Aloha, Dr. Smith and all distinguished guests! [mention call from Washington, D.C. regarding concerns of the new building and lack of adequate equipment...as Barry Raleigh said, 90% is completed and we have to work with the other 10%] I am honored to participate in the dedication of the Pacific Ocean Science and Technology (POST) Building. Today marks the culmination of years of hard work by many people who had the foresight to invest in our economic future. For me, today is a milestone which marks a major step in fulfilling my dream of making the University of Hawaii the mecca of oceanography and astronomy.

Hawaii is surrounded by 64 million square miles of ocean. The ocean holds answers to many fundamental questions about biology, chemistry, and geology. The biological diversity of the marine environment far exceeds that which can be found on land. New breakthroughs in science and medicine are waiting to be discovered by our talented researchers. The Pacific is a vast, undeveloped frontier for these scientists, whose findings will add to our scientific knowledge. We have a limitless resource at our doorstep and a market for ocean products and marine technology that will grow beyond imagination in the coming century. The best way for Hawaii to achieve sustained economic growth is to harness our ocean resources using technology developed at the POST facility.

POST is not just about science and education. The POST facility is about developing technology for the future. Knowledge of the ocean and its resources grows in proportion to the tools available for marine exploration. POST scientists must take the lead in the development, commercialization, and application of new ocean techn ology.

Competitiveness in ocean research can be the engine for Hawaii's economic growth. POST is an investment in Hawaii's future that will pay dividends for years to come.

There is an old saying on the Hill that the reason it takes so long to get things done in Congress is that although everything that needs to be said has been said, not everyone has said it. Having fallen into that pitfall, let me close now by reiterating that POST is an investment in Hawaii's future that will pay scientific and economic dividends for years to come.

Mahalo!