![](media/image1.jpeg){width="4.363888888888889in"
height="0.6402777777777777in"}

**M. Richard DeVoe**

**Chair, External Relations Committee, Sea Grant Association**

**and**

**Executive Director, South Carolina Sea Grant Consortium**

**Testimony Regarding the Reauthorization of the**

**National Sea Grant College Program**

**Before the Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife and Oceans**

**Committee on Natural Resources**

**United States House of Representatives**

**Washington, DC**

**April 3, 2008**

Madam Chairwoman and Members of the Subcommittee:

My name is M. Richard DeVoe. I am the Executive Director of the South
Carolina Sea Grant Consortium and today I appear on behalf of the Sea
Grant Association (SGA) in my capacity as Chair of the SGA's External
Relations Committee.

It is an honor to represent the nationwide network of Sea Grant
professionals at this hearing, and it is with great appreciation that we
-- all of us in the Sea Grant Association -- acknowledge your leadership
and this Subcommittee's long history of support for the National Sea
Grant College Program. Thank you for the opportunity to express these
views regarding to the reauthorization of the National Sea Grant College
Program.

The Sea Grant Association (SGA) represents the combined capabilities of
over 300 university and research institutions nationwide that
participate in the National Sea Grant College Program. The SGA enables
these institutions to coordinate their activities, to prioritize action
at the regional and national levels, and to offer a unified voice on
critical coastal, ocean, and Great Lakes issues. Just as our nation's
Land Grant institutions have revolutionized agriculture, so too are the
Sea Grant Colleges steering our nation toward the productive and
sustainable use of our coastal, oceanic, and Great Lakes resources
through integrated and competitive programs of scientific research,
education and training, and technical assistance.

The National Sea Grant College Program (Sea Grant) was last reauthorized
six years ago, after extensive review and with overwhelming support by
both Houses of Congress, through the Sea Grant College Program Act
Amendments of 2002 (P.L. 105-160).

The SGA strongly endorses the intent and many of the proposed changes
contained within the Sea Grant reauthorization bill that is currently
being considered before this subcommittee, the National Sea Grant
College Program Amendments Act of 2008 (H.R. 5618). Over the last
several months, the SGA and members of the National Sea Grant Review
Panel have discussed many of the issues associated with reauthorization.
As a result of that process, we reached a substantial amount of
consensus and we are pleased that much of that consensus is reflected in
H.R. 5618. We specifically support the way the bill addresses the
following issues:

-   Adjustments in the rating and ranking process which were part of the
    last reauthorization bill;

-   Additional emphasis on regional collaboration;

-   Enhanced flexibility in the management and resource allocations
    within the program;

-   Strengthening of the review process consistent with the
    recommendations made by the National Academy of Sciences; and

-   Linkage of the Sea Grant strategic planning and priority setting
    process to the overarching interagency ocean research priorities and
    implementation plan[^1] released in January 2007 by the Joint
    Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology.

However, we are concerned that the authorization levels contained in
H.R. 5618 represent a significant reduction (of more than 33%) in Sea
Grant's authorization levels compared to the current FY 2008 level, and
fall short of what is needed to address the ever-increasing needs and
opportunities that our nation's coastal, ocean, and Great Lakes
resources present. Several coastal regions under U.S. jurisdiction have
limited or no Sea Grant Program coverage at the present, and there are
significant stretches of the U.S. coastline that receive little or no
attention from our on-the-ground Sea Grant Extension network of agents
and specialists. Additionally, existing coastal and Great Lakes Sea
Grant Programs receive many more high quality and user-driven projects
than they can fund.

Therefore, we would like to offer our perspective on the funding needs
for this important national program. The SGA recommends that the
National Sea Grant College Program be reauthorized at a level of funding
that grows to \$125 million by FY 2014. This will enable Sea Grant to
support a robust, competitive, merit-based research program tied to
extension, communication, and education in which science-based
information is used to address societal problems and opportunities as
they relate to management, conservation, and sustainable use of our
coastal, marine, and Great Lakes resources.

[The Public Policy Context for Ocean and Coastal Issues]{.underline}

The interface between science and policy is precisely where the Sea
Grant Program applies its precious resources. As the program makes
decisions on funding of research and outreach projects, issues that are
acutely important to Sea Grant's local, regional, and national
constituencies receive priority attention. Extension and educational
resources are deployed in ways that enhance the relevance and impact of
the science and discoveries that result from Sea Grant--funded research.

