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Oceanographer Canyon, Georges Bank ~
Art by M.J. Brush
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Our Mission
To understand, sustain and conserve the resources of the oceans
and Great Lakes by supporting underwater exploration, research
and education.
Welcome to
the National Undersea Research Center for the North Atlantic
and Great Lakes (NURC-NA&GL). NURC-NA&GL is one of six
undersea centers established by NOAA's Undersea Research Program
(NURP) to provide the research community the support needed
to work underwater. As part of the University of Connecticut,
NURC-NA&GL also contributes to the research enterprise of
the institution.
Why We Must Go Below the Blue Horizon
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Earthrise on the Moon ~ NASA image
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The earth has been called the blue planet, with 71% of its surface
covered by water. The underwater world has also been called
the last frontier on earth, with the oceans and large lakes
of the world representing more than 99% of the living volume
of our planet. This volume harbors an immense amount of biological
diversity, representing every major taxonomic group of organisms.
We must find a way to both conserve and sustain this biological diversity.
We depend on the oceans for many things, including food, fossil
fuels, mediation of climate, a source of pharmaceuticals as
well as for recreation, esthetic and spiritual needs.
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NURC-NA&GL's "Kraken" ROV
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Our dependence and increasing use has caused impacts to aquatic systems that
can be measured in every ocean and lake across our planet. To
sustain ocean resources and mitigate the impact to ocean systems
we must understand how ocean and lake systems work at many spatial
and temporal scales.
Returning beneath the blue horizon to address this challenge to explore,
observe, sample and bring back the wonder that lies below requires
advanced technologies. For 20 years NURC-NA&GL has provided
the research community access to some of the most sophisticated
diving technologies available, including human occupied submersibles,
remotely operated vehicles, mixed gas diving and autonomous
underwater vehicles.
What We Do
To address our mission, NURC-NA&GL has identified the following
principal goals:
- Develop a research program that is responsive to NOAA's and regional needs through partnerships
and interactions with the research community.
- Select the most meritorious projects to address its research program, through peer review.
- Safely and efficiently implement all aspects of the Center's research program with a highly
trained, experienced staff.
- Maintain highest standards of Center and project accountability, through its comprehensive
Management Information System.
- Develop the most appropriate, cost-effective technologies to meet national and regional
research needs.
- Promote the underwater world through outreach and educational activities.
NURC-NA&GL has developed four programmatic elements to address
these goals, including: 1) its primary reviewed research program,
2) program development activities, 3) a center-based research
program and 4) interactions with its home institution, the University
of Connecticut.
Center Vision
The National Undersea Research Center for the North Atlantic
and Great Lakes envisions a future with continued and expanded
application of our sponsored research for informing managers
and the public about pressing environmental management issues.
The future of the Center builds upon a solid history and substantial
investment by the State and University of Connecticut and envisions
new alliances, new opportunities, and new challenges. The University's
Marine
Sciences Program provides opportunities for NURC-NA&GL
to work with faculty, students and staff to develop areas of
mutual interest and advance our respective research and educational
missions.
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Deepwater corals & anemones
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The Center sees continued and enhanced support from NOAA's Undersea
Research Program, either through enhancements to its base budget
or through various initiatives. For example, NURP is developing
proposals to expand it's unique contributions to seafloor observing
systems and to address topical issues such as understanding
the status of and threats to deep water corals.
NURC-NA&GL has established strong partnerships with other
NOAA programs. These partnerships, such as those with the National
Marine Sanctuary Program and the new NOAA Ocean Exploration
Program, have provided direct funding support for the Center
to conduct research, exploration and education projects and
will continue to be an exciting area of growth.
The Center plans to continue its underwater technology development
activities to address present and future needs of its regions.
In addition, the Center is actively pursuing new avenues to
develop and provide access to the latest emerging underwater
technologies. The Center has recently completed an Educational
Partnership Agreement with the Naval Underwater Warfare Center
in Newport, Rhode Island to develop an operational capacity
for use of autonomous underwater vehicle systems. Further, the
Center is working with the National Institute for Undersea Science
and Technology (NIUST) at the University of Mississippi, NURP's
newest partners, to develop a Consortium for the Development
of Underwater Vehicles (CDUV). The vision of CDUV is to develop
new technologies and provide them to the NURP Centers to address
their highest priority projects that have unique vehicle needs
and to similarly support other NOAA programs, based upon the
recommendations of an advisory panel.
The Center will continue to support marine science education
through its Aquanaut Program. NURC-NA&GL will also expand
the NURP Management Information System from a powerful science
project management tool that ensures highest standards of accountability
to a powerful means to improve the understanding and outreach
of what NURP is and does. With continued support from the NURP
Headquarters, the Center will develop the protocols and technologies
that will rapidly link the imagery of the underwater world produced
from NURP-sponsored projects to researchers, educators and the
general public via the Web.
Finally, in a changing world, NURC-NA&GL will rely upon
its fundamental strengths to address the new challenges faced
by our nation. Many of the challenges of Homeland and Port security
will rely upon new technologies and knowledge of coastal and
oceanic systems to predict and thwart these new threats. NURC-NA&GL
also recognizes that the oceans and large lakes of the world
are the last frontiers on earth, and as such, need to be understood,
wisely managed and conserved, for this generation and generations
to come.
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