Sec. 3. Sense of Congress
332 words·~2 min read·
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It is the sense of Congress that— agencies should optimize data collection, management, and dissemination, to the extent practicable, to maximize their impact for research, commercial, regulatory, and educational benefits and to foster innovation, scientific discoveries, the development of commercial products, and the development of sound policy with respect to the Great Lakes, oceans, bays, estuaries, and coasts; agencies should consider current and future needs relating to supercomputing capacity, data storage capacity, and public access, address gaps in those areas, and coordinate across agencies as needed; the United States is a leading member of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, a founding member of the Atlantic Ocean Research Alliance, and a key partner in developing the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development; the Integrated Ocean Observing System and the Global Ocean Observing System are key assets and networks that bolster understanding of the marine environment; the National Oceanographic Partnership Program is a meaningful venue for collaboration and coordination among Federal agencies, scientists, and ocean users; the National Centers for Environmental Information of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration should be looked to by other Federal agencies as a primary, centralized repository for Federal ocean data; the Marine Cadastre, a joint effort of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, provides access to data and information for specific issues and activities in ocean resources management to meet the needs of offshore energy and planning efforts; the regional associations of the Integrated Ocean Observing System, certified by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for the quality and reliability of their data, are important sources of observation information for the Great Lakes, oceans, bays, estuaries, and coasts; and the Regional Ocean Partnerships and regional data portals, which provide publicly available tools such as maps, data, and other information to inform decisions and enhance marine development, should be supported by and viewed as collaborators with Federal agencies and ocean users.