One Small Step

     Just this past week the National Science Foundation awarded a contract to Oregon State University to lead the design and construction of three new oceanographic research vessels.  The NSF contract grants OSU a $3 million startup sum, but the project is estimated to cost just under $300 million over ten years.  Provided the university receives the necessary funds, these vessels would act as state-of-the-art research platforms to study issues facing our coastal regions, such as ocean acidification, harmful algal blooms, and our nation’s declining fisheries.  To accomplish this, it is believed that each new vessel will be stationed on the east coast, the Gulf, and the west coast, respectively. 

            While any project that relies on governmental funding has an inherent risk of falling through, this is certainly a promising sign for the future of oceanic research.  Research vessels such as these are necessary to advance the country in scientific literacy and sustainability.  Additionally, this is the first multi-ship contract the NSF has authorized in over 30 years, which seems to suggest the public is becoming increasingly aware of how our oceans’ health is tied to our own. 

            Having said that, we as a country still have a long way to go.  The famous quote is that we have better maps of Mars and our moon than we do of our oceans.  Robert Ballard, on The Colbert Report, stated that NASA’s one-year budget would support NOAA’s exploration program for 1600 years. Our only deep-sea submersible is the Alvin, which is over 40 years old.  In a time where we replace our Iphones annually, there seems to be no reason why we can’t hold our nation’s research technology to the same standards.

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The decent is unbearable without "Where's my Water?"

       This issue of lack-of-funding for ocean exploration and science is nothing new, and there are plenty of great articles and perspectives by people much more educated than myself on this topic.  However, as researchers, we must keep in mind that fighting for scientific funding will more often than not be an uphill battle, and therefore it’s important to appreciate the little victories and practice optimism whenever we can.