Marine Sciences in the Coming Decades

Abstract

Immense progress has been made in understanding the sea since 1945. However, because during this time much of the research has had military implications, oceanography science is particularly vulnerable to shifts in national priorities away from the military. The Ocean Studies Board of the National Research Council recently published a review and discussion of the state of marine science. Concerns about the future lie in several directions. Basic research is no longer the primary thrust of government agencies, many of who must respond to short term applications and regulatory requirements. Federal and nonfederal organization structures are not as effective as they once were and lack effective coordination. Flat budgets, an increasing number of marine scientists, increasing costs of maintaining state of the art including the interaction with space technology, and problems not defined in broad enough terms are also concerns. The article poses questions and points out the critical importance of finding a new mechanism for maintaining quality of marine science. 1 ref., 2 figs.