began the space race. Since then, Congress has
been appropriating at a pace of about $13 billion
a year to NASA [National Aeronautics and Space
Administration] and about $2 billion to NOAA.
We've certainly put a much higher priority into
space than we have into the ocean, and half of
that NOAA budget is atmosphere, is weather.
We're short on funding, and we need to bring
the ocean agenda, the ocean budget, up to the
space budget.
Second, and probably most impor-
tant—and I think Vice President Gore
said it so beautifully last night at the
Monterey Bay Aquarium reception—
the U.S. population since the Stratton
Commission recommendations went
into effect, which was back in 1968,
has grown by 70 million people.
Most of those people live around the
coastline. So the pressures on this
resource are, indeed, threatening.
Historically, as you've heard from
panelists, we've been putting things
into the ocean at the same time that
we've been taking out. We take out
what is valuable to us, which we can commer-
cially market, and we put back in things that
aren't valuable to us—sewage and waste. We can't
keep polluting the very place that we're getting
our food sources from and continue to have a
healthy environment. We have to stop that. I
think that Senator Boxer outlined what we need
to do most, and that's to have the eight-point
plan—"The Boxer Points"—to address all of
those issues.
The bill in Congress is essentially a bill to cre-
ate this commission, which would last for 18
months and bring the products that you in the
audience are giving to us. As I've said and others
have said, there's never been such a diverse group
of people sitting at the same table discussing the
issues that you all have in common.We didn't all
expect that 1998 would be the Year of the
Ocean, and in that year, the Academy Award
would go to a movie about the Titanic, and the
New York Times best-seller list would have A
Perfect Storm, and we'd have El Nino. All of these
things happened at this time.
I think there's a calling out there that this
nation wants this Congress and these members of
Congress and their colleagues in Washington to
really get going on the issues that we're talking
about today. That's what the Ocean Act is. It's set
for markup in June [1998]. You need to contact
your members of Congress and ask them to sup-
port this bill so that the ideas of this conference
can be solidified.
Last, let me tell you that it works. This system
of democracy, of petitioning the United States
government, works. You're sitting on the edge of a
National Marine Sanctuary. That was a bottom-up
creation. You're sitting next to a National Estuarine
Reserve called Elkhorn Slough. That was a bot-
tom-up effort by people in this community peti-
tioning their federal government to say that these
laws that you've created, we want to partake in
them to use them in the ways that all of the
members of this panel have talked about, working
with the communities to solve the problems. If,
indeed, all politics is local, then all solutions to the
world's ocean problems are local. It begins here,
right at home. We in Congress should be helping
you, not hindering you.
The Honorable Rodney E. Slater
The next question goes to Delegate Robert
Underwood from Guam. Delegate Underwood,
we know that the world's population will increase
by 50 percent by the year 2020. Trade between
nations is expected to double or even triple dur-
ing the same time period. Over 95 percent of
that trade will move by vessel through coastal and
inland ports. At present, U.S. ports and waterways
are close to capacity and require significant infra-
structure improvements in order to meet the
coming challenge. In your view, what should be
the role of the federal government in meeting
this challenge?
162 • NATIONAL OCEAN CONFERENCE
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Defegate Robert Underwood
Thank you very much, Secretary Slater. Before
I answer that, obviously as a representative of an
island community, nothing impacts us more than
issues pertaining to marine transportation. But I
wanted to take the opportunity to thank the
community of Monterey and, of course, your
representative, Sam Farr.
Some 5,500 miles from here resides Guam.
Sometimes we think of the ocean as a barrier, but
I tend to think of it as a way that connects us all.
And so I think of Sam as my neighbor. From the
people of Guam, "Hafa Adai" to all of you, and
"Hafa Adai," especially, to Sam Farr.
Initially, what the federal government can do
most effectively is elevating the priority of
marine transportation on the national agenda. By
doing so, we can highlight how important the
marine industry is to all of us. Over 16 million
people work in the port industry of the United
States, and more than 95 percent of all of our
imports and exports move through our ports.
It is very important to understand that as we
improve the infrastructure of these areas and the
ports, that there are myriad coordination and col-
laboration problems with all the agencies that
have an impact on this. Coming from an island
community as I do, nothing is clearer than that
when you have to rely on your port as your
interstate, your airport, your railhead. Everything
that we do comes through that port. Everything
that we rely on for our lives comes through that
port. As we seek to not only improve the infra-
structure of ports but at the same time protect
valuable resources, we certainly run into a num-
ber of problems with all the various federal agen-
cies that we have to deal with, ranging from the.
Coast Guard to the Army Corps of Engineers,
and all of the environmental regulations and all of
the regulators.
Yet, at the same time, we certainly acknowl-
edge, those of us who come from an island envi-
ronment, that the ocean is not only a place of
recreation, it's also very much connected with
our livelihood. I think we have a unique under-
standing of how that interplays. We don't just
think of the ocean as a place to draw inspiration
from or to recreate in or to study or to enjoy.
We've done those things. We also understand it to
be a source of our livelihood.
I look forward to working with you, Secretary
Slater, on some of these issues and on trying to
bring some clarity to the myriad issues that
attend to dealing with the maritime industry and
the development of ports and the improvement
of ports while at the same time safeguarding our
ocean resources.
The Honorable Rodney E. Slater
Thank you. We look forward to working with
you as 'well.
The Honorable William M. Daley
Let me ask Congressman Bilbray a
question. This has been a difficult sea-
son because of El Nino and the
impact that El Nino has had on the
coastline.You're obviously well known
for your use of the oceans—literally.
Let me just ask you as to the impact
of the weather of the last year and
what economic impact that is having
on your district and any observations
on that you'd like to make.
Representative Brian Bilbray
Thank you. I appreciate being here, though I
do feel it's rather strange to spend Saturday
morning with a coat and tie, talking about the
ocean, rather than what we're supposed to be
doing. And that's being out in the ocean with our
wet suits—especially here, where one of the best
diving spots in all the world is right behind us,
second only to San Diego.
The El Nino experience has really taught us a
lot of things. First of all, let me make a plug for
the fact that Scripps Institution of Oceanography
told us about El Nino years ago and tried to get
the message across. Washington, being a little
slow, picked up on it, and it's really showing how
important ocean sciences are—not just to those
of us on the coast, but to the entire
nation, and the entire world. I'm very jr~-'-
happy to start seeing people talk
about El Nino and now La Nina. ~"
They're starting to listen to the scien- ;
tists who are •working in the ocean.
The impacts of the weather pat-
tern we saw this year really sent a
very strong message about two things.
I think that it was quite clear, first of
all, that our clean-water strategies
have missed one point or not focused
enough on another point. Our
beaches were closed almost consis-
tently during this •winter because of
the extensive runoff and the problems
related to nonpoint sources.
The other issue is that contrary to what you
hear about all the great surf that went on this
year, it was very, very destructive—not just from
the pollution point of view, but also the distur-
bance of traditional beach areas, and especially
Delegate
Robert Underwood
Photo: Ronald Bell,
U.S. Department of
Commerce
Representative
Brian Bilbray
Photo: Ronald Bell,
U.S. Department of
Commerce
Congressional, State, and Local Perspectives • 163
-------
Representative
Lynn Woolsey
Photo: Ronald Bell,
U.S. Department of
Commerce
those of us who are near and dear to beach
breaks. The disturbance and the transport of sand
away from, the beaches that not only affect those
of you who like to lay on the beach and sun but
also those of us who like to paddle out into the
water and catch some waves. That sand is a
resource that is terrestrial and submarine, and I
think that we really need to address that.
My frustration is, as somebody who has worked
on clean-water issues, that in Washington we've
been so obsessed with point sources and talking
about treatment plants, which are easier to man-
age from a federal and environmental point of
view, because there are less of them. The non-
point sources, die runoff—everybody who washes
not just oil and antifreeze down the drain, but
those who don't even think about washing grass
and leaves down the drain—add to a biological
component that when it rains like we had this
winter, end up closing the beaches that many of
us want to use during the winter. It's something
we need to talk about more when it comes to
the federal strategy.
The other issue, and I appreciate the fact that
the Secretary brought it up, is diat the damage to
traditional recreational beaches is something that
has to be addressed, not just for protecting homes
and property upland. We also need to address our
sand beaches as being a social and economic
resource. It is just as much of an economic resource
as farmlands in the Midwest, and FEMA has
addressed those issues in the Midwest.
Now, working with FEMA, we hope to be able
to separate from that natural erosion, that natural
process that will happen over a period of time,
those extraordinary damaging processes that take
away resources diat are desperately
needed for social and economic rea-
sons. I'm very happy to see that
FEMA has within its existing structure
an exception for those beaches that we
have traditionally replenished, because
there was a community involvement
of what they call engineering beaches
or man-made beaches. One of the
concerns I have is that the federal sys-
tem traditionally has said, "We won't
replenish your beach" or "won't work
at repairing damages to the sand." But
we'll end up approving a structure or a
breakwater or a •wall that then creates
all kinds of major problems— socially,
economically, and environmentally.
The other issue we really became sensitized to
under El Nino was diat, at least in California, we
were able to go to the beach. And when I walked
there with my 10-year-old daughter and 11-year-
old son with our surfboards, we could look out
and see red signs that said the beach isn't safe to
go into. The rest of the United States doesn't have
that type of information. We need to empower
the local community with the knowledge of
when their beaches are closed. And that's what I
hope that almost everyone here is addressing.
Member Pallone from New Jersey and I have
introduced a bill called H.R.. 2094, which will
give the communities the knowledge—and the
number one power is knowledge—that there is a
problem and the ability to address this.
The real message that we've gotten from El
Nino is that we can take a lickin' and keep on
tickin', but that Washington needs to get more to
outcome-based strategies when it comes to pro-
tecting our resources on the coast. The processes
are important, but all the work in the world and
the Clean Water Act that addressed one source
and that ignores indirect sources does not mean
our beaches will be open for our children. That,
without giving the people the knowledge to be
able to know their beaches are closed, is not
going to make it. Then again, we've got to recog-
nize we want the beaches there to be able to go
to, too. All of those things need to be concen-
trated on the outcome, and I think we can learn
from El Nino. Now, ladies and gentlemen, get
ready for La Nina. Thank you.
The Honorable William M. Daley
Congresswoman Woolsey, if I could ask a
question. We talked about the uses. One of the
main uses—and in California, a main part of the
economy—is farming and agriculture.You have
an innovative suggestion, and I wonder if you can
talk about that piece of legislation for us.
Representative Lynn Woolsey
Thank you very much, Secretary Daley, and
thank you, Secretary Slater, and thank you, Sam
Farr, for today. I think Secretary Daley is my
straight man today. I've been talking about a bill
that I've introduced in the Congress and that
Senator Boxer has introduced in the Senate that
comes from the vision of a supervisor in Marin
County, Gary Giacomini.
We have a concept that's local to my district,
which is the two counties north of the Golden
Gate Bridge, but can be spread across the nation.
It's a model. What we want to do is provide
38,000 acres of protection for landowners who
are third- and fourth-generation farmers just east
ofTomales Bays, along Tomales Bay and Bodega
Bay, and east of die Point Reyes National Sea-
shore, a national park that's one of the most vis-
ited in the nation.
164 • NATIONAL OCEAN CONFERENCE
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Why is this important to the waterways and to
this conference today? It's important because
those waterways—estuaries in Bodega and
Tomales Bays—are two of the most pristine
waterways in this nation. And that's because of
the good stewardship of these landowners, these
third- and fourth-generation farmers.
Now what •we've proposed is that willing
landowners can enter into a contract with the
federal and local government •working in part-
nership to purchase their development ease-
ments. Willing only. Nobody will force them to
do this. But by doing this, they will stay in pri-
vate ownership, on the tax rolls, in agriculture in
perpetuity. They will be protecting the east side
of Tomales and Bodega Bays and protecting our
investment in the Point Reyes National Park.
And, at the same time, for $30 million local, $30
million federal, we'll have 38,000 acres of open
space along those estuaries, and they'll remain
undeveloped. I think, one, it's important to our
economy because agriculture is so important to
Marin and Sonoma Counties. Two, it protects
our investment in the Point Reyes National
Seashore. But more important than that, it stops
any encroaching development along those pris-
tine waterways.
Thank you for asking me that question,
because I want more and more people to under-
stand this.
The Honorable William M. Dale/
Let me ask Congresswoman Eshoo a question.
Her district is made up of a growing urban pop-
ulation and also a huge coastline, and the conflict
that can occur with those two can be enormous.
I'd like your observations on how to balance
those two, and the problems that come as a result
of having those two, at times, different sorts of
constituencies.
Representative Anna Eshoo
Thank you, Secretary Daley, and thank you for
your leadership and that of Secretary Slater, and
certainly the administration and the Navy. Let me
add my voice to the chorus at the dais today in
thanking everyone here from the Monterey area,
from this magnificent congressional district, for
sending one of the most prized human beings in
the Congress on the issue of oceans and so many
other things—Sam Farr.
I have the privilege of representing California's
Fourteenth District. Part of it is coastal, on the
San Mateo County coast, but part of it includes
the Silicon Valley. There's one thing that the
Silicon Valley doesn't have, and that's part of the
California coast. There is commerce, there is fish-
ing, there is tourism on the California coast, and
certainly around Pillar Point Harbor. And we
have Ano Nuevo. So we have much to protect.
There are dollars that are earned from the indus-
tries that are already there.
I think that what this conference really repre-
sents is a national notching up of what we already
know and how we coordinate it, because we have
so many pieces that really need to be stitched
together. We need to have both a national plan
and an international plan for our oceans.
And then, of course, there's the mystery of our
oceans. In many -ways they represent—at least to
me, and I think to others—what our national
parks do. We wouldn't think of doing some of the
things that are done to our oceans in our national
park system. %u can tell that I have two young
children. They preach to me about it. On the part
of our California coast side, dredge spoils pose a
huge threat to the fishing industry. What we can
conserve and protect for them and the resources
that represents, not only to the coastal communi-
ties but to others as well, is really very important.
I can't help but think of something that my
grandmother used to talk about. She used to say it
with great pride because she was one of the few
family members who was a Californian. She used
to write to her relatives across the country, as a
very faith-filled woman, and say to them, "God
was in a good mood when he created California."
Part of that good mood is the magnificence of
what we have as a backdrop here today. We col-
lectively, in service to our nation, owe it to what
has been given to us not only to protect it for
ourselves and future generations, but also to rec-
ognize that it is a treasure that really
binds peoples around the world.
We can sort out the conflicts that
are there today in terms of uses. We
know how, but we must have a nation-
al plan that has not only consistency
to it, but a seamlessness to it. Where
there are conflicts •within federal
agencies, where we haven't passed the
national laws that should be put in
place, and the national laws that need
to be strengthened—the Endangered
Species Act, the Clean Water Action
Plan, we can go on and on.
Senator Boxer outlined that eight-
point Boxer plan for the nation. I
think that we can do it, and as a result of it, we
•will be a better people, a better nation. And •what
my •wonderful Nana said at least a generation and
a half ago •will really be true.
Thank you to all of you. I hope, Mr. Secretary,
•when each one of us has been asked our question
Representative
Anna Eshoo
Photo: Ronald Bell,
U.S. Department of
Commerce
Congressional, State, and Local Perspectives • 165
-------
Delegate Eni
Faleomavaega
Photo: Ronald Bell,
U.S. Department of
Commerce
that maybe we can leave the dais and move out
into the audience and speak to everyone who is
here, meet with them, get more of their ideas,
because they're just as much of this conference as
we are up here on this stage. Thank you.
The Honorable William M. Daley
Thank you, Congresswoman. I think that's a
great idea.
Let me ask Delegate Faleomavaega a question.
"You come from an island nation. Much has been
discussed, and I know there were discussions yes-
terday regarding the possibility of additional
research of the ocean that may help cure some of
our health concerns. I wondered if you could
speak to that issue.
Delegate Eni Faleomavaega
Thank you, Secretary Daley. First of all, in the
years that I've served in the Congress so far, I
don't know of any member who has managed to
get the President of the United States and the
Vice President and two Cabinet secretaries to be
in his district in the span of two days than Sam
Farr. Sam Farr, it's a tribute and a credit to you
and your leadership and to the good people here
of Monterey. I do have fond memories of this
place. I took my basic training in the Army at
Fort Ord before they shipped me to Vietnam. I
had a very pleasant experience, and I enjoy the
weather here.
Secretary Daley, I appreciate your question
about someone who comes from an island com-
munity, and the Pacific is an interesting place.
One-third of the Earth's surface is in
v ; the Pacific, both the south and the
Pacific Ocean. Some 25 island nations
and territories live in that area, com-
prised of a little over 5 million people.
Over the years, the leaders of the
island nations have been pioneers in
every international forum known in
expounding on the importance of
what we have to do not only nation-
ally, but globally, on the issues not
only relevant to the problems affect-
ing global warming, but also the fact
that there are so many rich resources
available out there in the ocean.
I can safely say that our people are
an ocean people. We have a love and a deep
respect for the ocean. The ocean was our high-
way, and still is. Our nation does stretch from as
far north as Hawaii and one as far south as New
Zealand and as far east as Rapa Nui, or what is
now known as Easter Island.
In that community of inter-island relation-
ships, we have now come to discover this little
thing known as nodules. I recall my good friend,
Geoff Henry, the Prime Minister of the Cook
Islands. This island nation has a population of
only about 20,000 people, but is about 3 million
square miles. They've recently assessed at least
well over $200 billion worth of these seabed
nodules that are in this island nation.
If there's ever a time that our country needs to
reach out to these island nations, the time is now.
I sincerely hope that President Clinton will come
or call a summit next year, on his return from the
APEC [Asia—Pacific Economic Cooperation]
meeting in New Zealand, and see that we need
to work together and that we need to be proac-
tive and not reactive. I think this will make a
great nation. Thank you.
The Honorable William M. Daley
We're honored to have with us Assemblyman
Keeley. I think it's important that we see and
hear from him as to his perspective as a state
leader. We've talked much about the federal gov-
ernment involvement and the problems. The
same problems, obviously, that we've talked about
in Washington he has to deal with at the local
level and the state level. We'd like to hear your
observations, Assemblyman, if you could.
Assemblyman Fred Keeley
Mr. Secretary, thank you very much. I want to
also •welcome all of you to the Monterey Bay
area, and add my thanks and appreciation and
congratulations to my friend and my representa-
tive in Congress, Sam Farr, and to United States
Senator Barbara Boxer for their fine work in
helping to pull this together, and all of you other
members of Congress and the other secretaries
who are here.
I think a couple of things about this issue.
One is, when you think about it, there is cer-
tainly an overarching federal perspective that
needs to be taken with regard to the oceans. But
the states are where the ocean meets the land.
The first three miles is the jurisdiction of the
states. It is certainly critical all the way out to the
200-mile limit and beyond that, but when you've
got 70 percent of the people of the State of
California living within a one-hour's drive of the
coast—and that's true of most coastal states—they
create an enormous impact on the near-shore
coastal waters and water quality.
This federal government has done a good job
in reauthorizing the Magnuson Act. There's a lot
more work that needs to be done. If it's really
166 • NATIONAL OCEAN CONFERENCE
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going to work out, the interface that needs to be
improved is what's going on at the state level. Let
me use California as an example.
California's public policy with regard to man-
aging the marine environment is a relic of the
19th century. It was one of the very first things
California government put together, and it was
based on things that made sense at the time.
California was basically rural, agricultural, and the
challenge was how to manage abundance. Now,
150 years later, we're no longer basically rural,
we're no longer basically agricultural. And the
challenge is not how to manage abundance; it's
how to manage scarcity.Yet we're constrained
with a public policy architecture in the State of
California that's outmoded—150 years old.
As we're on the threshold of the 21st century,
it seems to me the challenge for the state—and
in order to be a good partner with the federal
government and the good work that they're
doing—is this: let's completely reinvent how we
manage marine resources in the State of
California. We can actually do that. And we have
to because the public policy we've got now liter-
ally prevents us from acting in a proactive man-
ner. In fact, you have to wait until a fishery is in
collapse before the state government can act. And
at that time, it takes enormous resources to try to
bring the fishery back, with enormous environ-
mental and economic consequences.
Senator Bruce McPherson is sitting up here
in the front row. He and I are co-authors of a
major reinvention of fishery management—
marine management—in California, called
Assembly Bill 1241. The basic idea is this. We're
going to replace that 150-year-old, outmoded
policy with the following public policy concept:
we're going to use sustainability as the founda-
tion upon which to build public policy in
California. We'11 build on that sustainability pol-
icy an architecture that says we're going to use
good, sound, iterative science. There's no better
place than the Monterey Bay area, with Long
Marine Lab, MBARI [Monterey Bay Aquarium
Research Institute], Hopkins Marine Station,
California State University—Monterey Bay, and
others to help us do that.
We'll put together fishery management plans
for every fishery—not the ones that are just in
collapse and wait until it's too late, but get ahead
of the curve. And then we'll give modern man-
agement tools to the people in Fish and Game to
work with their partners in the federal govern-
ment to make sure that we have that sustainable
marine environment into the 21st century and
beyond. That's the big picture. That's what we can
do in California as a good partner with the fed-
eral government.
Let me mention something real
small that can be done, and it would
be enormously helpful. We have a
salmon season opening in California
next week. This may seem like a small
thing, but it's a huge thing to the
people who are in that business.
There are three marine weather
buoys sitting on docks that the Coast
Guard has rehabbed. They're sitting
on docks, and they need to be put
back out in the ocean in San
Francisco and Monterey and else-
where so that those in the fishing
industry will be able to rely on those
weather buoys to be able to safely go
out there and conduct their business in an envi-
ronmentally and economically sound way. That
would be a helpful thing if they could do it.
Thank you.
The Honorable William M. Daley
Thank you, Assemblyman, for your comments,
and also for bringing that to our attention about
the buoys being on dock. I don't think they're
meant to stay there very long. I think between
Rodney and I, we can try to find a way to get
this taken care of. If we can't, we'll talk to the
President.
Let me thank all of our panelists who joined
us this morning. We're going to take
Congresswoman Eshoo's advice and give the
panelists an opportunity to engage with all of
you.
Let me once again, on behalf of Secretary
Dalton and myself, thank all of you, the partici-
pants of this conference. This has been a tremen-
dous success because of the turnout that we've
received and the fact that so many people who
have worked so long on these issues have come
together with different opinions for the first time
ever to talk together in such a forum with gov-
ernmental officials like this, and the President and
Vice President spending so much time with all of
us. Indeed, we thank you for making this confer-
ence a success. Thank you very much.
Assemblyman
Fred Keeley
Photo: Ronald Bell,
U.S. Department of
Commerce
Congressional, State, and Local Perspectives • 167
-------
Programs and Policies
for the 21st Century
•- »•""•''-riMMf *
-'•- ''"VAa£JiM':ifi^ ""^^Al
-------
This is the time—
this historic point in history—
to do for the oceans what our
predecessors did for space.
This Year of the Ocean marks the
beginning of the millennium of the ocean.
INTRODUCTORY REMARKS
REPRESENTATIVE SAM FARR
SENATOR BARBARA BOXER
FIRST LADY HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
DR. SYLVIA A. EARLE
VICE PRESIDENT AL GORE
KEYNOTE ADDRESS
PRESIDENT WILLIAM JEFFERSON CLINTON
PHOTOrNOAA _ ,
-------
Programs
and Policies
for the 21st
Century
Representative
Sam Farr
Photo: Ronald Bell, U.S. Department
of Commerce
Senator
Barbara Boxer
Photo: Ronald Bell, U.S. Department
of Commerce
Introductory Remarks
Representative Sam Farr
I'm Congressman Sam Farr. Mr. President, Mr. Vice President, First Lady,
Senator Boxer, thank you very much for coining to Monterey, where Califor-
nia state government began. It gives me a great deal of pride to be here on
the banks of this great bay, Monterey Bay, where the National Marine Sanc-
tuary was formed when my predecessor Leon Panetta was in Congress. On
behalf of all the people of the United States who appreciate the creation of
the largest National Marine Sanctuary here, I have a Monterey Bay Marine
Sanctuary hat specially engraved for the President and First Lady.
I'm also very proud to be standing here looking over to my right and
seeing our local band welcome the President, a band that has been in the
United States White House playing the President's alma mater song from his
high school. Welcome back, Mr. President, to our band, the Watsonville band.
Thank you very much for being here.
To all our friends who are watching this telecast in the American Pavilion
at the World's Expo in Lisbon, we greet you. Dr. Sylvia Earle and I, as soon
as this is over, are going to be on a plane, along with others from here, that
will be flying right to Lisbon to be joining congressional colleagues who are
with a delegation there for a panel discussion on the issues of this conference
on Sunday in Lisbon. We welcome you to this as well.
Yesterday this conference opened by calling the world community of sci-
ence to protect the oceans. We heard from national speakers on the best
methods to use the oceans wisely and sustainably. Today I'd like to narrow
our focus a bit and look to California. The next speaker, the person whom
I'm to introduce, is a fighter for the oceans, a fighter for good environment,
a fighter for California. Senator Barbara Boxer is in many ways the epitome
of California: respectful of nature and protective of the environment, imbued
with entrepreneurial spirit, considerate of traditional values, but not afraid to
challenge the convention.
Senator Boxer's great "can do" attitude is one of the reasons that much of
California's coast continues to be safe from new oil drilling. It was on her
part, her tireless effort, that helped create the National Monterey Marine
Sanctuary. She's one of the leading co-sponsors of the Oceans Act, which
I've introduced in the House of Representatives, and which has successfully
passed the Senate. This legislation •will develop a comprehensive approach to
long-range national planning on ocean activities.
Her commitment to the oceans and the environment in general is but one
side of Senator Boxer. In an age when politicians are often criticized for not
speaking thek minds or for following public opinion polls, Senator Boxer is
refreshingly candid and an energetic spokesperson for her constituents and for
their causes. It is her passion that sets her apart from others in Washington,
and it is that passion that she lends to every issue that she touches. She's tena-
cious on assisting the disadvantaged. She's committed to economic expansion.
She's dogged in promoting California's agriculture and high technology. Most
of all, she's bullish on the environment. She fights our fight from the seat she
holds on the Appropriations Committee in the United States Senate. She's a
skillful coalition builder and tactician who gets results for this great state of
California. I'm proud to call her my friend, and I'm happy to introduce to
you California's own United States Senator Barbara Boxer.
Senator Barbara Boxer
Thank you all so much. Thank you my beautiful colleagues—my former
colleague Leon Panetta, my wonderful friend Sam Farr, President, the Vice
President, the First Lady, and Dr. Earle.
170 • NATIONAL OCEAN CONFERENCE
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Sam, f just want to take a minute to thank you
for your ongoing efforts to protect the oceans. It
is so fitting that we hold this conference in your
magnificent district. As a California Senator, I
want to welcome all of you here today—my fel-
low Californians as well as guests from other
states and all around the world.Your presence
underscores the fact that our oceans are a
national and a global resource.
Why are we here today? Just over a year ago,
Sam Farr and many of his colleagues who are
here today and I and many of my colleagues in
the Senate wrote to this great President, and we
asked him to convene a White House conference
on the ocean sometime in 1998. The President
responded in the affirmative, and for that, Mr.
President and Mr. Vice President, we thank you
from the bottom of our hearts. Your administra-
tion mobilized, and I'm deeply grateful for this
wonderful response.
California's coast is a natural marvel. From the
beaches and coves of southern California to the
grandeur of Big Sur, to the wild rocky north, this
coast is one of the Earth's greatest treasures.
California's coast, however, is much more than
a scenic treasure. It's a dynamic convergence of
land and sea, a grand yet fragile system that
depends on one thing: the health of the Pacific
Ocean. The cold, clear waters of the Pacific sus-
tain a wealth of marine life, and some of this life
supports California's multibillion-dollar fishing
industry, an industry based on good resource
management. Clean Pacific waters also form the
basis for the coastal tourism industry—valued at
over $27 billion annually—and is the creator of
tens of thousands of California jobs.
The value of the ocean is economic, to be
sure. But our ocean is also a spiritual reminder of
our God-given heritage. Offshore drilling, dump-
ing, incineration, and mining are activities that
should never be part of our national strategy for
the future. Never. Our ocean deserves protection
from these threats. Protection forever.
I have every confidence that our President
will do his part to the full extent of his powers to
take us down this path of permanent protection.
But it is very important to recognize today that
permanent protection must take the form of leg-
islation passed by the Congress and signed by the
President. This Congress has not done it, and
today I challenge the congressional leaders to act.
Congress should send to this President a bill to
permanently protect our oceans for his legacy
and ours.
I've written several bills since 1986. So has
Leon Panetta, so has George Miller, so has Lois
Capps, and I could name so many. There's no
shortage of legislative ideas. Today, let me state
clearly, when it comes to our oceans, the mini-
mum should be do no harm. At the maximum—
and we should do the maximum—we should
enhance our ocean environment. When future
generations visit the magnificent coastlines of
America, they should walk in our footsteps, not in
our pollution. How fortunate we have a President
and a Vice President who understand this.
I want to say to all of you, it will take all of
us—yes, the President, the Vice President, the
members of Congress, and all of us—to ensure
that decades from now, when we hold a young
child's hand and we take that child for their first
visit to the ocean's edge, we can share with that
child the wonders of a clear, powerful wave, the
beauty of the shells and the rocks left behind as
the wave recedes, and not have to explain what it
used to be like before human neglect left our
shore dirty and damaged. We owe it to our chil-
dren and to their children to act before it's too
late. Today is a glorious start.
Ladies and gentlemen, speaking of children, it
is now my high honor to introduce our next
speaker, who is one of the strongest voices in the
world for children. Children in America and chil-
dren in every country have an extraordinary
friend in this woman. May I present to you a
wonderful friend, a great citizen, a wonderful
First Lady, Hillary Rodham Clinton.
First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton
Thank you. It is a special pleasure for me to
be here. This is not an issue that I know much
about at all as an expert in any way. But as a citi-
zen and as a person who has always loved the
ocean, I wanted to come today just to lend my
voice of support to what all of you are doing
who understand what is at stake and the crisis
that we face as we try to do what we should to
respond to the needs of our oceans.
I particularly want to thank the
President and the Vice President, Senator
Boxer, and the other members of the
congressional delegation, including our
host, Congressman Farr, for making this
a top priority so that people like me all
over our country will be able to start
thinking about the oceans differently
and will understand what those of you
who are experts or who sail the seas or
who fish for a living or who have some
other direct interest in the health of our
oceans are trying to tell us.
My husband told me on our flight
out here this morning that he had learned that
71 percent of our planet is ocean, and 71 percent
of our body is salt water. I just can't stop thinking
First Lady Hillary
Rodham Clinton
Photo: Ronald Bell, U.S.
Department of Commerce
Ocean Programs and Policies for the 21st Century • 171
-------
about that, that there is this extraordinary con-
nection between 'who we are as human beings
and what happens behind us in this magnificent
body of water.
I want to commend Commerce Secretary
William Daley and Navy Secretary John Dalton,
who have been the guiding forces behind this
important gathering. I know that they've been
backed up by absolutely terrific staff from through-
out the government whom I want to thank.
This is an important conference held during
the International Year of the Ocean. You've just
heard how some of those who are here today will
be leaving immediately to go to Lisbon, Portugal,
where they're opening up a great Expo about the
oceans because this is not just an issue for
Americans, it is literally an issue for everyone who
inhabits this globe and who, whether they know
it or not, directly or indirectly, is in some way
dependent upon what happens in our oceans.
I'm privileged today to have a very special
honor to introduce someone who is one of those
experts, who knows so much about why this
conference is so timely and important. Before I
do that, I want to urge all of you who are going
to remain here in this area to go down to down-
town Monterey and attend the Oceans Fair,
which is for children and which has a lot more
information about what is happening in the
oceans. If you know any children or you can bor-
row any children, take them, because what we're
doing here today is probably more about their
futures even than ours. I hope that the Oceans
Fair is a very big success in attracting a lot of
people who want to learn more about what
we're learning through this conference.
