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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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