The importance of ocean literacy and science education to NOAA is obvious. NOAA needs a cadre of experienced and talented scientists to fulfill its mission. Also, NOAA needs the tax paying public and their elected representatives to understand how our mission is connected to their daily lives so we can keep receiving support. NOAA’s job gets easier the more people know about the ocean.

Yet according to the U.S. Department of Education, about 50 million Americans are functionally illiterate. I would venture to say at least twice that number are illiterate in the subjects of the oceans and atmosphere. I find that extremely disconcerting in today's world where we are increasingly asking our policy makers to interpret complex and competing scientific information to guide us through challenges like climate change and fisheries management. The challenge for NOAA, and all of the participants here, is to sow the seed that will harvest the next generation of scientists and leaders of tomorrow.

I do not believe our students in the classrooms of America are spending adequate time on study of the oceans. Although a costly lesson for many Americans, El Nino taught us that the oceans drive weather and climate for people everywhere in the Western Hemisphere. The lesson from the past El Niño events is that the ocean influences the lives of those who may never see the ocean.

The vision for building an ocean literate society needs to extend beyond the coasts and include building an understanding of how the ocean affects the lives of those far from the sea. We need to reinforce that connection to the sea to improve science and garner support for oceanic and atmospheric research and observation.

As many of you know one of my favorite topics, and an area I want to fully develop during my tenure at NOAA, is ocean observing systems. Ocean observations are an example of where building ocean literacy can improve the average citizens need for, and understanding of, ocean science.

Understanding El Niño and its influence on the atmosphere requires a capability to observe the physical state of the oceans and atmosphere on a continuing basis. For this we have a combined satellite / in-situ observing system, including a moored array, the TAO array (i.e., Tropical Atmosphere Ocean array), and complementary subsurface observations spanning the Tropical Pacific, which make up the entire El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) Observing System. Resulting observations are used to produce seasonal forecasts of the impact of ENSO over North America.

The economic consequences of El Niño are huge in cost and global in extent. For example, the 1997/98 El Niño caused $10 billion of damages in the U.S. alone, $3 billion of which was in the agricultural sector. Just in California, damage from flooding associated with this forecast El Niño was about $1.1 billion, which is half the amount associated with the comparable—but not forecast—1982/83 El Niño.

The forecast of the 1997/98 flooding enabled repairing roofs and cleaning out storm drains and arroyos. City planners feel that these seemingly mundane actions mitigated the damages resulting from this forecasted El Niño in the amount of approximately $1 billion. In effect, the oceans and ocean forecasting made a difference to farmers in Bakersfield and roofers in Kansas.

It is not the ocean observations per se that result in a savings for the nation; it is the products to which they contribute and how we use those products. The nation’s citizenry needs to understand this link to the economy and understand how a buoy moored in the middle of the Tropical Pacific benefits their lives.

I have talked enough about the importance of ocean literacy, which is probably well understood by those on this panel and most in the audience. Let me now focus on the actions needed to improve ocean literacy and steps I hope to take at NOAA. Many of the things I hope to implement at NOAA are things that can serve to improve ocean literacy beyond just one organization. There are four basic components to expanding ocean literacy: developing partnerships, having an integrated cohesive message, building a link to the basic human need of economic security and personal involvement.

At NOAA, we know full well that true success in our endeavor to build ocean literacy will depend on partnerships and collaborative ventures. NOAA would not be able to function or complete its mission without our partners. Partnerships that leverage resources are central to building ocean literacy throughout the nation. We need partnerships that cross governmental, academic and private sector lines - not just intergovernmental on the federal level, but state and local governments; not just academic at the university level, but primary school through high school; and not just private sector industries directly involved in ocean research or maritime enterprises, but those commercial enterprises that rely on an ocean literate society (such as farmers and manufactures in the Midwest). We must work together.

