"Evening at the Observatory" U.S. Naval Observatory Friday, January 31, 2003 6:00 p.m. Good evening. Thank you, Barry, for your kind introduction and for organizing this event. Admiral Wilson, thanks for your hospitality. It's wonderful to be here at the observatory. It's nice to see Dr. Tom Wiener, president of the Oceanic Engineering Society of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, and Bob Winokur, vice president of MTS's Eastern Region and a former associate administrator of two NOAA line offices. Hello, too, to my old shipmate, Captain Dave Gillard, [COMCRUDESGRU 5] superintendent of this Observatory...and to Don Schregardus, deputy assistant secretary of the Navy. I am delighted to be here tonight, wearing a different hat now as head of NOAA. Tonight is a particularly exciting and pivotal time to be here. It's a pivotal time for anyone bound to the sea. I am grateful to Admiral Watkins for taking the helm of the very important U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy. It's been far too long since scientists and other policymakers took a long, hard visionary look at our ocean policies. As a nation, we've needed to fully re-examine our approaches to exploring, protecting and using earth's indispensable lifeline - and I look forward to the release of the Commission's report later this year. To better serve America, and so many environmental, economic and public safety needs, NOAA is undergoing a transformation, too. After a solid, bottom-up, three-month program review, we are now easing into a process that I describe as revolutionary in concept, yet evolutionary in design. The process will take NOAA into the 21st century, both scientifically and operationally, in the same interrelated manner as the environment we observe and forecast. Recognizing the link between our planet's ecology and the global economy is paramount to this journey. Good change is already occurring. We're reaching beyond the traditional stovepipes—or islands of focus for weather, fish, oceans and coasts, satellites and climate and other research—and creating matrix management teams. The first three matrix teams—climate, homeland security and corals—were selected because every NOAA line office is key to addressing them. While employees will continue to work within their respective line offices, some will also begin to infuse targeted team initiatives with their expertise and enthusiasm. Program managers with budget planning and execution authority will lead each matrix management team... and voices for a range of earth sciences will be heard around one table. This structure will ease information sharing for MTS and many other groups. We are also working hard to improve NOAA's grants program. Last year NOAA administered nearly 1,500 grants worth over $900 million. While most are formula grants awarded to states, we did competitively award over $100 million last year. I am actively working with staff to improve the grants process so that as new technologies emerge, and as important opportunities become apparent, we can move the money out the door as fast as possible. I would enjoy giving you a quick tour of some of the newer agenda items—and to let you know that NOAA's navigation products are a hit on the Internet. Provisional
electronic navigation charts went online for test purposes in July
2001. Downloads have since exceeded more than one-quarter million—and
over 2,000 businesses, academic institutions and others have registered
on the site. Continuing to build strong relationships with data providers and data users is a top NOAA priority. NOAA's National Ocean Service is helping to lead the way with an initiative called "Enterprise GIS"—a system to manage and coordinate spatial data resources. "Enterprise GIS" supports a mandate to document all federal spatial data to the government standard. In tandem with standardizing data content, methodologies and surveying specifications, the work boosts the Administration's E-Gov initiative to provide "one-stop shopping" for geographic data. NOAA's PORTS' program is becoming a one-stop shop for valuable real-time data. There are now nine PORTS, or Physical Oceanographic and Real-Time Systems, around the country and more are in development. Given the precise water level, tide, current and wind information that today's ships require to transit safely and avoid groundings, PORTS is a crucial tool in providing real-time data, standards and quality assurance. Adding an extra inch of draft to a ship can means millions of dollars in added revenue. That extra inch equals about 270 tons of cargo. In three years, the FSV Oscar Dyson, a new, versatile and state-of-the-art NOAA vessel, will greatly exceed the current capabilities of the NOAA fleet. The Dyson will simultaneously and cost-effectively conduct fisheries and environmental/oceanographic research. We're moving from low-tech, where what you haul in is what you've caught, to sonar, either towed or hull-mounted, that lets you know what's under the sea and how much there is. NOAA
keeps pushing the limits on remote sensing. Remote sensing techniques
are being applied in surveying 95,000 miles of coastal regions and
navigable shorelines. This work is delineating an official, accurate
shoreline. LIDAR technology is assessing post storm damage to beaches,
cities and building structures. Following the September 11 tragedy,
LIDAR assisted recovery efforts by mapping the World Trade Center
and Pentagon sites. Fully operational is C-CAP, our Coastal and Shoreline
Change Analysis Program. In addition to data development, C-CAP sets
guidelines and standards for developing digital, regional land cover
and change data along America's coasts. Now Earth scientists need to pull together and create an integrated, global observing system for our oceans and coasts. If we are to build comprehensive and accurate seasonal, decadal and longer-range climate forecasts, this system is essential. While it is mainly a vital engine for research, it must also be operational 24/7 and support improved weather and climate forecasting. NOAA has embarked on a new global effort to help make sure that happens. The recently established Joint Technical Commission on Oceanography and Marine Meteorology, a coupling of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission and the World Meteorological Organization, is a giant step toward implementing one complete system. Since NOAA's services directly affect $2.7 trillion of the nation's economy every day, I am happy to tell you there's good support for our next budget. You'll be pleased that we have a $4.5 million increase for programs supporting improved maritime transportation. We also have $5.5 million more for homeland security and nearly $17 million more for climate change science and research, including $6.3 million to help build and sustain a global observing system. Climate is clearly a priority issue. For the first time, the federal government has an interagency climate science plan to develop short-term (2- to 5- year) products critical to policymakers, scientific researchers and resource managers. Led by NOAA, the climate science plan was presented to the nation in a three-day planning workshop for scientists and stakeholders that attracted over 1,300 participants from more than 47 states and 35 countries. The workshop helped set the stage for national climate research over the next several years. Twenty-six sessions provided opportunities to examine vastly different perspectives, ranging from skepticism about climate change to concerns about imminent debacle to just about everything in between. On the heels of that workshop, we announced an Earth Observation Summit to be held this summer. With representatives from around the world, we expect the summit to become a milestone in the global effort to measure, observe and genuinely understand our oceans and world climate. I am also looking ahead to becoming honorary chair of MTS's Oceans 2005. I am pleased to serve in that role, and welcome the chance to join you right here in Washington. My last thought tonight may be the most important—because you are key stakeholders. The stresses along our coastlines and endured by our marine environments have never been greater. Your innovative thinking, new tools and fresh application of existing technology have never been more important. Thank you. I wish you success in your considerable efforts.
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