Bob Dole: “recently, the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy made a series of far-reaching recommendations to help keep our oceans…”

“recently, the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy made a series of far-reaching recommendations to help keep our oceans viable for future generations. While the Senate as a whole will not address these recommendations this Congress, I hope we may be able to work on these critical issues next year. In the meanwhile, my home State of North Carolina has already begun to make real the recommendations of the Commission. For instance, North Carolina public schools have begun fostering formal ocean education in K-12 schools, after the State mandated inclusion of ocean curricula in middle school. North Carolina is also leading the Nation in heeding the call for improved scientific understanding of the oceans. Of particular pride is the success of the Southeast Coastal Ocean Observing System, or SEACOOS, an umbrella organizations of institutions that is building a regional ocean monitoring and prediction system for the southeast States of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida. Through the leadership of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, SEACOOS aggregates ocean information from federal and non-Federal sources for display and redistribution. This information system supports many uses, from search and rescue and hazardous spill response to providing information for recreational boaters and fishermen.”