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Published online 30 April 2008 | 453, 7 (2008) | doi:10.1038/453007a
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US ocean-research projects in dire economic straits
Multiple marine projects under threat from cash squeeze.
America's fleet of research ships is struggling in financial doldrums threatening marine projects around the globe. The number of vessels is shrinking, funding for new vessels is being sidetracked and the forecast is for even fewer ships and higher costs.
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It is sad that the US is loosing valuable ship time. But for decades now the community has foreseen this decline. In preparation for it, technology has been developed such as the autonomous profilers developed by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institiution (WHOI) and the Bedford Institute of Oceanography (BIO). There is also the argo float deploymen with 3129 active floats throughout the worlds oceans. Efforts in the US have also included the development of AUVs and Gliders to travel throughout the worlds oceans sampling data. Does your report include diversion of the ship funding to the development and deployment of these platforms? What is the real big picture for this story? Yes ship time is being lost, but is funding and the ability to sample the ocean lost or simply taking a new form? Is it as dire and foreboding as you report here?