One of the people we've looked to for guid-
ance about what we should be doing to respond
to the needs of our oceans is Dr. Sylvia Alice
Earle. She has a tide that I think many of us would
covet. Could you imagine when you're asked,
"What is it you do?" to be able to say, "Well, I'm
the Explorer in Residence at the National
Geographic"? You know, that just makes me tingle.
I just think, what a great way to spend your life.
Dr. Earle also heads up Deep Ocean Explo-
ration and Research, Inc. She's one of our
nation's—indeed, one of the world's—most highly
regarded marine explorers and oceanographers.
She understands how important it is that we map
and explore the oceans before they're further
damaged. She has committed her prodigious skills
and talents toward that goal. She's developing a
Sustainable Seas Program, which is designed to
help us understand what resources exist in the
National Marine Sanctuaries, and she's deeply
committed to preserving those precious natural
resources for future generations. Her work is sup-
ported by both the National Geographic Society
and the Ruth and Bob Goldman Foundation, but
it's work that aU of us should support. It's espe-
cially important as we move toward the end of
this century and the new millennium, which
you'll hear more and more about.
I think it's important for all of us to pause and
consider what it is we want to leave to future
generations; and how we'll honor the past and
imagine the future and give gifts to those who
will live out their lives in the 21st century. There's
no greater gift that we could give than to pay
attention to the words and the passion of some-
one like Dr. Earle, who is pointing us in the
direction of doing what we must do to preserve
our oceans for the future. It's a pleasure to intro-
duce a scientist, an engineer, a teacher, and an
explorer, Dr. Sylvia Alice Earle.
Dr. Sylvia A. Earle
Thank you, Mrs. Clinton. It's an honor to share
this podium with you and to be here in front of
all of the rest of you. Mrs. Clinton, I admire your
energy, your passion, and your commitment to
make life better for all Americans and for all citi-
zens, wherever in the world we live. Mr. President,
Mr. Vice President, and all of you who love and
care about the ocean, including those watching on
a live link from that beautiful U.S. Pavilion at the
Ocean Expo in Lisbon with Commissioner Tony
Coelho and his team, hello out there.
At the Monterey Bay Aquarium last night, Vice
President Gore referred to this ocean conference
as an historic event. And so it is, because never
before have the highest officials in this country—
the President, the Vice President, members of the
Cabinet, caring members of Congress, Barbara
[Boxer], Sam [Farr], many of the others of you out
there—come together to focus on ocean issues.
On behalf of everybody here—from the tips of my
flippers to all of you—thank you for being here.
Never before have the oceans been a national
priority. That fact alone makes this conference an
historic event. Consider this: more of the United
States is ocean than land. Consider the territory
out 200 miles. Mr. President, Mr. Vice President,
more of your constituents are fish than people.
Too bad fish can't vote. But then neither can our
children or our grandchildren.
Ironically, there are no voters, no constituents,
certainly no fish on the moon.Yet this didn't stop
us 30 years ago from lofting more men to the
moon and back than have been to the deepest
sea—a mere seven miles and back. Technology is
the key. Without technology, we are as earth-
bound as buffaloes and bears. We have made the
investment needed to venture into the skies, and
172 • NATIONAL OCEAN CONFERENCE
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it has paid off mightily. We have neglected the
oceans, and it has cost us dearly.
One hundred percent of the moon's surface
has been meticulously mapped; 5 percent of the
Earth's ocean has had similar attention. Less than
5 percent has been seen, let alone explored. Yet as
Vice President Gore and Julie Packard reminded
us last night at the aquarium, the ocean is the
cornerstone of Earth's life support. It's not just
the system that drives power, that powers climate
and weather and gives jobs to Dr. Baker and
thousands of NOAA [National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration] employees. It isn't
just the system vital to national security or a
place for the Navy to float ships and send forth
submarines. It's not just home for most of life on
Earth. It's our life support system.
The greatest explorations in our history, which
opened vast new frontiers and changed our lives,
have always come from youthful, forward-looking
leaders. President Jefferson was about the age of
President William Jefferson Clinton and Vice
President Gore when he sent Lewis and Clark to
explore the unknown American West. And of
course it was President Kennedy who challenged
us to explore space. Americans knew more about
the West before President Jefferson sent Lewis
and Clark on their mission of exploration, and
we knew more about the moon before we
landed men there than we know today about our
own ocean.
The right leaders were there in the 19th cen-
tury to explore the nation's land. The right lead-
ers were there in the 20th century to explore
space. This is the time—this historic point in his-
tory—to do for the 21st century what your pre-
decessors did for the land and for space. This Year
of the Ocean marks the beginning for the mil-
lennium of the oceans. The leadership is in
place—might I say this forward-looking, down-
ward-looking leadership.
Yesterday, there was good news for the oceans,
for the fish, and for our children. I was particularly
pleased by the announcement of a commitment
by this administration to map the ocean floor
from the shore to 200 miles seaward—a vital
investment sure to pay economic and environ-
mental dividends. I'm also particularly pleased by
the commitment to the Sustainable Seas Expedi-
tions, especially since I have the fun of leading the
expeditions from my home base here in Califor-
nia. This is a public-private partnership between
the National Geographic Society, the Goldman
Fund of San Francisco, NOAA, the Navy, NASA
[National Aeronautics and Space Administration],
and others to explore this nation's system of
marine sanctuaries, a promising young counter-
part of our national parks. How about the com-
mitment to protect and restore coral
reefs? All right. The commitment to
monitor the ocean with a new system of
buoys and a renewed and an expanded
commitment that Vice President Gore
initiated years ago to release previously
classified data and technology without
compromising security.
Thirty years ago, before the Vice
President had been elected to his first
public office, as a Representative in his
home state, Tennessee, years before his
1984 election as a Senator, Al Gore
already had in place the convictions of
one born and raised close to the land, close to
nature. He already felt the connections about
which he spoke last night, that we're all con-
nected to something other than ourselves. We're
connected to one another, to the Earth, and to
the oceans. Your book,Vice President Gore, Earth
in Balance, makes that clear.
Here is a man who sees beyond yesterday and
today and far into the future, and lives today with
knowledge and convictions born of cruising
under the ice at the North Pole in a Navy sub-
marine, born of being in Antarctica, of being a
student of that legendary ocean hero, Roger
Revelle. This man born of a mother who taught
him about Rachel Carson and read to him from
the book Silent Spring, and a father who taught
leadership and statesmanship by example. A man
shaped by diving among coral reefs and observing
for himself not only their beauty but also then-
recent decline. Here's one who takes his wife and
his children diving in the Florida Keys National
Marine Sanctuary, and here's also a man who yes-
terday, in total character, went to sea to see for
himself the new technologies that are revealing
the nature of life in the Monterey Canyon, who
this morning was out kayaking in the kelp with
some of California's beloved local residents, the
sea otters. They can't vote, but he was listening.
His is an inquisitive mind, this man of action, this
man of the 21st century, this extraordinary
visionary, this knowing, caring man, this Vice
President of the United States, Al Gore.
Vice President Al Gore
Dr. Earle, I really can't thank you enough for
your generosity. Actually, we've known each other
for a long time. As a member of the Senate, I
presided over her confirmation hearings many
years ago, and found instantly how deeply com-
mitted she was to the environment, especially the
oceans. I can't tell you •what an honor it is for me
to be introduced by you, especially in that fash-
ion, this morning. I do want to thank you again.
Dr. Sylvia A. Earle
Photo: Ronald Bell, U.S.
Department of Commerce
Ocean Programs and Policies for the 21st Century • 173
-------
From /eft to right:
Representative Sam
Parr, Senator Barbara
Boxer, Vice President Al
Gore, President
William Jefferson
Clinton, Dr. Sylvia A.
Earle, First Lady Hillary
Rodham Clinton
Photo: Ronald Bell, U.S.
Department of Commerce
It's a great pleasure, as you can imagine, to be
here with the President and the First Lady and
with all of you in this stunningly beautiful site. I
want to thank Senator Barbara Boxer for her
leadership in helping to bring about this catalyz-
ing congealing of our nation's commitment to
the oceans. Thank you so much, Senator Boxer,
and Stewart Boxer, who's here also. Senator
Boxer's a great leader on the environment and on
every other issue. Likewise, I want to thank Con-
gressman Sam Parr, whose wife, Shary, is here.
Sam Farr has talked to me about this conference
since it was just a gleam in his eye, and he has
really done a fantastic job leading all of us to this
place and to these conversations. Thank you very
much, Congressman Farr, for your tremendous
leadership. We appreciate you. >
I want to acknowledge individually the other
members of Congress who are here. California is
especially blessed with a lot of elected representa-
tives in our United States Congress who have
made protecting the environment in a common-
sense way a part of their life's work. I'd like to ask
them, the ones that I'm introducing here, to please
stand. I'm going to ask you to hold your applause. I
want the whole group to stand, and then let's thank
them. Congressman George Miller and his wife,
Cynthia, Congresswoman Anna Eshoo, Congress-
woman Lois Capps, and Congresswoman Lynn
"Woolsey.Thank you all very much. Fantastic job.
Now, there are three other members of Con-
gress who are here, and I want to ask them to
stand. First of all, a great environmentalist from
Oregon, Congressman Earl Blumenauer, is here.
Thank you, Congressman. Delegate Eni Faleo-
mavaega of American Samoa and Delegate Robert
Underwood from Guam, thank you very much.
Earlier today, Congressman Brian Bilbray was here,
and Delegate Donna Christian-Green, from the
Virgin Islands, was here. This is a bipartisan effort,
and we thank all of the many local elected officials
who are present, state officials who are present, and
everyone who has played such a significant role.
I've taken this out of protocol order, and I
hope they'll forgive me. I now want to acknowl-
edge the members of the President's Cabinet and
the administration team who are here who have
been the leaders of this conference. I want to
start with the two co-chairs, our Secretary of
Commerce, Bill Daley, and Secretary of the Navy,
John Dalton. Both of you, thank you. Thanks for
your great leadership. I want to thank the admin-
istrator of the EPA [Environmental Protection
Agency], Carol Browner.Thank you very much,
Administrator Browner. The Secretary of Trans-
portation, Rodney Slater. Thank you very much,
Rodney. The chairperson of the Council on
Environmental Quality, Katie McGinty, thank
you very much. The administrator of the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra-
tion, Jim Baker. Thank you very much, Jim.
There are quite a few other members of the
administration team here, including from the Navy
and the Coast Guard and other Cabinet agencies.
Please allow me to acknowledge all of you as a
group. There are a couple of other good friends,
they've been mentioned, but I want to say a special
word of thanks to my longtime friends of a quar-
ter century, Leon and Sylvia Panetta. Thank you,
Leon and Sylvia. Thank you both. Leon was the
first one to bring me out here to see this beautiful
place. Sam and Shary's [Farr] daughter introduced
me on that occasion. I'll always remember that.
May I say a formal word of acknowledgment
and welcome to this event electronically to our
great friend, Commissioner Tony Coelho, there
with a distinguished group in Lisbon.You're very-
much a part of this conference, as our hearts are
very much a part of that great exposition under
way in Lisbon. We thank you for all of your lead-
ership there.
Speaking of that wonderful gathering in Lis-
bon, it was 500 years ago when the great Por-
tuguese explorer Vasco da Gama drew distant
lands a little bit closer when he began the very
first ocean voyage around the Cape of Good
174 • NATIONAL OCEAN CONFERENCE
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Hope. Today, we can communicate across that
same great distance instantly, and we can actually
physically cross it in a matter of hours.
In spite of those advances in communications
and in travel, the great ocean depths remain
largely unexplored. Their natural wonders remain
barely glimpsed, their potential bounty virtually
unknown. That's why this historic oceans confer-
ence is so long overdue. And that's why all of us
are grateful for President Clinton's commitment
to protect and harvest and explore our oceans
and safeguard them for the next century and for
future generations.
Oceans are critical, not just to our economy;
not just to our food supply, here in the shadow of
Cannery Row; not just to America's trade and
security; but to the fabric of life itself. They're
perhaps the greatest natural treasure on God's
Earth. Improved understanding of the ocean can
lead to very tangible benefits for those of us here.
Just think about how few years it's been since
we've gained an understanding of El Nino. Think
back over the past year—not only here in Cali-
fornia, but all over the country—about how
many people have been transfixed by the nighdy
television newscasts of El Nino. Well, we've been
having them for a long time. The Peruvian fisher-
men knew that, but we didn't know it because
the scientific pieces of the puzzle had never been
put together until about seven years ago. The rea-
son they hadn't been put together is that most of
those pieces were out in the ocean. Now, thank
goodness, because of NOAA and the scientific
community and others, we've put those pieces
together, and damage costing billions and billions
of dollars was avoided because of the warnings
and the preparation and prevention activities that
we were able to undertake before the full brunt
of El Nino hit.
I remember when Barbara Boxer sounded the
alarm early last year, because she had looked at
the scientific evidence, and she organized that big
conference in California and brought everybody
together. I came out for it at her invitation.
Because you sounded the alarm on that, Senator
Boxer, California was able to prepare. As bad as it
was, it would have been 10 times worse, except
for your sounding that alarm. I want to thank
you very much for what you did there. That's an
example of the kinds of discoveries •with very
practical benefits that we can get by improving
our understanding of the oceans.
There are probably other unrecognized phe-
nomena similar to El Nino in the oceans—per-
haps in the Arctic Ocean, perhaps in the North
Atlantic—where the conveyor belt brings the
Gulf Stream up and it sinks deep down to the
reverse cold current running underneath it in the
opposite direction. These phenomena have effects
on us, but we need to understand them more
clearly. That's why the President's commitment to
vastly expand our research effort is so important.
It was a great event yesterday, and I had the
privilege of giving the President and the First Lady
the opportunity to hear from the leaders of each
of the four forums yesterday in some depth this
morning. They heard all about the events that went
on yesterday. It was such a terrific dialogue, and I
want to thank everybody who was a part of it.
As Dr. Earle mentioned, I had the great fun
yesterday of going on MBARI's [Monterey Bay
Aquarium Research Institute's] Western Flyer with
Julie Packard and all of that crew over there. I saw
for myself the exciting new research that's possible
if we just follow through on the commitment that
the President is asking our country to make.
We call this planet the Earth. But in truth, it
holds a lot more salt water than it does soil. As
others have noted, the oceans cover far more than
two-thirds of the Earth's surface and contain 99
percent of all its living space. If those statistics seem
surprising, here are a couple of others that hit even
closer to home. The oceans now sustain one out of
every six jobs in the United States of America, and
our coastal areas now produce 85 percent of all of
our tourism dollars. Beaches are now the leading
tourist destination in America, and that may be
why almost half of all construction in the United
States during the '70s and '80s took place in coastal
areas. Fish and marine life is increasingly being
used for path-breaking medicines and pharmaceu-
ticals, including new cancer treatments and anti-
inflammatory drugs. And then there is the simple
matter of the quality of life. It is estimated that
within 30 years, a billion more people will be liv-
ing along the coasts than are alive today.
Given those statistics, it's surprising that we still
know so little about our oceans. Until recently, we
knew more about the surface of the moon than
about the ocean floor. Here's what we do know.
More and more, we're polluting coastal waters.
We're exhausting important fisheries. We're threat-
ening the rich and precious coral reefs that are, in
a sense, the rainforests of the sea, supporting the
great diversity of life. Poor stewardship of the
oceans is bad for the environment and bad for our
future, because it contaminates our beaches, com-
promises our food supply, and robs us of a pre-
cious resource that we depend upon. •
Ladies and gentlemen, for five and a half years
now, I've been intensely proud to serve with
President Clinton, who is not only one of the
greatest environmental Presidents in our nation's
history—one of the greatest environmentalists of
modern times—but also a person who under-
stands clearly in his bones the need for balanced
Ocean Programs and Policies for the 21st Century • 175
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Environmental Hero Awards
For the past three years the Department of Commerce;
has recognized key environmental contributions of both
local volunteers and national figures with its Environmeyi-
tal Hero Award. Signed by the Secretary of Commerce,!
this certificate of recognition has been accompanied for
the past two years by a personalized letter to the :
awardee from Vice President Al Gore. The Environmen-
tal Hero Awards are normally presented to recipients in
their own communities on Earth Day. However, the
National Ocean Conference was identified as an appro-
priate high-level venue for recognition of these individu-
als. The Honorable D. James Baker, Under Secretary for
Oceans and Atmosphere, U.S. Department of Commerce,
and Administrator of NOAA, served as MC for the
awards ceremony. The Honorable Katie McGinty, Chair of
the Council on Environmental Quality, presented the
awards to the honorees. (Photos: Ronald Bell, U.S.
Department of Commerce)
1998 recipients of the Department of Commerce Environmental Hero Award.
Nathaniel Shaw "Nat" Bingham was a former commercial fisherman
who gave up his trade to advocate on behalf of salmon habitat
restoration. Ultimately, he became one the nation's most effective fish-
eries conservation champions. Jolene Bingham, his daughter, received
the award on behalf of his family. ; . : j
Bob Talbbt, noted marine photographer, has dedicated his professional
career to bringing home to millions of people th^ message of the oceans.
Both as cinematographer and still photographer, |Bob has helped treate a
personal connection to the ocean for millions of people.
Luncheon
Address
Rear Admiral Paul Ga'fncy II
delivered the conference's
Luncheon Address.
•••his year, the International Year of the Ocean, has
I heightened public interest in our planet's most
important features—the oceans. If we could repre-
sent the Earth with a sheet of paper folded in thirds,
the bottom two-thirds illustrates the area covered
by our oceans. About I square inch of this paper is
equal to the area of the ocean that has been fully
imaged—acoustically surveyed, if you will. That's 5
percent of the ocean bottom. In contrast, about 2
square inches would represent the entire area of the
moon—front and dark side—that has been fully
imaged. That's 100 percent of the moon!
Yes, we do have 100 percent of the ocean char-
acterized in some fashion. Using satellite altimetry,
we have been able to discern I S-km resolution,
but 100 percent of the moon is characterized at
100 times that resolution.
What's my message? It's an old one: "We know
more about the moon's backside than the ocean's
bottom!" This concerns me, and I believe we
should do something about it.
We must have knowledge of our ocean planet
before we legislate, regulate, or operate in the
ocean. Unfortunately, no one agency can afford it
alone. We need partners. I propose we focus part-
nership initiatives on surveying and exploring the
littorals. Most people live near the coast. We eat,
travel, play, and fight there. We also pollute there.
What's your choice for the most important
maritime nation in the history of the world? There
are many opportunities to do something. One is
through the National Oceanographic Partnership
Program [NOPP]. Secretary Dalton used Navy
money and took the lead in getting NOPP started.
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Jean-Michel Cousteau, son of Jacques Cousteau, has spent much of his
life exploring the world's ocean's. He works today to preserve his
father's legacy through his solutions-oriented, nonprofit organization,
the Jean-Michel Cousteau Institute.
Dr. Sylvia Earle, Explorer in Residence at the National Geographic
Society, is organizing the Sustainable Seas Project, which is a partner-
ship among several federal agencies, the National Geographic, and the
Goldman Foundation to embark on a multiyear, multimillion-dollar
project to map and explore ocean resources.
Ted Danson, president of the American Oceans Campaign, has been an
important figure in marine preservation activities for more than k
decade. His vision helped found an organization dedicated td protect-
ing and preserving the vitality of coastal waters, estuaries, bfeiys, wet-
lands, and deep oceans. ]
Moss Landing Marine Laboratories (MLML) faculty, staff, and graduate
students have worked extensively with NOAA's Monterey Bay National
Marine Sanctuary programs, including the mapping of habitats in
Monterey Bay. Kenneth Coale, Acting Director of MLML, accepted the
award on behalf of MLML faculty, staff, and students.
Other agencies are now joining with funding and
are actively participating. Another opportunity is
through MEDEA [Measurement of Earth Data
Environmental Analysis], Vice President Gore's and
former CIA [Central Intelligence Agency] Director
Gates's plan to safely harness defense and intelli-
gence data for other purposes. MEDEA and NOPP,
both led in part by our Conference Director here
today, Dr. Jim Baker, represent the best partner-
ships of the '90s.
In the 1800s, Lt. Charles Wilkes led a nationally
chartered world ocean expedition. I'd like to pro-
pose one similar effort, before the end of this mil-
lennium, to again complement important national
oceanographic objectives. It's just one alternative,
but one I've been considering.
Let's do a GISMOE: Great Intra-American Sea
Millennium Ocean Expedition. It would fit natural
laboratory candidates like the Gulf of Mexico, but it
could also be the Giilf of Alaska, the Florida Bay,
the Georgia Bight. It could be called GABE: Great
.American Bays/Bights Expedition. What's important
is to begin now. GISMOE would be 100 percent
coverage of the ocean-—bottom to baseline—with
long-time series observations to follow. The time is
right! I think we're missing the most important
geophysical discoveries in the universe, and they
start only a few blocks from this bajlroorh—our
oceans.
Thank you.
During the luncheon,
Rear Admiral Winford G.
"Jerry" Ellis, prospective
Oceanographer of the Navy,
introduced a video on the
U.N. Convention on the
Law of the Sea.
-------
Rear Admiral Robert Chaplin,
Superintendent of the Naval
Postgraduate School, speaking
at the conference welcome
breakfast (Photo: Ronofd Bell,
U.S. Deportment of Commerce)
SI'if "~ i«5£=r — ™i'
. si • i • !
1
Hermann Hall, Naval Postgraduate School. (Photo: Ronald Bell, U.S. Department of Commerce)
Participants In the Environment and Health Issue Forum.
(Photo; Ronald Bel/, U.S. Deportment of Commerce}
Dr. Nancy Foster, NOAA Assistant Administrator for Ocean Services
and Coastal Zone Management,' discusses ocean issues with Dr. Robert
Knecht. (Photo: Ronald Bell, U.S. Department of Commerce)
I/'
President Clinton and Vice President Gore with conference Executive
Committee members Sally Yozell, Linda'Glover, and Monica Medina.
(Official White House photograph;
Vice President Al Gore and conference participants at the evening recep-
tion at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. (Official White House photograph)
'
,•] I"'
-------
ffl
Panelists briefing President and Mrs. Clinton and Vice President Gore
on conference discussions. (Official White House photograph)
Ill
President Clinton and Vice President Gore arriving at Plenary lib session.
(Photo: Harry Strong)
Plenary lib participants at San Carlos Beach Park. (Photo: Rpno/d Bell, Entrance to San Carlos Beach Park. (Photo: Ronald Bell, U.S.
U.S. Department of Commerce) j ; Department of Commerce)
Family activities at the post-conference Oceans Fair. (Photo:\Virginia Tipple)
A walking jellyfish at the post-conference
Oceans Fair. (Photo: Virginia Tipple)
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-------
Appendices
-------
National Ocean Conference Agenda
Wednesday, June 10
6:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m.
Registration
Herrmann Hall Lobby, Naval Postgraduate School (NFS) andDoubleTree Hotel
Thursday,June II
7:00 a.m.- 8:00 a.m.
Registration
Herrmann Hall, NFS
8:00 a.m.- 8:30 a.m.
Opening Remarks & Welcome
Ballroom, Herrmann Hall, NFS
Sam Farr, Congressman (D-Calif.)
John H. Dalton, Secretary of the Navy
William M. Daley, Secretary of Commerce (taped)
Rear Admiral Robert Chaplin, Superintendent, NPS ;
9:00 a.m.-ll:30 a.m.
Concurrent Issue Forums
• Oceans and Commerce—-Ingersoll Hall, NPS
• Oceans and Global Security—Mechanical Engineering Auditorium, NFS
• Ocean Exploration, Education, and Research—Glasgow 109, NPS
• Ocean Environment and Health—Glasgow 102, NPS
12:00 p.m.-l:00 p.m.
Lunch
Herrmann Hall Ballroom, NPS
1:30 p.m.-4:00 p.m.
Plenary I: Cross-Cutting Issues in Ocean Programs and Policy
King Hall, NPG
Chaired by Vice President Al Gore
• Ecosystem Health : ,
• Sustainable Use of Ocean and Coastal Resources
• Research
• Law of the Sea
• Ocean Management
7:30 p.m.-10:30 p.m.
Reception
Monterey Bay Aquarium
Friday, June 12 :
9:30 a.m.
Opening Remarks
San Carlos Park
William M. Daley, Secretary of Commerce
9:30 a.m.-ll:30 a.m.
Plenary Ha: Congressional, State, and Local Perspectives
San Carlos Park
Chaired byWilliam M. Daley, Secretary ofCommerce, andI Rodney E. Sitter,Secretary of Transportation
12:30 p.m.-l:30 p.m.
Plenary lib: Ocean Programs and Policies for the 21st Century
San Carlos Park
Introductory remarks by Representative Sam Farr, Senator Barbara Boxer, First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, Dr. Sylvia A.
Earle, and Vice President Al Gore
Keynote Address: President William Jefferson Clinton
-------
Ocean Initiatives for
the 21st Century
Building Sustainable Fisheries
To restore America's fisheries and sustain the coastal communities that depend on
them, the President is announcing measures to reduce overfishing and protect essential
fish habitats, including a ban on the sale or import of undersized Atlantic swordfish. The
President is proposing an additional $ 194 million over five years to speed implementa-
tion and is calling on other nations to undertake similar efforts.
In the past, oceans •were thought to be inexhaustible sources of food.
Today, most of the •world's commercial fisheries are being exploited at or
beyond their ability to sustain themselves. Apart from overfishing, many
species are suffering from pollution, habitat destruction, and wasteful
bycatch—the indiscriminate capture of noncommercial species, which usu-
ally are thrown back and die.
Marine fisheries support millions of U.S. jobs and billions of dollars in
economic activity each year. The collapse of major fisheries in New England
demonstrates the devastating impacts of overfishing on coastal communities
and economies. With the help of federal efforts, New England fisheries now
are beginning to rebound.
To rebuild and sustain America's marine fisheries, the President is propos-
ing an additional $194 million in fiscal years 2000, 2001, and 2002 to:
• Acquire three state-of-the art research vessels to increase the frequency
and accuracy of fisheries assessments, providing better data on the health
and abundance offish stocks so management decisions are based on
sound science.
• Develop measures by October 1998 to meet the goals of the Sustainable
Fisheries Act—restoring depleted fish stocks within 10 years, protecting
essential fish habitats, and reducing the bycatch of noncommercial species.
• Implement a ban on the sale or import of undersized Atlantic swordfish
(under 33 pounds) to help restore and sustain this important fishery.
• Increase research and promote public—private partnerships to develop
environmentally sound aquaculture—commercial fish production—to
ease pressure on ocean fisheries.
• In addition, the President is calling on other nations to help reverse the
decline in the world's fisheries by vigorously implementing measures to
stop overfishing, eliminate the use of destructive fishing practices, and
protect and restore essential fish habitats.
Ports for the 21st Century
To maintain competitiveness and ensure America's ability to safely handle the increase
in ocean vessel traffic expected in the 21st century, the President is launching a pans
modernization program financed by a proposed new Harbor Services Fund. The fund
would raise $800 million over the next five years to deepen and maintain shipping chan-
nels, improve navigational safety, and undertake other port projects.
More than 95 percent of U.S. overseas trade by tonnage (excluding
Mexico and Canada) passes through U.S. ports and harbors. In 1996, U.S.
ports handled approximately 2.3 billion tons of cargo and supported nearly
16 million jobs. As we head into the 21st century, international trade will
continue to grow. Unless our ports are prepared—for instance, by deepening
channels to accommodate larger cargo ships—American consumers •will pay
more for imported goods, and American businesses will pay higher export
costs.
These efforts must be undertaken in a •way that protects the ocean envi-
ronment. This includes a continued commitment to environmentally sound
dredging and safe disposal or reuse of dredged material. Ports must also take
186 • NATIONAL OCEAN CONFERENCE
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full advantage of new navigation technology, such as the Coast Guard's new Vessel Traffic Services system and the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration's prototype Physical Oceanographic Real-Time System (PORTS).These computer-based systems
provide ships with up-to-the-minute weather and oceanographic data to help move cargo more efficiently and avoid collisions that
cost lives and harm the environment.
To continue to prepare our ports for the new millennium, the President is proposing to:
• Establish a new Harbor Services Fund to hold revenues from a new user fee on shippers that would replace the existing harbor
maintenance fee. Revenues would be used to finance harbor dredging, port construction activities, and navigation safety
improvements.
• Enhance federal partnerships with industry to commercialize government-developed PORTS technology and make it available
to ports across the U.S. and around the world.
• Combine the capabilities of PORTS and the Vessel Traffic Services system to place powerful new navigation safety tools in the
hands of the harbor pilots who guide ships into port.
Joining the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea
To maintain America's leadership in international ocean affairs, the President is calling on the U.S. Senate to recognize the overwhelming support
expressed at the National Ocean Conference for the Convention on the Law of the Sea, and to clear the way for the United States to join the
Convention.
The Convention on the Law of the Sea provides the international legal framework that supports activities at sea, including fish-
ing, international trade, military operations, and environmental protection. With 125 member nations, including virtually all of the
industrialized countries, the Convention is the central force in international ocean policy.
The United States, however, risks losing its leadership role if it does not join the Convention. For instance, the United States
will lose its provisional membership in the International Seabed Authority, which will establish international rules for potential
seabed mining, if it does not join the Convention by November 1998. If the United States does not join, it also will not be repre-
sented on the Continental Shelf Commission and the Law of the Sea Tribunal. All of these bodies will make important decisions
affecting U.S. interests.
The United States launched the Convention negotiations in 1972 and, by 1982, achieved most of its fundamental objectives.
Concerns over deep seabed mining remained, however, and President Reagan declined to sign the Convention. Most of the indus-
trialized world followed. However, President Reagan committed the United States to honor all of the Convention's other provi-
sions while attempting to reform the deep seabed mining provisions. Negotiations led by the United States resulted in the 1994
Deep Seabed Mining Agreement that resolved all outstanding issues. The United States signed the agreement, and again the rest of
the industrialized world followed.
The Convention balances economic, strategic, and environmental concerns. Joining it will:
• Preserve freedom of navigation and overflight through, for instance, international straits like Hormuz and Malacca and sea lanes
in the strategically located archipelagoes of Indonesia and the Philippines.
• Support U.S. maritime drug interdiction activities.
• Secure open and efficient trade routes and prevent unwarranted restrictions by coastal nations.
• Enhance fisheries management, protection of whales and other marine mammals, and global ocean protection, especially the
control of land-based sources of pollution.
The National Ocean Conference is the first of its kind because it involves all sectors of the U.S. ocean community—federal,
state, and local governments and science, industry, academia, environmental, and other public interests. All have expressed the criti-
cal importance of U.S. membership in the Convention on the Law of the Sea.
Protecting Coral Reefs
To strengthen protection of natural coral reefs in U.S. waters, President Clinton is signing an executive order directing federal agencies to expand
research, preservation, and restoration activities. The President is proposing an additional $6 million through 2002 to speed these efforts and complete
restoration of 18 damaged reefs in the Atlantic, Caribbean, and Pacific.
Coral reefs are among the most exquisite—and most endangered—ecosystems on Earth. As a foundation of the tourism, recre-
ation, and fishing industries, coral reefs sustain billions of dollars in economic activity. Often described as the marine equivalent of
the rainforests, coral reefs support a stunning diversity and abundance of undersea life. Thousands of species have yet to be cata-
logued, so their potential value—as life-saving medicines, for instance—remains undiscovered.
Yet around the world, coral reefs are suffering the effects of pollution, development, overfishing, and rising ocean temperatures
brought on by global warming. This degradation threatens both the reef and the economies they sustain. In 1994, with leadership
Appendix: Ocean Initiatives for the 21st Century • 187
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from Vice President Gore, the United States founded the International Coral Reef Initiative to mobilize efforts to protect and
restore these fragile reefs. Global attention was farther heightened in 1997, which was declared the International Year of the Coral
Reef.
To strengthen U.S. efforts and encourage similar action by other nations, the new Executive Order on Coral Reef Protection:
• Directs agencies to ensure that no action they authorize or fand will degrade coral reefs in U.S. waters.