There is a growing demand from our diverse network of stakeholders,
resource managers, and decision-makers for scientifically-sound
information upon which sound decisions addressing many of today's
complex problems can be made. Sea Grant's integrated science and
outreach approach incorporates up-to-date and ongoing dialogue with its
constituencies to identify the most important and timely issues of
national importance facing our communities, states and regions.
Technological and scientific approaches, though desirable, cannot solve
all of society's problems, and Sea Grant's ability to embed itself
within the communities it serves enables the program to interact
directly with people who live, work, and play along our nation's coastal
regions, thereby ensuring that the utility and impact of investments
made by the Sea Grant Program are relevant and significant. Sea Grant's
work is always fresh. Although the program has been in place for more
than 40 years, Sea Grant's constant attention to societal needs through
stakeholder interactions allows it to be nimble and responsive, while
also maintaining the rigor and reliability of a strategic enterprise.

An increased investment in Sea Grant is an investment in America's
economic future. Attempts to balance our booming coastal economy with
its associated impacts on the coastal and marine environment upon which
it depends have raised the stakes for effective government action. The
coastal regions of the United States contribute more than 50 percent of
the nation's Gross Domestic Product, according to a recent study by the
Federal Reserve. The oceans, in one way or another, account for one out
of every six jobs nationwide. Tax revenues in coastal areas are among
the fastest growing revenue sources for state and local governments. In
fact, the collective economic impact of the coastal economy far exceeds
U.S. agriculture, and yet federal investments in Sea Grant colleges and
universities are an order of magnitude smaller than investments in the
Land Grant college and university system funded by the U.S. Department
of Agriculture for agriculture and land-based activities, the program on
which Sea Grant was modeled.

In more recent years, the work of two major national commissions[^2]
have brought into focus the importance of our oceans and coasts to our
nation's natural heritage, security, and economy. With an offshore ocean
jurisdiction larger than the total land mass of the United States, U.S.
waters support rich and diverse systems of ocean life, provide a
protective buffer, and support important commerce, trade, energy, and
mineral resources.

-   More than \$1 trillion, or one-tenth, of the nation's annual gross
    domestic product (GDP) is generated within near-shore areas, the
    relatively narrow strip of land immediately adjacent to the coast.
    Looking at all coastal watershed counties, the contribution swells
    to over \$6.1 trillion, more than half of the nation's GDP;

-   In 2003, ocean-related economic activity contributed more than \$119
    billion to American prosperity and supported over 2.2 million jobs.
    Roughly three-quarters of the jobs and half the economic value were
    produced by ocean-related tourism and recreation. More than 13
    million jobs are related to trade transported by the network of
    inland waterways and ports that support U.S. waterborne commerce;

-   Annually, the nation's ports handle more than \$700 billion in
    goods, and the cruise industry and its passengers account for \$11
    billion in spending;

-   The commercial fishing industry's total value exceeds \$28 billion
    annually, with the recreational saltwater fishing industry valued at
    around \$20 billion, and the annual U.S. retail trade in ornamental
    fish worth another \$3 billion; and

-   Nationwide retail expenditures on recreational boating exceeded \$30
    billion in 2002.

[Sea Grant's Place in the Public Policy Context]{.underline}

Sea Grant is an important federal program that assists decision makers
in addressing these increasingly pressing issues. Sea Grant is a
productive and effective federal-state-university partnership which
supports competitive, merit-based, and integrated research, education,
and extension programs at many of our nation's outstanding university
and research institutions. Over 300 institutions and more than 3,000
scientists, engineers, educators, students, and outreach experts
participate in the program each year. Sea Grant provides its
constituents with relevant science-based information and technical
assistance that addresses ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes resource
issues and opportunities of national significance at the national,
regional, state, local and levels. Sea Grant thus supports the mission
of its parent agency -- the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA) -- as well as the needs of ocean, coastal and
Great Lakes communities, with an overall goal of fostering economic and
environmental sustainability on a national level.

This successful partnership program, in which the federal contribution
is matched with non-federal resources on a 2 to 1 basis, relies on
stakeholder engagement to ensure that Sea Grant resources are deployed
strategically and that outcomes are relevant. Sea Grant emphasizes the
application of objective, science-based information and collaborative
problem-solving to address complex societal issues. I have attached a
list of users, stakeholders, and beneficiaries that attest to the value
of the products and services produced via the Sea Grant program.

