Advisers to the Nation on Science, Engineering, and Medicine

The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. Upon the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and technical matters. Dr. Bruce M. Alberts is president of the National Academy of Sciences.

The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences, as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. It is autonomous in its administration and in the selection of its members, sharing with the National Academy of Sciences the responsibility for advising the federal government. The National Academy of Engineering also sponsors engineering programs aimed at meeting national needs, encourages education and research, and recognizes the superior achievements of engineers. Dr. Wm. A. Wulf is president of the National Academy of Engineering.

The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences to secure the services of eminent members of appropriate professions in the examination of policy matters pertaining to the health of the public. The Institute acts under the responsibility given to the National Academy of Sciences by its congressional charter to be an adviser to the federal government and, upon its own initiative, to identify issues of medical care, research, and education. Dr. Harvey V. Fineberg is president of the Institute of Medicine.

The National Research Council was organized by the National Academy of Sciences in 1916 to associate the broad community of science and technology with the Academy’s purposes of furthering knowledge and advising the federal government. Functioning in accordance with general policies determined by the Academy, the Council has become the principal operating agency of both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering in providing services to the government, the public, and the scientific and engineering communities. The Council is administered jointly by both Academies and the Institute of Medicine. Dr. Bruce M. Alberts and Dr. Wm. A. Wulf are chair and vice chair, respectively, of the National Research Council

www.national-academies.org

This report was greatly enhanced by the participants of the three workshops held as part of this study. The Committee would first like to acknowledge the efforts of those who gave presentations at the meetings: Joe Baker, Patricio Bernal, Steven Bohlen, Bryndis Brandsdottir, Harry Breidahl, Mario Caceres, Tommy Dickey, Rene Drucker-Colin, Sylvia Earle, Paul Egerton, John Field, Montserrat Gorina-Ysern, J. Frederick Grassle, Jeremy Green, James Greenwood, Stephen Hammond, Su Jilan, Robert Knox, Suzanne Lacasse, Larry Mayer, Craig McLean, Michael Meredith, Jean-Francois Minster, Alain Morash, Rob Murdoch, Nii Odunton, Annelies Pierrot-Bults, Fangli Qiao, Muthukamatchi Ravindran, Shubha Sathyendranath, Sergey Shapovalov, Sunil Murlidhar Shastri, Victor Smetacek, Kiyoshi Suyehiro, Tamaki Ura, and James Yoder. These talks helped set the stage for fruitful discussions in the closed sessions that followed. Edward Urban, Jr., Elizabeth Gross, and Maria Hood were a great assistance to the committee and staff in planning the International Global Ocean Exploration Workshop. The Committee is also grateful to Margot Bohan who provided important material for this report.

This report has been reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise, in accordance with procedures approved by the NRC’s Report Review Committee. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the institution in making its published report as sound as possible and to ensure that the report meets institutional standards for objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the study charge. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the deliberative process. We wish to thank the following individuals for their participation in their review of this report:

VERA ALEXANDER, University of Alaska, Fairbanks

FRANCIS A. DAHLEN, JR., Princeton University, New Jersey

RUSS DAVIS, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, California

SCOTT DONEY, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Massachusetts

SYLVIA EARLE, Deep Ocean Exploration and Research, Inc., Oakland, California

ROGER LUKAS, University of Hawaii, Honolulu

STEPHEN OLSEN, University of Rhode Island, Narragansett

KARL TUREKIAN, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut

DONALD WALSH, International Maritime, Inc., Myrtle Point, Oregon

Although the reviewers listed above have provided many constructive comments and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse the conclusions or recommendations nor did they see the final draft of the report before its release. The review of this report was overseen by William Fenical, appointed by the Divison on Earth and Life Studies, and Carl Wunsch, appointed by the Report Review Committee, who were responsible for making certain that an independent examination of this report was carried out in accordance with institutional procedures and that all review comments were carefully considered. Responsibility for the final content of this report rests entirely with the authoring committee and the institution.