• Creates an interagency Coral Reef Task Force, headed by the Secretaries of the Interior and Commerce, to coordinate imple-
mentation of coral reef policy.
• Directs the task force to coordinate a comprehensive program to map, monitor, and assess the health of U.S. coral reefs; research
die major causes and consequences of coral reef damage; and develop strategies to reduce damage and restore ailing reefs.
• Directs die State Department and other agencies to take action to promote conservation and sustainable use of coral reef
resources, building on the success of the International Coral Reef Initiative.
The Executive Order and proposed funding increase, together with ongoing efforts, will allow the completion of 18 restoration
projects—nine in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, two elsewhere in Florida, two in the Virgin Islands, three in Puerto
Rico, one in Guam, and one in Hawaii.
Protecting Our Oceans from Offshore Oil Drilling
To protect our oceans and coasts from the environmental risks of offshore oil and gas drilling, the President is issuing a directive extending the morato-
rium on offshore leasing for an additional 10 years, and permanently barring new leasing in national marine sanctuaries.
Some portions of the Outer Continental Shelf off the coast of the United States contain oil and gas reserves. Over the years,
some areas have been leased to private industry for oil and gas development. Offshore drilling, however, poses the risk of oil spills
and other environmental damage. To guard against such risks, many citizens oppose new leasing off the coasts of their states.
Through a combination of executive and legislative action, many coastal areas are now closed to new leasing. The Department
of die Interior's latest five-year plan for the Outer Continental Shelf, adopted in 1997, effectively prevents new leasing in federal
waters off most of the U.S. coast through 2002. In addition, the particularly sensitive areas encompassed by America's 12 national
marine sanctuaries are protected from oil and gas drilling only to varying degrees.
To strengdien protections against the risks of offshore oil and gas development, the President is:
• Issuing a directive under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act that prevents leasing of any area currently under moratorium
prior to 2012.This extends by 10 years the protection currendy provided by the Department of the Interior's leasing plan. The
moratorium covers virtually all of the coasts of the North Atlantic, California, Washington, Oregon, southwest Florida, New
England, the Mid-Adantic, and southern Alaska (the North Aleutian Basin).
• Permanendy placing off limits all areas of the Outer Continental Shelf contained within existing marine sanctuaries. They
include the Channel Islands and Monterey Bay sanctuaries in California, the Florida Keys sanctuary, Gray's Reef sanctuary in
Georgia, and the Olympic Coast sanctuary offWashington.
The President's directive prevents consideration of any of these areas for either exploratory or production leasing for any
resource development in the waters of the Outer Continental Shelf. It does not cancel or interfere with existing leases. The 10-year
moratorium covering most of the coast is consistent with the Administration's policy of allowing future review based on new sci-
ence and technology that could allow safer development of the Outer Continental Shelf. The President has decided that because of
dieir unique and sensitive ocean resources, the marine sanctuaries should be permanendy protected from new leasing.
Exploring the Last U.S. Frontier
To unravel deep-sea mysteries, discover new opportunities in the ocean, and better understand how to protect marine resources, Vice President Gore is
launching a program to map and explore U.S. ocean waters with advanced underwater technology. A proposed $12 million through 2002 will be used
to expand two sha/tow-water ofaservator/es, build two new deep-sea observatories, and develop two high-tech submersibles to explore exotic sea life.
Oceans cover most of the Earth, yet only five percent of the seafloor has been explored. Until recendy, we knew more about
die surface of the moon dian the ocean floor. Recent exploration of deep-sea vents, which spew hot water from deep within the
Eardi, have led to the discovery of life forms never thought possible. And advanced technology now allows researchers to go, and
send unmanned submersible vehicles, to greater and greater depths. Dramatic visits to the sunken Titanic offer a glimpse of the
exciting discoveries that are now possible.
To protect the ocean, and particularly our marine reserves, we must know more about them and how human activities affect
diem. Information gleaned from the sea can also help identify new sources of minerals, life-saving pharmaceuticals, and other
materials. It also will provide a clearer picture of the oceans' enormous contribution to our economy. The Administration is
proposing an additional $4 million a year in fiscal years 2000, 2001, and 2002 to:
188 • NATIONAL OCEAN CONFERENCE
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• Develop two new unmanned deep-sea observatories—on the Juan de Fuca Ridge off the west coast of the U.S., and in the Gulf
of Mexico—to monitor unusual life forms.
• Expand existing shallow-water observatories—such as the Leo in New Jersey and the Aquarius in Florida—to enable researchers
to stay under water for several days at a stretch to directly observe biological, chemical, and physical processes in the ocean.
• Develop, in partnership with industry, two state-of-the-art submersibles—an unmanned undersea vehicle remotely operated
from a ship, and a manned self-propelled mini submarine. These systems will be leased by the government and made available to
the scientific community.
• Assess the contribution of ocean resources and activities to the nation's economy. A panel of economists, scientists, and ocean
experts, to be named by the President, will complete the assessment by the year 2000.
• Contribute $250,000 a year to support the "Sustainable Seas Expeditions," a public-private partnership spearheaded by the
National Geographic Society and the Goldman Foundation to explore undersea life in America's marine sanctuaries.
Strengthening Protection of our Marine Reserves: The "Sustainable Seas Expeditions" will help complete a comprehensive inventory of
biodiversity in America's 12 National Marine Sanctuaries; revise management plans for the sanctuaries by 2002; and develop sci-
ence-based recommendations for stronger protections, such as the "no-take" zones in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.
Protecting Our Beaches and Coastal Waters
To help protect the nation's beaches and coastal waters—as well as public health—Vice President Gore is announcing a new Web site listing beach
advisories and closings, and a coordinated strategy to respond to toxic algal blooms. He and President Clinton also are calling on Congress to fully fund
the Administration's Clean Water Action Plan.
Despite significant progress in protecting our beaches, bays, and coastal waters over the past quarter century, the job is not done.
Many beaches and coastal areas remain threatened by bacterial contamination from sewage, polluted runoff from farms and city-
streets, and ocean dumping. Each year, thousands of beaches are closed to swimming because of pollution. And toxic algal blooms
are choking marine life, threatening fishing, and disrupting coastal economies.
In February, the President launched the Clean Water Action Plan—a comprehensive blueprint for completing the job of clean-
ing our rivers, lakes, and coastal waters. The plan will set strong goals and provide states, communities, and landowners with the
tools and resources to meet them. New initiatives under the plan that will protect coastal areas include:
• An Environmental Protection Agency Web site offers important information on beaches, including which beaches are moni-
tored for microbial pollution, which have advisories issued because of pollution, and how to find out more. The new Beach
Watch Program Internet site is found at http://www.epa.gov/ost/beaches-A similar Web site is being developed to provide easy
access to national fish advisories.
• The Beach Action Plan is a five-year strategy to develop stronger, faster, and more accurate beach monitoring programs for
states, to strengthen beach water quality standards, to improve public access to information on beach water quality, and to
increase research to address problems related to skin, upper respiratory tract, as well as eye, ear, nose, and throat infections in
swimmers.
• Federal agencies will develop a coordinated response system to support state and local efforts to address toxic algal blooms, such
as Pfiesteria, microorganisms that cause red and brown tides, and other harmful organisms. Agencies will work with states, acade-
mia, and others to implement the National Harmful Algal Bloom Research Monitoring Strategy.
• Federal agencies will work with coastal states and territories to ensure that, by December 1999, they have developed enforceable
plans to reduce polluted runoff in coastal areas.
Full Funding for Clean Water: The President's budget proposes an additional $568 million in fiscal year 1999—a 35 percent
increase—and a total increase of $2.3 billion over five years to carry out the Clean Water Action Plan. The president and Vice
President are calling on Congress to approve those funds to ensure clean, healthy water for all Americans.
Monitoring Climate and Global Warming
To tetter understand the role of the oceans in shaping our weather and climate, and to help address the threat of global warming. Vice President Gore
is announcing an expanded ocean monitoring system. The Administration is proposing an additional $12 million through 2002 to place hundreds of
monitoring buoys in the North Atlantic and North Pacific to measure critical ocean data.
The oceans cover two-thirds of our planet, and their interaction with the atmosphere has a profound influence on climate pat-
terns and our daily weather. For instance, the recent El Nino, which caused severe flooding and drought worldwide, began with
unusually warm temperatures in the South Pacific. Despite significant advances in forecasting, severe weather events inflict a costly
toll on agriculture, industry, and communities.
Appendix: Ocean Initiatives for the 21st Century • 189
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One of die most significant factors shaping our future climate is the oceans' response to global warming. The oceans area a
major sink absorbing carbon dioxide, the principal greenhouse gas contributing to climate change. How much carbon dioxide the
oceans can store, and how that ability changes over time, will heavily influence how quickly the Earth warms. The rate of global
warming, in turn, may have serious ramifications for fisheries and other marine life. Finer measurements of ocean data are needed
to better track climate shifts, understand the interaction of the oceans and the atmosphere, and predict severe weather and the
regional impacts of global climate change. To fill these data gaps:
• The Administration is proposing an additional $4 million a year in fiscal years 2000, 2001, and 2002 so the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) can place a vast array of floating buoys in the North Atlantic and North Pacific,
which now are largely unmonitored. Instruments on the buoys, which can sink and rise on their own, will measure tempera-
ture, salinity, and currents at different depths. Data from the buoys, part of an expanded Global Ocean Observing System, will
complement shipboard and satellite measurements to refine climate prediction models.
• NOAA, the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
(NASA), and the Navy will continue observations and research on the interaction of the oceans, the atmosphere, the polar ice
caps, marine ecosystems, and the movement of carbon through the oceans.
II NASA also plans to develop, launch, and operate a series of new satellites to provide extremely accurate measurements of bio-
logical productivity in the oceans, as well as wind, currents, and temperature at the sea's surface.
Public Access to Military Data and Technology
To help increase our understanding of marine life, enhance weather forecasting and climate change research, and identify valuable ocean resources,
Vice President Gore is announcing the declassification and release of secret and restricted Navy data. The Department of Defense will also produce
computer-based nautical charts replacing the paper charts used by mariners for centuries—a significant advance in marine safety.
Declassifying Secret Data: In support of its military missions, the U.S. Navy has long gathered vast amounts of ocean data. Much of
these data are of important scientific and commercial value. The data can be used to track the migration offish and marine mam-
mals, uncover illegal fishing activities, forecast underwater earthquakes and tsunamis, and understand long-term climate patterns. In
response to the Environmental Task Force launched by Vice President Gore while in the U.S. Senate, the Navy is reviewing and
releasing large quantities of data:
• The Navy has signed an agreement with a private foundation to create a mechanism to declassify secret data from the Sound
Surveillance System, an array of underwater listening devices used to hunt submarines. The acoustical data can be used to track
whale migrations, predict natural catastrophes, and support climate change research.
• The Navy also is releasing data on ocean temperature and salinity levels collected by Navy submarines on patrol under the Arc-
tic ice cap. Combined with declassified data from other oceans released by the Navy in recent years, this new information com-
pletes a global data set that will be a valuable tool in researching long-term climate change.
Computer-Age Nautical Charts: Over the next five years, the Defense Department's National Imagery and Mapping Agency will
prepare, for military use purposes, a series of computer-based charts for most of the world's oceans and coastal waters. Digital
Nautical Charts covering virtually all areas of commercial shipping activity worldwide will be available by 2002.
Used in conjunction with the Defense Department's Global Positioning System, this new technology is considered by many the
greatest advance in safety since the introduction of radar. It will allow mariners to move cargo more efficiently through ports
worldwide while minimizing the risk of collision and environmental harm.
Supercomputer Weather Forecasts: The Navy employs one of the nation's 10 largest supercomputers to provide highly accurate and
localized forecasts of battleground weather conditions. Under a new agreement, the Navy will work with the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration to assess whether these techniques can be used to improve the prediction of severe weather over
die United States.
190 • NATIONAL OCEAN CONFERENCE
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Summary of
Regional Satellite
Downlink Meetings
"As part of the International Year of
the Ocean, a large number of
initiatives have been launched to tell
people about the threats to the ocean's
biodiversity. We need to balance the
reports of threats with hope that is
rooted in success stories that provide
direction for future action. We must
bring the public's perceptions of the
major threats to marine biodiversity
into alignment with what experts tell
us, so that our resources can be
targeted at real threats and not the
environmental 'bogeymen' who haunt
our planet."
—Jerry Schubel,
President, New England Aquarium
Summary of Four Issue Areas
The Coastal America (CA) partnership, through its unique regional
alliance of Coastal Ecosystem Learning Centers (CELCs) and Sea Grant
Institutions (SGIs), coupled with the utilization of satellite downlink tech-
nology, augmented the scope and impact of the National Ocean Conference
in several significant and distinct ways:
• In a collaborative effort with NOAA, CA was able to offer the satellite
downlink signal of the plenary sessions to all organizations in our net-
work at no charge.
• At the same time CELCs were encouraged to organize programs com-
prised of regional experts and to discuss issues raised in the plenaries in
the context of:
— Have all issues been identified?
— Are there additional key regional issues that need to be considered?
- What are the implications of the strategy presented for your region?
— Are your regional issues likely to be addressed by the integrated
ocean strategy?
— What actions should be taken at the regional level to implement this
strategy?
U SGIs were encouraged to offer their facilities as viewing areas for faculty,
staff, students, area local/state/federal government offices, environmental
groups, and interested members of the community.
• Finally, through enlisting the Globe Program, the plenary sessions were
made available virtually to any individual in the world with Internet access.
Six CELCs participated in the downlink, while one (Monterey Bay
Aquarium) was involved with the actual conference. In addition, the
California Science Center was invited to participate as a program downlink
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Photo: California Science Center
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Photo: National Aquarium in Baltimore, by photographer George Grail
Photo: The Florida Aquarium
-------
site.This network provided regional programming (and participation) in Massachusetts, Maryland, Florida, Texas, California,
Oregon, and Alaska. Additionally, 16 Sea Grant programs participated at 24 campuses. With the inclusion of five federal and two
State agencies, the National Ocean Conference was viewed at 33 locations, in 18 states by almost 1,000 people, and received in
excess of 2,600 video sessions on the Internet.
This report summarizes the opinions and concerns raised by regional expert panels convened at the various CELCs in response
to die Monterey conference, and follows the format of categorizing comments according to the four subject areas: Oceans and
Commerce; Oceans and Global Security; Ocean Environment and Health; and Ocean Education, Exploration, and Research. The
reports submitted by these panels tendered many insightful recommendations related to the concerns presented; however, the con-
straints of this report preclude their inclusion. Readers are encouraged to contact the Coastal America Coordinating Office for a
more comprehensive presentation of those issues, or for copies of the actual reports.
Oceans and Commerce
Regional Trade—New Strategies for Ports and Shipping
New England—While much of the nation's shipping occurs through a handful of large ports, smaller regional ports play a vital
role in national security and regional economies, and must be maintained. Loss of secondary ports and subsequent shallowing
would restrict use by the Navy, and would severely affect local economies (e.g., Boston Harbor). Imaginative solutions to the prob-
lem of dredged material management is critical.
Further, our shipbuilding industry must be supported.The aging of the U.S. fleet (average age 35-40 years), combined with
environmental requirements (double-hulled ships), translates into a need for approximately 1,000 new ships in the next 15 years,
generating more than $100 billion in revenue.
Sustainable Development for Coastal Tourism and Recreation
New England—With coastal populations burgeoning and land values increasing, the challenge for the future is to balance multiple
economic uses (commercial and private) of the coast with human and environmental health, while maintaining the special quality
of life that defines coastal communities.
Ocean Environment and Health
National Ocean Strategy
Alaska—Alaskans are working on several initiatives that should be incorporated into a national strategy: the Bering Sea
Ecosystem Research Initiative, the Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna, the North Pacific Research Board, the North Pacific
Fishery Management Council, and the EXXON Valdez Oil Spill Restoration Program.
Fisheries Management
Maryland—There are serious problems with habitat and the legal system dealing with habitat. The new fisheries statute (which
the President spoke of) establishes an essential fisheries effort, but does not take into account that an overwhelming amount of this
critical habitat is outside the authority of that statute in state and local waters. Also, most of the fisheries management already is in
the hands of the Marine Fisheries Commissions (which have been subject to much criticism for having allowed so many species to
become depleted). These Commissions are made up of State Fisheries Directors, who do not have authority over most of the fish-
eries habitats.
Oregon—In the Northwest, key fish stocks are reaching the point of overharvest, and yields are declining to a level that will
eventually result in the loss of some industry. Fisheries managers are moving through a transitional stage from managing abundant
natural stocks to stocks that can be sustained at lower levels, and they need a coordinated plan through this period of transition.
Current methods are flawed, and often lead to polarization between resource users.
New England—The New England Fishery Management Council has experimented with approaches to fisheries management that
may be adaptable to other U.S. fisheries. However, many scientists believe that the monitoring programs are insufficient to evaluate
die impacts of diese approaches. Scientists and fishermen need to work together in determining and evaluating criteria. Federal
data must be made available.
The Stellwagen Bank Sanctuary in the Gulf of Maine is currently Devaluating its management plan. However, it lacks clear
national criteria to assess the value and importance of this area and what it is giving to the country as a whole. National criteria
need to be developed.
Maryland— Goal setting for most fisheries management plans is currently obscure, written in a language of and by itself, unclear
to the public, not reported regularly, and with few to no indicators to measure progress. Constituencies need to be broadened
beyond those who have immediate self-interest and economic benefits. Public education programs, public awareness of issues, pub-
lic involvement in measuring progress, and public understanding of how they can contribute are critical, as is the establishment of
very clear goals and indicators of progress that are reported on a regular basis by agencies and others who take full responsibility.
In light of the announced moratorium on drilling in marine sanctuaries, prohibition on fishing in those same sanctuaries should
be considered.
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Alaska—No-take zones may have benefits, but must be based on sound science. Monitoring is essential to determine whether
they function as anticipated. There has been insufficient monitoring of no-take zones imposed several years ago around Steller sea
lion rookeries in Alaska. Blanket no-take zones should be avoided.
California—There needs to be an increase in marine preserves. However, there is concern regarding population increases, lack of
education, inability to monitor use, and fragmentation of government agencies and environmental organizations.
Aquaculture
Maryland—With increasing population growth, aquaculture has the opportunity to 'fill the gap between supply and demand for
food fish, and is an important tool in coral reef preservation. Developing a program can be very dangerous to the environment, as
seen in Taiwan and Ecuador. There is concern that we are already developing an industry without the necessary resources for the
science, and without the ability to mitigate the potential negative impacts.
Alaska—Finfish farming is illegal in Alaska because of many unresolved problems, such as disease and genetic impacts, competi-
tion with wild stocks, conflicts with existing coastal users, and pollution from nutrients and antibiotics. Emphasis on aquaculture
must be regionally tailored.
Non-native Species
Maryland and Oregon—In environments that are stressed, you tend to have invasion of opportunistic species that are able to adapt.
"We need to look at the changes causing degradation of the environment, which are opening the door for invasive species. A net-
work of monitoring systems is also necessary via universities, private labs, and government agencies.
Marine Pollution
New England—The northeastern states, due to industrialization and population density, face pollution issues unique to the rest of
the country. These are problems that will affect other areas as coastal development continues. Watershed approaches focusing on
nonpoint sources and atmospheric deposition need to be pursued.
California—Stormwater runoff is a critical issue for much of California. We need to develop the political will to deal with this
complex watershed issue.
Alaska—More emphasis needs to be placed on the watershed approach, and the modification of land-use practices. Problems
related to runoff were mentioned at the conference, but not the issue of upland habitat degradation (logging, agriculture,
damming), which severely impacts ocean resources, including anadromous fish.
Ocean and atmospheric pollution enters Alaskan territory from Canada, Russia, and Asia. Attention (i.e., research) needs to be
focused on the impacts of pollution crossing international boundaries, and how it affects the health and quality of seafood (a major
native population food source).
Human Population
California—The impact of human population growth upon the oceans, especially with regard to the developed and developing
world, is one of the most difficult issues to deal with. Though it is seldom addressed in forums, such as the Monterey conference, it
has major implications.
Maryland—Human population growth is proceeding at a very rapid rate—over 5.5 billion people on earth now, and projected to
go as high as 14 billion. We need to determine how to slow down population growth or increase fish yields, and there is concern
that aquaculture will not make up the deficit.
Ocean Education, Exploration, and Research
Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Development
New England—While the President's comments regarding an extension of the moratorium on Outer Continental Shelf develop-
ment were universally favorable, concern was raised that this action would reduce debate on this issue in the U.S. Although safety
and technology have lessened some dangers, issues related to rig decommissioning, seismic impacts, and dangers to endangered
species remain. Canada is still proceeding with development near endangered fisheries. Evaluation of these issues in light of
Canada's experiences would provide a valuable case study for future U.S. decision making.
Maryland—Without a national energy policy, our dependency on fossil fuels will continue to affect our coastal waters.
Ocean Budget Process for Research and Management
Alaska—Alaskan waters have huge fisheries and wildlife resources that greatly outweigh the state's human population, as com-
pared to marine resources in more populated states. At the same time, Alaska's research funding and federal resource management
efforts have lagged far behind those of more populous states. The nation needs an ocean budget process for research and manage-
ment proportional to their resource value and ecosystem function, rather than population.
Monitoring
New England—Often, the effectiveness of coastal management policies cannot be judged due to a lack of specific information
relating cause and effect. The problem is exacerbated in many cases by a lack of biotic indices for marine ecosystem health.
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Interagency efforts need to be encouraged to share data, and effective monitoring systems should be required to be in place before
receipc of new money for management programs.
California—A. lack of scientific data on total maximum daily load standards for pollutants continues to impede our ability to
establish standards.
There is a concern about the adequate enforcement of existing policies and the lack of funding to properly monitor compli-
ance. There needs to be less tolerance of violations.
Opportunft/es and Challenges for Marine Science, Technology, and Research
Oregon—One of our greatest—and largely ignored—challenges is understanding the global ocean's interlinked physical, chemical,
and biological processes. There is a vast microbiological biosphere beneath the seafloor with organisms that have tremendous poten-
tial for making possible environmentally friendly industrial processes and the creation of whole new families of pharmaceuticals.
Academic Education
Oregon—The need to improve education, training, and funding opportunities for people is an across-the-board theme. High
school students entering colleges are poorly prepared and have poor study skills. Undergraduates aren't getting a broad enough
education to adequately address myriad marine and coastal issues. In addition, graduate education in oceanography is often narrow,
rather than multidisciplinary. Graduate education must be broadened to include the social, economic, and even political dimensions
of marine issues, to equip graduates to resolve the global problems of the present and the future.
Fostering the Next Generation of Coastal Leadership and Partnerships
New England—At the professional level, the variety of researchers competing for scarce funding often yields an outcome that
doesn't take full advantage of the intellectual talent available. Decision making needs to be decentralized, and local funding made
available. It is recommended that regional groups comprised of all stakeholders should define coastal needs.
Education and the General Public
California—The importance of public education and awareness, its role in building constituencies for the ocean, and the roles var-
ious institutions can play is increasingly clear. Public education needs to be lifelong.
Universal Themes of Downlink Reports
Competition for a finite supply of money and manpower, amidst today's mind-numbing numbers of theories, good intentions,
and solutions to problems is clearly a limiting factor that policymakers need to accept and work within. Several universal themes
are emerging from these reports, which deserve attention in the decision-making process:
• The impact on the oceans of increased human populations in the developed and developing worlds must be addressed.
• The public (and certainly a broader array of immediate stakeholders) needs to better informed regarding issues and the oppor-
tunities for active participation.
• Data, programs, and policies need to be shared among communities, businesses, states, and the federal government. The Internet
is the medium of choice.
• Interdisciplinary approaches to problems hold the key to advancing innovative solutions, both within the local/state/federal gov-
ernment sector and within the private high technology sector. Programs that embrace this concept should be funded; this
should be a requkement for most programs.
• Current monitoring programs (especially with regard to fisheries) are generally regarded as seriously flawed. Programs must
include clearly defined goals, must have appropriate indices for accurate monitoring, and must be written in a language that
everyone can understand and interpret.
• Finally, the regions solidly support the watershed approach to cleaning up our estuaries and oceans. This concept should form
the framework from which all future programs emanate.
Alaska Sealife Center
Seword, Alaska
Identification of Issues
Have all key regional issues been identified in materials or conference discussions? Are there any additional issues or concerns that need to be
addressed?
Land-Use Practices
More emphasis is needed on connections between oceans and estuaries. The public and governments have greater control over
modifying land-use practices. Populations are increasing in coastal areas. Problems related to runoff (nonpoint-source pollution)
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were mentioned, but not upland habitat degradation (e.g., logging, agriculture, damming). Such degradation can severely degrade
ocean resources, including anadromous fish that use upland waters.
Cross-Boundary Pollution
More attention should be focused on the impacts of pollution that crosses international boundaries. Alaskan waters are too often
thought of as being pollution free. Yet ocean and atmospheric pollution crosses international boundaries into Alaska from. Canada,
Russia, and Asia. We need more research on pollution impacts from external sources, particularly as they affect the health and qual-
ity of seafood, including foods consumed for subsistence by Alaska Natives. For example, salmon have recently been found to be a
vector for transporting PCBs and DDT into pristine Alaska lakes.
Issue-Specific Recommendations
What are the implications of proposed issue-specific recommendations/actions for your region? Are there any additional actions that you believe would
be appropriate in your region?
Revision of Ocean Budget Process
Alaskan waters have huge fisheries and wildlife resources in relation to the rest of the nation. These resources gready outweigh
Alaska's population, as compared to marine resources in more populated states. Alaska's research funding and federal resource man-
agement efforts have lagged far behind more populous states. At this time, we probably have less information for our ocean
resource base than any other state. The lack of knowledge about the Bering Sea ecosystem is a case in point. The nation needs an
ocean budget process for research and management that is proportional to resource value and ecosystem function, rather than pop-
ulation.
Declassification of Ocean Data
Alaska can benefit by declassification of ocean data by the Department of Defense and others. For example, precise hydroa-
coustic data for monitoring submarine activity may be essential for monitoring whale migrations through the Bering Straits into
the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas. Oceanographic data are needed for understanding ecosystem functions and transportation safety.
How can Alaskan researchers find out about and access these data?
Ratification of the Law of the Sea and the Kyoto Agreement
Alaska would benefit by the U.S. ratification of the UN. Convention on the Law of the Sea and the Kyoto Agreement. A recent
example is the Coast Guard's attempts to police the Chinese drift-net fishing fleet in the North Pacific. Effects of global climate
change may be most acutely felt in the Arctic.
Consideration of Regional Factors as the Basis for Aquaculture
There was a recommendation that increased support for aquaculture and fish farming could improve the ocean environment by
taking pressure off wild stocks. Finfish farming is illegal in Alaska because of many unresolved problems, such as disease and genetic
impacts, competition with wild stocks, conflicts with existing coastal users, and pollution from nitrates, phosphates, and antibiotics.
Investment in shrimp farms in South America and Asia has lead to devastation of mangroves needed as nurseries for wild species.
In Alaska, a large constituency for protecting aquatic habitats and wild stocks includes commercial, recreational, and subsistence
fishermen. Emphasis on aquaculture must be regionally tailored to prevent degradation of wild stocks and habitats.
No-Take Zones Based on Sound Science and Measurable Benefits
No-take zones may have benefits for conservation of some Alaskan species (e.g., rockfish), but must be based on sound science
and must have specific measurable benefits. Monitoring of no-take zones is essential to determine whether they function as antici-
pated. For example, there has been insufficient monitoring of no-take zones that were imposed several years ago around Steller sea
lion rookeries in Alaska. Blanket no-take zones should be avoided.
Ocean Strategies, Programs, and Policies
Are your regional issues likely to be addressed by the integrated ocean strategy and the proposed ocean program and policies?
Principles for Sustainable Fisheries
NMFS and coastal states should endorse principles for the conduct of sustainable fisheries (FAO or similar version). NMFS
should support the Marine Stewardship Council's eco-labeling initiative, in which seafood products may be certified as coming
from sustainable fisheries.
Recognition of Arctic Responsibilities, Challenges, and Opportunities
The ocean strategy needs to recognize that the U.S. is an Arctic nation by virtue of Alaska's location. This implies particular
responsibilities, challenges, and research/management opportunities. The effects of global climate change may be more pronounced
Appendix: Regional Satellite Downlink Meetings • 195
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in the Arctic, and the responsibilities for Law of the Sea, security, and ocean pollution issues are increased vis-a-vis our shared bor-
der with Russia. Extensive productive coastal habitat and continental shelf areas also need attention.
Disparity In Federal Research Funding
Too much of the available federal funding is funneled into Antarctic research. Federal research and resource management funds
need to be refocused with renewed emphasis on Arctic and sub-Arctic issues. Many of our fisheries are not well understood. The
demise of die red king crab fishery in the '80s is a good example. The role of many species in the food web remains a mystery.
There is too great a disparity between resource/ecosystem value and federal research investment.
Protect/on of Natural Systems
The importance of coastal and upland habitat protection and pollution controls need to be recognized as major factors in the
ocean strategy.These include agricultural runoff, logging, and urban runoff. Protection of natural systems should be emphasized,
rather than looking for engineered substitutes.
Emphasis on Oil Production Safeguards
Alaska supplies 25 percent of the nation's oil, all of which comes from and is transported through Alaska's coastal zone and off-
shore waters. In the future, great quantities of natural gas will be developed. This is important to Alaska's economy and of strategic
importance to the nation. Emphasis needs to be placed on improving both equipment and human factors. Alaskans know first-hand
what happens when safeguards fail; thus, we fully expect and will require that industry "does it right."
Recommended Regional Actions
What actions should be taken at the regional level to implement the issue-specific recommendations and the integrated ocean strategy and proposed
policies?
Enhanced Education, Communication, and Networking
We need to better educate scientists and decision makers about Alaska's role in global ocean issues. We need cooperation from
the federal government and from our neighboring states and countries. Alaskan scientists and decision makers cannot work in isola-
tion. They need to be brought into the process to develop an ocean strategy for the 21st century.
Alaskans lack die sense of ownership in the study and management of ocean resources. We need to improve networking among
all stakeholders and user groups who depend on sustainable resources. All involved need to feel a sense of resource ownership and a
vested interest in resource protection. The Alaska Coastal Management Program provides a good network that can provide the
needed sense of ownership.
Alaskans are a repository of indigenous knowledge about the ocean. This knowledge needs to be understood and integrated into
ocean research and management.
Integration of Alaskan Initiatives into a National Ocean Strategy
Alaskans are working on several initiatives that should be integrated into a national ocean strategy. These include the Bering Sea
Ecosystem Research Initiative, the Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF), the North Pacific Research Board, the North
Pacific Fishery Management Council, and the EXXON Valdez Oil Spill Restoration Program.
National Aquarium in Baltimore1
Baltimore, Maryland
Dr. Joseph R. Ceraci
Welcome to our Year of the Ocean National Ocean Conference. We have an exciting program today that will begin with a
video tided "Eyewitness Ocean," which will provide a nice backdrop for our link with the National Ocean Conference under way
in Monterey, California. We'll hear live remarks from the Vice President, First Lady, and President of the United States.
Will this be business as usual, or does this set the stage for serious new initiatives that address fundamental issues? Will we be
maintaining course and speed, or "will we find new winds and new currents that will help us search for solutions for ocean health?
I choose diis metaphor because this event reminds me of a book called The Perfect Storm by Sebastian Junger. In the book three
massive storm fronts—a hurricane, a strong Canadian cold front, and a low-pressure system—all collided off Georges Bank to cre-
ate what meteorologists call "a perfect storm." Imagine each of the major issues we face—such as population, habitat loss, overfish-
ing, waste disposal, oil and gas exploration, coastal development, point- and nonpoint-source pollution, eutrophication, hypoxia and
anoxia, and invasive species—each forming a major storm front all colliding over the ocean's estuaries, coastal zones, and continen-
tal shelves.The only difference is that we ultimately control the direction, magnitude, and fate of these storm fronts.