[Sea Grant is under Budgetary Stress]{.underline}

The growth of the National Sea Grant College Program has not been
commensurate with the extraordinary growth in coastal population and
development, and the concomitant increase in demands for Sea Grant
program services by our coastal constituents. In fact, the Sea Grant
budget has not kept pace with inflation over the last two decades, much
less expanded to meet the wealth of new challenges and opportunities
that face our country.

The FY 2008 budget for the Sea Grant program is \$57.1 million. The
Administration's budget request for FY 2009 would reduce this national
program to \$54.997 million -- a 4 percent reduction at a time when the
NOAA budget as a whole is proposed to grow by 5 percent. At the level
proposed by the Administration, the Sea Grant program would be asked to
operate at its lowest level in its 42-year history in real terms (see
the following chart). Sea Grant's appropriations are over 20 percent
below the buying power of its 1980 level and we have seen staff
reductions on the order of 25 percent.

![](media/image2.wmf)

This decline in federal support has had serious ramifications for the
Sea Grant program. At present, only about 12 percent of the proposals
submitted to the Sea Grant program can be funded due to resource
constraints. In contrast, the success rate for proposal support at the
National Science Foundation is just over 20 percent. Sea Grant directors
estimate that they have enough high quality meritorious proposals -- of
importance to the program's mission and relevant to stakeholder needs --
to fund 25 percent of the proposals submitted.

Currently, about \$30 million of Sea Grant's \$57.1 million budget is
used to support research. The research portion of the Sea Grant program
budget could easily and justifiably be doubled to between \$60 million
to \$80 million annually to support important research efforts that
currently go unfunded to generate answers to the many questions and
provide new knowledge and technologies needed by ocean and coastal
resource decision-makers, business and industry, and coastal
communities.

The balance of the Sea Grant budget supports the program's extension,
education, and outreach efforts. The uniqueness and success of the Sea
Grant Program is based on its ability to integrate its research,
education, and extension efforts, ensuring that research results are
intimately tied to the needs of our citizens. The current level of
expenditure for extension, communication, and education in the Sea Grant
program is approximately \$25 million. A recent report of the NOAA
Science Advisory Board[^3] called on NOAA to substantially expand its
extension, outreach, and education activities. Sea Grant has the
experience and the "on-the-ground" network to fulfill that policy
recommendation immediately if sufficient additional budget support from
NOAA was forthcoming. As Sea Grant's research program expands to meet
increasing demands, so too must the tools that put these research
results in the hands of stakeholders so that they can be utilized. The
Sea Grant extension, communication, and education function should
therefore likewise be increased commensurate with increased research
funding; to between \$40 million to \$50 million to maintain this
critical balance of Sea Grant program support.

[Sea Grant's Alignment with Federal Interagency Ocean Research
Priorities]{.underline}

Another justification for increased federal support for Sea Grant's core
functions relate to the recommendations put forth in recent important
ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes policy and planning activities in NOAA
and other federal agencies. In January 2007, the Federal Government
released its interagency ocean research priorities plan, titled
*Charting the Course for Ocean Science in the United States for the Next
Decade: An Ocean Research Priorities Plan and Implementation Strategy*.
That document lays out the key priorities for interagency ocean research
over the next ten years. Priorities identified in that report include:

-   Stewardship of Natural and Cultural Ocean Resources -- which
    includes efforts involving sustainable resources, such as fisheries
    and alternative energy sources, and nonrenewable resources, such as
    fossil fuels and minerals;

-   Increasing Coastal Community Resilience to Natural Hazards --
    including research and education into causes, impacts, and the
    adaptation and mitigation from natural physical hazards, such as
    hurricanes and tsunamis, community and ecosystem vulnerability, and
    hazard mitigation;

-   Enabling Marine Operations -- which includes efforts to determine
    the impacts of marine operations, including transportation, energy
    exploration and development, and aquaculture, on the environment;
    and the impacts of the environment on marine operations;

-   The Ocean's Role in Climate -- to examine the impact climate change
    on our ocean and coastal regions, understanding changes and impacts
    on ecosystems particularly on a regional basis so as to better
    prepare national, state, local, and regional decision makers to
    adapt and mitigate to regional climate change challenges;

-   Improving Ecosystem Health -- which examines natural and
    human-induced changes and impacts to ecosystems and methods to
    monitor and address impacts; and

-   Enhancing Human Health -- which is a focus on efforts to identify
    and assess ocean-related risks to human health and identify and
    develop ocean products for human well-being.

