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An Ocean Blueprint for the 21st Century - California Ocean ...

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CHAPTER 25CREATING A NATIONALSTRATEGY FOR INCREASINGSCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE<strong>Ocean</strong> managers and policy makers need comprehensive scientific in<strong>for</strong>mationabout <strong>the</strong> ocean and its environment to make wise decisions. Increased knowledgewill help achieve sustainable resource use, economic development, and conservationof <strong>the</strong> ocean’s biological diversity and natural beauty. However, toensure <strong>the</strong> highest return on <strong>the</strong> nation’s investment in ocean research,exploration, and marine operations, a national strategy is needed. Thestrategy should coordinate and prioritize basic and applied ocean andcoastal research supported by all federal agencies, increase partnershipswith <strong>the</strong> academic and private sectors, promote enhanced oceanexploration, and coordinate federal marine operations to reduceredundancies. Significantly increased research in ocean-relatednatural and social sciences will also be key to fostering a new eraof ecosystem-based management supported by sound science.Fortifying <strong>the</strong> Foundations of<strong>Ocean</strong> Understanding<strong>Ocean</strong> science and technology are integral parts of <strong>the</strong> overallU.S. research enterprise and contribute greatly to society.They are essential to understanding <strong>the</strong> Earth’s environment and howit changes over time, improving climate predictions, managing marineresources wisely, finding beneficial new uses of ocean resources, protectingnational security, and unlocking <strong>the</strong> basic mysteries of life on Earth. Inaddition, important technological advances have resulted from devices originallydeveloped <strong>for</strong> ocean research and exploration, such as medical acoustictools that grew out of sonar technologies.Components of <strong>Ocean</strong> Science and TechnologyFor <strong>the</strong> purpose of this and <strong>the</strong> following three chapters of Part VII, <strong>the</strong> term ocean scienceand technology is defined as:• <strong>the</strong> exploration of ocean environments and <strong>the</strong> conduct of basic and applied researchto increase understanding of (1) <strong>the</strong> biology, chemistry, physics, and geology of <strong>the</strong>oceans and coasts, (2) oceanic and coastal processes and interactions with terrestrial,374 A N O CEAN B LUEPRINT FOR THE 21ST C ENTURY

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