'Moderator: Dr. Joseph R. Geraci. Panelists: Dr. Robert Bachman, Dr. Robert Costanza, Dr. Chris D'Elia, Ms. Hilda Diaz-Soltero, Ms. Diana H.
Josephson, Mr. William Matuszeski, Ms. Jane T. Nishida, Dr. Kenneth R. Tenore, Ms. Stephanie Thornton, and Dr. Yonathan Zohar.
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The answer lies in how, as a society, we value our ocean and coastal resources. And, if we do value these amazing systems, what we
will dedicate to protect and restore their function. It boils down to a clearer understanding of our responsibility and accountability.
If we can sit back and watch coral reefs bleach, seagrass beds dredged, estuaries turn hypoxic and anoxic, fisheries decimated, and
marine mammals near extinction, then we can let these storm fronts collide. On the other hand, if we value and respect all the
goods and services that our oceans and coastal areas provide—such as climate regulation, erosion control, nutrient cycling, biologi-
cal resources, food production, and recreation—then we'll find a way to protect them. As you watch this video, please keep in mind
the many storm fronts that are building all around us and how we must work together to find solutions to minimize their impact.
Issue-Specific Recommendations
Restoring Marine Fisheries
Dr. Joseph R. Geraci
The President stated a commitment to restore America's marine fisheries, in part by reducing overfishing and bycatch. How will
this be done?
Ms. Hilda Diaz-Soltero
In 1996, Congress enacted new legislation called the Sustainable Fisheries Act, which makes it illegal to overfish any species.
NMFS [the National Marine Fisheries Service] is working with fisheries management councils to create plans to restore overfished
species over the next 10 years. This includes 96 of the 276 fish species that are commercially overfished.
This legislation also requires that the United States produce a national bycatch plan—this includes nontarget fish, marine mam-
mals, turtles, and sharks that are incidentally caught in fishing nets and gear as fishing operations occur. The first national bycatch
plan has been published, and it requires that by October 1998, every fishery management plan to incorporate a bycatch reduction
plan. For marine mammals, NMFS has implemented Take-Reduction Teams, which have prepared plans that are very specific as to
what a fishery must do to reverse and minimize the take of marine mammals.
Protect/on of Marine Sanctuaries
Dr. Joseph R. Cerad
The President is enacting legislation to permanently protect marine sanctuaries. How?
Ms. Stephanie Thornton
The President announced a continued moratorium on gas and oil drilling in sanctuaries. This is actually a strengthening one of
our basic laws that makes up the National Marine Sanctuaries Act, which prevents gas and oil drilling and, more specifically, alter-
ation of the seabed. This support further strengthens existing regulations.
U.N. Convent/on on the Law of the Sea
Dr. Joseph R. Geraci
The Law of the Sea and changes in maritime policy. What does this entail?
Ms. Diana H. josephson
The Law of the Sea Convention is taking customary international law and quantifying it so we can make a specific commit-
ment to those principles, rather than having a general understanding, as being the case until now. For the Navy, they have the right
to free navigation and overflight. Other things covered in the Convention deal with living marine resources, oil and gas extraction,
laying of undersea cables and pipelines, deep seabed mining, protection of marine and coastal environments, and marine scientific
research.
Today, 125 nations are already parties of the Convention, and the United States isn't. If the United States doesn't sign the
Convention by November, when our membership in the International Seabed Authority expires, •we'll be unable to participate in
any further discussions and development with the Seabed Mining Authority and the many activities that are going to take place
under the Convention. President Clinton has begun a major administrative push with Congress to ratify the Convention so we
don't lose our international maritime voice.
Protection of Critical Habitat
Dr. Joseph R. Geraci
The President also spoke about loss of critical habitat.
Mr. William Matuszeski
There are some serious problems with habitat and the legal system dealing with habitat. The new fisheries statute establishes an
essential fisheries effort, but it doesn't take in to account that an overwhelming amount of this critical habitat is outside the author-
ity of that statute, lying in state and local •waters under their authority.
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Most of the fisheries management already lies in the hands of the marine fisheries commissions, which are made up of state
fisheries directors, and they don't have the authority over most of these habitats. In light of what the President said about extend-
ing die moratorium on drilling in marine sanctuaries, what about prohibitive fishing in those same sanctuaries? Fisheries manage-
ment is left entirely to these same fisheries commissions, which are the subject of so much criticism for having allowed so many
species to become depleted.
Ms. Stephanie Thornton
In terms of habitat protection, that's why there has been an increase in focus on the concept of marine protected areas. The pur-
pose of marine protected areas is to preserve an area for habitat and living marine resource protection, biodiversity, and cultural
resource protection. However, with these multi-use areas, there are a number of challenges that have to be faced when preserving
and protecting a marine habitat. Lately, there has been an increase in support for the concept of no-use and no-take areas within
protected areas as a protection mechanism for fisheries.
Dr. Joseph R. Geraci
Given that so much seems to be in the hands of state transportation authorities and fisheries commissions, how do you protect
resources?
Ms. Hilda Diaz-Saltern
In the near future, there's going to be an active debate on the need to use marine fishery reserves. In New England, the reserves
appear to be having a positive influence on groundfish recovery, with the stocks slowing increasing. These observations have gotten
scientists looking at how the reserves are actually helping—determining what are the key elements. By understanding how and
why the reserves are successful and enhancing the system of federal protected area by Unking them to other state and private
coastal and marine protected areas, the process for protecting marine resources is going to forward.
Ms. Stephanie Thornton
Many of these sanctuaries are in state waters. States are responsible for habitat protection and fisheries management. However,
this can be a successful arrangement, as seen with the Florida Keys Marine Sanctuary. NOAA and the State of Florida have a coop-
erative partnership to jointly manage the reserves and the resources in it.
Dr. Robert Bachmon
Here in Maryland, submersed aquatic vegetation is an essential fish habitat in Chesapeake Bay. To protect these habitats, the state
has passed a law prohibiting all hydraulic clam dredging in submersed aquatic vegetation beds. By incorporating these concepts
into the fisheries management plan, Maryland and other states can move forward to protect critical habitats.
Global Climate Change
Dr. Joseph R. Geraci
The President is concerned about climate change as we're heading into the fifth hottest year on record. Why should he be concerned?
Dr. Chris D'Elia
The trend we've seen over the past several years in regard to climate change isn't good and the link to greenhouse gases is
becoming ever more clear. The Kyoto Conference has launched a debate on whether the regulations that came from that meeting
are fully encompassing of all nations, or whether they give leeway to developing nations. Either way, we must reduce CO2 emis-
sions. Otherwise we will run into potential problems and continued global warming.
This calls to attention some other things we need to address in the U.S.We don't have a national energy policy, yet we rely pri-
marily on fossil fuels. However, habitat change and nonpoint-source pollution are also affecting climate change and our ability to
deal with these changes.
Unking Nutrients, Global Warming, and Pfiesteria
Dr. Joseph R. Ceraci
There are suggested links between nutrient enrichment, global warming, and Pfiesteria. Is it possible?
Jane T. Nishida
The Clean Water Action Plan is an important initiative for the U.S. and Maryland in terms of what we need to do to address
PJtesteria and excess nutrients. In the President's plan, he has provided money for research to look at harmful algal blooms. In addi-
tion, his plan calls for watershed management, which is a key component of what states need to be doing to address it. Most
important, he also recognized we have to look at nonpoint-source pollution, especially agriculture.
In Maryland, Governor [Parris] Glendening introduced legislation, as a result of a Pfiesteria crisis last year, prior to the President's
Clean Water Action Plan. As a result of the governor's action, Maryland is the first state to adopt nitrogen and phosphorus standards
for nutrient management for farmers, and is an important model for other states. The governor also adopted protocols with regard
to the closure of rivers and the impact of Pfiesteria and harmful algal blooms on public health.
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Mr. William Matuszeski
Yesterday, the House of Representatives agreed to a $50 million increase in the basic nonpoint-source pollution grants program.
And the states in our region are well positioned to take advantage of these funds.
Invasion of Non-native Species
Dr. Joseph R. Ceraci
Pfiesteria is only one of the obvious effects that is happening in our coastal areas. We're also concerned about the exchange and
introduction of non-native species. What are invasive species, and what are we doing to prevent them?
Dr. Kenneth R. Tenore
There have always been invasions of species. That's the nature of life. In environments that are stressed, you tend to have invasion
of opportunistic species—species that are able to adapt. To deal with this, we need to look at the changes causing the environmen-
tal degradation and opening the door for invasive species. With increased mobility, species can arrive in the U.S. and Maryland via
planes, boats, and ballast water. However, we know very little about most of these species. For example, through several years of
funding, we now have an idea of the salinity and temperature limits of zebra mussels. A network of monitoring systems is also nec-
essary via universities, private laboratories, and government agencies to collect and share information about these invaders.
Dr. Chris D'Elia
We have numerous molecular tools available to us today to identify species but few taxonomists which are crucial to understand
invasive species and other topics related to biodiversity.
Regime for Governing the Oceans
Dr. Joseph R. Geraci
The President spoke of $2.25 billion over the course of some years. What I'm hearing is there are a lot of complexities in solv-
ing these problems. There are jurisdictional complexities in that we have yet to sign the Law of the Sea. These issues are so cross-
cutting that local harmful algal blooms may in fact be due to vessel traffic that originated a continent away. Seems to me an
economic nightmare here, can we afford this? If we enact all the legislation that needs to be enacted in order to make these
changes, we're going to be seen as an overly regulated, restrictive society.
Dr. Robert Costanza
In one sense, we can't afford not to do something about this problem, because in fact the environment is our life-support sys-
tem. If we do not protect it, we're making an economic mistake. The environment and economy aren't two separate pieces. In fact,
the environment is a key component of the economy in the broad sense. And, conversely, the economy is a subset of the larger
global ecological life-support system.
We make a lot of policy based on some very narrow economic indicators, such as GNP, which is a poor measure of welfare.
Some alternative indicators include the Index of Sustainable Welfare, which tries to subtract out this loss of natural capital, ecosys-
tem services, changes in distribution of income, and several other effects to get at a much better indicator of welfare. In the U.S.
and several other countries, our welfare hasn't been improving since the 1970s.
The six main principles that would need to be adhered to for a sustainable governance regime for the oceans are: Responsibility
Principle, Scale-of-Matching Principle, Precautionary Principle, Adaptive Management Principle, Full Cost Allocation Principle,
and Participation Principle.
Managing Fisheries Sustainably
Dr. Joseph R. Geraci
We hear the words fisheries and economics usually in the same sentence. The concept of sustainable fisheries has been with us a
long time, and we've been operating in that direction. But as we look around, some of our fisheries haven't been sustained. Where
did we go wrong? /
Dr. Robert Bachman
One area we went wrong in is with the use of the concept Maximum Sustainable Yield as a guide to fisheries management. It
has resulted in the loss of our New England ground fishery, Maryland striped bass and sea trout, and a number of species of floun-
der. One of the reasons we know this is that we've had some spectacular success in reversing those trends, especially with striped
bass. We now know more about the life history and population dynamics of this species than any other marine fish. And by using
this information, we've been able to better manage the fishery overall.
Dr. Robert Costanza
Another idea that's being tossed around and experimented with in Australia is the concept of share-based fisheries management.
Instead of looking at a species-by-species management plan, the entire ecosystem is considered to be the element of interest to
Appendix: Regional Satellite Downlink Meetings • 199
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fishers and others. Then they're given shares in that fishery, allowing for costs and incentives to be allocated more effectively, thus
giving the stakeholders more incentive to maximize the value of their fishery as a whole.
Benefits of Aquaculture
Dr. Joseph R. Geraci
Currently, 15-17 percent of the world's population depends on marine resources for protein. How does aquaculture address
these and other needs? And what are the benefits of aquaculture?
Ms. Diana H. Josephson
When you have a very healthy population of salmon in Alaska, and fish caught there can't compete economically with aquacul-
ture salmon, then it raises the question: Is there an economic end to catching wild stocks and a future in aquaculture stocks? In
fisheries, we've begun to select species that can be grown, like tilapia, salmon, catfish. Is this the future?
Dr. Yonathan Zohar
Seventy percent of the marine fisheries are overexploited or depleted, and seafood consumption is increasing. Aquaculture has
the opportunity to fill this gap between supply and demand and provide an alternate source for seafood, thus reducing the pres-
sures on marine fisheries. On the economic side of things, the U.S. is the second-largest importer offish in the world, which con-
tributes about $400 billion to the annual trade deficit.
Seafood is only one aspect of aquaculture. It is also an important tool in coral reef conservation, in that it reduces the need to
collect species for the pet trade and research for new medicines.
Developing an aquaculture program can be very dangerous to the environment, as seen in Taiwan and Ecuador. It needs to be
developed in a way that is sustainable and friendly to the environment, using scientific information. Two possible approaches are: (1)
going ofishore and creating floating pens, and (2) setting up completely land-based, closed, recirculating systems.
Dr. Robert Costanza
It's very important to account for the costs and benefits of aquaculture adequately, especially including these external environ-
mental costs and benefits. When you start to replicate some of these services provided by nature for free, it's hard to say that it's
economically efficient. But at the same time, we need to recognize what those services were to begin with and develop mecha-
nisms to manage our wild fisheries more sustainably, so we may continue reap those benefits. We need to be very careful with
aquaculture. Unless the economics is handled appropriately, we could be making a great big mistake.
Dr. Chris D'Elia
We've achieved probably maximum sustainable yield of our wild stocks—110 million tons a year—and unfortunately human
population growth is proceeding at a very rapid rate—over 5.5 billion people on Earth right now and projected to go as high as
14 billion. With that kind of increase, it's clear that the amount offish any one human being is going to eat in the future is going
to go down. Therefore, we need to figure out how to slow down population growth or increase yields, and there's some concern
that aquaculture isn't going to make up the deficit. However, the nontraditional uses of aquaculture for the ornamental fish trade
does offer a great alternative, considering 95 percent of marine ornamentals are captured in coral reefs, with 95 percent of them
dying during transport. In addition to providing a better return on a per-pound basis, aquaculture of marine ornamentals allows for
research and technology development.
Ms. Hilda Diaz-Soltero
As we race ahead trying to develop aquaculture, there has to be a call of action so that we provide funding for the scientific
research—not only on the development side, but also on how to have environmentally sound aquaculture. How do we mitigate the
possible negative impacts aquaculture (either land or ocean based) may have on wild marine resources, endangered species, and
habitat? If we work on a parallel track using science to develop aquaculture in an environmentally friendly way, then we're okay.
The concern is that we're already developing aquaculture without the necessary resources for science or for environmentally
friendly development.
Public Outreach and Education
Dr. Joseph R. Geraci
It seems to me that we're looking for authority to move—we need power to do something. And for that we need knowledge.
And for knowledge we need education. Is the public sufficiendy aware of the needs? And if not, how do we get there?
Mr. William Matuszeskj
In die Chesapeake Bay area, as a result of a tremendous amount of education that has been done over the years, the public has
become more aware, measures progress, understands what Bay grasses are, and how they can contribute. Critical to that mind-set is
the establishment of very clear goals and indicators of progress that are reported on a regular basis by agencies and others who take
fiill responsibility for the performance.
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However, that's not the case outside of the Chesapeake. The goal setting for most fisheries management plans is obscure-
ten m a language in and of itself, unclear to the public, not reported regularly, and with few to no indicators for measuring
progress. These are some of the areas we can make major improvements in, thus broadening our constituency for beyond those
who have an immediate self-interest in the economic benefits.
-wnt-
Dr. Robert Costanza
Dr. Deborah Tannen has a new book out called The Argument Culture. She makes the point that in the media, in the law, and in
our entire culture, we tend to cast even the most complex issues into simple black and white. And that's what gets in our way of
moving forward on many of these issues. Like the debate on the environment, it's as if someone's right and someone's wrong, and
the public is trying to figure out who's right and wrong. It's going to be difficult to enlighten the public about these complex
issues, until we can get beyond the argument culture and start developing a new aura in which we can actually focus on common
ground and areas of agreement.
Ms. Hilda Diaz-Soltero
The lack of public awareness and involvement is our greatest challenge. We must educate and involve the public, especially those
people who are most dependent on marine and coastal resources. If the public doesn't get involved in the environment, there's no
way we're going to have the support we need to tackle the challenges in front of us. We must also encourage responsible behavior
toward natural resources and teach people individual ways they can contribute and get involved.
Dr. Robert Bachman
We've done a fairly good job of raising the conscience of the public, especially among the young people, about our environ-
mental problems and what we're doing about them. However, there's a strong message out there that technology will bail us out.
For example, we need to have better aquaculture, better management of stocks, control of pollution, recycling. We're giving people
the idea that technology is the solution to all of our problems. It's our job as managers and leaders to make clear the limits of tech-
nology and where we have to start: controlling human population.
Ms. Stephanie Thornton
We, as a whole, recognize the importance of public education to achieve ocean conservation. But how do we accomplish this?
Through partnerships with institutions, individuals, and programs that have the capability to educate the public.
California Science Center
Los Angeles, California
Identification of Issues
Have all your key issues been identified in the materials or conference discussions? Are there any additional issues or concerns that you feel need to be
addressed?
Ocean Environment and Health
Budgetary Issues
The issue of where the resources will come from to improve the environmental quality of oceans wasn't adequately discussed at
the conference.
Population Growth
One of the most compelling and difficult issues to deal with is the increase in human population. This issue is seldom seriously
addressed in forums such as this. It has implications with regard to the developed and developing world, as well as education—
especially that of women.
Enforcement and Monitoring
There was concern expressed about the adequate enforcement of existing policies and the lack of funding to properly monitor
compliance. Many felt there was a need to exhibit less tolerance of violations.
Creation of Marine Preserves
There was discussion about how to create more marine preserves and how that would be affected by increases in population,
lack of education, inability to monitor use, and the fragmentation of government agencies and environmental organizations.
Ocean Education, Exploration, and Research
Investment in New Technologies
The importance of investing in the improvement of technology to monitor and clean up the oceans was discussed.
Appendix: Regional Satellite Downlink Meetings • 201
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Development of Pollutant Standards
The lack of scientific data on total maximum daily load standards for pollutants has impeded our ability to establish standards.
Public Education .,,.
The importance of education was vigorously discussed, and the role various institutions can play. Education can lead to building
constituencies for the ocean. Lifelong learning and how to reach the out-of-school audience were emphasized.
Issue-Specific Recommendations
What are the implications of the proposed issue-specific recommendations and actions for your region? Are there any additional actions that you
believe would be appropriate in your region?
Ocean Env/ronment and Health
Moratorium on Offshore Drilling
There was some concern expressed that the moratorium on offshore drilling wasn't permanent.
Stormwater Runoff ,,.,,. ,
Stonmvater runoff is considered a critical issue for much of California. Developing the political will to deal with this complex
watershed issue was discussed.
National Dialogue
Many of the other recommendations were considered somewhat vague and general, and it was unclear what would result from
them. Much of the conference was viewed as political grandstanding. There was general agreement, however, that a national dia-
logue facilitating discussions among the stakeholders is a necessary precursor to creative problem solving.
Ocean Strategies, Programs, and Policies
Are your regional issues likely to be addressed by the integrated ocean strategy and the proposed ocean programs and policies?
Fragmentation of Ocean Management
Everyone agreed that the fragmented nature of the management of the oceans impedes our ability to make progress in address-
ing environmental problems. No one was clear on what it would take to ensure coordinated policies. The issue was also raised
about the fragmentation of efforts among environmental organizations and how that makes them less effective in their advocacy
efforts.
Hatfield Marine Science Center
Newport, Oregon
This reports focuses on the issues that were identified during the panel discussion. Each panel member was asked to flesh out
the issues and work on the recommendations so the report would be more coherent than just notes taken on the day of the panel
discussion.
Ocean Environment and Health
Issue: Sustalnability of Living Ocean Resources
The Northwest is part of a larger community. Our living marine resource issues are shared among Alaska, Canada, Washington,
Oregon, and northern California. International trade and advancing technology have created rapid changes and have expanded the
Northwest's influence into the Pacific Basin. Some of our concerns extend to Mexico and the Central Pacific (pelagic and strad-
dling fish stocks are particular issues). In addition, a number of tribal nations are sovereign members of this community.
The Northwest is a resource-rich region. Its developmental history was based on agricultural, timber, mining, and fisheries. The
economy of the region has been based on vast reserves of these resources. Harvesting these resources over the decades, and envi-
ronmental changes that have occurred due to rapid population growth in the region, have reduced these resources to critical levels.
Stress on marine systems in the form of declines in available fishery resources is resulting in the re-evaluation of goals and expecta-
tions. Similar trends in forestry and agriculture have already been long under way. The loss of jobs and income due to declining
resources has brought the debate about the management and sustainability of natural resources to the forefront in the Northwest.
The emergence of sustainability as an economic, social, and biological goal represents a key change from the past concept of
renewability or static yields. Sustainability acknowledges our level of ignorance about natural systems and their variability in pro-
duction. Sustainability accepts that we have overexploited some resources and recognizes that as we continue to use resources we
must apply precautionary principles to reduce risk of permanent damage to natural resources, particularly targeted fish stocks.
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Northwest salmon and groundfish are in decline. We are moving through, a transitional stage from managing abundant natural
stocks to stocks that may be sustained at lower levels. The Magnuson—Stevens Sustainable Fisheries Act of 1996 has created new
national goals and standards. It implies the need for managing—but did not provide direction on how to manage—the transition
between the past and the future. This transition involves activities and short-term actions in a number of areas.
Recommenc/at/ons
• Recovery of depleted stocks should be the top priority. The Northwest has demonstrated its regional collaborative ability on
many resource issues. Regarding salmon and groundfish, federal assistance to match state and local resources is needed.
• Maintenance of healthy stocks requires cautious management and possibly lower harvests than experienced in the past.
• Fisheries research must be expanded rapidly and sustained until the status of species can be accurately established.
• Fishing effort and capacity need to be reduced to match available and sustainable harvests. The industry, community, and social
consequences of stabilizing fisheries need to be given more emphasis through a major transitional initiative involving social ser-
vices and developing job opportunities supported by educational and retraining programs.
• Protected marine areas, including no-take zones, are part of a precautionary approach until greater knowledge improves our
ability to manage on a sustainable basis.
• Developing new fisheries involving underutilized species should proceed only if based on corresponding biological information.
• Complex problems need to be addressed at appropriate scales. U.S.-Canada and U.S.-Mexico fisheries issues need continued
attention. Central direction and commitment are required, particularly at the international levels, to resolve fishery disputes and
ensure cooperative management. Greater decentralization by the federal government is needed in decision making and responsi-
bility. Decentralized decision making by the West Coast states and Alaska needs support by reinforcing and developing their rela-
tionship, roles, and abilities.
• Fisheries research needs to expand and to emphasize a more collaborative and coordinated approach among the federal govern-
ment, the states, universities, and the fishing industry if priority issues are to be addressed effectively and in a timely way.
• National, state, and university funding commitments need to be evaluated and changed where necessary if emerging priorities
require it. Adequate new funding cannot always be the assumption tied to problem resolution. Coordinated direction for bud-
gets and coordinated research initiatives can make total expenditures more effective.
• Communication about changing conditions and consequences for resource users is needed. Fishing industry members impacted
by reduced opportunities need to be able to assess their situations, respond, and plan a more stable future.
• Research information is an important investment and needs to be communicated in a useful and meaningful way. Clear infor-
mation is a part of managing risks.
Issue: Human Impacts on Natural Ecosystems
Other potential impacts on natural resources in the Northwest include exotic species introductions and nuclear pollution from
the Hanford nuclear facility on the Columbia River. No matter how well we steward our ecosystems, human activities will change
them, and the changes can be permanent. Exotic species potentially overwhelm native species. Habitat is lost with housing devel-
opments, and nuclear wastes contaminate aquatic species. If our policy is to use the federal Endangered Species Act as a biological
circuit breaker, we are headed for serious trouble as native species are damaged.
Recommendation
m Prompt implementation of national legislation is needed.
Ocean Education, Exploration & Research
Issue: Ocean Graduate Education
American higher education is the envy of the world. The prestige of the higher-education enterprise in the United States rests
to a great degree on the high quality of its graduate education and accompanying research programs. In 1997 more than a third of
all of the 1.2 million students who studied outside their home countries came to the United States for their undergraduate and
graduate degrees.
The importance of graduate/professional education and research to all elements of education, and to the long-term benefit of
the United States cannot be overemphasized. Graduate education directly contributes to the quality of undergraduate learning.
Most of the teachers in elementary and secondary education have graduate training, as do virtually all of the educators in commu-
nity colleges and four-year colleges and universities. Further, graduate education serves as the base for most continuing education
(lifelong learning), and the results of college and university research contribute in a major way to the social and economic develop-
ment of the United States.
This importance is even more profound in the area of oceanography and the marine sciences which, based on disciplinary skills
developed at the undergraduate level, reach their sharpest focus in graduate schools. Oceanography among a number of areas is
Appendix: Regional Satellite Downlink Meetings • 203
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most applicable to a multidisciplinary or interdisciplinary approach. Nevertheless, most oceanography graduate programs and their
associated research are of a narrow disciplinary nature. Researchers during the past several decades have realized that their best
chances of obtaining federal research grants rest on pursuing narrowly focused research objectives. Today, however, there is growing
awareness that the most important global and environmental problems facing mankind are multifaceted and will not be solved by a
Strict disciplinary approach. As the complexity of problems of resource and environmental sustainability is recognized and as the
world population grows logarithmically, new approaches are and will be required.
Professionals, well based in the disciplines but having had broad multidisciplinary experience, will be required to successfully
resolve resource and environmental challenges. Graduate education must be broadened to include the social, economic, and
even political dimensions of such problems. The impact on mankind of potential solutions to such problems must be factored
into the solutions.
From a career perspective, graduates with such preparation will be in a much better position to be gainfully employed in their
areas of preparation. Today, as many as 22 percent of new science and engineering doctorates fail to find employment in their chosen
fields. In all areas, but particularly those areas of science that require an interdisciplinary approach, we must ask: Are our doctoral pro-
grams too narrowly focused? And "Is higher education academically organized to resolve the global problems of the present and the
future? The questions are not trivial, and the answers are too important to be overlooked. The inadequacies of ocean science gradu-
ate programs to prepare for a sustainable world must be recognized by the highest levels of national administration and by the leaders
of our institutions of higher education. Traditional approaches to ocean science graduate programs must be altered.
Recommendations
• The President of the United States, the Vice President, and the Secretary of Education should state publicly their support for a
policy of broadened graduate programs in areas important to the sustainability of global resource and environmental systems.
• Encourage federal education and research agencies to develop such programs or alter existing programs to encourage comple-
mentarity and integration of graduate programs.
• Encourage graduate education for all who are qualified.
• Endorse the personal development, as well as the professional development, purposes of graduate education.
• Such programs should stress the social and economic aspects of research and graduate training, together with the scientific and
technical dimensions. Changes in graduate/research approaches could be stimulated by a federal requirement to address the
social, economic, and even political ramifications of all.
• Consider establishing a multidisciplinary "Center ofThought" at educational institutions. Such centers would focus on global
problems of sustainability, including the human as well as the environmental/resource aspects of sustainability.
MIT/New England Aquarium2
Boston, Massachusetts
On June 11-12, 1998, the first National Ocean Conference was held in Monterey, California. The nation had the opportunity
to participate in this important event via satellite downlink. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the New
England Aquarium formed a partnership to give regional stakeholders the opportunity to better define regional coastal and ocean
issues, to forge a stronger consensus around them, and to relate the regional issues to the national issues identified in Monterey.
The strategy we used was to create on one side of the auditorium a written record of key issues, conclusions, and recommenda-
tions made in the live telecast. This record was kept on large sheets of newsprint and posted on the walls so all could see.
Concurrently, the audience was invited to respond with statements of how the national points related to the region. These were
recorded and posted on the other side of the auditorium.
At the end of the first day, we took all of these records and asked participants to identify priority issues for New England.
Participants were asked also to supplement that priority list with other region-specific issues that had been missed. Most of the sec-
1 Co-chairs: Dr. Chrys Chryssostomidis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology—Sea Grant, and Dr. Jerry Schubel, New England Aquarium.
Rapporteur Dr. Mike Connor, New England Aquarium. Participants: Dr. David Aubrey, Woods Hole Group; Dr. Robert Buchsbaum, Massachusetts
Audubon Society; Cathy Coniaris, New England Aquarium; David Dunn, Voyage of the Spray; CDR Steve Garrity, U.S. Coast Guard; Susan Gedutis, New
England Aquarium; Jennifer Goebel, New England Aquarium; Hannah Goodale, National Marine Fisheries Service; Cliff Goudey, Massachusetts
Institute of Technology—Sea Grant Program; Dr. Ambrose Jearld, National Marine Fisheries Service; Rep. Jay Kaufman, Town of Lexington; Dr. Christian
Krahforst. Mass. EOEA; Dr. Sandra Lage, New England Board of Higher Education; Dr. William Lang, Minerals Management Service; Dr. Virginia Lee,
Rhode Island Sea Grant; Maggie Mooney-Seus. New England Aquarium; Dr. Marianne Moore, Wellesley College; Dr. Judy Pederson, Massachusetts
Institute of Technology—Sea Grant Program; Josh Pennington, U.S. Coast Guard cadet; Dr. Benjamin Sherman, Harvard School of Public Health; Jeremy
Sokulsky, Salem Sound 2000; Susan Snow-Cotter, Executive Office of Environmental Affairs; Greg Stone, New England Aquarium; Michelle Sweeney,
New England Aquarium; Jennifer Sullivan, MWRA;John Williamson, Commercial Fishing Community Activist, New England Fishery Management
Council member; Richard York, Mashpee Shellfish Department.
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spent in developing, enriching, and refining these issue statements. Between working sessions, we listened to the sec-
ond and third broadcasts from Monterey, but no new ideas were captured from those events.
In the next section of this report, we present brief background statements for region-specific issues, followed by a series of rec-
ommendations. At the conclusion of the Monterey conference, the President asked his Cabinet Secretaries to place a report before
him on June 12,1999, recommending the best actions for dealing with the oceans for the next millennium. "We would like the
June 12, 1999, report to incorporate our recommendations. The issues identified by the group were:
• Regional Trade—New Strategies for Ports and Shipping
• Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Development—Canadian Issues
• New Approaches in Fisheries Management
• Marine Protected Areas—Criteria for Success
• Sustainable Development for Coastal Tourism and Recreation
• Marine Pollution—Moving Beyond Point-Source Control
• Monitoring for Enhanced Coastal Management
• Fostering the Next Generation of Coastal Leadership and Partnerships
Regional Trade—New Strategies for Ports and Shipping
While much of the nation's shipping occurs through a handful of large ports, smaller regional ports must be maintained. These
secondary ports are critical both to national security and to regional economies. While international trade can most efficiently be
served by a few major ports, the loss of regional ports and subsequent shallowing of their harbors will limit the areas where naval
ships can function in times of national emergency.
The importance of regional ports to their local economies is exemplified by Boston Harbor. The port of Boston is a fairly
healthy niche port that handles energy ships, container ships, cars, ferries, and cruise ships. But the survival of the port of Boston,
like all niche ports, depends on imaginative solutions to the problems of port maintenance, especially dredged material manage-
ment.
Meanwhile, the U.S. fleet is aging, and recent legislation necessitates the building of many new ships. Currently, the fleet consists
of ships with an average age of 35-40 years, aged well beyond the normal useful life of 20 years. Since Congress mandated that
goods transported between U.S. ports must be transported on ships built in the U.S., approximately 100 new ships will be needed.
Further, recent environmental laws require double-hulled tankers to transport oil and chemicals in U.S. waters. Approximately
1,000 ships will be needed in the next 15 years to fulfill this requirement. It is estimated that these demands, taken together, will
generate more than $100 billion in shipbuilding revenues. U.S. labor costs are competitive, but the industry has languished. The
next century will demand its renewal.
Recommendations
• Develop a strategy for the role of secondary ports. The previous National Academy of Sciences study of this issue should be
updated. Regional ports cannot be held captive to the decisions of global shipping investors. Boston would serve as a good pro-
totype for what regional niche ports could look like.