Common among these themes is the need to develop tools necessary to
pursue research and to effectively translate the results of that
research in ways that are useful to resource managers, policy-makers,
and the general public. Society's ability to fully develop the
understanding needed to address key ocean and coastal-related issues and
to apply existing understanding to support meaningful decision-making
and ocean literacy depends on the generation of science-based
information, development of technology, and continued intellectual
innovation -- three key functions of the Sea Grant Program.

Consistent with the overarching interagency ocean research priorities
report and as a result of its on-going strategic planning process, Sea
Grant has honed its strategic programmatic efforts to emphasize the
following focus areas in the coming years:

-   [Sustainable Coastal Development]{.underline} -- Decades of
    population migration to the coast have transformed our coastal
    landscapes and greatly intensified demand on finite coastal
    resources. New housing developments, recreation facilities, energy
    development activities, port expansions and other business
    activities are bringing more people, jobs and recreational
    opportunities to coastal communities. They are also increasing the
    pressure on coastal lands, water supply, traditional coastal
    businesses, and on the coastal culture and way of life. To
    accommodate more people and activity and resolve the growing number
    of conflicts, we must develop new policies and management approaches
    to balance the conservation and use of coastal, ocean and Great
    Lakes resources. Sea Grant's well-established roles as an honest
    broker and source of unbiased information make it a key player in
    responding to the needs for sound information identified by
    decision-makers, for convening stakeholders to seek common ground,
    and for facilitating the development and implementation of new
    coastal policies, plans, management approaches, and conflict
    resolution strategies related to sustainable coastal and economic
    development.

-   [Healthy Coastal Ecosystems]{.underline} -- Intensified development
    along the coast and related human activities are leading to water
    quality degradation, wetlands loss, invasive species, and a host of
    other challenges that need to be understood and addressed in order
    to restore and maintain healthy ecosystems that are the foundation
    for quality-of-life of our citizens and for economic development
    along the nation's coasts. Ecosystem-based management, reduction and
    mitigation of anthropogenic impacts, protection of critical areas,
    and regional habitat restoration are some of the avenues that must
    be addressed to meet these challenges. Sea Grant's research,
    education and outreach initiatives can continue to play a major role
    in building our understanding of how these natural systems function,
    in advancing regional problem solving, and in supporting resource
    managers and decision-makers at all levels of government in moving
    toward an ecosystem-based approach to managing coastal, ocean and
    Great Lakes resources.

-   [Coastal Hazard Resiliency]{.underline} -- Global warming, sea level
    rise, increased number and intensity of coastal storms, and other
    climate- and weather-related phenomena are putting more people and
    property at risk along the nation's coasts with major implications
    for human safety, ecosystem health, and the economic vitality of our
    coastal communities. It is essential that residents and leaders in
    coastal communities understand these risks, learn what they can do
    to reduce their vulnerability, and respond quickly and effectively
    to these events. Sea Grant -- with its strong research, education,
    and outreach capacity -- can play a major role in developing tools
    and technologies for disaster resiliency and in assisting local
    citizens, decision-makers, and businesses plan, prepare, respond,
    and rebuild in the face of these short- and long-term hazards
    events.

-   [Sustainable Safe Seafood Supply]{.underline} -- The U.S. has
    witnessed the decline of many of its major fisheries at the same
    time that seafood consumption is on the rise, resulting in a seafood
    trade deficit of about \$9 billion a year. Over-fishing, habitat
    degradation, and increasing competition among coastal users have put
    our nation's fishing industry in great jeopardy. Seafood safety is a
    growing concern as international trade increases and fish diseases
    and contamination become bigger problems. Aquaculture is opening up
    new opportunities to meet the growing domestic seafood demand, but
    it must be conducted in a sustainable and economically viable manner
    in order for its full potential to be realized. Sea Grant continues
    to play a key role in advancing our understanding of the nature of
    these problems and opportunities and in employing its research,
    education, and extension capabilities to support informed public and
    private decision-making and resource management activities that will
    lead to an enhanced, sustainable supply of safe seafood into the
    future.

[Conclusion -- Enhanced Federal Funding for Sea Grant is
Justified]{.underline}

Madam Chairwoman and members of the Subcommittee, the Sea Grant
Association has a vision for the National Sea Grant College Program,
**to become NOAA's primary university-based research, education,
extension and outreach and technical assistance program for coastal,
marine, and Great Lakes resources**.

