WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV gave prepared remarks at the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation hearing titled, “Deep Sea Challenge: Innovative Partnerships in Ocean Observation.” The hearing examined ways to expand and leverage public and private partnerships for ocean science and observation.

Prepared Opening Statement – Senator John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV, Chairman

Oceans cover more than two-thirds of the Earth’s surface, so one would expect that we might understand their complex ecosystems and environments. But vast depths of the ocean remain complete mysteries to us. We know more about the surface of Mars than we do about the deepest depths of our oceans. Today’s hearing is about bringing the best science and data together – from private companies, research institutions, colleges and universities, and public agencies – to improve our knowledge and understanding of the ocean. 

The federal government has a proud and successful history of scientific research that has given us manned missions to the Moon and exciting potential alternative energy sources. We know that the federal government can support research that goes straight to our understanding of difficult problems. Our oceans and environment are facing a crisis. As carbon dioxide increases in our atmosphere, it simultaneously increases in our ocean. This is making the seas more acidic, which has adverse ramifications for our ecosystems, communities, and maritime industries like commercial fishing and tourism.

Research into our oceans’ changing chemistry must be a priority. With better information about ocean acidification, we can begin to understand how our marine resources and coastal communities will be affected. This Committee has fought to increase coordination among federal agencies to monitor ocean acidification, and will consider additional legislation during this congressional session.

Current federal investments in ocean observation are woefully inadequate and the self-inflicted budget wounds that Washington is grappling with do not help. So we need to look for new and innovative ways to fund research that supports and improves the livelihoods of those who rely on our oceans – and also supports and improves the future of ocean research.  Already the public-private partnership model is being successfully applied to ocean research, and that is what two of our witnesses are here today to discuss.

Mr. Cameron’s ocean expeditions have captured America’s attention and given the ocean observation community incredible samples that aide scientific research. He has 72 previous dives to his credit, but his dive to the Mariana Trench is perhaps the most impressive. His expedition has potentially resulted in the discovery of several new species – I don’t think many people can add that to their list of accomplishments.

The one thing that might be more impressive is that Mr. Cameron isn’t satisfied with simply diving deeper than any other human. He is donating the submersible to make the technological advances from his expeditions available for future scientific study. Given the general lack of research in many areas of ocean observation, it is encouraging to see that private groups are forging ahead to fill in the scientific gaps.

The burden should not be on private institutions however. The federal government has a critical role to play. The first dive to the Mariana Trench was piloted by a Navy Lieutenant more than 50 years ago. The government used to be at the forefront of ocean observation and discovery. But fights to blindly reduce government spending have taken many victims, including scientific research. Until we prioritize spending that will benefit future generations in this country, we will continue to unnecessarily take victims. 

The private sector continues to make important investments in research to better understand vital scientific issues. But the federal government has yet to receive the potential benefits of signing on to public-private partnerships. These public-private partnerships present opportunities to advance scientific research, despite our budget issues. Unfortunately, the government’s unwillingness at this point to signal a serious commitment to scientific research has turned off some potential partners.  

We all have a responsibility when it comes to conserving our oceans for future generations. This responsibility begins with a commitment to federal investments in scientific research that can help us understand how the oceans are changing. We are missing opportunities to gain crucial knowledge and without it, we will not be able to stem the tide and reverse environmental problems that threaten ecosystems and the economic backbones of our coastal communities.