Setting a New Course for U.S. Coastal Ocean Science
Final Report of the Subcommittee on U.S. Coastal OceanScience
July 1995
NATIONAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COUNCIL
Committee on Environment and Natural Resources
Setting a New Course for U.S. Coastal Ocean Science--Final Report
of the Subcommittee onU.S. Coastal Ocean Science was completed in December
1994. The Subcommittee was partof the Committee on Earth and Environmental
Sciences of the Federal CoordinatingCouncil for Science, Engineering and Technology.
This organization was the predecessorof the Committee on Environment and Natural
Resources of the National Science andTechnology Council (NSTC). Because "Phase
I: Inventory of Federal Programs" and"Phase II: The Strategic Framework" make
recommendations for the future coordinationof Federal activity in the coastal
ocean, NSTC believes it is important that this Final Reportbe made widely
available as a reference for current activity and planning.
THE WHITE HOUSE
Washington
July 5, 1995
Dear Colleague:
I am pleased to release Setting A New Course for U.S. Coastal Ocean Science--Final
Report ofthe Subcommittee on U.S. Coastal Ocean Science. The Subcommittee
on U.S. Coastal OceanScience (SUSCOS) was part of the Committee on Earth and
Environmental Sciences (CEES)under the Federal Coordinating Council for Science,
Engineering and Technology. With theestablishment of the National Science
and Technology Council (NSTC), announced by PresidentClinton on November 23,
1993, the Committee on Environment and Natural Resources (CENR)has assumed
many of the responsibilities of CEES. Many of CENR's efforts relate to coastalocean
issues. Therefore the SUSCOS Final Report represents a significant building
block forCENR's overall efforts.
The report inventories Federal coastal ocean science efforts for 1991-1993
and outlines aframework for improving predictive capabilities for coastal
ocean systems that link terrestrial andmarine physical processes, biogeochemical
cycles, and the interactions of living resources. Such ascientific predictive
capability is required to integrate protection and use of the coastal zone
andcoastal ocean resources. The research priorities outlined in the SUSCOS
Final Report reflect thedevelopment of a consensus among Federal science agencies,
the university community, andnatural resource managers as to national needs.
The publication of the Final Report will provide an information bridge
that links previous effortsto coordinate Federal coastal ocean science activities
with current ones, and NSTC is pleased tofacilitate its publication.
Sincerely,
[signed]
John H. Gibbons
Assistant to the President for Science and Technology
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