At NOAA, I want to build an education office that provides a central focus for integrating our educational outreach and our message. Presently, NOAA does not have a coordinated education function. NOAA, and the ocean community, needs to develop a cohesive corporate theme for education. At NOAA, these themes would integrate all parts of NOAA. Across organizations there needs to be a consistent message of the importance understanding the oceans has on our society.

I think the best way to convey the importance of ocean literacy, and get people excited about becoming more ocean literate, is to make a connection to the basic human need for food and shelter – make the economic connection. The oceans are a vital part of our national security, and a critical element in international trade and economic development. The importance of ocean literacy is more easily seen when we can translate to the public how the sea affects them personally, and more specifically, how the sea affects them economically. For example, protecting marine habitats for the sake of habitat is important to many, but adding the understanding of how that habitat provides nurseries for our fisheries, which in turn provides a significant contribution to our GNP, provides a tangible reason for protecting habitat.

The last, and probably simplest, step in improving ocean literacy is we need to broadly share our enthusiasm and knowledge. As ocean professionals, we need to get other people excited about our work. Personal involvement is important. We need to get engaged in outreach efforts and bring ocean science out of the universities and government research facilities to the public. This can easily be done by volunteering to mentor students, adopting a local high school and proselytize family and friends. We need to be constantly thinking about outreach.

I mentioned the importance of partnerships several times. Partnerships leverage resources to advance ocean literacy, and we need to establish creative partnerships among those concerned with ocean literacy. Let me give an example of a good partnership that NOAA is involved with that entails many of the components that I just walked through. I think this program offers a vision of how to develop ocean literacy throughout the nation.

Ballard Maritime Academy is a new, four-year maritime program at Ballard High School in Seattle, Wash. Students take specialized courses in maritime history, maritime literature, and marine science. The maritime theme has been incorporated into the entire curriculum. Students gain ocean literacy through the standard, required high school course work. In addition, the students take a survey course, which explores different maritime occupations through guest lectures and visits to industry facilities, ships and companies. They really get a chance to see how the ocean influences their community.

The Academy is in its first year of operation and has 20-25 students. The program will eventually have 200 students in grades 9-12. This Academy model can be duplicated around the country to include other fields of maritime and oceanic studies.

NOAA’s contributes only in part to the program’s success, but through the volunteer efforts of some NOAA staff and a small financial contribution (i.e., a $20,000 one time grant) the Ballard Maritime Academy is a vehicle to develop ocean literacy through leveraging resources from governmental, academic and private sector partners.

The Ballard Maritime Academy makes the direct link between ocean literacy and employment –
a connection that is easy for most people to make. The Ballard Maritime Academy is making the connection between ocean literacy and economics by highlighting our nations marine transportation system (MTS), which is largely taken for granted.

We are the world's leading maritime and trading nation, the United States relies on an effective and efficient marine transportation system. The MTS consists of waterways, ports and intermodal connections – which allow the various modes of transportation, vessels, pipelines, rail and trucks to move people and goods.

MTS system is vital to our economic security. More than 95 percent of the overseas trade that comes in or out of this country moves by ship – that includes importing nine million barrels of oil daily that help heat homes and businesses and fuel our cars. MTS contributes more than $742 billion to the nation's Gross Domestic Product and employs more than 13 million people. Again, NOAA’s partnership with Ballard High School, and the other supporters of the program, are promoting maritime education and career opportunities by connecting students to the ocean and their communities.

The success of the partnerships built Ballard Maritime Academy, and the many others like this that NOAA takes part in, is due to the leveraging of resources. This partnership, and other efforts to improve ocean literacy, will be successful by drawing the connection between our daily lives and basic human needs for food, shelter and economic well being to the sea that surrounds us.

Thank you.....

Outline for Creating an Ocean Literate Society
VADM Lautenbacher Comments for Capital Hill Ocean’s Week
June 5, 2002

I. NOAA’s need for an ocean literate society

III. Action agenda for improving ocean literacy

IV. Ballard Maritime Academy