• Develop efficient and effective management solutions based on sediment risk for harbor dredging and disposal. We need to
determine what risks are posed by contaminated sediments and how they can best be mitigated.
• Support a vigorous shipbuilding industry in the U.S. New England has a series of regional shipyards where land and infrastructure
have been committed to shipbuilding. These yards need revitalization, the demand is there, and they should be made to work.
Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Development—Canadian Issues
President Clinton's extension of the moratorium on Outer Continental Shelf oil and gas development will reduce debate on
this issue in the United States. However, the Canadian government is considering the development of its oil and gas resources near
Georges Bank, a valuable fishing ground, where several important stocks are severely overfished and under strict management.
While some historic concerns with such development have lessened (e.g., improvements in the safety of drilling fluids and deep-
water drilling technology), new issues have arisen.These include rig decommissioning, seismic impacts, and effects on endangered
species. Canada has a plan in place for its offshore oil and gas development after the current moratorium, which could provide a
valuable case study for future U.S. decision making.
Recommendations
• Hold a regional workshop on oil and gas development on Georges Bank.This workshop would bring together all major stake-
holders, including both American and Canadian local, state, and federal agencies, fishermen, shipping interests, NGOs, and
researchers.
Appendix: Regional Satellite Downlink Meetings • 205
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• Provide official comment from the states and regional councils through the State Department regarding the potential impact of
Canadian oil and gas development on the U.S.
New Approaches in Fisheries Management
The near collapse of the Georges Banks fisheries during the mid-1990s was tragic. Dire measures implemented at that time may
now be showing positive results. Recently, the Secretary of Commerce and the New England Fishery Management Council
(NEFMC) have experimented with approaches that may be applied to other U.S. fisheries, particularly area-based management
through the use of refugia, and overcapitalization buy-outs to reduce fishing effort. Unfortunately, many scientists are uncertain
whether die existing monitoring programs will be sufficient to evaluate the ecosystem impact of these approaches, individually and
collectively.
The NEFMC has moved ahead with die Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) approach of the Sustainable Fisheries Act. Existing desig-
nations will be refined as more data become available. We need to explore—scientists and fishermen together—what we value in
marine habitat. We believe die federal data need to be augmented by data collected by the states and the users themselves.
Recommendations
• Emphasize die importance of die EFH approach, and supplement the existing data with more fine-scale data on resource species
and habitat types.The EFH approach will need continued support after the October Sustainable Fisheries Act deadline passes.
• Develop a mechanism for effective communications among the fishing industry, managers, and scientists to improve the Fishery
Management Council process. This process could be improved by providing training on fisheries science and management to a
cadre of industry members who would serve to improve communication throughout the region on fisheries management issues.
• Provide seed money for industry-funded fishery buy-outs. Fisheries effort must be reduced to sustainable levels, but manage-
ment strategies must also account for the economic devastation facing coastal fishing communities.
• Provide research funding for more selective fishing gear that reduces bycatch and is protective of EFH.
• Improve die reliability, quality, and quantity of monitoring information available to most effectively evaluate and adapt manage-
ment practices. Monitoring must serve fishery managers' needs for predicting the impact of management alternatives and evalu-
ating the success of previous policies. The new NEFMC initiatives, in particular, will require enhanced monitoring. Expanded
monitoring programs may be necessary to meet all of the mandates in the Sustainable Fisheries Act, such as EFH.
Marine-Protected Areas—Criteria for Success
The Gulf of Maine is home to one of the nation's largest marine sanctuaries, Stellwagen Bank. The sanctuary is currently reeval-
uating its management plan, but it lacks clear national criteria to assess the value and importance of these areas and how they bene-
fit the entire nation. Ironically, the biggest experimental use of marine-protected areas is not in the sanctuary, but in similarly rich
areas of the Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank. Almost 6,000 square nautical miles of ocean in four areas of distinct character have
been set aside from most fishing activities. The theory behind marine-protected areas is that reserves will provide a spillover to sur-
rounding areas. Such evidence from Georges Bank is not yet available. (It is important to note that because these areas are more
distant from shore and have fewer competing multiple uses, it has been easier to garner consensus to experiment with these bold
innovations in marine policy.)
Recommendation
• Develop national criteria for evaluating the value of marine-protected areas.
Sustainable Development for Coastal Tourism and Recreation
Coastal tourism in New England conjures images of rustic fishing villages. New England's maritime economic base has been
one of its defining characteristics, and it is on this character that New England tourism has been built. Today, rising population and
land values have threatened that heritage, and New England has in many ways lost its day-to-day connectivity to the ocean.
Accessibility to the water in New England is less protected by local and state laws, and the coast is rapidly becoming an enclave for
the fortunate few. The challenge for the future is to maintain the special quality of life that defines New England coastal communi-
ties with multiple economic uses of the coast with human and environmental health, including fishing and harvesting, aquaculture,
recreational boating, marine trades, commercial ports, real estate, and preservation of coastal open space.
Recommendations
• Use coastal water zoning approaches. Coastal water zoning has been successful in Rhode Island and to some extent with Massa-
chusetts' Ocean Sanctuaries Act. At the local level, town harbor masters provide for a balance of uses.
» Develop a coastal use ethic that fosters cultural respect for the oceans and coast. Involve an educational approach for stakeholder
participation. Use existing institutions to spread the word and get local coastal business leaders involved so schoolchildren will
know as much about the status of the coast as they do about rainforest conservation.
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• Use consensus-based decision-making processes that involve all stakeholders and share successful models (e.g., the Massachusetts
Barrier Beach process) among regional groups.
• Monitor progress in restoring coastal environmental quality, and use this monitoring to foster further education and stewardship.
Volunteer monitoring networks in Massachusetts and Rhode Island have been powerful tools for imbuing stewardship in their
participants. Use the Internet to track monitoring and determine what else we need.
Marine Pollution—Moving Beyond Point-Source Control
New England coastal states face unique pollution issues. Their heavily industrialized past and current urban density are harbin-
gers of the issues that will be faced by other coastal states as population continues to grow. The population density of New England
is similar to what Florida, California, and Texas will see in the future. On the other hand, some potential pollution problems are
mitigated by climate and geomorphology. Except for the numerous salt ponds that fringe the coasts, the issues of hypoxia and
eutrophication are not as serious as those faced by the Gulf of Mexico or Chesapeake Bay.
Point-source contamination has been dramatically reduced since the passage of the Clean Water Act, particularly for solids,
organic matter, and toxic contaminants. For many contaminants, the remaining point-source loads are far outweighed by sediment
reservoirs, urban and suburban runoff, and atmospheric deposition. Nutrients and pathogen loading are responsible for most of the
remaining water quality problems, including beach and shellfish bed closures and harmful algal blooms.
Recommendations
• Strengthen watershed approaches for pollution control. Marine pollution sources are land-based, and control programs must
cover the entire watershed. To rewrite the old adage alluded to by Vice President Gore, "The solution to pollution is water-
sheds."
• Develop efforts to control nonpoint-sources and atmospheric deposition that are consistent with what has been accomplished in
the control of point sources over the last 25 years. Basic research is still needed to quantify the flux of materials from watersheds
characterized by a mosaic of uses and how susceptible these fluxes are to mitigation efforts.
• Consider how cost-sharing funds could support regional centers that address cross-boundary pollution transport issues, provide
focused synthesis of regional problems and solutions, and provide guidance for supporting local efforts. Massachusetts is initiat-
ing a Science and Technology Center to begin to address these problems.
• Exploit new advances in biotechnology to develop rapid pathogen indicators that will improve our management of beach and
shellfish closure areas and find mechanisms for this laboratory capability to be available to municipalities for routine monitoring.
Monitoring for Enhanced Coastal Management
Too often, the effectiveness of coastal management policies cannot be judged because we lack good monitoring information. In
the prior sections, we have cited examples from dredged materials disposal management, fisheries management, and use of marine
protected areas.
The problem is exacerbated by the lack of biotic indices of marine ecosystem health. One local approach has been to take an
epidemiological approach, cataloguing existing data sets about diseases and mortality in marine plants, mammals, shellfish, and birds,
as well as humans. Several federal agencies actively collect data in New England's coastal waters, including the National Marine
Fisheries Service, the National Ocean Service, the Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Geological Survey, and the Army
Corps of Engineers. It became clear in compiling these data sets from multiple agencies and jurisdictions that we need to put a
mechanism in place to effectively share the information and manage the ecosystem.
Recommendations
• Require that a monitoring system be in place before the receipt of new money for state and local management programs.
• Develop regional "Web-based data centers that incorporate all data from federal, state, and possibly local monitoring programs
operating in the region, so that regional managers can access these data in one place. Some of the data from different sources are
unnecessarily duplicative.This is a federal task, but the actual implementation of the task needs further discussion. For instance,
should the delivery be privatized?
Fostering the Next Generation of Coastal Leadership and Partnerships
New England hosts a dense constellation of prestigious academic, government, and research institutions. However, because so
many researchers are competing for scarce funds, we often don't take full advantage of the intellectual talent available here.
Decision making needs to be decentralized so that local funding is made available for localized research.
Recommendation
• Start with regional groups in defining coastal ocean needs. The National Ocean Conference was conceived and planned nation-
ally and then presented to the states.
Appendix: Regional Satellite Downlink Meetings • 207
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•I As a next step, the process needs to be reversed. Priorities should be set starting with regional groupings that include local citi-
zens, governmental agencies, researchers, advocacy groups, and chambers of commerce. Media involvement from the start could
help develop consensus among these groups (e.g., the Boston Globe/MIT forum on development in the South Boston port
area).Taken together, these regional discussions would build the momentum for changing coastal policies on a broader scale.
Regional Oceans Conference for Students
Florida Aquarium, Tampa Bay, Florida
Conference Summary
As a Coastal Ecosystem Learning Center, the Florida Aquarium participated in the National Ocean Conference as a satellite
downlink site.The national conference in Monterey included many different stakeholders and allowed participation in the develop-
ment of a national oceans policy. The downlink at the Florida Aquarium provided the Tampa Bay region a unique opportunity for
the area's youth to be a part of this process. Middle and high school students joined college-level students, resource managers, other
technical experts, and educators in the day-long event to reflect on the issues at a local level.
To layout the upcoming event, a planning committee was formed. The committee consisted of representatives from the
Aquarium, the University of South Florida, the University of Tampa, and the Hillsborough County School District, lead by Tampa
City Councilman, Scott Paine.The goals of the [Florida] conference were quickly laid out and quite simple: ignite the curiosity
and imagination of young people, and learn form their fresh perspective what we can do as a community to nurture this precious
natural resource.This youth focus made this conference unique in the country. The committee wanted to allow students the
opportunity to interact with professionals and learn from each other through discussion groups. We also wanted to provide an
opportunity for students to form their own opinions and present their findings to an open, listening audience.
The format was set to utilize the broadcast, both taped and live, so that students could reflect on the national issues and perspec-
tives. Students were asked to participate in one of four panel discussion groups on the same focus areas addressed at the national
conference.The purpose of each working group was to relate the national findings to regional issues and identify potential regional
actions in response to the recommendations. Experts in the four areas of focus were on hand to guide the students in discussion
groups.The students then provided group presentations to local experts who asked questions and lead discussions on the subjects. A
special emphasis was placed on balancing everyone's needs on the entire day's activities so that students will learn to see others'
perspectives as well as their own.
Students were selected from area middle magnet schools, high school environment clubs, and college classrooms. Background
information packets, including Year of the Ocean publications and background papers from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration, were distributed to participating students for them to study before the conference date.
Evaluation forms completed by students, teachers, experts, and facilitators indicated that the topics, format, and activities were
well received. Participants rated all activities as either good or excellent. All participants, both professionals and students, learned
equally from the experience. Students said that they appreciated the opportunity to interact with professionals, be asked their opin-
ions, and be genuinely listened to. Adult participants learned from their interactions as well. Several government representatives
pledged to include students in citizen advisory groups in the future. All participants agreed that the effort was worthwhile and that
they would be interested in participating in a similar event in coming years. One observation by an adult participant was that stu-
dents have a much greater capacity for understanding issues and higher-level thinking than they are often given credit for. They
also noted that the students provided a much needed, fresh perspective on many of the issues discussed and the activities at the
conference had given them hope for the future of our oceans.
The Regional Oceans Conference for Students (ROCS) planning committee is currently developing plans to continue and
improve the conference and hopes to move forward on ROCS II for the spring of 1999.
Panel Summaries
Commerce (Transportation, Recreation, Tourism, Fisheries, Oil and Gas)
Issues concerning commerce in the Tampa Bay area as expressed by area students:
• orimulsion;
» use of the port;
• dolphin feeding by tourists/recreational users;
• understock in fisheries;
» oflshore oil drilling;
• capacity ofTampa Bay to carry ships;
• recreation invading sanctuaries;
• marine debris and pollution;
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• growth of exotic species; and
• restoration of damaged habitat.
Tourism stakeholders:
• tourists;
• businesses (sports, fishing, restaurants);
• state economy; and
• Department of Environmental Protection.
How do we tackle the balance of tourism and the protection of our environment?
• create new legislation to protect the environment;
H create a state-wide plan for tourism;
• educate tourism operators on effects of tourism on the environment;
• do a state-wide blitz to educate tourists on things they should not do (e.g., feeding the dolphins in Panama City); and'
• regulate emissions on boats and jet skis.
Environment and Health (Ecosystems, Marine Pollution, Hazards, Weather/Hurricanes) '-'->.
Issues concerning environment and health in the Tampa Bay area as expressed by area students:
• loss of habitat for scallops and sea grass;
• illegal dumping;
• pollution caused by fertilizers and pesticides;
• overuse of waters; and
• lack of respect for the environment.
Solutions to some of these expressed problems:
• school programs to educate children, field trips;
• training classes in state parks for tourists; and
• expand Nature's Classroom to be visited by parents and business people.
What effect does global warming have on our area?
• droughts, storms, change in temperature;
• sea level change; and
• negative effects on health.
What can we do to slow down the effects of global warming?
• emphasize individual responsibility;
• urge oil companies to assume leadership roles in environmental protection;
• create larger recycling programs;
• add more money for new technology; and
• have incentives for businesses who do positive things.
Exploration, Education, and Research
Kids often have good ideas and solutions and are often more aware than some adults about global problems. They have a greater
stake in the welfare of the planet.
Education issues:
• hands-on learning—need more marine curricula and funding;
• educate everyone in realizing the importance of the oceans;
• include beliefs and values in education; and
• educate the public to fund research and education.
Appendix: Regional Satellite Downlink Meetings • 209
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Research issues:
• getting to the bottom on the ocean, physical limitations of man;
• medical uses; and
• better local control of research.
Science and technology issues:
• climate, El Nino;
• natural resources, minerals in the ocean; and
• preserving areas for research.
Ways to balance people's concerns and issues:
• create a research village for tourism and community awareness;
• balance people's necessary uses and ecosystem health; and
• address population growth.
• Create awareness of Florida's research facilities: University of South Florida Department of Marine Science, Mote Marine Labo-
ratory, Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution, Florida State University-Panacea, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmos-
pheric Science, Eckerd College, University of Florida-Seahorse Key, United States Geological Survey, Pigeon Key, Department
of Environmental Protection/Fisheries Marine Research Institute, Long Key National Estuary Program, Marine Resources
Development Foundation, Newfound Harbor, Nova University, National Undersea Research Center.
• Emphasize connections between education, research, technology, and public awareness.
Panel of Experts
Oceans and Commerce
Andy Kimmer, National Marine Fisheries Service
Gerry Leonard, Center for Marine Conservation
Ocean Environment and Health
Dr. Scott Wright, Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Fisheries Marine Research Laboratory
Dr. Joan Rose, University of South Florida, Department of Marine Science
Mike Perry, Southwest Florida Water Management District, Surface Water and Improvement Program
Ocean Exploration, Education, and Research
Dr. Paula Coble, University of South Florida, Department.of Marine Science
Nanette Holland, Public Outreach Coordinator, Tampa Bay National Estuary Program
Dr. Randy Runnels, Department of Environmental Protection, Tampa Bay Aquatic Buffer Preservation Program
Oceans and Global Security
Commander Tom Schibler, SOCOM, MacDill AFB
Dr. Paul Bisset, Naval Research Laboratory
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Summary of
EPA Regional
Meetings
Top Ten Issues and Questions
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), jointly with the
Department of the Interior and the National Institute of Environmental
Health, held two public meetings to gain input from the public prior to the
National Ocean Conference, specifically on marine environmental and pub-
lic health issues. EPA's Administrator, Carol Browner, led one of the meet-
ings, and Felicia Marcus, EPA Regional Administrator for Region 9, led the
other. Representatives from academia, industry, environmental groups, and
local and federal governments served on panels to initiate topical discussions.1
The East Coast meeting was held in Tampa, Florida, on June 1,1998, and
the West Coast meeting in Los Angeles, California, on May 28, 1998. In
attendance at both meetings were representatives from industry and environ-
mental groups; local, state, and federal government environmental and health
officials; and the general public. About 100 people attended each meeting.
While the following is not a complete list of the issues raised by the atten-
dees, it presents some of the highlights. Full transcripts are available on the
Internet (http://www.epa.gov/OWOW/oceans/yoto/).
I. Effects of Polluted Runoff
An estimated 40 percent of estuaries assessed by states are not safe for fish-
ing and swimming, primarily because of bacteria and nutrients from urban
and agricultural runoff and municipal wastewater discharges. Overenrich-
ment of nutrients from failing septic systems, sewage treatment plants, atmos-
pheric deposition, runoff from farms, animal operations, and yards stimulates
growth of algae, contributing to lower dissolved oxygen levels for fish and
shellfish, and loss of light and clarity for underwater sea grasses.
• What actions are being taken to stop coastal water quality degradation
from sediments, fertilizers, pesticides, household compounds, and air depo-
sition?
Photo: S.C. Delaney, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Appendix: EPA Regional Meetings • 211
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• Actions need to be taken to curb harmful algal blooms along our coasts
• Incentive programs are needed for controls and best management practices to stop polluted runoff, and more research is needed
on its cumulative impacts.
2. Public Health
Sewer spills and overflows, urban stormwater runoff, and polluted runoff form farming and rural areas are the major pollution
sources responsible for the roughly 2,600 beach closings and advisories in 1996.
• Arc our beaches safe for public use?
• Appropriate indicators, including viruses, are needed to protect human health.
• There should be better, more accessible public "right-to-know" approaches to alerting the public about the safety of beaches
and fish.
3. Habitat Loss and Degradation
Estuarine environments are among the most productive on Earth, creating more organic matter each year than comparably sized
areas of forest, grassland, or agricultural land. The productivity and variety of estuarine habitats foster a rich abundance and diver-
sity of wildlife. The United States coastal zone comprises only 17 percent of the nation's contiguous land area, but is home to more
than 53 percent of the nation's population.
• There is concern about the impacts of shoreline modification from coastal development on habitats. Smart Growth principles
should be adopted in coastal areas.
• Wetlands should be preserved to both protect habitats and protect against coastal hazards, such as flooding.
• Recreational boating is ruining critical habitats for fish and shellfish.
• The National Estuary Program should be expanded to provide resources to coastal areas •without estuaries.There is value in
bringing diverse issues and stakeholders together.
4. Funding
• There should be more funding for ocean issues, including research, monitoring, current programs, and local initiatives.
• Congress should ensure that the Clean Water Action Plan is fully funded.
" Programs, such as the National Estuary Program, Border XXI, coastal zone management plans, and nonpoint-source programs,
should receive adequate resources.
5. Aerial Spraying of Pesticides (such as Malathion)
Healthy fish stocks and coastal economies rely upon healthy marine and coastal waters and good air quality. During the East
Const meeting, locals attested to risks associated with spraying of Malathion to control the medfly population. Malaoxide, a toxic
breakdown of Malathion, was found in one community's treated drinking water last summer. Aerial spraying is affecting fish and
birds.
• EPA should deny USDA's request for a permit for aerial spraying.
• EPA should inform and educate the public about the risks from pesticides in consumption of fish and coastal water quality.
6. Center for Marine Conservation Ten-Point Agenda
The Center for Marine Conservation published "An Agenda for the Oceans" prior to the East and West Coast meetings. A rep-
resentative from the Center formally presented the ten-point agenda at each of the meetings. It includes:
'John Armstrong, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region X; Dr. Daniel Baden, Marine and Freshwater Biomedical Science Center, University of
Miami; Jim Bolder, Washington Sea Grant; Warner Chabot, Monterey Bay Sanctuary Foundation; Peter Douglas, Executive Director, California Coastal
Commission; Duane Fagergren, Puget Sound Water Quality Action Team; Dr. Mark Gold, Heal the Bay; Katherine Kuhlman, U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency; Dr. Sheila Newton, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences; Ann Notthoff, Planner, Natural Resources Defense Council;
Pietro Parravano, Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations; Jerry Pollack, California Department of Health Services; Dr. Ellen Prager, U.S.
Geological Survey, U.S. Department of the Interior; Peter Rooney, California Secretary for Environmental Protection; Dr. Randy Runnels, Tampa Bay
Aquatic and Buffer Preserves Program; Steve Weisberg, Southern California Coastal Water Research Project.
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• investing in the future of America's oceans;
• strengthening and expanding marine protected areas;
• protecting endangered marine wildlife; and
• promoting ocean stewardship and education.
7. Monitoring and Research
According to the 1996 National Water Quality Inventory Report, 74 percent of estuaries and only 6 percent of ocean shoreline
waters were surveyed for water quality data. There are currently monitoring programs for marine debris, air deposition, and sewer
overflows.
• More coastal waters should be monitored.
• Fish tissue samples from domestic and imported commercial supplies should be analyzed.
• Increased reporting is necessary to ensure that monitoring is taking place.
• More research into national •water quality standards for marine waters is necessary to protect public health.
8. Comprehensive Ocean Management Planning
• There is a need to reduce and streamline overlapping management strategies.
• Federal agencies should demonstrate comparative risks versus benefits to the public.
• Much of the current approach is on an issue-by-issue basis. Oceans should be managed on a broader basis.
• Congress should establish an ocean policy commission to develop recommendations for a comprehensive ocean policy.
9. Sustainable Use of Fisheries
In the United States, 275 groups offish are caught commercially in federal and state waters. The National Marine Fisheries
Service knows the status of two-thirds of these groups and estimates that one-third of the assessed groups are overexploited.
• Recreational boating is having an adverse effect on fisheries.
• The penalties and restrictions in fisheries amount to millions of dollars a year; this money should be directed toward protection
of fisheries.
• Suggestions included establishment of no-take zones.
10. Right-To-Know and Public Education and Outreach
As outlined in the Clean Water Action Plan, EPA is planning to release an Internet-based database of beach closings, advisories,
and areas not monitored.
• Are wild- and farm-raised fish safe to eat?
• Fish consumption and beach advisories need to be in layman's terms. Existing advisories are confusing and not user-friendly.
• Better public education and outreach efforts will lead to public support for research and new ocean programs.
Appendix: EPA Regional Meetings • 213
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Summary of
U.S. Coast Guard/
DOT Regional
Listening Sessions
Charleston, South Carolina
May 13-14, 1998
Open Public Forum
Approximately 40 people attended the public session. Ten speakers pro-
vided detailed comments on many aspects of the marine transportation sys-
tem in the southeastern U.S. Their comments are summarized as follows.
Importance of Regional Listening Sessions
The federal government's regional listening sessions — particularly with
their focus on funding, technology, and communications issues — are an
important first step to addressing the needs and concerns of the nation's
marine transportation system.
State Deportments of Transportation
The states' DOTs need to be represented at the regional listening sessions.
Currently there is a disconnect between state-level DOTs and the port
authorities. While the state-level DOTs are supposed to foster intermodalism,
they do not have effective relationships with the port authorities because of
the latter's commercial focus. Until this disconnect is bridged and the rela-
tionship becomes more interactive, the goals of the listening sessions will be
difficult to achieve.
Successful Marine Transportation Systems
A successful marine transportation system will protect the competitive
nature of port operations, and avoid the establishment and expansion of
direct involvement by the federal government in port ownership and opera-
tions.
Photo: United States Coast Guard
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Waterways Management Councils
The Waterways Management Council of Jacksonville, Florida, is an effective forum for resolving problems arising from compet-
ing uses of the waterway. To be successful in other places, however, the forum must be a local initiative with a focus on solving
local problems.
Cabotage Laws
Current laws governing and restricting the transportation of cargo and passengers in U.S. domestic commerce serve to drive up
the cost of waterborne shipping, even when it has been proven to be the least-cost mode for many types of goods. For this reason,
current laws dealing with the ownership and construction of vessels should be seriously studied and reconsidered.
"SCTW 98" Not in U.S. Interests
"SCTW 98" seems to have been written from purely a European experience and does not represent traditions of U.S. mariner
training. Particularly onerous is a requirement that candidates for mariner's licenses have 360 days of sea time in a watch-standing
capacity. Implementation of this requirement would effectively put the U.S. maritime academies out of business, since the schools
would be unable to meet it within the constraints of their current four-year Bachelor of Science degree programs.
Latin American Trade and Transportation
A coalition of 14 states and the Commonwealth of Puerto Pxico has been formed to study the effects of increased trade with
Latin America and identify intermodal transportation strategies that capitalize on these opportunities.
Pollution and Safety Concerns
Concern was expressed about increased vessel traffic in Charleston giving rise to increased pollution from ships' ballast, and the
possibility of increased accidents caused by the wakes of large vessels and the actions of inexperienced crews.
Limits on Vessel Size and Dredging
There is a need for federal leadership to establish limitations on vessel size, especially since increasing vessel sizes are bringing
about a demand for increased dredging of navigational channels.
Port Access Improvements in Virginia
The State ofVirginia recognizes the importance of maritime transportation to the state's economy and has made improvements
of intermodal access to its four principal marine ports a high priority.
Improved Port Access in Charleston
In order to improve truck access to the Port of Charleston, numerous highway accesses need to be constructed and/or
improved. It was also suggested that expanded hours of port operation would significantly improve safety and efficiency by reduc-
ing daytime traffic and accident exposure.
Pollution From Cargo Containers
Concern was expressed about residue from imported cargo containers. Neither the port authority nor the trucking companies
want to take responsibility for its disposal.
Hazards From Artificial Reefs
Artificial reefs and fishing activity around them are a hazard to safe navigation in the southeastern U.S. A possible remedy would
be to involve the Coast Guard and NOAA in the permitting process for building these reefs, since these two agencies are more
conversant in offshore issues.
Focus Group Session
.Vessel and terminal operators, land-side transportation representatives, environmental and labor interests, representatives from
state and local governments, and other major interests met to assess the current state of the marine transportation system in their
region and provide their vision of its future state (year 2020), focusing on infrastructure, people and information systems, and pol-
icy. The following major themes and recommendations to implement them were identified.
Timely and Safe Water- and Land-Side Entry and Eidt to Port Facilities
Promoting factors are increasing trade and vessel/cargo volumes, good productivity, a port capacity that is attracting industry, an
excellent navigational safety record, growing public support for a bridge replacement, and successful intermodal partnering efforts.
Barriers are channel depth, current bridge height and width, one-way channel restrictions, lack of a deep-draft anchorage, tide restric-
tions, an absence of a maritime exchange, lack of available berthing space, inadequate roadways, and ramp congestion at the rail.
Recommendations are to deepen the channel to 50 feet, provide funding for proposed bridge replacements (rail and highway improve-
ments), augment efforts to educate the public to support funding for these projects, increase Coast Guard involvement in the bridge
planning process (concept approval), adopt a new policy that recognizes the importance of anchorage to safe and efficient navigation,
and establish maritime exchanges. (Note: While this theme focused on the Port of Charleston, it also applies to other regional ports.)
Appendix: U.S. Coast Guard/DOT Regional Listening Sessions • 215
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Planning and Communications Between the Public and Private Sectors
Promoting factors are the existence of some local/state dialogue and the fact that maritime exchanges, where established, are
working well. Barriers are a lack of dialogue at the national level, difficulty and lack of communications on infrastructure gains and
limitations, and lack of a structured means of communications from the local to the national level. Recommendations are to estab-
lish regional advisory councils of port users, port authorities, and federal agencies; establish a national advisory council to the
Secretary of Transportation to work with the regional groups to bring issues to the Secretary's attention; create a program similar to
the Intelligent Transportation System to promote innovative technology in the marine transportation system; and form closer links
between DOT and the Department of Commerce.
Ownership of Chassis by Trucking Companies
Promoting factors are that some ports are working well (Miami); that the potential for pooling of chassis may lead to better
availability and maintenance; that turn-time works well in some places; and that chassis-free ports are working well overseas.
Barriers are maritime companies' currently ownership of the chassis; a conflict of responsibility regarding maintenance; turn-time
in port (driver time); die excessive space that chassis take up in terminals; the high maintenance costs of chassis; and lack of trucker
investment capital. Recommendations are to configure ports to encourage chassis-free operations, and for DOT to put more
responsibility on trucking companies to give them the incentive to own chassis.
Improved Understanding Among Elected Officials and the Public
Promoting factors are the regional listening sessions. Barriers are lack of a national recognition program for ports and water-
ways, and lack of public understanding of the complexity of marine transportation, which carries over to elected officials.
Recommendations are to educate elected officials in the efficiency and other advantages (environmentally safe, energy efficient) of
marine transportation; a "National Ports Week" Presidential Resolution/Proclamation; and a coalition of industry/ports to promote
the sector, with each port talcing responsibility for its own efforts.
Construct/on, Deepening, and Maintenance of Channels and Disposal of Spoils
Promoting factors are current maintenance dredging; the Army Corps of Engineers' effective job at oversight of dredging; and
the performance of its research facility atVicksburg, Mississippi, in modeling and forecasting. Barriers are lack of a cohesive federal
policy to promote technology (ships' technology/size); projects that have been approved but not funded; the cost differential for
spoils disposal; the environmental impact of the dredging and spoils process; the lengthy permitting process; the impact on endan-
gered species; the cost of dredging; the limited availability of equipment (dredges); and the location/availability of upland disposal
units. Recommendations are for a systematic funding source to fund prioritized projects; an equitable distribution of funds
between ports; justification of the cost of dredging based on benefit; simplification of rules and processes for environmental impacts
to include a "one-stop shop" process to obtain permits; funding for technological improvements of dredging to lessen the impact
on die environment; removal of tariffs and restrictions on foreign dredges; and a DOT initiative/group to review/approve all trans-
portation needs and prioritize projects in a systematic and standardized fashion.
Systematic, Ongoing, and Timely Funding
Promoting factors are the success of private toll roads as an example, ISTEA (Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act)
funding, and expanding trade. Barriers are the inadequate/lack of funding for infrastructure and multimodal initiatives; the fact that
fees collected from ports are not going back to ports; reliance on "gimmick" taxes to promote system needs; the fact that project
funding needs already are behind, with no sense of urgency or priority; politics; lack of a clear government representative for all
modes, of an effective merchant marine, and of awareness; and mounting pressure on infrastructure to respond to expanding trade.
Recommendations are to have forecasts stressing the urgency of the situation and thereby raising public awareness; to use monies
generated within die maritime transportation system (e.g., Customs) for improvements; to establish national funding sources for
high-cost, port-related projects; to encourage public/private partnerships; to designate a single agency to be champion for the sec-
tor (e.g., U.S. Maritime Administration); and to develop more creative funding methods (grants, loan guarantees, etc.).
,'
Timety Response of Government Agencies to Regional and Local Issues
Promoting factors are a good marine safety program and customer focus on the part of the Coast Guard, effective aids to navi-
gation, and die fact that U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USAGE) has good listeners. Barriers are USAGE Regional Offices that
have mismanaged priorities; variances in regulation interpretation; government agencies that are reactive instead of proactive; and
turf batdes among government agencies. Recommendations are to streamline permitting and appeals procedures; redefine bound-
aries of responsibility among federal, state, and local agencies; and establish regional advisory committees for the federal govern-
ment.