The Sea Grant Program -- with its excellent track record, its
distributed network, its objective approach to problem-solving, its
strong integrity-backed ties to hundreds of stakeholders all across the
country, its integrated approach that ensures its research efforts are
tied to serving the needs of national, state, regional, and local
decision makers, a revamped strategic planning and programmatic review
process -- is uniquely positioned to meet the growing needs of the
Nation in implementing its ocean, coast, and Great Lakes agenda. To do
so, based on current and emerging requirements we believe it is in the
national interest to enhance the National Sea Grant College Program to a
level of \$125 million by fiscal year 2014.

Sea Grant's strategic planning efforts and rigorous program evaluation
processes foster excellence and accountability. Coupled with an updated
authorization that reflects and supports the real needs of the program,
Sea Grant can continue and expand its efforts to address an
ever-increasing suite of resource issues facing the nation's coastal
areas, foster innovative economic development efforts, and educate and
train the nation's future coastal, ocean, and Great Lakes workforce.

We believe that H.R. 5618 moves the Sea Grant Program in that direction
and we are supportive of the bill in many ways and will work in support
of its enactment. We believe it is important, however, for the Congress
to provide the National Sea Grant College Program with resources
necessary to build on the program's record of success and promise with a
reauthorization of appropriations that matches both the immediate and
long-term needs of all who live and work along the nation's coastlines,
and one that represents the initial step in achieving a broader vision
for the program as proposed in this testimony.

The SGA looks forward to working with you this year on Sea Grant
reauthorization. Thank you again for the opportunity to testify on
behalf of all of the Sea Grant Colleges nationwide. I would be glad to
address any questions the Subcommittee may have.

![](media/image3.png){width="6.502083333333333in"
height="1.3194444444444444e-2in"}

The ***Sea Grant Association*** is a non-profit organization dedicated
to furthering the Sea Grant program concept. The SGA\'s regular
membership consists of the institutions that participate in the National
Sea Grant College Program, located within the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). SGA provides the mechanism for these
institutions to coordinate their activities, to set program priorities
at both the regional and national level, and to provide a unified voice
for these institutions on issues of importance to the oceans, coasts and
Great Lakes. The SGA advocates for greater understanding, use, and
conservation of marine, coastal and Great Lakes resources.

[www.sga.seagrant.org](http://www.sga.seagrant.org/)

M. Richard DeVoe, Chair SGA External Relations Committee

Executive Director, South Carolina Sea Grant Consortium

\(843\) 727-2078, <rick.devoe@scseagrant.org>

![](media/image4.png){width="0.9069444444444444in"
height="0.19791666666666666in"} *Stakeholders, Beneficiaries and
Supporters*![](media/image3.png){width="6.502083333333333in"
height="1.3194444444444444e-2in"}

Acme Smoked Fish Corporation, Brooklyn, New York\
Acme Sponge and Chamois, Inc., Tarpon Springs, Florida

Alabama Seafood Association

Alabama Working Waterfront Coalition

The Albatross Fleet, Foster\'s Quay, Hatteras, North Carolina

Alliance of Communities for Sustainable Fisheries

American Fishermen's Research Foundation

American Great Lakes Ports Association, representing:

\- *Duluth Seaway Port Authority*

*- Port of Superior, Wisconsin*

*- Port of Green Bay, Wisconsin*

*- Port of Milwaukee*

*- Illinois International Port District*

*- Ports of Indiana - Burns Harbor*

*- Detroit-Wayne County Port Authority*

*- Port of Monroe, Michigan*

*- Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority*

*- Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority*

*- Erie-Western Pennsylvania Port Authority*

*- Port of Oswego Authority*

American Shore & Beach Preservation Association

Angler Conservation Education, Ormond Beach, Florida

Apalachicola Bay Oyster Dealer's Association, Apalachicola, Florida

Aquarium of Niagara, Niagara Falls, New York

Aquatic Release Conservation, Ormond Beach, Florida

Aquidneck Island Planning Commission, Portsmouth, Rhode Island

Atlantic Offshore Lobstermen\'s Association, Bedford, New Hampshire

At-Sea Processors Association, Seattle, Washington

Avon Lake Boat Club, Ohio

Aylesworth Foundation for the Advancement of Marine Science, St.
Petersburg, Florida

Aylesworth's Fish & Bait, Inc., St. Petersburg, Florida

Bay Area Resource Council, Pensacola, Florida

Beaver Street Fisheries, Jacksonville, Florida

BIOFlorida, West Palm Beach, Florida

Blackbrook Audubon Society, Ohio

Board of Millcreek Township Supervisors, Erie, Pennsylvania

Boating Association of Ohio

Bonefish Grill, Outback Steakhouse Inc., Tampa, Florida

Borough of Belmar, New Jersey, Mayor Kenneth E. Pringle

Bosarge Boat, Inc.

