GSO: A Leader in Oceanography
Admiral James T. Watkins, U.S. Navy (Retired)
President, Joint Oceanographic Institutions
and Consortium for Oceanographic Research
and Education
Admiral Watkins graduated from the United States Naval Academy, the Reactor
Engineering Course, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and the U.S. Naval Postgraduate
School where he earned a master's degree in mechanical engineering. He served
as the Chief of Naval Operations and, as Secretary of Energy under President
Bush, he reorganized the Department of Energy to minimize damage to the environment.
The Joint Oceanographic Institutions (JOI) coordinates international oceanographic
research programs in deep ocean sampling. The Consortium for Oceanographic Research
and Education (CORE) provides a unified voice at the national level in support
of the ocean science community. The Admiral is a proponent of improved education
in the United States.
The oceanographic research community, for which the Consortium for Oceanographic
Research and Education (CORE) is a central coordinating body, owes a great debt
to the University of Rhode Island's Graduate School of Oceanography (GSO) for
its leadership and pioneering efforts in oceanographic research and education
during the past several decades. In fact, Margaret Leinen and Bob Duce, in their
roles as deans and as members of the Board of Governors of the original ten
Joint Oceanographic Institutions (JOI), helped establish CORE in 1994. Now 61
institutions strong, CORE is the much-needed voice of ocean science and technology
at the highest levels of government.
As president of CORE, I have had the privilege of working with the former deans
of GSO, the graduates with careers throughout oceanography, the Metcalf Institute
which educates journalists in the marine and environmental sciences, and the
URI Office of Marine Programs as it hosts the National Ocean Sciences Bowl high
school academic competition each year. I am delighted to have this opportunity
to recognize the excellent leadership provided by Deans John Knauss, Bob Duce,
and Margaret Leinen. Also, as these three will readily agree, we must recognize
the citizens of Rhode Island whose lives are tied economically, socially, and
culturally to the oceans and to Narragansett Bay. They have been wise to support
GSO, especially in the development of the Coastal Institute on Narragansett
Bay.
There has been tremendous support in recent years for integration and cooperation
among the different fields of oceanography and for connecting scientific understanding
and public policy. John Knauss recognized the importance of these concepts early
in his tenure. By forgoing the creation of departments within GSO, John encouraged
researchers to collaborate and integrate their research. He understood the benefit
of collaboration between ocean scientists and engineers, economists, lawyers,
and policymakers. Programs in ocean engineering, marine resource economics,
and marine affairs have increased the number of professionals who work with
the marine environment. Today's emphasis on a multidisciplinary approach to
marine resource studies and management is a testament to John Knauss's vision.
To obtain the significant funding needed to conduct ocean research, the oceanographic
community must work closely with government and industry. GSO has been imaginative
and successful in identifying diversified funding sources. For example, John
Knauss was one of the founding fathers of the National Sea Grant College Program,
which has proven to be an invaluable source of support for oceanographic researchers
in many fields and for marine educators and outreach teams. Similarly, Margaret
Leinen was especially successful at generating support for GSO during the budget
cutbacks of the 1990s. Due in no small part to efforts at GSO, steady progress
is being made in understanding the complex interdependency of our earth and
its oceans. This is a critical time for oceanographic research. Milestones like
the 1998 International Expo in Lisbon, the U.S. National Ocean Conference of
1998, the passage and implementation of the National Oceanographic Partnership
Act of 1996, and a suite of studies from the prestigious National Academy of
Sciences suggest that the United States is willing to commit resources to set
up a sustained, integrated ocean observation and prediction system. Once in
place, this system will enable the United States to work with international
partners for the greater understanding of our shared and valued ocean resources.
Federal agencies, Congress, and CORE champion this collaborative attitude. For
example, a Congressional Oceans Caucus was recently established by the House
of Representatives. It provides members with timely information regarding legislative
initiatives and issues affecting the oceans. The cochairs of the Caucus are
encouraging the administration to include the new integrated ocean observing
system as a component of the FY 2002 budget. The Caucus will hold its first
international conference on the oceans this summer in Washington, D.C. In addition,
legislation has been introduced in Congress to establish a Presidential Commission
on Ocean Policy to make recommendations to the next administration.
There is a sense of urgency and excitement in understanding the last frontier on Earth. The ocean science community is prepared to expand its participation in national security, to protect the quality of life, and to enhance economic development. GSO has been, and will continue to be, an important force in ocean science for the new millennium. I have no doubt that GSO, already home to several generations of marine scientists, will continue to inspire the scientists of the future. We count on GSO, a proven steward of our magnificent oceans, to lead us into a new era of scientific knowledge.