Pub//e Awareness of the Maritime Industry and Its Trade Benefits
Promoting factors are the local port authorities' promotional activities; adverse publicity, which is forcing action; Coast Guard
efforts in support of die industry; the increased number of people involved in and affected by trade; a strong sense of community
in die maritime industry; industry outreach efforts; the competitive nature of the industry; the success of the cruise ship industry in
bringing die public in contact widi maritime activity; greater support for development and environmental awareness; and an
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increased common-sense approach, to environmental issues. Barriers are the lack of understanding of the industry's importance out-
side port cities; the media's sensationalist bias and ignorance of maritime issues; environmentalist myopia; lack of a coordinated
information effort within the industry; kck of an umbrella maritime promotional organization; the decline of the U.S. merchant
marine; and the competitive nature of industry. Recommendations are to refocus existing resources on development of a broadly
defined national information strategy for the maritime industry, targeted primarily at politicians and the public; an effective, proac-
tive response to local misinformation; a proactive stance by local governments; greater partnering between industry and
states/regions; and stronger lobbying efforts.
Safe Movement of Vessels
Promoting factors are the fact that the marine pilotage system in the U.S. is the best in the world; ship operators' pro-safety atti-
tude; the International Standards of Management (ISM) code; port state control; improved navigational aids (Doppler, global posi-
tioning system (GPS)); and maritime training and education. Barriers are the lengthy permitting process for channel
widening/deepening, lack of funding for infrastructure, foreign vessel operation and maintenance shortcomings, poor enforcement
of small-craft movement regulations, and the fact that too many substandard vessels in international trade are visiting U.S. ports.
Recommendations are to accelerate and streamline the permitting process for channel improvements, increase funding for dredging
and other waterways improvements, enhance state pilots/Coast Guard communications regarding substandard vessels, establish
licensing requirements for recreational watercraft users, and enforce the rules of the road.
U.S. Customs Clearance of Imported Cargo
Promoting factors are current preclearance procedures. Barriers are disruptive inspection procedures for imported cargo, atti-
tudes among Customs personnel, a lack of customer focus by Customs, and incorrect/incomplete mission documentation.
Recommendations are for the U.S. Customs to develop more of a customer focus, documentation by cargo activities of Customs
obstructions, and communications with Congress about the problem.
Effective Throughput of Cargo Between Ships and Other Connections
Promoting factors are the positive trends in partnerships, improved communications and technology, and creation of maritime
exchanges. Barriers are inadequate dual rail access at marine terminals, ship/rail schedule sensitivity, growing disconnects between
ocean mode and land mode, inadequate surge capacity at terminals, varying truck weight limits from state to state, and institutional
barriers to productivity improvement. Recommendations are to create regional maritime exchange capacity, for terminal manage-
ment to emphasize productivity improvement, and to improve information technology standards from mode to mode (including
pipelines).
Strong Competition and the Survival of U.S. Maritime Professionals
Promoting factors are the need to keep foreign competition out of domestic trade. Barriers are a dated interpretation of laws
that no longer serves competing interests. Recommendations are to review and reform legislation (Jones Act, Passenger Vessel Act)
from the viewpoint of a global, market-driven economy.
Improved Safety Standards for Personnel, Hardware, and the Environment
Promoting factors are the current high level of safety awareness, few equipment failures, and fewer environmental and
drug/alcohol incidents. Barriers are the existence of too many regulations to permit full compliance, too many agencies and over-
lap of regulatory authority, too many different standards statewide, and inadequate regulations for licensing of recreational boaters.
Recommendations are for a national performance review focusing on consolidating standards and procedures (involving industry),
and development of national/state regulations for recreational boat operations (Coast Guard).
Cleveland, Ohio
April 29-30, 1998
Open Public Forum
Approximately 70 people attended the public session'. Sixteen speakers provided detailed comments on many aspects of the
marine transportation system in the Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Seaway region. Representatives of 10 federal agencies heard com-
ments, which are summarized as follows.
Federal Outreach Efforts
Outreach efforts by federal agencies have been well received. In particular, the Coast Guard's efforts to create networking groups
among industry, regulatory, and community leaders to plan for almost any type of disaster are thought to be very successful.
Experience Level of Federal Personnel
Decision makers at the federal level who serve as on-scene coordinators lack the requisite experience to work with other agen-
cies and experienced industry personnel. The need also exists for the Coast Guard and other federal regulatory agencies to share
their "lessons learned" with industry and to invite industry critique of their efforts.
Appendix: U.S. Coast Guard/DOT Regional Listening Sessions • 217
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State and Federal Recreational Boating Agencies
State recreational boating authorities need to be part of the regional listening sessions, in particular because of the growth of
recreational boating and its impact on the U.S. economy ($20 billion annual sales of boats and trailers nationwide, 4 million regis-
tered boats on the Great Lakes). Some states have attempted to backfill services that have been discontinued by the Coast Guard
for budgetary reasons. Other federal agencies, such as USAGE and the Fish and Wildlife Service, have promulgated boating regula-
tions for areas under their jurisdiction that lack uniformity with the 1971 Boating Safety Act. For these reasons, the Coast Guard
and DOT need to consolidate the efforts of all agencies involved in oversight of recreational boating.
US ACE Support of Recreational Boating
USAGE needs to become more involved in dredging to support recreational boating, given the impacts of boating on the
national economy and quality of life.
Federal Agency Coordination
Federal agencies responsible for waterway safety and shipping matters need to maintain closer liaison whenever state and local
authorities take actions affecting their areas of responsibility. An example of this was the State of Illinois' attempt to build a "cut-
off" wall to separate the 22-acre Chicago River Turning Basin in the Chicago/Illinois River systems.
NOAA Navigational Services
NOAA needs to improve its nautical charting services (particularly in support of recreational boaters), and to implement the
capability to deliver real-time water level information directly to the ship's bridge.
Model of Local Cooperation
The Cuyahoga River Task Force is an excellent example of local efforts to bring together waterways users and other interested
parties to discuss common concerns, solve problems affecting use of the waterway, and thereby promote safety on the river.
Radio Frequencies
Marine radio frequencies have become highly congested. Reinstatement of a licensing fee to limit the number of users should
be considered.
Cabotage Laws
Current U.S. Cabotage laws need to be kept in place. The nation is best serviced by having U.S. flag vessels that are operated by
U.S. nationals under U.S. control.
Integrated Marine Transportation Management
Federal government involvement in the management of waterways systems needs to be better integrated: the Coast Guard is
best suited to be the national ocean manager and system regulator; the Maritime Administration (MARAD) as the waterways man-
ager, port planning, and promotional agency; and USAGE as developer of infrastructure.
An innovative way of promoting inland waterborne transportation is to market the waterways as a single, integrated system,
through such techniques as port-teaming that take advantage of the unique facilities and relative advantages of a group of ports;
making available port facilities to nonwater users; ownership of barges by the shippers and their use as floating warehouses; and
establishment of integrated freight rates with other nonwater modes.
Bl-national Management
Bi-national operation of the Great lakes/St. Lawrence River Seaway as a single discreet system should be considered in order to
increase its effectiveness.
User Fees/Seamen's Documentation
Private ferryboat operators would like a review of vessel inspection user fees and requirements for seamen's documentation for
temporary (less than 90 days) nonoperational (waiters, bartenders, chefs, etc.) staff, because these fees and requirements place a con-
siderable operating burden on them.
Nonlndigenous Species
Federal agencies need to be more aware of the problems caused by the introduction of nonindigenous species into the Great
Lakes by ocean vessels, as well as of the possibility of diseases like cholera being carried in ballast water. Furthermore, there is no
bi-national commitment to the agreement regarding cargo sweeping of residue.
Historic Lighthouses
Better communications between the Coast Guard and state governments is desired regarding transfer to new owners of historic
lighthouses built on bottom lands. New owners often become insolvent, and the state then has to take responsibility for the properties.
Competition from Rail Carriers
The shipping community faces competition from Canadian companies that own U.S. railroad lines and are capable of shipping
containers from the mega-ship container port at Montreal, directly into the U.S. central Midwest.
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Focus Group Session
Vessel and terminal operators, land-side transportation representatives, labor interests, representatives from state and local govern-
ments, and other major interests met to assess the current state of the marine transportation system in their region and provide
their vision of its future state (year 2020), focusing on infrastructure, people and information systems, and policy. The following
major themes and recommendations to implement them were identified.
Ice Breaking to Keep Ports and Major Waterways Open
Promoting factors are the fact that Coast Guard cutter Mackinaw is still on the Great Lakes, recognition of a federal role in ice
breaking, a current study for Mackinaw replacement, and the fact that GPS/ECDIS allows for an extended season. Barriers are
funding of a Mackinaw replacement, a lack of U.S./Canadian ice-breaking policy, the fact that the Coast Guard's 140-foot cutters
are too small to break tracks for larger vessels, and environmental concerns. Recommendations are to fund a Mackinaw replace-
ment, to study the replacement of the 140-foot cutters to include privatization, and to create a unified U.S./Canadian ice-breaking
policy.
Dredging—Regulation, Funding, Disposal, and Sediment Control
Promoting factors are open lake disposal, the creation of new lands, beach renourishment, and increased cargo capacity, which
leads to lower costs, reduced environmental impact, and improved safety. Barriers are lack of confined dike disposal facilities
(CDFs), issues of who pays, the lengthy regulatory approval process, multiple agency standards, the limited time available for dredg-
ing activity, contaminated dredge material, and competing modes of transportation that present opposition to funding.
Recommendations are to reduce and control sediment at the source; prevent contamination of sediment; build more CDFs; allo-
cate funding equitably on a regional basis; and create a more efficient and timely regulatory approval process, including long-term
approval of authorized projects.
Administration of the Access Route by a Single (Bi-national) Agency
Promoting factors are the more than 30 years of cooperation, the amount of freight that currently is moving on the route, and
the prospect of a more cost-effective system. Barriers are ongoing disputes between U.S. and Canadian agencies (tools, privatiza-
tion, funding, depth, structural improvements, administration, the national interest, the size and depth of the system, the seasonality
of operation, the need for marketing the region with new commodities, tolls, pilotage issues, the fact that a dual system is perceived
as complex and difficult, and competition with land-based transportation). Recommendations are for the U.S. and Canadian gov-
ernments to develop a unified policy for the marine administration of the Seaway, a single-agency (joint) administration, a joint
economic evaluation of the future Seaway size, a U.S. strategy to get Canadians to negotiate, and funding for a U.S. or bi-national
study to increase commercial use of the Seaway.
Use of Technology to Increase the Efficiency ofWaterborne Commerce
Promoting forces are progress in systems development; existing systems, such as GPS and weather fax; and integration of com-
puter equipment on vessels. Barriers are education, identification of technology, cost, international standards that have not been
promulgated by the U.S., and a regulatory process that does not take advantage of technology. Recommendations are to provide
education of what is available, to integrate the regulatory process with available technology to reduce costs, and to promulgate U.S.
standards.
Dedication of Adequate Land and Infrastructure to Facilitate Waterborne Trade
Promoting factors are some local support for ports and the fact that current use of property is effective. Barriers are public edu-
cation, a lack of political support, public vs. commercial use, and lack of state or federal participation in long-term port planning.
Recommendations are to obtain state and federal interest to recognize that properties would be committed for maritime com-
merce, educate the public, gain political (federal, state, and local) support for port development, and conduct port strategic planning
with state and federal partners.
Use of Ferries to Reduce Current and Future Infrastructure Overload
A promoting factor is that use of ferries to transport people vehicles can be effective in some major ports. Barriers are the lim-
ited season, dock access, public education, development costs, and waterfront parking. A recommendation is to conduct feasibility
studies for major port areas.
Balancing the Competing Demands for Land Use
Promoting factors are the existence at the local level of long-term planning under certain conditions, and current coalitions of
stakeholders (commercial, recreational, and residential interests). Barriers are a lack of long-term planning in other areas, limited
waterfront space, property owner's rights, and a lack of education/awareness regarding the importance of the maritime industry.
Recommendations are to conduct zoning and planning at local levels and to create waterfront property using dredge spoils.
Conflicts on the Water and the Need to Balance Users* Interests
Promoting factors are educational efforts, cooperation between recreational and commercial users, declining personal watercraft
(PWC) sales, and states' recognition that PWC regulations are needed. Barriers are irresponsible recreational boaters, PWCs, poor
Appendix: U.S. Coast Guard/DOT Regional Listening Sessions • 219
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radio etiquette, fishing in channels, and lack of the recognition of the needs of all involved parties and their use of waterways.
Recommendations are to have master planning at the local level based on federal guidelines, to continue state initiatives (PWC), to
improve the infrastructure, to require radio operator licenses through reasonable fees, and to enforce radio violations more strictly.
An Accident-Free System That Balances Use, Risk, and Cost With Delivery of Safety Services
Promoting factors are new technology (radar, GPS, vessel traffic systems, hydrographic surveys), educational efforts, new regula-
tions at die state and local levels, and insurance-driven safety. Barriers are the cost of new technology, congestion, the elimination
of marine event permits, unfunded federal mandates, a declining Coast Guard budget for safety services, and no workers' compen-
sation. Recommendations are to educate Congress on budget priorities, to require recreational boater safety courses and licenses, to
reinstate marine event permits, and to create incentives for installing new technology.
Opt/mo/ Use of the St. Lawrence Seaway and Its Intermodal Connections
Promoting factors are its accommodation of 78-foot-beam vessels, the Draft Increase Study, and the fact that the system is
working reasonably weU. Barriers are toUs, fees, and charges; physical dimensions of existing infrastructure; reactive dredging and
other infrastructure repairs; redundant regulations among bi-national agencies; the fact that intermodal connections currently are
not working well; and myriad regulatory authorities. Recommendations are to conduct a study of system design parameters for the
future, to recognize die Great Lakes Seaway as a national asset, and to overhaul the regulatory system.
Harmonizing Environmental Concerns and Economic Goals
Promoting factors are the current efforts (ballast demonstration project/filtration, nonindigenous species task force, ballast
exchange program, wash-down guidelines interim rule), speed limit enforcement, economic viability, quality of life issues, the need
for ecological integrity, and increased public environmental awareness. Barriers are dredging goals, conflicting regulations and a lack
of interagency cooperation, unrealistic expectations, federal legislation that is held hostage by certain special interests, cost factors, the
perceptions that cleaning the environment is cosdy and that growth is bad for the environment, the imposition of technical instead
of market-based solutions, and public and political ignorance of waterway benefits. Recommendations are for better coordination
and information sharing among agencies involved in environmental issues (federal, state, local); consistent and streamlined environ-
mental regulations; a "Grace Commission" type of review of current regulations; pursuit of advanced technologies; federal funding to
help States address issues of nonindigenous, exotic species; increased public awareness of the benefits of harmonization; increased
coordination between the Coast Guard and the states; and a rebalancing of USACE's environmental and historic missions.
U.S.-Canad/an Government Recognition of the Importance of Maritime Cooperation
Promoting factors are the similar cultures of the two nations, their mutual economic interests, the chance to reduce costs by
eliminating duplication of services, and the fact that Canada is the U.S.'s largest trading partner. Barriers are sovereignty issues; the
Canadian deficit; user fees; agency turf batdes, both within and across borders; industry competitiveness; current protectionist laws;
and conflicting regulations. Recommendations are to establish an independent entity that is recognized by the U.S. and Canada, to
identify issues and make recommendations to the two governments for solutions, to establish a bi-national agency for Seaway oper-
ations, to enhance cooperation between U.S. and Canadian counterpart agencies (Coast Guard, USAGE) at the regional level, and
to guarantee regional authority for regional issues.
Awareness of the System Among the Press, the Public, and Policymakers
Promoting factors are the role of waterborne commerce and of seamless, multimodal freight movements to the national econ-
omy; the system's beneficial impact on the environment; the burgeoning economic impact of recreational vessels; increased safety;
and die quality of life. Barriers are public perceptions based on catastrophes (oil spills, zebra mussels, etc.); a lack of public interface;
a focus on passenger/personal travel instead of commercial freight; a diverse, fragmented industry that is used to anonymity; and a
small constituency. Recommendations are to develop federal legislation and regulations to recognize die role of freight, to improve
partnering of regional players, and to form a "stakeholder" coalition to promote industry benefits through a multimedia effort.
Moving Toward Market-Oriented Systems
Promoting factors are regional economic viability and the fact that market solutions ensure longevity. Barriers are government
solutions that distort the market and multinational companies with no regional/local loyalties. Recommendations are for more and
better research to understand how markets work, and removal of regulatory barriers that inhibit market growth. (Note: Time con-
straints prevented further discussion of diis theme.)
Funding for Federal Waterborne Commerce and Waterways Management Activities
Promoting factors are economic viability, increased safety, ecological integrity, and improved quality of life. Barriers are finite
funding and scarce resources, federal policy changes, competition within agencies and departments, and litde understanding of the
economic contributions of such funding. Recommendations are for federal funding for harbor maintenance dredging (commer-
cial/recreational) and for Coast Guard ice breaking, aids to navigation and Coast Guard Station staff, full funding of the National
Invasive Species Act, opposition to the use of user fees to fund federal responsibilities, and stakeholder input into agency funding
for specific projects.
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New Orleans, Louisiana
March 31-April I, 1998
Open Public Forum
Approximately 70 people attended the public session. Ten speakers provided detailed comments on all aspects of the marine
transportation system. The principal comments are summarized below.
Vessel Safety at Mississippi Entrance
There is concern among Gulf of Mexico gas and oil producers over the safe operation of vessels as they approach the
Mississippi River entrance. The large number of offshore facilities (such as MARS platforms) and the high volume of vessel traffic
create a situation with a great potential for loss of life and pollution. It was recommended that certain channels be dredged for
shallow-draft vessels as a way of easing congestion in the main channels.
Future of U.S. Merchant Marine
A plea was made for efforts to keep the waterways under U.S. control. The U.S. merchant marine continues to decline, as evi-
denced by the fact that 60 percent of the support to Desert Storm was shipped in foreign flag vessels. The labor force in the U.S.
waterways, moreover, continues to decline because of lower wages overseas.
Federal Agency Representation
While the initiative was favorably received, such agencies as the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Customs, and the Immigration
and Naturalization Service need to be part of the dialogue because of their roles in the marine transportation system.
Federal User Fees
User fees are a threat to the efficiency of waterborne commerce. Concern was expressed that they cause cargo diversions in
parts of the country, serve to increase costs, and create trade barriers.
Coordinated Federal Inspections
As federal agencies downsize, more of the responsibility for ensuring compliance is being placed on industry, causing reduced
efficiency in industry operations, such as cargo container movements. It was recommended that federal agencies coordinate their
inspection activities into a "single-team" approach, since the current practice of multiple, uncoordinated inspections is disruptive.
Government/Industry Cooperation
Establishing a cooperative attitude and close working relationship among industry and federal, state, and local government agen-
cies is the best way of ensuring an effective marine transportation system. In Corpus Christi, Texas, this is fostered through frequent
meetings to discuss and resolve problems. The computerized harbormaster office and information sharing are also important.
Value of Marine Transportation
There is a need to recognize the inland waterways system as an integral part of the nation's marine transportation system and
the national economy. Waterways are of high public value because they can carry high volumes of cargo at a relatively low cost. If
viewed as an element of the manufacturing process, they help offset higher warehousing and inventory control costs and thus
reduce overall costs to the consumer. This public value needs to be considered in the funding of waterways construction and
improvement projects.
Funding for Federal Agencies
There is a need for continued funding for federal maritime agencies to continue their level of service. In particular, increased
funding for NOAA is needed to conduct long-overdue hydrographic surveys, to update navigational charts, and to provide real-
time water level and current information.
Vessel Traffic Systems
Vessel traffic systems (VTS) should be simple, affordable, and useful to the person in the wheel house. Technological advances,
such as transponders aboard vessels and electronic charting, will enhance the safety features of the system.
National Leadership/Systems Approach
There is a need for national leadership on the issue of the marine transportation system, particularly with regard to policy, to
ensure that our nation stays globally competitive. There was general agreement with the "systems approach" and that the effort not
be focused around current agency responsibilities.
Example oflntermodal Link
Port Fourchon, Louisiana, is a prime example of an intermodal link between the ofishore gas and oil industry and shore-side
supply. Though critical to the needs of the nation, this link is being critically neglected.
Appendix: U.S. Coast Guard/DOT Regional Listening Sessions • 221
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/nteragency Partnerships
Rather than acting independently, the U.S. Navy should partner with EPA in efforts, such as its study of air quality and emis-
sions.Tlie Coast Guard and OSHA should partner on issues, such as rules for cargo handling crane certifications and retrofitting of
above-deck cell guides on container ships.
Rules on Lifting of Containers
International standards are needed regarding the single pick lifting of multiple containers. The Coast Guard as lead agency
should examine this need.
Harbor Safety Committees
The Harbor Safety Committees established by California statute were widely praised as a model for bringing together individu-
als with a common concern and dedication for the system, and for encouraging effective communications nationwide while recog-
nizing regional diversity. A key issue to their success has been that the state fosters a partnership with a local committee but does
not attempt to dictate its actions.
Port Rail and Highway Connections •
Given tire "just in time" business situation of today, the efficiency of the system is directly affected by such factors as the avail-
ability and quality of rail and highway connectors in port areas and the efficiency of inland freight movement and transfer.
Joint Intermodal Terminals
Joint intermodal terminals (JITs) are an effective model for intermodal cooperation that should be considered nationally.
Marine Oil Terminals
Marine oil terminals need to be considered as an essential part of the marine transportation system. Safety procedures in place at
these terminals have prevented many mishaps, and the terminals have collected significant data on "near-miss" situations.
Dredging of Navigational Channels
Focused dredging of selected navigational channels needs to be conducted, given the increased size of vessels and the need to
ensure their safe movement, as well as the importance of shipping to the national economy.
Congested Marine Radio Frequencies/Language Barriers
Marine radio communications frequencies are highly congested and pose a significant safety problem for both commercial and
recreational vessels. Communications with foreign-operated vessels are also becoming problematic because of language barriers.
Real-Time Navigation Information
There is a need for improved availability of real-time tide and current data and similar real-time information (i.e., weather
buoys) critical to ensure navigation safety.
Inaccurate Navigational Charts
Navigational charts and hydrographic data are inaccurate and outdated and need to be corrected. The problem is particularly
acute in shallow-water areas frequented by recreational boaters.
Dialogue Among Waterways Users
There is a need for greater dialogue among systems users, such as tug and barge operators, commercial fishermen, and recre-
ational boaters, particularly with regard to vessel movements and fixed gear areas.
Focus Group Session
Vessel and terminal operators, land-side transportation representatives, labor interests, representatives from state and local govern-
ments, and other major interests assessed the current state of the marine transportation system in their region and provided their
vision of its future state (year 2020), focusing on hard infrastructure, people and information systems, and policy.
Participants were unanimous in their assessment of the obstacles the region faces in meeting the challenges for the marine trans-
portation system for the year 2020. Dredging; the need to develop significant new land-side infrastructure, such as modern, jy^:"_ -
facilities, highways, bridges, and railways; the need for improved marine navigation and information services; and the removal of
certain regulatory barriers to maritime commerce were among the issues participants identified. To address these and other chal-
lenges, participants identified 10 themes for change, along with recommendations for institutional and policy improvements that
would allow industry, government, and the public to address the region's marine transportation system needs proactively and col-
laboratively.These themes and their promoting factors, barriers to achievement, and recommendations to overcome the barriers
were identified as follows.
Need for on Environmentally Sound National Dredging Policy
A promoting factor is national legislation for cost sharing. Barriers are a lack of agreement on sediment testing standards, lack of
funding resources to address environmental issues, and a lack of federally certified disposal sites. Recommendations include estab-
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lishment of stand-alone trust funds to support dredging; a multiagency agreement on a sediment test interpretive framework; con-
sistent interpretation of environmental regulations by state, local, and federal agencies; and policies to cover maintenance, soundings,
and deepening of channels.
Clearer Vision for the MTS in the National/International Trade and Transportation System
Promoting forces are a recognition that international commerce is an integral part of the U.S. economy, the UN. designation of
1998 as the Year of the Ocean, and the current state of the economy. Barriers are the current industry/consumer interfaces, the lack of
media focus on the system, a regional focus on movement of people vs. goods, the lack of a congressional-political champion, and the
fact that many of the marine industries are foreign-owned. Recommendations are to recruit system "champions," to develop coalitions
among water-, sea-, and land-based modals and stakeholder industries, and to refine the focus of federal agencies on the system.
Application of Functional Management to the System
Promoting forces are the listening sessions, the support of the Secretary of Transportation, and existing partnerships—e.g., mem-
oranda of understanding (MOUs). Barriers are a kck of continuing dialogue (such as the regional listening sessions), a lack of
information sharing and planning, and perceived bureaucratic resistance to change (empire maintenance). Recommendations
include an institutionalized, multiagency approach to systems management, with empowered coordinator^) residing in the desig-
nated champion agency.
Institutionalized Stakeholder Forum for National/Regional Policy Development
Promoting forces are the regional listening sessions and the California Harbor Safety Committees. Barriers include the Federal
Advisory Committee Act, the difficulty of engaging carriers from many flag states in the process, and fractured responsibilities
among multiple federal agencies. Recommendations include a need for federal agencies to reach out to state and local agencies to
integrate them into the process.
Recognition of an MTS as a National Asset
Promoting forces are the impact of the system on and its importance to the economy. Barriers include political priorities, the
competitive element for funds, BRAC rules, the fragmented nature of the industry, and interport competition. Recommendations
include the development of champions and coalitions and a national outreach plan.
Need for Master MTS Planning
Promoting forces are current regional transportation plans, GPRA, the existence of international benchmarks, and the overall
economic impact of an MTS. Barriers are the time available to do planning, planning by fragmented mode (people, cargo, etc.), and
different geographic groups' interests. Recommendations are to incorporate environmental procedures, processes, and considera-
tions in planning and to recognize that activities take place in geographical spaces.
Need for Clear and Simple Regulations
Promoting forces include matured international regulations, greater international recognition of port state control, recognition
and adoption of international standards, and current MOUs. Barriers are there is a reluctance to give up jurisdiction, regulatory
language is not user friendly, and change takes a long time. Recommendations are to have regulations by objective and central cata-
loguing of existing regulations.
Improved Efficiency and Safety of Transportation Systems
Promoting forces include the Harbor Safety Committees, technological breakthroughs, a resilient industry, increased environ-
mental awareness, and the opportunity for expansion with U.S. Navy departure from port areas. Barriers are a decaying physical
infrastructure, trade growth that outpaces current capacity, restrictive regulations, funding issues, lack of and access .to available
space, efficiency in the use of space, environmental concerns, withdrawal of the level of involvement by the'federal government,
lack of a coordinated intermodal system, misdirection of limited funds, lack of a common language among modes, traffic gridlock
and congestion, and lack of coordination and communication. Recommendations include expanding participation in Harbor Safety
Committees (USAGE, other agencies); focusing on improvements to navigation, vessel traffic management, and other marine infor-
mation systems to promote safe and efficient maritime commerce; establishing regional infrastructure committees to promote a sys-
tematic government/industry/public approach to marine transportation system issues; and recognizing and institutionalizing the
roles of regional committees to identify problems and recommend solutions and funds allocation.
Improved/Simplified Communications Among Regulators, the Maritime Community,
Vessels, VTS, the Public, Labor, Management, and Shippers
Promoting forces are technology advancements, Harbor Safety Committees, and awareness of the need for better communica-
tions. Barriers are Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issues of enforcement and licensing, antagonisms between/within
industry elements, resistance to change, insufficient R&D, no effort to translate technology between modes, and no single entity
promoting communications. Recommendations are education and training of elected officials and regulators on field issues and the
importance of MTS, establishment of a National Harbor Safety Committee system, and national recognition of the Secretary of
Transportation as the system's advocate.
Appendix: U.S. Coast Guard/DOT Regional Listening Sessions • 227
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Improved Safety of People in the System
Promoting forces are vessel inspections (PSC/STCW/ISM) and a management attitude now driven by the cost of disaster (OPA
90) . Barriers are an enforcement system that does not identify risk for the entire maritime community, different regulations for
industry segments, poor communications, and that small boat operators are not well informed of safety information.
Recommendations are to have regulations that identify risk as a decision tool for enforcement, to standardize regulations across
industry based on risk, to increase safety awareness across all MTS segments, and to fix communications problems.
Portland, Oregon
May 19-20. 1998
Open Public Forum
Approximately 50 people attended the public session. Seventeen speakers provided detailed comments on many aspects of the
marine transportation system in the U.S. Pacific Northwest. Their comments are summarized as follows.
Removal of Snake River Dams
The proposed removal of dams on the Snake PUver and draw-down of reservoirs would end current barge traffic on the river.
This would inflict considerable economic damage on the region, by eliminating a low-cost shipping option that has enabled many
up-river producers and manufacturers to compete in international markets. It would also result in higher energy consumption and
increased air pollution as cargoes are shifted to rail and truck. DOT needs to take a leadership role at the national level to prevent
such threats to the nation's transportation system.
Deepening of the Columbia River Channel
The proposed deepening of the Columbia Paver Channel to 43 feet should proceed with all due speed, given the potential for
savings to consumers due to lower shipping costs and for increased shipping volumes and revenues.
USCG/OSHA Cooperation on Containers
Safety standards for the multiple lift of containers should be established internationally to ensure a level playing field. The U.S.
Coast Guard and the Occupational Health and Safety Administration should collaborate to ensure that ship owners have the
required equipment for safe handling of containers.
DOT Strategic Plan
The DOT Strategic Plan needs to focus on measurements of customer satisfaction with the performance of the nation's trans-
portation system, as indicated by such factors as transportation congestion and slowdowns.
Regulatory Reform
Regulations need to be reformed so that they don't serve as competitive barriers between the transportation modes. Suspension
of the Jones Act should be considered as a way of relieving land-side transportation back-ups.
Real-Time Navigation Information
There is a need for improved availability of real-time water level and current data and similar real-time information (i.e.,
weather observations) critical to ensure navigation safety.
Inaccurate Navigational Charts
Navigational charts and hydrographic data are inaccurate and outdated and need to be corrected. Electronic charts are required.
Portland/Columbia River/Snake River System
The Port of Portland, combined with the Columbia River/Snake River waterways and rail corridor, is the least-cost route for
shipping bulk cargoes into international, particularly Asian, markets. Selective investment to relieve east-west bottlenecks will
unleash this system's unused capacity and provide the nation as a whole with a considerable competitive edge.
Marine Flrefightlng Cooperation
A regional approach to marine firefighting—as established in the Portland, Oregon, area—is the best way to provide adequate pro-
tection, given the high cost of marine firefighting resources and the catastrophic risk to lives and property that marine fires represent.
Mounding From Dredge Disposal
The Coast Guard was urged to establish conservative mounding criteria associated with dredge disposal on a national basis and
to monitor critical disposal sites to prevent disposal mounds from becoming navigational hazards.
Pipeline Hazards
Greater oversight of pipeline operations and safety standards needs to be conducted by DOT's Office of Pipeline Safety, given
the aging pipeline infrastructure and the threat to the environment from potential leaks and spills. Areas of particular concern are
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the lack of requirements for periodic pressure testing, for shut-off valves, and for replacement of old pipe, and the requirement to
conduct a cost—benefit analysis of new pipeline regulations.
Tug Escorts
The Coast Guard should require tug escorts on all laden tankers transiting between Neah Bay and Port Angeles, and should
enforce tug escort laws on laden tankers transiting U.S. waters bound to and from Canadian ports.
Gateway Ports
Several seaports are evolving into gateway ports that service trade corridors whose customer base is national in scope. New leg-
islation should recognize the emergence of these corridors and their national importance, and ensure funding to improve the inter-
modal links to the gateways.
Focus Group Session
Vessel and terminal operators, land-side transportation representatives, environmental and labor interests, representatives from
state and local governments, and other major interests met to assess the current state of the marine transportation system in their
region and provide their vision of its future state (year 2020), focusing on infrastructure, people and information systems, and pol-
icy. The following major themes and recommendations to implement them were identified.
