Hamburg, Germany Summary of Session C - 14:30 - 18:30, Wednesday 30th August = 2000=20 European marine research facilities: Improving = the fabric=20 of European research facilities.=20 Chairperson: Keynote Speakers: In introducing the Session, Chairman Pierre = Papon noted=20 that marine research infrastructures included research vessels, = specialist=20 equipment, monitoring systems, modelling facilities and research=20 institutions. He also noted that this Session provided a unique=20 opportunity to input to the EU Conference on Research = Infrastructures=20 (Strasbourg, 18th - 20th September 2000).=20 Keynote speakers:=20 1. US University-National Oceanographic = Laboratory=20 System=20 Donald Heinrichs (USA) described the = University-National=20 Oceanographic Laboratory System (UNOLS) as a possible model for = improving=20 access to the European marine research vessel fleet.=20 UNOLS is an association of 57 academic = institutions with=20 significant marine research and education programmes, which has = access to=20 28 shared-use research ships. Competitive research proposals = submitted to=20 the National Science Foundation are peer reviewed and successful=20 applications forwarded to UNOLS. UNOLS then tries to match the=20 shiptime/logistical requirements of some 500 successful proposals, = requiring over 5,000 days/annum, with the available 28 shared-use = vessels.=20
2. The UK-France-Germany Tripartite = Agreement for the=20 Exchange of Major Marine Facilities.=20 Gerhard Kortum (Institute of Marine Research, = Kiel,=20 Germany) described the current tripartite agreement wherein the = UK(NERC),=20 France (IFREMER) and Germany (BMBF) operate a barter system to = facilitate=20 the exchange of shiptime (or joint cruises) and access to major = marine=20 facilities The agreement includes 15 ships and 18 items of marine=20 equipment (ROVs, Seismic Survey equipment, mobile laboratories, = etc.).=20 Ships/facilities are awarded points which can then be traded (e.g. = Poseidon =3D 7 points; submersible Nautile =3D 9 points; GLORIA = =3D 3 points,=20 etc.). To-date 5 ship swaps have been arranged while the barter = balance is=20 that UK owes France 30 points, while Germany owes UK 240 points.=20 While the agreement is still at an early stage = (signed in=20 1997) it has been described as "a successful but evolving = experiment".=20 3. Improving the fabric of the European = marine=20 research infrastructure.=20 Geoffrey O'Sullivan (Marine Institute, Ireland) = argued=20 that while it is clear that Europe, or rather the European Member = States,=20 have a wealth and diversity of marine research vessels and = research=20 infrastructures, one cannot realistically begin to identify or = prioritise=20 European marine research infrastructural needs or improvements in = the=20 absence of an agreed vision of what Europe expects from the sea - = in other=20 words A European Marine/Ocean Policy and associated European = Marine=20 Science Plan.=20 In the absence of such a Marine Science Plan (A = topic to=20 be discussed on Friday) what the Commission can usefully do to = "improve=20 the fabric of the European Marine Research Infrastructure" is:=20
4. European Marine Research Facilities: The = Satellite=20 Systems.=20 Jean-Fran=E7ois Minster (IFREMER, France) = argued that=20 satellite observation systems have become central to ocean = observation and=20 operational oceanography and are therefore essential = tools/infrastructures=20 in all disciplines of ocean science.=20 Since the 1960s we have seen a rapid evolution = in=20 satellite system capabilities moving from simple detection to = precise=20 measurement. We have moved from experimental to the operational = systems.=20 The challenge facing European marine science is = who is=20 going to manage the marine components of these and planned = satellite=20 observing systems. This function is filled by the National Oceanic = and=20 Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in the USA, but there is no = European=20 equivalent. The Space Agencies consider this outside their mandate = while=20 the Meteorological Services (Eumetsat) has very specific weather=20 forecasting requirements. Eumetsat can be used to operate = oceanographic=20 satellites but a funding mechanism must be established to achieve = this.=20 Issues discussed during the discussion session: =
Geoffrey O'Sullivan, Rapporteur. |
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