Bozzuto's Inc.

Brett's Fish Farm/Texas Sportfish and Koi Breeders, Liverpool, Texas

Brevard Marine Advisory Council, Cocoa, Florida

Brightwater Seafood Company, Charlotte, North Carolina

California Aquaculture Association

California Fisheries & Seafood Institute

California Salmon Council

California Wetfish Producers Association\
Captree Clam Company, Babylon, New York\
Carla's Pasta, South Windsor, Connecticut

Carlsbad Aquafarm, Inc.

Carteret Community College, Morehead City, North Carolina

Casey\'s Seafood Inc., Newport News, Virginia

Catalina Offshore Products\
Cedar Key Aquaculture Association, Inc., Cedar Key, Florida

Center for the Inland Bays, Delaware

Central Basin Charterboat Association

Channel Islands Marine Resource Institute\
The Chesapeake Bay Commission

The Chesapeake Bay Seafood Industries Association

Citizens For Florida\'s Waterways, Merritt Island, Florida

City of Bayfield, Wisconsin, Mayor Larry MacDonald

City of Bayou La Batre Port Authority, Alabama

City of Huron Parks & Recreation, Ohio

City of Jamaica Beach, Texas, Mayor Victor Pearson

City of Mentor, Ohio Mentor Lagoons Nature Preserve & Marina

City of Sheffield Lake, Ohio, Mayor John Piskura

City of Sylvania, Ohio Community Improvement Corporation

Clemons Boats

Cleveland Botanical Gardens

Cleveland Fishing Association

Cleveland Museum of Natural History, Ohio

Connecticut Commercial Lobstermen's Association

Connecticut Seafood Council

Convention and Visitors Bureau of Greater Cleveland

Cordova Fishermen United, Anchorage, Alaska

Coastal Fisheries, Texas Parks and Wildlife Dept., Austin, Texas

CRG Marine Laboratories, Inc.

Dana Wharf Sportfishing\
Darden Restaurants, Orlando, Florida

Dauphin Island, Alabama, Mayor Jeff Collier

Dawson's Seafood

Delaware County Planning Department\
Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control,
Division of Soil and Water Conservation, Shoreline and Waterway
Management Section

Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control,
Division of Water Resources, Watershed Management Section

Delaware Riverkeeper Network

Delaware River Yachtsmen's League

Delaware's Center for the Inland Bays

Delmarva Low Impact Tourism Experiences

Dewberry-Federal Programs, Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina

Doxsee Sea Clam Company, Point Lookout, New York\
Downriver Linked Greenways Initiative, Metro Detroit Area, Michigan

Duluth Seaway Port Authority, Duluth, Minnesota

Duluth Shipping News

Duval Audubon Society, Jacksonville, Florida

East Coast Shellfish Growers Association

Empire Marine Trades Association

Environmental Products for Important Causes, Inc.

Farallon Fisheries\
First Energy, Toledo, Ohio

Fishermen's News, Seattle, Washington

FISHTECH Inc.\
Fishtown Preservation Society, Leland, Michigan

Florida Clean Boating Partnership

Florida Guides Association

Florida Keys Commercial Fishermen's Association

Florida Marine Contractors Association, Merritt Island, Florida

Florida Outdoor Writers Association

Florida Shore and Beach Preservation Association

Flow Science, Inc.

Franklin County Oyster & Seafood Task Force, Apalachicola, Florida

Fresher Than Fresh, Inc., Gastonia, North Carolina

Friends of Stone Laboratory, Ohio

Genesee Charter Boat Association, Rochester, New York

Goeden Fisheries

Graham and Rollins Inc., Hampton, Virginia

Great Lakes Historical Society

Great Lakes Sport Fishing Council\
Haasch Guide Service, Algoma, Wisconsin

Harborcreek, Pennsylvania, Township Supervisor Dean S. Pepicello

Harlingen Shrimp Farms, Ltd., Harlingen, Texas

Jeremy Harris, Mayor, City and County of Honolulu 1994-2004

Hawaii Aquaculture Association

Holland American Line, Anchorage, Alaska

Holiday Harbor Marina, Inc., Ohio

Houston Underwater Club, Houston, Texas

Huron Lagoons Marina, Ohio

Impact Assessment, Inc.\
Institute for Fisheries Resources\
Institution Food House, Inc., Hickory, North Carolina