Systemic Approach to National Transportation Planning for Facility and Corridor Improvements
Promoting factors are the ISTEA trade corridor concept. Barriers are the lack of an NTNL plan; limited interstate coordina-
tion; competition; and local, state, and federal paternalism. A recommendation is to create a system that allows communication
between ports and that takes advantage of existing capacities for the flow of freight and people.
A Seam/ess, Unified Transportation System for the Fast, Efficient Flow of People and Goods
Promoting factors are recognition of intermodalism as an important factor, the fact that government is showing some leadership
in getting competitors to work together, and DOT and MARAD efforts to facilitate intermodalism. Barriers are problems of grade
separation, bottlenecks, no systemic approach to a national transportation system, lack of funding, competition, and lack of a "team
spirit" approach to finding solutions. Recommendations are to improve planning of infrastructure, reduce the number of grade
crossings, and continue to support the intermodal approaches of DOT and MARAD.
Consistent, Adequately Funded Process for Channel Maintenance and Improvement
No promoting factors were identified. Barriers are lack of approved funding, placement of dredged materials, lack of dredging
equipment, and project authorization without appropriations. Recommendations are to improve the funding process, to maintain a
dredging fleet (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers), and to improve the interface with maritime users.
Federal/Industry Partnerships for a Safe, Competitive, and Efficient MTS
Promoting factors include effective federal agency coordination. Barriers are a kck of funding and trust between government
and industry, and a lack of funding for the federal agencies to carry out their end of the partnership. Specific needs include better
real-time marine environmental information (i.e., water levels, currents, weather), electronic chart systems, and advanced marine
information systems.
A Consolidated, Predictive National Transportation System Process That Balances Commercial and Environmental Interests
Promoting factors are the Brownfields regulations as an example of rational remediation, and the fact that ports are the stewards
of the environment. Barriers are overlapping jurisdictions (federal, state, local); inadequate funding to staff permit requests; too
many agencies (50 agencies today vs. 9 a few years ago); ongoing/tightening restrictions on in-water disposal of dredge material; a
lack of public awareness of the national value of ports and the system; permitting times that are not commercially realistic; a lack of
scientifically based standards; and the fact that ports do not communicate their good stewardship effectively. Recommendations are
to eliminate redundancies and simplify the process whenever possible, to expedite the process for obtaining environmental permits
in corridors of national significance, and to continue the education of the public of the national value of ports and transportation
(including young people).
A Strategic, Long-Range Funding Mechanism to Meet Regional and National Needs
No promoting factors were identified. Barriers are politics and constitutional barriers to recognizing a national port policy.
Recommendations are to educate the public to elect officials who will support the funding of the infrastructure, create a national
port policy to recognize the national significance of ports, create a funding mechanism similar to the Interstate Highway System,
and overcome constitutional barriers.
Cost-Effective Movement of Cargo in and out of Ports With Minimum Environmental Impact,
Using Improved Technology, Labor/Management Relations, and Information Sharing
Promoting factors are regular informal information sharing, a progressive attitude toward the introduction of new technology,
the fact that Puget Sound and the Columbia River are safe waterways, a willingness to invest in infrastructure, and improved ser-
Appendix: U.S. Coast Guard/DOT Regional Listening Sessions • 229
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vice and efficiency in water-side transportation. Barriers are a convoluted permitting process, a lack of linkage on funding issues,
lack of public support, and problems in other transportation systems that affect marine transportation. Recommendations are to
seek a streamlined integrated planning/permitting process with realistic time commitments across intermodal lines and on a
regional basis; develop a comprehensive funding program for infrastructure; establish federal leadership and increase federal funding
' for waterways management; educate the public and politicians on the importance of a marine transportation system; and research
die enhancement of IMO standards and enforcement.
Sustainable Partnerships Among Government, Industry, and the Public to
Share Risk/Plan/Development/Control/Prioritize Funding for the Regional Waterways System
Promoting factors are a growing recognition of the need for funding by all but citizenry; the Coast Guard's Harbor Safety
Committee concept; deregulation; and resource constraints forcing the government into interagency partnerships. Barriers are
political and special interests, which can derail projects; the fact that privatization causes distrust of government-industry partner-
ships; excess of "a need to control"; lack of understanding of issues; and rotation of key federal personnel, which causes a loss of
institutional knowledge. Recommendations are for the Coast Guard to develop methods to preserve institutional memory and
maintain consistent organizational objectives; to create and maintain a public information program that will raise the awareness of
die maritime industry, of its goals and objectives, and of the marine transportation system as a whole; to design a template for dis-
semination of system information; to conduct partnership deals in the "sunshine" and include all stakeholders in the partnership;
and to develop modeling and forecasting tools for intermodal transportation.
Sharing Information Among Ports, Agencies, Stakeholders, the Public, Policymakers, Coastal Zone Managers, and the Marine Industry
Promoting factors are the ongoing informal and formal communications; educational forums promoting maritime transporta-
tion system awareness; growing political recognition of needs; Automated Information System (AIS) sharing opportunities; the
institutionalization of Quality Management Principles; industry associations promoting communications/lobbying; the Marine
Exchange and University of Washington graduate program; and the Regional Listening Sessions. Barriers are the current litigious
environment; a disconnect between national vs. regional federal efforts (i.e., a "top-down" approach rather than vice-versa); geo-
graphic separation; institutional inertia; competition and the proprietary initiative; and the traditional independence of marine per-
sonnel. Recommendations are to get national-level understanding of regional issues and empower regional governments; ensure
regional accountability for national programs; find a balance between national and regional issues via open communications; and
require greater government accountability (i.e., ensure tie-in of business objectives to performance).
More Assertive Federal Promotion of the Waterways and Their Intermodal Connections as a Key to the National transportation Agenda
Promoting factors are die current performance of the Coast Guard, Customs, Agriculture, and USAGE locally; the fact that
ports have taken positive steps on their own; and the current effective waterways system because of a prior federal role. Barriers are
the current "vacuum" that a federal role must fill; the fact that the Harbor Maintenance Tax has been declared, unconstitutional; the
slashing of die USAGE budget; nationwide operations and maintenance funding; and the fact that there are too many players with
unclear roles in supporting waterborne transport. Recommendations are for the federal government to reassert the traditional role
in overall transportation system funding that enabled waterways to be developed; to provide federal funds for 100 percent of the
operations and maintenance of federally authorized harbors and waterways; and to increase federal funding for intermodal connec-
tions to ports and waterways.
A Scheme of Regu/otions That Recognizes Risk Factors and Uncertainties, and Promotes Risk Taking and Long-Term Investment
Promoting factors are the fact that ports specify their economic intentions and priorities; current regulatory schemes (Jones Act,
Passenger Vessel Act) that promote stability (i.e., level of competition, limits of costs); and a constantly decreasing cost of living (as
measured by declining shipping rates, when inflation-adjusted). Barriers are that fact that regulations do not let market forces work,
and a chronic debate about the merits of the Jones Act. A recommendation is that regulatory change be made with due concern
for the economic, environmental, and defense costs.
Salmon Recovery and Other Environmental Issues and Their Impacts on Transportation and Trade
Promoting factors are a reduction of spills in the Pacific Northwest; the Oregon Coastal Coho Plan as an example of a stake-
holder-designed solution; the fact that science is playing an increased role; the ballast wastewater management program; the Elwah
River Dam Project as a model of compromise; and the significant environmental advantages to moving goods by water (energy
efficient, fewer emissions). Barriers are environmental processes and their costs to transportation projects; unsolved disputes, which
introduce enormous uncertainties as to when decisions will be made; marketing barriers; the threat to continued navigation on the
Columbia/Snake River; several "no compromise" solutions; and the role of uncertain science in environmental considerations.
Recommendations are to base political decisions with billion-dollar impacts on science; to seek solutions that meet both environ-
mental and economic needs; to ensure that the U.S. Congress maintains navigational servitude; and to take energy and emissions
advantages into account in environmental impact decisions.
230 • NATIONAL OCEAN CONFERENCE
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Increased Complexity and Cost of Safety Rules
Promoting forces are the Coast Guard program of Prevention Through People (PTP); industry training of mid-level federal reg-
ulators; and the Responsible Carrier Program as an example of an industry proactive approach to safety. Barriers are an inconsistent
application of regulations; the growth of human factors expectations, which adds costs to regulatory compliance; and costly dupli-
cation and redundancy of federal and state regulations. Recommendations are for the safety regulations development process to
include an iterative cost-benefit analysis, to determine if the ultimate results of the regulation are justified by the costs of compli-
ance; to examine federal safety standards and adjust them as necessary to take into account varying regional conditions; to expand
the industry training program for regulators; to continue funding for the Coast Guard to maintain and expand its safety programs;
and to place an increased emphasis on PTP programs.
St. Louis, Missouri
May 5-6, 1998
Open Public Forum
Approximately 30 people attended the public session. Sixteen speakers provided detailed comments on many aspects of the U.S.
inland waterways transportation system to a panel of listeners representing nine federal agencies. The comments are summarized as
follows.
Tow Sizes and Minimum Power Requirements
The Union Pacific Railroad favors limitations on tow size and minimum power requirements for tow vessels to protect its rail-
road bridges from collisions. UP is also willing to work with the Coast Guard and USAGE on issues involving dredging and
improving alignments of and/or relocating river channels.
Voluntary Industry Environmental Programs
Volunteer programs by industry to recover endangered or threatened species are preferred to regulatory intervention and should
be encouraged.
Need for Highway and Rail Connectors
The inland waterways are a national asset that support the national defense and can relieve the burden on the rail and highway
system. However, inland ports need more efficient connections to the railways and the national highway system.
Waterways Not Promoted
The waterways are the cleanest and most fuel-efficient way to transport goods. Unfortunately, this fact is not being adequately
promoted in the Mississippi River Valley.
Opposition to User Fees
Inland waterways operators oppose any attempt to impose user fees for aids to navigation or waterways maintenance. If the fed-
eral government cannot make ends meet, then funds should be reallocated or taxes raised.
USAGE Investment and Oversight
The Army Corps of Engineers does not consider competition and changing international trade patterns in its waterways invest-
ment and oversight policies and practices (i.e., 50-year development and improvement timelines are too long). As a result, the cost
of transporting U.S. products to world markets is rising, export levels of commodities like corn are falling, and the nation is losing
its competitive advantage. The U.S. faces increased competition from nations like Brazil and Argentina, who are improving their
inland waterways infrastructure so that their agricultural products can be competitive in world markets. For these reasons, the U.S.
inland waterways infrastructure needs "serious" expansion.
DINAMO as a Model
The Association for Development of Inland Navigation in America's Ohio Valley (DINAMO) is an example of a multistate, sys-
temic effort to promote the development and improvement of water transportation on the Ohio River and market its advantages.
Nautical Charts and Surveys _
Current onshore and coastal navigational charts are based on 50-year-old survey data and need to be updated. Priority for new
surveys should be given to the areas of highest vessel traffic, and sources of hydrographic data should not be limited. NOAA should
maintain its role of quality assurance over hydrographic data.
Safety of Waterways Personnel
The safety of personnel operating on the inland waterways system is of mounting concern. Job stress is a major factor, and
waterways mariners now suffer one of the highest occupational-associated death rates in the nation.
Appendix: U.S. Coast Guard/DOT Regional Listening Sessions • 231
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National Waterways Advocate
Given the current separation of authority between DOT and USAGE and the acute need for modernization of navigational
locks and other waterways infrastructure, there is a need for a national waterways advocate to focus on an integrated, multimodal
inland waterways system.
Improved Operating Efficiency
Innovations like saddle barges can increase the tonnage moved by commercial barge operators and thereby increase the effi-
ciency of the current waterways infrastructure.
Integrated Port Management
An innovative way of promoting inland waterborne transportation is to market the waterways as a single, integrated system.
Techniques include port-teaming, which takes advantage of the unique facilities and relative advantages of a group of ports; making
available port facilities to nonwater users; ownership of barges by the shippers and their use as floating warehouses; and establish-
ment of integrated freight rates with other nonwater modes.
Importance of Passenger Vessels
The U.S. passenger vessel industry generates more than $1 billion in annual revenues and is the largest operator of U.S. flag ves-
sels. With the industry's increased presence on the inland waterways, its concerns need to be adequately addressed.
Geographic Information Systems
The waterways system can be organized more efficiently through use of geographic information systems to consolidate and
make available information about waterways terminal capacities, equipment types, commodities handled, etc.
Focus Group Session
Vessel and terminal operators, land-side transportation representatives, labor interests, representatives from state and local govern-
ments, and other major interests met to assess the current state of the marine transportation system in their region and provide
their vision of its future state (year 2020), focusing on infrastructure, people and information systems, and policy. The following
major themes and recommendations to implement them were identified.
Maintaining and Improving a Competitive Advantage in the Global Market
Promoting factors are the nation's past advantage due to its transportation system and current market share. Barriers are increas-
ing waterway costs, which will reduce competitiveness with other modes; a declining system reliability, which raises customer
doubts and helps foreign competitors; new foreign transportation systems to compete with the U.S.; a lack of funding priority for
modernization; and the current infrastructure capacity. Recommendations are to create a national priority for the waterways, an
investment plan to address modernization of the inland waterway infrastructure capacity, funding to remain a global competitor,
funding for R&D projects for cargo handling and vessel propulsion and design, expanded eligibility under Title XI for ports and
under ISTEA for all modes, and increased system efficiencies through containerization.
Improved Navigational Structures (Locks and Dams)
Promoting factors are their current operational capabilities, the need to maintain navigation safety and promote and sustain eco-
nomic growth, the water supply, the need to stimulate recreational use and tourism, the need to create wildlife habitats, the dilution
solution, and the need for water-level management and consistent power generation. Barriers are sediment retention, current lock
capacity (single chamber, traffic delays, limited barges), structural integrity (deterioration) of the locks, conflicts arising from com-
bined recreational and commercial use, draft limitations, timing and availability of funding, and out-drafts. Recommendations are
for sediment control (dredging/improved beneficial use of dredged material and watershed solution); support for lock moderniza-
tion (1200-foot locks and addition of them at single-chamber sites); a review of sill depth (habitat enhancement); efforts to educate
policymakers, decision makers, and constituents as to the importance of the structures; funding to meet an optimal construction
schedule; structural solutions for out-draft; and resolution of recreational/commercial conflicts through the use of two lock config-
urations.
Improved Intermodal Interfaces/Gateways from Class I Railroad or Highway Arterials
Promoting factors are the need to provide connection between modes and opportunities for economic development, job cre-
ation, and commerce facilitation. Barriers are outdated equipment, limited highway and rail connections, width and size restrictions
at roads and bridges, inadequate land-locked facilities, an inability to take unit trains, and the fact that older facilities are subjected
to floods. Recommendations are to increase federal participation in the funding of shore-side infrastructures and to create incen-
tives (federal and state) for investment in shore-side facilities (i.e., construction, increased flexibility in transfer and use of available
funding, and a national marketing/promotion campaign).
Dredging to Maintain Navigational Channels
Promoting factors are current dredging efforts, approved dredge plans for St. Louis and St. Paul, and agreement between the
environmental and navigation communities on the need to address sediment issues. Barriers are the lack of a consistent, systemic
232 • NATIONAL OCEAN CONFERENCE
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dredging policy, inadequate funding, interagency conflicts (federal and state), the fact that the current frequency of dredging is
inadequate, and the current interpretation of dredging authorization, which has resulted in restricted channel capacity and tow size.
Recommendations are for a national dredging policy that requires state adherence, an expansion of USAGE acquisition of disposal
sites, the development of beneficial uses for dredge materials, elimination of the term dredge "spoils" and use of the word "mater-
ial," and extension of 12-foot channels where necessary.
Reduction of Bridges'Ability to Impede Navigation
Promoting factors are that the Truman-Hobbs Act works and bridge modifications normally are not expensive. Barriers are a
lack of funding and of a national priority for bridges and historically significant structures, width and span affecting navigation, and
safety concerns associated with width, span, and replacement. Recommendations are to fund the Truman-Hobbs Act, to advocate
high-level crossings or relocations, and to improve bridge fendering.
Cooperative Alliances Among Government, Industry, Labor, and the Public
Promoting factors are existing trade groups, such as AWO, RIAC, and PAA; the current memoranda of understanding between
government and industry; DINAMO's efforts as a model for cooperation; and Industry Days. Barriers are competition among dif-
ferent companies, government entities, and trade groups; budget constraints and downsizing within government agencies; and lack
of communication among parties. Recommendations are for recognition of how cooperation can be beneficial and in everyone's
self-interest, a public awareness campaign, the fostering of regional government/industry groups, and education of policymakers as
to the value of such alliances.
R&D to Apply Scientific Advances to Electronic Charting, Vessel Handling, and Communications
Promoting factors are such systems as the global positioning system, Internet sites, computer programs to track machinery, new
systems, etc., communications to home office, and remote lock activators. Barriers are a perceived resistance to the sharing of elec-
tronics information, the fact that government does not share existing technologies, the expense of upgrading and training, cultural
resistance to change, and an overreliance on technology. Recommendations are to train consortiums that would provide awareness
regarding the payoffs and limitations of new technology, government subsidies and incentives for development and implementation,
location and use of previous studies, and wider use of cost-benefit studies to show payoffs.
Recognition of the Importance of All Personnel and the Need for Their Development
Promoting factors are individual company's training programs, international requirements, fledgling cooperative ventures
between government and industry, and the fact that there is more available training today than 10-15 years ago. Barriers are the
need for even more training; an industry that is reactive vs. proactive regarding calamities; low wages, which prevent retention of
qualified personnel; uneven accountability among licensed personnel; and the aging of the pool of licensed personnel.
Recommendations are to encourage and create incentives for industrywide training programs, encourage development of stake-
holder groups to serve as advisory boards, and provide wider information on wage levels and job opportunities.
Policy and Infrastructure to Ensure the Well-being of Personnel, Environment, Cargo, and Vessels Within the MTS
Promoting factors are current government programs and regulations that focus on safety and environment, current industry self-
regulation (RJAC, R.C., certification programs), nationwide awareness of environmental and marine safety concerns, improvements
in sharing of near-miss lessons-learned information, safety incentive programs for employees, and state licensing of recreational
boating operators. Barriers are the fact that only large companies can afford self-regulatory programs, a lack of education and sub-
stance abuse among recreational boaters, a lack of individual accountability, time constraints/fatigue, a lack of aids to navigation
maintenance resources, oversized tows that disrupt the ATON scheme, and the current crowding and bleeding of marine radio fre-
quencies. Recommendations are for greater licensing of recreational boaters, continued emphasis of boating safety awareness classes,
formation of trade groups to provide affordable training, adoption of the STCW concept for inland waterways, a national infra-
structure policy that allows more ATON funding, and actions by the FCC to correct marine radio "bleed-over."
Maximized Potential of the Marine Transportation System
Promoting factors are the current strong economy; an improving balance of trade; backups in blue-water transportation, which
cause inland water operators to think about possible future problems; and relaxation of free-trade zone regulations. Barriers are a
lack of marketing of river facilities and locations; lack of current capacity/efficiency; incomplete intermodal connectors; and over-
regulation, which hinders development. Recommendations are an all-encompassing inland rivers marketing system; tax incentives
to use waterways over other modes of transportation; a one-stop, consistent, cooperative permitting process; and a study of the
existing marine transportation system to define gaps and overlaps.
Development of a World-Class, Internationally Competitive Waterway as a National Priority With a Defined Federal Commitment
Promoting factors are an emerging Cabinet-level voice for the issue (Secretary Slater and RLS) and the opportunity to capture
new markets and possibly lose current ones. Barriers are the fact that Washington, D.C., is not knowledgeable about waterways
issues; an imbalance of federal responsibilities; lack of a Cabinet-level waterways champion; insensitivity of the administration to the
maritime industry; USACE's "small" view of the Upper Mississippi River and the fact that its budget goes to the "wrong" things
Appendix: U.S. Coast Guard/DOT Regional Listening Sessions • 233
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(environment vs. development). Recommendations are for less federal restricting activities and more enabling activity; efforts to
educate, communicate, and define priorities with decision makers regarding the impact of the waterway on the national economy,
the cost of system delays, and economic relationships; designation of the DOT Secretary as steward of system development; dedica-
tion of USAGE funds to infrastructure development; greater public/private-sector partnerships; and appropriate railroad regulation
to ensure right-of-way access to port areas.
Del/very of Government Services Through Adequate Funding, Interagency Cooperation, and Public/Private Partnerships
Promoting factors are the national economy and strong local promotional efforts. Barriers are fewer available funds, ever-tight-
ening regulations, and lack of industry clout. Recommendations are for the federal government (senior level) to "come to the
table" in a greater promotional role, a national systemic focus vs. regional focus by the federal government, reorganization of
USAGE to give DOT a greater role in transportation planning and evaluation of comparative impacts, greater cooperation among
government agencies, local management/engineering efforts, and a "single face" federal representative for waterway system issues.
Recognition of Change in Transportation Markets, Methods, and Systems and International Competition
Promoting factors are the magnitude of anticipated growth, available economic opportunities, and openness to new technologies
and ways to move goods. Barriers are system capacity, understanding of interrelationships among modes, and subsidized competi-
tion in overseas markets. Recommendations are development of a decision model that takes into account environment, cost and
time elements; creation of a full regional servicing system to major modes to reduce time getting products to market (Point A to
B); recognition that international infrastructure development affects the U.S. (e.g., Panama Canal draft reduction); establishment of a
national strategy for efficient freight goods movement (e.g., identification of botdenecks, overall coordination of traffic patterns).
Timely, Sound Environmental Processes
Promoting factors are an industry respect for the environment and the fact that barges are environmentally very safe. Barriers
are an imbalance of regulations, an industry image problem, a lack of industry common objectives, and a lack of cost consciousness
among environmentalists. Recommendations are to support research and development into recycling, to articulate the environmen-
tal advantages of the waterways system and the impacts on other modes if it didn't exist, and to reduce the time frames for envi-
ronmental considerations (i.e., it shouldn't take six years to build a bridge or any waterway improvement).
234 • NATIONAL OCEAN CONFERENCE
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National Ocean
Conference Participants
Mr. William Ahern
California State Coastal Conservancy
Mr. Robert Mario
Offshore Marine Services Association
Mr. Dan Albert
Mayor of Monterey, California
Mr. Eddie Albert
Actor & Environmentalist
Dr. Vera Alexander
University of Alaska, Fairbanks
Mr. Pete Allen
National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration
Mr. C. Richard Allen
National Geographic Ventures
Dr. Scott Allen
Law of the Sea Institute
Ms. Jennifer Almquist
Silent Oceans Project
Mr. Dayton Alverson
Natural Resource Consultants
Mr. Lance Alway
Ranier Ballistics
Capt Bill Amaru
Commercial Fisherman, New England
Fishery Management Council
Dr. Donald Anderson
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute
Mr. Philip Anderson
Washington Department of Fish &
Wildlife
Mr. Chris Andreasen
National Imagery and Mapping
Agency
Dr. Anders Andren
University ofWisconsin, Madison, Sea
Grant Program
Ms. Colleen Angeles
National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration
Ms. Caitlyn Antrim
Council on Ocean Law
LCDR Chris Aquilino
U.S. Navy
Mr. John Aquilino
Global Aquaculture Alliance,
Pete Institute
Ms. Allison Areias
National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration
Mr. Rusty Areias
California Coastal Commission
Ms. Lori Arguelles
National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration
Mr. David Armanasco
Armanasco Public Relations
Mr. Michael Armstrong
Federal Emergency Management
Agency
Mr. Robert Armstrong
U.S. Department of the Interior
Mr. Richard Arthur
Sippican, Inc.
Ghassem Asrar
National Aeronautics and
Space Administration
Mr. John Atkin
Save the Sound
Dr. Jesse Ausubel
Alfred P. Sloan Foundation
Dr. Susan Avery
Cooperative Institute for Research in
the Environmental Sciences
Dr. Ivar Babb
National Undersea Research Center,
University of Connecticut
The Honorable Bruce Babbitt
U.S. Department of the Interior
Dr. Daniel Baden
University of Miami
Mr. Brian Baird
California Resources Agency
Dr. Ronald Baird
National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration
The Honorable D. James Baker
U.S. Department of Commerce,
National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration
Ms. Emily Baker
Library of Congress
LCDR Frank Baker
U.S. Navy
Mr. Chris Ball
Ozone Action
Mrs. Elizabeth Barber
National Wildlife Federation
Mr. Gerald Barber
National Wildlife Federation
Mr. Raymond R. Barberisi
U.S. Department of Transportation
RADM Ken Barbor
U.S. Navy
Mr. Ed Barnes
Ms. Linda Barr
California Assembly Select Committee
on Coastal Protection
Mr. Donald Barry
U.S. Deportment of the Interior
Dr. Jack Bash
University of Rhode Island
Mr. Tom Bates
Ms. Barbara Belding
U.S. Agency for International
Development
Mr. Ronald Bell
U.S. Deportment of Commerce
Mr. C. Jonathan Banner
Eckert Seomons Cherin & Mellot,
LLC.
Mr. Jeffrey Benoit
National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration
Mr. Steve Berkely
Oregon State University
Mr. John Berry
U.S. Department of the Interior
Dr. Barbara Best
U.S. Agency for International
Development
Mr. Peter Betzer
University of South Florida
Dr. Rosina Bierbaum
Office of Science Technology & Policy
Representative Brian Bilbray
U.S. House of Representatives
Ms. Rachel Binah
Oceon Sanctuary Coordinating
Comm.
Mr. Corey Black
Office of the Vice President
Ms. Julia Blackwell
National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration
Mr. David Blaskovich
Silicon Graphics/Cray Research, Inc.
RADM Paul Blayney
U. S. Coast Guard
Dr. Barbara Block
Hopkins Marine Station of Stanford
University
Ms. Jennifer Bloeser
Pacific Marine Conservation Council
Representative Earl Blumenauer
U.S. House of Representatives
Mr. Donald Boesch
University of Maryland Center for
Environmental Science
Mr. Glenn Boledovich
National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration
Ms. Joan BondarefF
U.S. Mar/time Administration
SGT Norbert Bonjo
U.S. Department of the Interior
Mr. Peter Bontadelli
California Department of Fish &Game
Ms. Margaret Booth
National Science Foundation
Mr. Matt Borbash
U.S. Coast Guard
Dr. Joseph Bordongna
National Science Foundation
The Honorable
Madeleine Z. Bordallo
Lieutenant Governor of Guam
Mr. j. Bornstein
Bornstein Seafoods
Mr. Peter Borrelli
Center for Coastal Studies
Dr. Robert Bourke
U.S. Navy
Senator Barbara Boxer
U.S Senate
Mr. L. Boydstun
California Deportment of Fish &
Game, Pacific Fishery Management
Council
Dr. David Bradley
Pennsylvania State University
Mr. Brian Braginton-Smith
The Conservation Consortium
Mr. Peter Brewer
Monterey Bay Aquarium Research
Institute
Mr. Eric Brielman
Office of the Vice President
Dr. Kenneth Brink
Woods Hole Oceanographic
Institution
Dr. Mel Briscoe
Office of Naval Research
Dr. Arthur Brooks
University ofWisconsin, Milwaukee
Dr. David Brooks
Texas A&M University
Dr. Otis Brown
University of Miami
Dr. William Brown
U.S. Department of the Interior
Carol Browner
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Mr. Terry Bruggerman
Diverse Corporation
Ms. Paula Bruin
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Mr. Jeff Bryant
Monterey Bay Aquarium
Mr. Carl Brzovich
Robert Lyn Nelson Studios
Appendix: National Ocean Conference Participants • 235
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Ms. Elaine Bull
Pacific Belt Telephone Company
Mr. David Bunn
California State Assembly
Mr. John Cahill
Santo Barbara Channel Foundation
Mr. Jeffery Calder
Friends of the Sea Otter
Mr. Jack CakKvell
Lot/fsrano Department of Natural
Resources
Mr. Jim Galloway
Ftad/?c Bell Telephone Company
Mr. Jose Campos
Caribbean Regional Fishery
Management Council
Mr. Ralph Cantral
Florida Coastal Management
Program
Representative Lois Capps
U,S House of Representatives
VADM James Care!
U.S, Coast Guard
Mr. Jim Carlberg
National Aquacutture Association,
Kent Seafarms, Inc.
Mr. John Carlstroem
Vosemite National Institutes
Mr. Bruce Carlton
U.S. Department of Transportation
Mr. Ed Cassano
Channel Islands National Marine
Sanctuary
Ms. Betty Castor
University of South Florida
Mr. Billy D. Causey
Ftorfdo Keys National Marine
Sanctuary
Mr. Warner Chabot
Center for Marine Conservation
RADM Robert Chaplin
U.S. Navy
Mr. Richard Charter
R. Charter Associates
Dr. Valerie Chase
The National Aquarium in Baltimore
Ms. Sarah Chasis
Nature/ Resources Defense Council
Mr. Christopher Chauncey
California State Legislature
Ms. Becky Christensen
Ettthom Sfeugh National Estuarine
Research Reserve
Ms. Angela Christian
National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration
Dr. Biliana Gcin-Sain
University of Delaware
Mr. William Cirone
Santo Barbara County School District
Mr. Joe Clark
Vkteocfecoveiy
Dr. Larry Clark
National Science Foundation
Mr. Maumus Qaverie, Jr.
Marine Fisheries Science &
Conservation
ADM Archie R. Clemens
U.S. Navy
Hilary Rodham Clinton
first Lady of the United States
William Jefferson Clinton
President of the United States
Dr. Kenneth Coale
Moss Landing Marine Laboratories
Mr. Tyrus Cobb
%sem/te National Institutes
Mr. Aiden Coburn
Fora/ton Fisheries
Ms. Muriel Cole
National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration
Dr. James Coleman
Louisiana State University
Mr. Julius Collins
J. Collins Trawlers
The Honorable David A. Colson
LeBoeuf, Lamb, Greene & MacRae,
LLR
Dr. Rita R. Colwell
University of Maryland B/otechno/ogy
Institute
Mr. Earl Comstock
Sher & B/odkwe//
CAPT Thomas Connelly
U.S. Navy
Dr. JudHh Connor
Monterey Bay Aquarium Research
Institute
Mr. Charles Cook
Nature Conservancy
Mr. James Cook
Western Pacific Regional Fishery
Management Council
Mr. H. Cook, Jr.
Attorney
Mr. Gene Cope
National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration
Mr. Peter Coppelman
U.S. Department of Justice
Dr. Robert Corell
National Science Foundation
Mr. Terry Cosgrove
U.S. Navy
Mr. Mark Cousineau
Surfrider Foundation
Mrs. Francine Cousteau
The Cousteau Society
Mr. Jean-Michel Cousteau
jean-Michel Cousteau Productions
Mr. Craig Cox
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Dr. John Craven, J.D.
Common Heritage Corporation
Mr. John Crowder
Crowder International Service
Mr. John C. Cruden
U.S. Department of Justice
Mr. James Curland
Friends of the Otter
Mr. Clifton Curtis
World Wildlife Fund
Ms. Stephanie Cutter
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
The Honorable William H. Daley
U.S. Department of Commerce
The Honorable John H. Dalton
U.S. Navy
Mr. Ted Danson
American Oceans Campaign
Capt. Ed Davidson
Florida Audubon Society
Ms. Margaret Davidson
National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration
Mr. Grant Davis
The Boy Institute of San Francisco
Mr. Andrew Davlin, Jr.
The Davlin Corporation
Mr. Eric Dawicki
Northeast Maritime Institute
Dr. Paul Dayton
Scripps Institute of Oceanography
Ms. Roberta Dean
University of California, Berkeley
Mr. Richard Delaney
Urban Harbors Institute, University of
Massachusetts
Ms. Damaris Delgado
Puerto Rico Department of Natural &
Environmental Resources
Mr. Elliot Deringer
Council on Environmental Quality
Ms. Jennifer Dianto
American Oceans Campaign
Dr. Dan Dietrich
Lawrence LJvermore Laboratory
Mr. Edward Domanico
The Hazardous Materials Specialist,
Inc.
