Other Noteworthy News...

NSF Sees 13.6% Growth in FY 2001 Budget

For FY 2001, NSF received $4.426 billion -- $529 million or 13.6% over FY 2000. This represents the largest dollar increase the Foundation has ever received, in real or constant dollars. Within this increase, the Research and Related Activities Account, from which the Division of Ocean Sciences is funded, received $391.1 million over last year, for a total of $3.35 billion. For further details, please go to the NSF web site at https://www.nsf.gov/od/lpa/congress/start.htm.

Oceans Act of 2000 Signed

The Oceans Act, which becomes effective on January 20, 2001, establishes a Commission to make recommendations for coordinated and comprehensive national ocean policy that will promote (1) protection of life and property, (2) stewardship of ocean and coastal resources, (3) enhancement of maritime commerce, (4) expansion of human knowledge of the marine environment, (5) investments in technologies to promote energy and food security, (6) close cooperation among government agencies, and (7) U.S. leadership in ocean and coastal activities. The Commission will have sixteen members, twelve nominated by Congress and all appointed by the President within 90 days of January 20. The Commission’s report will be expected within eighteen months of establishment.

GEO Diversity Program in Development

The Directorate for Geosciences is undertaking an initiative to broaden participation in the geosciences by traditionally underrepresented groups. Plans for the GEO diversity program are under development, with a program announcement expected in January and a proposal due date in April or early May. In August 2000, a workshop was convened of community members with experience in diversity programs. Their report gives a number of recommendations for both short- and long-term activities. To read the report, and for further information, please see http://www.geo.nsf.gov/geo/diversity/. Comments may be provided at any time to geo_diversity@nsf.gov.

Future of Ocean Sciences Report Due Out Soon

Final touches are being put on the document that will synthesize the four disciplinary workshop reports: FUMAGES (Future of Marine Geology and Geophysics), FOCUS (Future of Ocean Chemistry in the U.S.), APROPOS (Future of Physical Oceanography), and OEUVRE (Ocean Ecology: Understanding and Vision for Research). The Committee working on this project, chaired by Peter Brewer and Ted Moore, expect to

have a draft out for comment in late 2000. The report builds on the four workshop reports and provides a compelling description of the most important and promising opportunities for discovery in the ocean sciences over the next decade. The draft document, as well as the four disciplinary reports, will be available at http://www.joss.ucar.edu/joss_psg/project/oce_workshop/.

International Safety Management (ISM) Code to Apply to UNOLS Vessels

An International Safety Management (ISM) Code has been adopted by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and is included as Annex IX of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS). The objectives of the ISM Code are to ensure safety at sea, prevention of human injury or loss of life, and avoidance of damage to the environment and property. Each ship operating institution subject to ISM is required to establish a Safety Management System that includes a safety and environmental policy and procedures necessary to implement that policy.

In July of 2002, the ISM code will apply to all vessels over 500 tons on international voyages. The research vessels of the UNOLS fleet are classified as cargo vessels under this code. Those over 500 tons (MELVILLE, KNORR, THOMPSON, REVELLE, ATLANTIS, EWING, and the new AGOR-26) will be required to comply by 2002. The operators of these Class I UNO

LS vessels have already begun the process of establishing Safety Management Systems so that they will be in compliance with ISM by July 2002. The operators will be making every effort to make the administrative aspects of this process invisible to scientists while, at the same time, encouraging full participation by scientists in efforts to ensure safe operation of the research vessels. In the future, all UNOLS vessels may have to comply with ISM.

We will keep you updated on further developments.

Now Available!

Illuminating the Hidden Planet: The Future of Seafloor Observatory Science

Committee on Seafloor Observatories: Challenges and Opportunities, Ocean Studies Board, National Research Council

For copies, please e-mail Shannon Hughes at shughes@nsf.gov or go to http://books.nap.edu/catalog/9920.html.