Integrated Marine Systems, LLC

The Jersey Shore Partnership, Red Bank, New Jersey

Juneau Borough Schools, Juneau, Alaska

Paul Kelly, Member, U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy and Consultant,
Rowan Industries, Houston, Texas

Kent SeaTech

King Fisher Fleet, Punta Gorda, Florida

Lake Carriers\' Association, representing:

*- American Steamship Company*

*- Armstrong Steamship Company*

*- Bell Steamship Company*

*- Central Marine Logistics, Inc.*

*- GLF Great Lakes Fleet Corp.*

*- Grand River Navigation Company, Inc.*

*- Great Lakes Fleet, Inc. / Key Lakes, Inc.*

*- HMC Ship Management, Ltd.*

*- Inland Lakes Management, Inc.*

*- The Interlake Steamship Company*

*- KK Integrated Logistics*

*- Lake Michigan Carferry Service, Inc.*

*- Lakes Shipping Company, Inc.*

*- Pere Marquette Shipping Company*

*- Soo Marine Supply, Inc.*

*- Upper Lakes Towing Company, Inc.*

*- VanEnkevort Tug & Barge, Inc.*

*- Wisconsin & Michigan Steamship Company*

Lake County Planning Commission

Lake Erie Chapter Federation of Fly Fishers, New York\
Lake Erie Charter Boat Association

Lake Erie Coastal Ohio, Inc.

Lake Erie Marine Trades Association

Lake Erie Shores & Islands Sandusky Area Welcome Center

Lake Erie Walleye Magazine and www.walleye.com

Leavins Seafood, Apalachicola, Florida

Lone Star Aquafarms, Palacios, Texas

Lone Star Hatchery, Inc., Rio Hondo, Texas

Lorain County Visitors Bureau, Ohio

Luck Shrimp Farm, Rio Hondo, Texas

Lucky 7 Sportfishing Charters, Hamburg, New York

Lynde Point Land Trust, Fenwick, Connecticut

Maine Aquaculture Association

Maine Harbormasters Association

Maine Lobsterman's Association

Marine Exchange of Southern California, San Pedro, California

Marine Industries Association of Northeast Florida, St. Augustine,
Florida

Marine Industries Association of Florida

The Marine Trades Association of Maryland

Marine Trades Association of New Jersey, Manasquan, New Jersey

The Maritime Aquarium

The Maritime Archaeological Survey Team, Inc., Ohio

Maritime Products International, Newport News, Virginia

Marsh Area Regional Coalition

Massachusetts Audubon Society

Massachusetts Shellfish Aquaculture Association

Massachusetts Shellfish Officers Association

Dr. Michael Masser, Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Science, Texas
A&M University, College Station, Texas, (Past-president) World
Aquaculture Society

Mattamuskeet Seafood Company, Swan Quarter, North Carolina

Mentor Marsh Board of Management, Ohio

Metropolitan Affairs Coalition, Detroit, Michigan

Michael Shrimp Farm, Rio Hondo, Texas

Michigan Boating Industries Association

Michigan Charter Boat Association

Michigan Fish Producers Association

Michigan Salmon and Steelhead Fishermen's Association

Mid-Atlantic Coastal Ocean Observing Regional Association

Minnesota Fish and Bait Farmers Association, New London, Minnesota

Mississippi Charter Boat Captains Association

Monroe County Fishery Advisory Board, Monroe County, New York

Monterey Abalone Company\
Mystic Aquarium & Institute for Exploration, Connecticut

National Aquaculture Association

National Fisheries Institute, Arlington, Virginia

National Weather Service, Weather Forecast Office, Philadelphia/Mount
Holly

The Nature Conservancy

New York Fishing Tackle Trade Association

New York Power Authority, White Plains, New York

New York Sea Grant Program Advisory Council

New York Seafood Council, Hampton Bays, New York

Noisette Company, LLC, North Charleston, South Carolina

Norquest Seafoods, Seattle, Washington

North Carolina Beach, Inlet and Waterways Association, Oak Island, North
Carolina

North Carolina Coastal Federation

North Carolina Cooperative Extension, Carteret County, North Carolina

North Carolina Fishermen\'s Association, Carteret County

North Carolina Sea Grant Advisory Board

North Carolina Shellfish Growers Association

North Carolina Watermen United, Hatteras, North Carolina

North Pacific Longline Association

Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance

Northwest Marine Trade Association, Seattle Washington

Ocean Garden Products, Inc.