Mr. Theodore Donn
Tetra-Tech, Inc.
MAJ Derek Donovan
U.S. Marine Corps
Ms. Niaz Dorry
Greenpeace
COL David Dotterer
U.S. Marine Corps
Mr. Peter Douglas
California Coastal Commission
Mr. Bill Douros
Monterey Boy National Marine
Sanctuary
Capt. Vincent Doyle
Fisherman's Marketing Association
VADM James Doyle, Jr.
U.S. Navy fret.;
Mr. Richard du Moulin
Marine Transport Lines, INTERTANKO
CDR George DuPree
U.S. Coast Guard
Mr. John Duff
Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Legal
Program
Dr. Donald Durham
U.S. Navy
Dr. Sylvia A. Earle
Deep Ocean Exploration & Research,
Inc
Mr. Joe Easley
Oregon Trawl Commission
Ms. Penny Eastman
Shipbuilders Council of America
Mr. James Edberg
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Mr. Robert Edson
ER/M International, Inc.
Mr. Tim Eichenberg
Center for Marine Conservation
Dr. Peter Eisenberger
Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory,
Columbia University
VADM James Ellis, Jr.
U.S. Navy
RADM Winford Ellis
U.S. Navy
Dr. Richard Elster
U.S. Navy
Ms. Marlene Elwell
Santo Cruz Service Co of America
Mr. John Emerson
Capital Guardian and Trust Company
Dean James Emery
U.S. Navy
Dr. Paul Epstein
Harvard School of Public Health
Ms. Sally Ericsson
Council on Environmental Quality
Representative Anna Eshoo
U.S. House of Representatives
Ms. Kristine Estrada
U.S. Geological Survey
Representative Eni Faleomavaenga
U.S. House of Representatives
Ms. Nancy Fanning
U. S. Department of the Interior
Representative Sam Farr
U.S. House of Representatives
Dr. John Farrington
Woods Hole Oceanographic
Institution
CAPT Evelyn J. Reids
National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration
Mr. Terrance Flannery
DC/ Environmental Center
Ms. Katherine Fletcher
People for Puget Sound
Dr. Pierce Flynn
Surfrider Foundation
236 • NATIONAL OCEAN CONFERENCE
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Mr. Charles W. Foster
Port of Oakland
Dr. Nancy Foster
National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration
Mr. Anthony Fowler
U.S. Department of Education
Ms. Michelle Fox
National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration
Dr. Joanne Fox-Przeworski
Un/ted Nations Environment
Programme
Ms. Amy Fraenkel
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Mr. Richard Frank
California Department of Justice
Dr. Robert Friedheim
University of Southern California
Ms. Susan Fruchter
National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration
Dr. Marty Fujita
Surfrider Foundation
Mr. Rod Fujita
Environmental Defense Fund
MG Russell L. Fuhrman
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
RADM Paul Gaffney II
U.S. Navy
Dr. Achilles Gagliano
Lockheed Martin Technical
Operations
Dr. Robert Gagosian
Woods Hole Oceanographic
Institution
Ms. Donna Ganoe
Center for Oceans Law & Policy,
University of Virginia
Mr. Allen Garcia
Center for Sustainable Agriculture
Mr. Terry Garcia
National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration
Ms. Karen Garrison
Natural Resources Defense Council
Dr. Roland Garwood
U.S. Navy
Dr. Joseph Geraci
National Aquarium in Baltimore
Mr. Jim Giattina
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Dr. James Gill
University of California, Santa Cruz
Ms. Linda Glover
U.S. Navy
Ms. Kathleen Gohn
U.S. Geological Survey
Mr. Mark Gold
Heal the Bay
Ms. Nancy Golden
American Oceans Campaign
Mr. John Goldman
Goldman Foundation
Ms. Carmen Gonzale
Division of Marine Sanctuaries
& Estuaries
Ms. Sherri W. Goodman
U.S. Department of Defense
Dr. Melissa Gordon
National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration
Al Gore
Vice President of the Unites States
Mr. William Grader, Jr.
Pacific Coast Federation of
Fishermen's Associations
Dr. Fred Grassle
Rutgers-The State University
of New Jersey
The Honorable John Graykowski
Maritime Administration
Mr. Peter Green
Mayor Pro Tempore ofHuntington
Beach, California
Dr. Gary Greene
Western Association of Marine
Laboratories
Dr. M.R.C. Greenwood
University of California, Santa Cruz
Dr. Michael Gregg
University of Washington
Mr. Gary Gregory
State Lands Commission of California
Mr. Roger Griffis
National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration
Dr. Gary Griggs
Long Marine Lab
Dr. D. Grimes
The University of Southern Mississippi
Ms. Lisa Grossman
National Geographic Television
Ms. Tami Grove
California Coastal Commission
Ms. Carlotta Guerrero
Guam State Legislature
Mr. Gerald Gunnari
Coos Boy Trawlers Association
Mr. Richard Gutting, jr.
National Fisheries Institute, Inc.
Mr. Dan Haifley
Pacific Gas & Electric
Mr. Scott Hajost
International Union for the
Conservation of Nature
Mr. David Hales
Mr. Mike Ham
Guam Bureau of Planning
Mr. Sylvan Hamberger
National Marine Manufacturers
Association
Ms. Loni Hancock
U S. Department of Education
Ms. Susan Hansch
California Coastal Commission
Mr. Fred Hansen
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Mr. Robert Hansen
National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration
Ms. Maggie Hardy
Big Sur Land Trust
Mr. William Hargis, Jr.
Virginia Institute of Marine Sciences
Dr. Chris Harrold
Monterey Bay Aquarium •
Ms. Natalie Hartman
U.S. Department of Transportation
Mr. Art Haseltine
Mr. Bill Hastie
Washington State University
Cooperative Extension
Mr. Matthew Hayden
HW Hi-Cone
Mr. Paul Hegarty
Office of the Vice President
Ms. Marilyn Heiman
State of Alaska
Dr. Donald Heinrichs
National Science Foundation
Mr. Gordon Helm
National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration
Mr. Robert Heming
Chevron Petroleum Technology
Company
Mr. Michael Henderson
National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration
Mr. Dave Hendry
Foundation for Advancements
in Science and Education
Mr. Wolcott Henry
The Munson Foundation
Mr. Richard Hermann
Harbor Branch Oceanographic
Institution, Inc.
Dr. Marc Hershman
Unversity of Washington
Dr. Ray Highsmith
National Undersea Research Center,
University of Alaska
Mr. Robert Hight
California State Lands Commission
Ms. Helen Hillman
National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration
Dr. William Hogarth
National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration
Dr. Ann Hollick
U.S. Department of State
Ms. Courtney Hoist
Office of the Vice President
Mr. Douglas Hopkins
Environmental Defense Fund
Mr. Tom Houston
International Society for Ocean
Monitoring & Research
Mr. Paul Howard
New England Regional Fishery
Management Council
Dr. Terry Howey
Louisiana Department of
Natural Resources
Mr. Rich Hughett
Fishermen's Alliance of California
Ms. Karen Hulebak
U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services
Ms. Kathleen Hurld
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Mr. Jack Huttner
Genencor International, Inc.
Ms. Kelly Hyland
Office of the Vice President
Mr. Tony larocci
Monroe County Commercial
Fishermen, Inc.
Mr. Paul Ideker
California State Lands Commission
Mr. Robert Irvin
Center for Marine Conservation
Dr. Paul Irwin
Humane Society of the U.S.
Ms. Diana Jacobs
California State Lands Commission
Dr. Richard Jackson
U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services
Mr. W.P. Jensen
Mary/and Department of
Natural Resources
Dr. David jessup
California Department of Fish &Game
Mr. Alvis Johnson
Karufc Tribe of California
Mr. Don Johnson
Simpson Tacoma Kraft Company
Dr. Ken Johnson
Moss Landing Marine Laboratory
Mr. Brian Jones
Genencor International, Inc.
Mr. Robert Jones
Southeastern Fisheries Association
Ms. Susan Jordan
League for Coastal Protection
Ms. Pat jorgenson
U.S. Geological Survey
Ms. Diana Josephson
U.S. Navy
RADM Timothy W. Josiah
U.S. Coast Guard
Mr. David Jourdan
Meridian Sciences, Inc./NAUTICOS
Mr. John Justus
Congressional Research Service
Mr. Norman Kahn
DC/ Environmental Center
Appendix: National Ocean Conference Participants • 237
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Ms. Cardita Kallaur
Minerals Management Service
Mr. Dave Kantor
U.S. Coast Guard
Ms. Kristina Katsaros
National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration
Assemblyman Fred Keeley
California State Assembly
Mr. Jack Kelly
National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration
Mr. Paul Kelly
Rowan Companies. Inc
Dr. Charles Kennel
Scripps Institution of Oceanography
Mr. Justin Kenney
National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration
Ms. Peggy Kerns
U.S. Department of Education
Dr. William Kierte
Smithsonian Institution
Dr. Bob Kifer
National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration
Dr.JudyKildow
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Ms. Lee A. Kimball
Consu/tont, Treaty Development
& International Institutions
Ms. Melinda L. Kimble
U.S. Deportment of State
Mr. Steven Kinberg
Restore America's Estuaries
CAPT Fred Klein
U.S. Navy
Dr. Geraldine Knatz
The Port of Long Beach
Dr. Robert Knecht
Univerei'ty of Delaware
Ms. Jaime Kooser
California Coastal Commission
Ms. Jenny Kopelson
Consortium for Oceanographic
Research & Education
Dr. Martha Krebs
U.S. Department of Energy
Ms. Linda Krop
Environmental Defense Center
Ms. Catherine Kuhlrnan
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Ms. Alison Kutier
Office of the Vice President
LCDR Charles Laingen
U.S. Navy
Mr. Robert Lake
U.S. Deportment of Health
and Human Services
Mr. Russell Lamantia
U.S. Deportment of State
Mr. GeofLand
Environmental Center of
San Luis Obispo County
Mr. Larry Landry
Landry & Associates.
Dr. Neal Lane
National Science Foundation
Ms. Frances Larkin
Virginia Institute of Marine Science
Ms. Sarah Laskin
Office of Budget Management
Mr. Laurence Laurent
San Luis Obispo Board of Supervisors
Mr. Steven Lautsch
The Kingsley Group
Mr. John Lawson
Jason Foundation for Education
Dr. Stephan Leatherman
Florida International University
Dr. Ants Leetma
National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration
Dr. Margaret Leinen
Un/vera'ty of Rhode Island
Mr. Peter Leipzig
Fishermen's Marketing Association
Mr. Norman Lemley
Center for Maritime Leadership
Mr. H. Keith Lesnick
U.S. Maritime Administration
Mr. Kenneth Levin
Society of Naval Architects and
Marine Engineers
Dr. Eric Lindstrom
National Aeronautics and
Space Administration
Mr. Kris Lindstrom
KPL, Inc.
Mr. Jack Little
Shell Exploration & Production
Ms. Jane Louden
Analysis and Technology, Inc.
Dr. Thomas Lovejoy
Smithsonian Institution
ADM James M. Loy
U. S. Coast Guard
Dr. Jane Lubchenco
Oregon State University
Ms. Elisa Lyles
State-Federal Relations for
Texas Land Management
Mr. Robert Lynch
California State Lands Commission
Mr. James Lyons
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Mr. Gary Lytton
Rookery Bay National Estuarine
Research Reserve
Mr. Tony MacDonald
Coastal States Organization
Dr. Bonnie MacGregor
U.S. Geological Survey
Monterey Bay I
Technology Cen
Mr. Gary Magnuson
National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration
Mr. Orville Magoon
Coastal Zone Foundation
Dr. Kumar Mahadevan
Mote Marine Laboratory
Mr. Jonathan Malay
Bo/i Aerospace & Technologies
Corporation
Mr. Robert Mallet
U.S. Deportment of Commerce
Dr. Thomas Malone
University of Maryland Center for
Fjivironmental Science
Ms. Felicia Marcus
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Dr. Henry Marcus
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
RADM Thomas F Marfiak
National Defense University
Mr. Howard Marlowe
Mar/owe & Company, American
Coastal Coalition
Ms. Nan Marr
Jean-Michel Cousteau Productions
Ms. Dawn Martin
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Ms. Lora Martin
' Education Science &
-enter
Dr. Douglas Martinson
/.amont-Doherty Earth Observatory,
Columbia University
Dr. James Mattison
Friends of the Sea Otter
CAPT Donald Mautner
U.S. Navy
Dr. Nancy Maynard
National Aeronautics &
Space Administration
Mr. Craig McCaw
Eagle River, LLC.
Ms. Mimi McConnell
Aleecia McDonald
Office of the Vice President
Mr. David McEntee
Simpson Tacoma Kraft Company
Mr. Michael McGeehin
Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention
Ms. Katie McGinty
Council on Environmental Quality
Dr. Alfred McLaren
The Explorers Club
Mr. John McLaurin
Pacific Merchant Shipping Association
Mr. Andrew McLeod
Rhode Island Department of
Environmental Management
Mr. Roger McManus
Center for Marine Conservation
Dr. Marcia McNutt
Monterey Bay Aquarium
Research Institute
Senator Bruce McPherson
California State Senate
Ms. Monica Medina
National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration
Mr. Ralph Meiggs
National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration
Mr. Tom Melius
National Fish & Wildlife Foundation
Mr. Larry Merculieff
Bering Sea Coalition
Mr. Peter Mikhalevsky
Science Applications International
Corporation '
Mr. Franklin C Miller
U.S. Department of Defense
Representative George Miller
U.S. House of Representatives
Ms. Dana Minerva
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Mr. Dean Misczynski
California Research Bureau
Mr. W. Thomas Mitchell
Genencor International, Inc.
Mr. Bruce Monroe
Sierra Ciub
Mr. Richard Monroe
Global Aquaculture Alliance
Mr. Tony Montes
U.S. Department of the Interior
RADM J. Mooney, Jr.
U.S. Navy (ret.;
Dr. Barbara Moore
National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration
Mr. Duncan Moore
Executive Office of the President
Professor John Norton Moore
Center for Oceans Law & Policy,
University of Virginia
Mr. Rod Moore West
Coast Seafood Processors Association
Mr. Pierre Morel
National Aeronautics and
Space Administration
The Honorable G. Mario Moreno
U.S. Department of Education
Mr. William Morrison
California State Lands Commission
Dr. Patricia Morse
National Science Foundation
Mr. Ted Morton
American Oceans Campaign
Mr. James Muldoon
U.S. Sailing Association
Dr. Walter Munk
Scripps Institution of Oceanography
238 • NATIONAL OCEAN CONFERENCE
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Mr. James Murley
Florida Department of
Community Affairs
Mr. Kym Murphy
The Walt Disney Company
Mr. Kurt Nagle
American Association of
Port Authorities
Mr. Arthur Napolitano
Raytheon, Santa Barbara
Remote Sensing
Representative Eileen Naughton
Rhode Island House of
Representatives
Mr. Barry Nelson
Save San Francisco Bay Association
Mr. Robert Nelson
Robert Lyn Nelson Studios
Mrs. Uilani Nelson
Dr. Sheila Newton
National Institute of
Environmental Health Services
Ms. Vicki Nichols
Sove-Our-Shores
Ms. Roxanne Nikolaus
National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration
Mr. Bill Nrtze
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Mr. Jerry Norris
Pacific Basin Development Council
Dr. Elliott Norse
Marine Conservation Biology Institute
RADM Robert North
U. S. Coast Guard
Ms. Ann Notthoff
Natural Resources Defense Council
Dr. Arthur Nowell
University of Washington
Dr. Worth Nowlin, Jr.
Texas A & M University
Mr. J. Nussman
/American Sportfishing Association
Mr. Richard Nutter
Monterey County Agricultural
Commissioner's Office
Ms. Carla Nuxoll
U.S. Department of Education
Mr. Walt O'Brien
U.S. Navy
Mr. James O'Malley
East Coast Fisheries Foundation
The Honorable Beverly O'Neill
Mayor of Long Beach, California
Mr. Jack O'Neill
O'Neill Surfboard Company
Mr. William Oakerson
Boot Owners Association of the U.S.
Mr. Ed Obloy
National Imagery and
Mapping Agency
Mr. John Ogden
Florida Institute of Oceanography
Mr. Kenneth Olden
National Institute of
Environmental Health Services
Mr. John Okon
U.S. Navy
Dr. John Orcutt
Scripps Institution of Oceanography
Mr. Neil Overstorm
Mystic Aquarium
Mr. Bernard Oxman
Law of the Sea Institute
Ms. Julie Packard
Monterey Boy Aquarium
The Honorable Leon Panetta
Consultant
Mr. Pietro Parravono
Pacific Coast Federation of
Fishermen's Associations
Ms. Katherine Pearson
Coostoi Living
Ms. Lelei Peau
Government of American Samoa
CDR Pete Pedrozo
U.S. Department of Defense
Mr. Samuel Penney
Nez Perce Tribe of Idaho
Mr. Robert Perciasepe
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Mr. Ken Peterson
Montery Boy Aquarium
Mr. Dale Petroskey
National Geographic Society
Mr. Mike Philley
U.S. Agency for International
Development
Mr. David Phillips
Earth Is/and Institute
Ms. Ann Pickard
Mobii Corporation
Dr. Leonard Pietrafesa
North Carolina State University
ADM Donald L. Pilling
U S. Navy
The Honorable Robert Pirie
U.S. Navy
Ms. Diane Pleschner
D.B. Pleschner & Associates
Ms. Margaret Podlich
Clean Water Trust, Boat
Owners Association of the U.S.
Dr. Guilib Pontecorvo
Columbia University
Mr. Dave Potter
Monterey County Board
of Supervisors
Dr. Dennis Powers
Hopkins Marine Station
of Stanford University
Dr. Ellen Prager
U.S. Geological Survey
Mr. Don Pryor
Office of Science and
Technology Policy
Dr. G. Michael Purdy
National Science Foundation
Ms. Cynthia Quarterman
Minerals Management Service
CAPT Craig Quigley
U.S. Navy
Dr. Steve Ramberg
U.S. Navy
Ms. Laura Ramsay
Delphic Visions
Mr. Robert Ratliffe
Eogie River L.L.C.
Ms. Pearlie Reed
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Mr. Stephen Reed
California State University,
Monterey Bay
Mr. Tom Rees
Long Marine Lab Foundation
Mr. Michael Reeve
National Science Foundation
Mr. Joshua Reichert
The Pew Charitable Trusts
Ms. Davida Remer
National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration
LCDRJimRendon
U.S. Coast Guard
Mr. Joel Reynolds
Natural Resources Defense Council
Dr. John Reynolds III
Marine Mammal Commission,
Eckerd College
LT Charles Richards
U.S. Coast Guard
Dr. Bob Richmond
University of Guam
Ms. Susan Rieff
National Wildlife Federation
RADM Ernest R. Riutta
U.S. Coast Guard
Mr. J. Ashley Roach
U.S. Department of State
Ms. Cynthia Robinson
New England Aquarium
Mr. John Robinson
National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration
CAPT Mark Rosen
U.S. Navy
Mr. Robert Ross
Califonia Seafood Institute
Mr. Richard T Roth
Office of Representative Lynn Woo/sey
Ms. Krishna Roy
Center for Marine Conservation
Dr. Carol Rubin
Centers for Disease Control
Mr. Jeffrey Rudolph
California Science Center
VADM Roger Y Rufe
U.S. Coast Guard
Mr. Craig Russell
National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration
Dr. Carl Safina
National Audubon Society
Ms. Melissa Samet
Earth Justice Legal Defense Fund
Ms. Angela Sanfilippo
Gloucester Fishermen's
Wives Association
Dr. Karl Sanford
Genencor International, Inc.
LCOL Donald Sapp
U.S. Marine Corps
Ms. Jackie Savitz
Coast Alliance
Dr. Donald Scavia
National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration
Dr. Mark Schaefer
U. S. Department of the Interior
Mr. Terrence Schaff
Consortium for Oceanographic
Research and Education
Mr. Terry Schaefer
National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration
Ms. Jacqueline Schaffer
California Department of Fish &Game
Ms. Lois Schiffer
U.S. Department of Justice
Mr. Rolland A. Schmrtten
National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration
Dr. William Schroeder
University of Alabama
Mr. Mark Schultz
National Imagery and
Mapping Agency
Mr. Richard Schwabacher
Cousteou Society
Ms. Suzanne E. Schwartz
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Mr. R. Tucker Scully
U.S. Department of State
Ms. Margaret Sears
National Geographic Society
Mr. Danny Sells
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Mr. Steve Sewell
Port of Seattle
Ms. Ursula M. Sexton
Green Va//ey Elementary School
Ms. Linda Sheehan
Center for Marine Conservation
Dr. Douglas Sherman
University of Southern California
Sea Grant Program
Mr. Alan Sielen
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Mr. Mark Silberstein
Elkhorn Slough Foundation
Appendix: National Ocean Conference Participants • 239
-------
Mr. Duane Silverstein
Goldman Foundation
Ms. Kitty Simonds
Western Pacific Fishery
Management Council
The Honorable Ron Sims
King County, Washington
Ms. Sally A Shelton-Colby
U.S. Agsncy for International
Development
Ms. Karen Skeiton
The Whits House
The Honorable Rodney E. Slater
U.S. Deportment of Transportation
LT Lynn Sletto
U.S. Coast Guard
Dr. Peter Smith
California State University.
Monterey Bay
Ms. Linda Snyder
U.S. Navy
RADM Steven Smith
U.S. Department of Defense
Mr. Tom Spto
Border Environmental Cooperation
Commission
Mr. Michael Soukup
National Park Service
Capt. Jack Sparks
American Pilots' Association, Inc.
Ms. Lisa Speer
Natural Resources Defense Council
Dr. Robert Spies
Applied Marine Sciences, Inc.
Dr. Robert Spindel
University of Washington
Dr. Richard Spinrad
Consortium for Oceanographic
Research and Education
Ms. Vikki Spruill
SeaWeb
Mr. David Stawick
National Conservation Buffer Council
Dr. Richard Stem
Applied Research Laboratory
at Penn State University
Mr. Lee Stevens
Sea Grant Association
Capt. Richard Stewart
U.S. Merchant Marine Academy
Mr. Bob Stockman
National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration
Mr. Joe Stohr
Washington Department of Ecology
Mr. Ron Stone
National Marine Manufacturers
Association
Mr. Matt Stout
National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration
CDR Barry Stamey
U.S. Navy
Mr. Josh Stratton
Office of the Wee President
Ms. Alexis Strauss
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Mr. Graham Street
U.S. Department of Commerce
Mr. Harry Strong
MitreTek Systems
RADM William Stubblefield
National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration
Dr. James Sullivan
University of California, San Diego,
Sea Grant Program
Ms. Nancy Sutley
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Mr. G. Sutton
World Wildlife International
Mr. Fred Swader
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Mr. Bob Talbot
Tolbot Productions
Dr. Lynne Talley
Scripps Institute of Oceanography
Dr. Samuel Taylor
California Academy of Sciences
Ms. Anne Tenney
National Science Foundation
Mr. Raul Thayer
California State Lands Commission
Mr. Roger Thomas
Golden Gate Fishermen's Association
Mr. jack Thomasson
Coastal Living
Mr. Tom Tilas
Whale Conservation Institute
Ms. Virginia Tippie
Coastal America
The Honorable Gerald Tirozzi
U.S. Department of Education
Mr. Will TravisBay
Conservation & Development
Commission
Mr. Charles Trimble
Trimble Navigation, Inc.
RADM Paul Tobin
U.S. Navy
Commodore Everette Tucker
U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary
Mr. Jerry Tuft
Westlund & Tuft Technology
Mr. Jim Tulip
Robert Lynn Nefeon Studios
Mr. Chistophe Tulou
Delaware Department of Natural
Resoureces & Environmental Control
Dr. Ken Turgeon
Minerals Management Service
Mr. John Twiss
Marine Mammal Commission
Ms. Loretta Ucelli
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Delegate Robert Underwood
U.S. House of Representatives
Ms. Maeve Vallely
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Ms. Katherine Vaughn
Louisiana Deptartment of
Natural Resources
Mr. Peter Velez
Shell Offshore, Inc.
Ms. Beth Viola
The White House
Mr. Jekabs "Jake" P. Vittands
Metcalf & Eddy
Mr. Craig Vogt
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Mr. Bob Volk
University of Nebraska
Mr. Rod Vulovic
Sea-Land Services, Inc
Dr. Don Walsh
International Maritime, Inc.
Ms. Sara Wan
California Coastal Commission
CAPT Larry Warrenfeltz
U.S. Navy
Dr. Carlyle Wash
Naval Postgraduate School
Ms. Mary Washington
Dr. Warren M. Washington
National Center for
Atmospheric Research
ADM James D. Watkins
U.S. Navy (ret), Consortium for
Oceanographic Research & Education
Mr. Robert Watts
Diving Equipment and
Marketing Association
Ms. Lavern Weber
Hatfield Marine Science Center
Dr. Steven Webster
Monterey Bay Aquarium
Mr. Tom Wehri
California Association of
Resource Conservation
Ms. Heather Weiner
Earth Justice Legal Defense Fund
Mr. Kenneth Weiner
Preston, Gates & E/iis
Dr. Stephen Weisberg
Southern California Coastal
Water Research Project
Dr. Robert Weller
Woods Hole Oceanographic
Institution
Ms. Mary Beth West
U.S. Department of State
Mr. Fred Westlund
Westlund & Tuft. Technology
Mr. Geoff Wheat
National Undersea Research Program
Mr. Brian Wheeler
National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration
Mr. Douglas Wheeler
The Resources Agency of California
Ms. Cathy Widener
Office of Senator Dianne Feinstein
Dr. Rob Wilder
University of California,
Santa Barbara
Dr. Kip Wiley
California Senate Office of Research
Ms. Debra Williams
U.S. Department of the Interior
Ms. Lori Williams
Center for Marine Conservation
Mr. S. Jeffress Williams
U.S. Geological Survey
Mr. Terry Williams
Tulalip Tribes
CDR Zdenka Willis
U.S. Navy
Mr. David Wills
Global Aquaculture Alliance,
Pete Institute.
Mr. David Wilmot
National Audubon Society
Mr. Mike Wilson
Department of Land and Natural
Resources, State of Hawaii
Dr. Stanley Wilson
National Oceanographic and
Atmospheric Administration
Mr. Robert Winokur
National Oceanographic and
Atmospheric Administration
Dr. Joy Wolf
National Marine Educators-
Association
Dr. Bertram Wolfe
American Nuclear Society
Mr. Gregory Woodell
American Shore & Beach Preservation
Association, City of Los Angeles
Representative Lynn Woolsey
U.S. House of Representatives
Dr. L. Wright
Virginia Institute of Marine Science
Dr. Carl Wunsch
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Mr. Brooks Yeager
U.S. Department of the Interior
Mr. David Younkman
American Oceans Campaign
Ms. Sally Yozell
National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration
Ms. Cindy Zipf
Clean Ocean Action
Dr. John A. Zirschky
240 • NATIONAL OCEAN CONFERENCE
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Acknowledgments
Executive Committee
Sally Yozell
Monica Medina
Linda Glover
CAPT Fred Klein, USN
Sally Ericsson
Don Pryor
CAPT Joe Bouchard, USN
Conference Committee
Vice President Al Gore with National Ocean Conference staff at evening reception at Monterey Bay
Aquarium (Photo: Official White House photograph)
Fred Abel
Ruben Alcantara
CAPT Chuck Allen, USN
Pete Allen
Colleen Angeles
Allison Areias
Lori Arguelles
D. James Baker
LCDR Frank Baker, USN
Daniel J. Basta
Ronald Bell
Doug Bellomo
Barbara Best
Rosina Bierbaum
Julia Blackwell
Donna Blitzer
Glenn Boledovich
LT Brian Bommarito, USN
Joan Bondareff
Peggy Booth
William Brown
Paula Bruin
Mike Buckley
Barbara Campbell
Bob Carey
Bruce Carlton
RADM Robert Chaplin, USN
Charlie Chesnutt
Angela Christian
Elaine Christian
JeffCitrin
H. Lawrence Clark
Muriel Cole
Barney Congdon
Gene Cope
Thomas Cuff
Stephanie Cutter
Howard Danley
Lisa Datoc
Elliot Deringer
Loretta DeSio
Jim Doyle
Marcelle DuPraw
CDR George DuPree, USCG
Barbara Elkus
Wayne Estabrooks
RADM Winford G. Ellis
Marcus Fitzsimmons
Nancy Foster
Anthony Fowler
Michelle Fox
Amy Frankel
RADM Paul Gaffney II
Melissa Gordon
Roger Griffis
Bob Hansen
Susan Harmon
Jonathan Hayes
Leslie Hayes
Merrill Heit
Gordon Helm
Mike Henderson
Helen Hillman
Ann Hollick
Ginger Hopkins
Kent Hughes
Kathleen Hurld
Olwen Huxley
LCDR John Jenkins, USN
RADM Wes Jordan (ret.)
Algis Kalvaitis
Dave Kantor
Eleanor Kaul
Jim Kendall
Justin Kenney
Carla Kertis
William Kiene
Bob Kifer
Gay Kirby
Larry Koss
Alison Kutler
LCDR Chip Laingen, USN
Lee Langstaff ,
Sarah Laskin
Gay Leslie
Keith Lesnick
Sydney Levitus
Eric Lindstrom
LCDR John Little, USCG
Millington Lockwood
Jane Louden ,
Laura Love
ADM James Loy, USCG
Peter Lunn
CAPT David MacFarland, NC
Gary Magnuson
Felicia Marcus
Albert Marmo
Kim Marshall
Dawn Martin
Jill Martin
CAPT Don Mautner, USN
LCDR Mitch McCaffrey, USN
Craig McCaw
Kathleen McGinty
Barbara Mclntire
Ralph Meiggs
MarkMeza
Matteo Milazzo
Dana Minerva
Linda Moodie
Barbara Moore
Dottie Moorhous
CDR Marlene Mozgala, NC
Shelia Newton
Rpxanne Nikolaus
Debra Nudelman
EdObloy
Walt O'Brien
Joan O'Callaghan
Julie Packard
CDR Pete Pedrozo, USN
Mickey Pilar
FredPiltz
John Podesta
Robert Pond
Ron Poulsen
Ellen Prager
CAPT Nicholas A. Prahl, NC
Michael Purdy
Cynthis Quarterman
CAPT Craig Quigley, USN
Michael R. Reeve
Davida Remer
Katie Ries
Robin Roberts
John Robinson
John Romero
CAPT Mark Rosen, USN
Allison Rumsey
Craig Russell
Terry Schaefer
Eddie Scher
Roland Schmitten
CAPT Tim Schnoor, USN
JohnShadid
Mark Shultz
Karen Skelton
Greg Smith
CDR Lee Smith, USNR
RADM Steve Smith, USN
Tom Snead
Linda Snyder
Bob Stockman
Matt Stout
Nancy Suttley
Terrance A. Tielking
Tom Tilas
Lee Tilton
Virgina Tippie
RADM Paul Tobin, USN
Ken Turgeon
Loretta Ucelli
Maeve Vallely
Dave Van Note
Beth Viola
Craig Vogt
Anne Berry Wade
Mary Beth West
Brian Wheeler
Jeffress Williams
CDR Zdenka Willis, USN
Stan Wilson
Steve Wilson
TaraWolf
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"Those dark-blue waters
are perhaps the single greatest
natural treasure on God's Earth."
- Al Gore
For additional copies, please contact:
U.S. Department of Commerce
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration i
Office of Public and Constituent Affairs, Outreach Unit
1305 East-West Highway, Room IW5I4 |
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National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
U.S. Department of the l^avy i
United States Coast Guard " " ~ ;
U.S. Department of the Interior
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Federal Emergency ManagemenjfAgency • r. '•""f|li
National Aeronautics~and Space Administratipri
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