Back ||NOAA Home Vice Admiral Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Jr., U.S. Navy (Ret.) Alaska Islands and Ocean Visitor Center Dedication Ceremony Homer, Alaska July 3, 2004 Good afternoon. I'm delighted to be here today with Mayor Cushing, Deputy Commissioner Bedford, Deputy Secretary Griles, Senator Stevens, our other distinguished guests ... and it is wonderful to see so many community members. Dr. Ralph Broshes embodies the community support that is needed to bring facility like this to life. Ralph has been a strong supporter of the National Estuarine Research Reserve and its research and education mission. He has actively served on our Community Council since its inception [2002], and is currently serving his second term. He also serves on our research sub-committee. It is wonderful to see him honored today. It is also wonderful to see Vernon Byrd recognized. It is well deserved. Congratulations to all of you on this beautiful research and education center. You have all done an outstanding job to design and construct a wonderful legacy for the citizens of Alaska. Thank you for allowing me to be part of today's celebration and I would also like to thank Senator Stevens not only for what he does for Alaska but also for NOAA and the nation. The National Estuarine Research Reserve System is a valuable partnership program between NOAA and coastal states, and this facility is an outstanding example of how that partnership can make great things happen. The Kachemak Bay Reserve is one of 26 National Estuarine Research Reserves federally designated by NOAA to provide long-term research, monitoring, education and coastal stewardship. One unique aspect of the reserve system is that the protected areas are owned and managed by the states. Each reserve conducts educational programs and research relevant to their local and regional communities. The reserve by itself is a great resource to the local community—during the month of May alone, the Kachemak Bay Reserve saw over 1200 school children. This is a small number compared to what this new facility will bring. But, there is also an advantage to being part of a larger network of protected areas. For example, each reserve participates in our System-wide Monitoring Program, which we call SWMP [swamp], where each reserve has a least four water quality monitoring stations measuring variables such as temperate, pH, dissolved oxygen and turbidly—every 30 minutes. The Kachemak Bay Research Reserve's monitoring stations are located in Homer and Seldovia. SWMP data can be used locally to track the health of the estuary or to make management decisions. Because every reserve is monitoring the same variables and using the same protocols we can tell a national story about the health our estuaries. With SWMP, scientists are able to form a baseline for the health of our nation's coastal habitats. In a state with 44,000 miles of coastline this is clearly very important. This understanding is critical because our economy depends on it. The national economic value of the commercial fishing industry alone is about $28.5 billion a year. Coastal and marine waters support 28.3 million jobs, generate $54 billion in goods and services, contribute $30 billion to the U.S. economy through recreational fishing, and provide a destination for 180 million Americans to recreate each year. Our economy depends on coastal stewardships. This reserve and the monitoring activities conducted here also place Alaska at the forefront of the future of global environmental modeling. SWMP will eventually be part of a larger network of systems around the world collecting data on climate, water quality, air quality, and oceanographic and geological data just to name a few. While SWMP can tell us the health of this particular estuary or the state of our national coasts, the Global Earth Observation System will tell us about the health of the planet in ways we can hardly imagine now. A doctor wouldn't perform a medical procedure without a full understanding of the effects it would have on the rest of the patient's body. Likewise, we must have a full understanding of how Earth's systems interact before we can truly make informed decisions about the environment. This isn't just some esoteric "Ivy-tower" concept either. Alaskans will benefit greatly from a global earth observing system. For example, such a system could: Help emergency responders pinpoint the location of technological accidents and oil spills. Water monitoring and satellite imagery can help clean-up crews respond faster and to avoid hazards as they work. Enable us to predict how changing environmental conditions, including sea currents, affect the whereabouts and numbers of fish and marine resources; Improve earthquake prediction, and response by integrating ground based earthquake monitors with satellites, and earthquake models. We can get near real time updates on extent of potential danger and damage. Advance technology to increase the speed and accuracy of tsunami forecasts and warnings. Be critical in the prediction of wildfire tracking, smoke plume direction, and air quality effects. This is an exciting time to be involved in coastal and ocean issues and not just because those of you here have this great new facility. The President's Commission on Ocean Policy is nearing completion of its final report on the state of our oceans and recommendations for how best to manage and protect this valuable resource. The last such report was more than 30 years ago so this is a landmark report that will guide oceans policy for the next generation so I hope you will closely follow its progress. This new facility is going to be an incredible tool for research, education and environmental stewardship. I would encourage everyone involved to take advantage of the attention created by the Ocean Commission and the power and promise of the Global Earth Observing System to fully maximize the great potential of this facility. You have a lot to celebrate today. I'm glad I could be part of it. Thank you.