Ohio Bass Federation

Ohio Central Basin Steelheaders

Ohio Fish & Wildlife Management Association

Ohio Fish Producers Association

The Ohio Smallmouth Alliance

Ohio Wine Producers

Old Salt Fishing Foundation, St. Petersburg, Florida

Organized Seafood Association of Alabama

Ottawa County Visitors Bureau, Ohio

Pacific Coast Shellfish Growers Association, Olympia, Washington

Pamlico Packing Company, Grantsboro, North Carolina

Partnership for the Delaware Estuary

PennAg Industries Association Aquaculture Council, Harrisburg,
Pennsylvania

Penn State Philadelphia Outreach Center, Pennsylvania

Philadelphia Water Department, Fairmount Water Works Interpretive Center

Pollock Conservation Cooperative, Seattle, Washington

Port of Long Beach, Long Beach, California

Port of Los Angeles, San Pedro, California

Portsmouth Fishermen\'s Cooperative, Portsmouth, New Hampshire

Proteus SeaFarms International, Inc.

Publix Supermarkets, Lakeland, Florida

R&B Aquatic Supply, Boerne, Texas

Reed Mariculture

Reveille and the Zande Companies

Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council, Wakefield, Rhode
Island

Rhode Island Commercial Fisheries Center:

*- Rhode Island Lobstermen\'s Association*

*- Ocean State Fishermen\'s Association*

*- R.I. Commercial Fishermen\'s Association*

Riverside Kayak connection, LLC, Wyandotte, Michigan

Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Naples, Florida

San Diego Oceans Foundation\
San Diego Watermen's Association\
Sandusky Charter Boat Association, Ohio

Sandusky/Erie County Visitors and Convention Bureau, Ohio

SaveOn Seafood, St. Petersburg, Florida

SCDHEC-Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management, Charleston,
South Carolina

Scenic Galveston, Galveston, Texas

S.C. Shrimper\'s Association, St. Helena Island, South Carolina

Sea Food Suppliers

Seafood Products Association\
Shoreline and Waterway Management Section Division of Soil and Water
Conservation, Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental
Control

Shrimp News International, San Diego, California

Sima Marine, Ohio

Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers\
South Cuyahoga Sportsman's Association (SCSA), Ohio

South Carolina Marine Educators Association (SCMEA), Charleston, South
Carolina

South Carolina Seafood Alliance, Charleston, South Carolina

South Carolina State Ports Authority, Charleston, South Carolina

Southern Delaware Tourism

Southern New England Fishermen and Lobstermen's Association

Southern Ohio Marine Trades Association

Southern Shrimp Alliance

Southern Star, Inc., DBA Arroyo Aqua Faros, Rio Hondo, Texas

Southtowns Walleye Association of Western NY, Inc.\
Southwest Florida Marine Industries Association

Stan Stephens Glacier and Wildlife Cruises, Valdez, Alaska

St Augustine Lighthouse & Museum, Inc., St. Augustine, Florida

Strom Thurmond Institute-Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina

Tank Hollow, Poteet, Texas

Taylor Shellfish, Shelton, Washington

Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences, Texas A&M University,
College Station, Texas

Texas Aquaculture Cooperative, Markum, Texas

Tierra Environmental Services, Inc.\
TTI-Blakemore Fishing Group

Titusville Municipal Marina, Titusville, Florida

United Boatmen of NY

University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina

U.S. Steel Corporation, Ecorse, Michigan

Virginia Seafood Council

Wanchese Fish Company, Wanchese, North Carolina

Town of Waterford, Connecticut

West Cleveland Walleye Association

West Coast Inland Navigation District, Venice, Florida

West Coast Seafood Processors Association

Western Basin Sportfishing Association, Ohio

Western Fishboat Owners Association

Wildlife Sanctuary of Northwest Florida, Pensacola, Florida

World Aquaculture Society Home Office, Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Yacht Brokers of Sandusky, Ohio

[^1]: Charting the Course for Ocean Science in the United States for the
    Next Decade: An Ocean Research Priorities Plan and Implementation
    Strategy, NSTC Joint Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology,
    January, 2007

[^2]: An Ocean Blueprint for the 21st Century, U.S. Commission on Ocean
    Policy, April 20, 2004;

    America\'s Living Oceans: Charting a Course for Sea Change, Pew
    Oceans Commission, June 2, 2003

[^3]: Engaging NOAA's Constituents: A Report from the NOAA Science
    Advisory Board, March 2008