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Oceanspace News Washington, D.C.
Conrad C.
Lautenbacher Jr., president of the Consortium for Oceanographic
Research & Education (CORE) noted last Friday that "If
we were to give relative time on Earth Day to different habitats,
we would be talking about the oceans for 18 out of the 24 hours.
Although a costly lesson for many Americans, El Nino taught us
that the oceans drive our weather and climate for people everywhere
in the Western Hemisphere even if they do not live near an ocean.
The oceans
are a vital part of our national security, and a critical element
in international trade and economic development." He goes
on to point out that more than half of the world's population
has chosen to live where the ocean meets the land, and that area
comprises less than 2% of the Earth's surface. "These fertile
coastal zones provide food, recreation, and natural resources
for all Americans.
Once it was
thought that the oceans were so vast that they and their ecosystems
could absorb the impacts of human activities without significant
change. People no longer think this way," he said.
In order to
address these emerging issues and protect our ocean resources,
Lautenbacher said, greater knowledge is needed not only about
the diversity and abundance of life in our oceans, but also the
physical processes that drive our ocean planet. Ocean science
must become a national priority.
Lautenbacher
made the Earth Day comments in support of CORE's belief that development
of an integrated ocean observing system is a critical first step
that will provide scientists, resource managers, and policymakers
with the biological, chemical, physical, and geological data necessary
to begin to meet our ocean challenges.
An ocean observing
system will provide the information needed to detect and predict
climate variability, facilitate safe and efficient marine operations,
ensure national security, manage living resource, preserve and
restore healthy marine ecosystems, mitigate natural hazards, and
ensure public health.
"With
breakthroughs in technology, we are now poised to better understand
the role oceans play in our lives and we now have the tools to
better understand and manage our ocean resources. This Earth Day,
Americans must recognize that we are indeed an ocean planet and
that what we don't know about the oceans can have a profound impact
on all of our lives."
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