White House Praises Research Infrastructure as a Top Priority for Ocean Science

The White House National Science and Technology Council recently released a report on the future of ocean and science technology. The report follows on a ten-year plan released in 2007 under the Bush administration, which was later updated in 2013 under the Obama administration. It seeks to provide guidance on how to proceed over the next ten years with regards to conserving the ecosystem of the oceans for generations to come, noting that “The ocean science and technology (S&T) enterprise can provide the foundational knowledge needed to address many complex ocean-related challenges and inform decision-making that will ultimately strengthen our Nation and its communities.”

The report identifies five goals to advance U.S. ocean science and technology over the next ten years, along with five areas of immediate ocean research and technology opportunities and cites research infrastructure as “one of the highest priorities of the ocean S&T community.” The goals are interlinked and support each other and include multiple ancillary goals within each primary goal. These five primary goals are:

• Understand the Ocean in the Earth System
• Promote Economic Prosperity
• Ensure Maritime Security
• Safeguard Human Health
• Develop Resilient Coastal Communities

To view the report in full, click here: https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Science-and-Technology-for-Americas-Oceans-A-Decadal-Vision.pdf