Strategic Plan, 2008-2012 >> Part I
Introduction || Part II || Part III

The National Sea Grant Program
Congress established the National Sea Grant College Program in 1966 to hasten the development, use and conservation of the nation's marine and Great Lakes resources. In the Findings section of the National Sea Grant College and Program Act of 1966, Congress declared that:

• "marine resources constitute a far-reaching and largely untapped asset of immense potential significance to the United States;"
• "it is in the national interest of the United States to develop the skilled manpower, including scientists, engineers and technicians, and the facilities and equipment necessary for the exploitation of these resources;"
• "aquaculture and the gainful use of marine resources can substantially benefit the United States, and ultimately the people of the world," and
• "federal support toward establishment, development, and operation of programs by Sea Grant colleges and federal support of other Sea Grant programs designed to achieve the gainful use of marine resources, offer the best means of promoting programs toward the goals set forth [above]."

The legislation called for a network of Sea Grant Colleges to conduct education, training, and research in all fields of marine study, and directed that grants and contracts would go to "suitable public and private institutions of higher education, institutes, laboratories, and public or private agencies which are engaged in, or concerned with, activities in the various fields related to the development of marine resources." [PL 89-688 Sec. 204(c)]

MIT received its first funding from Sea Grant in 1968 and was designated as a Sea Grant College Program in 1976. Today, there are 30 Sea Grant programs in coastal and Great Lakes states and in Puerto Rico. This nationwide network provides a powerful national capability in marine resource research and outreach. Sea Grant is part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The National Sea Grant Program supports scientific research to address marine and coastal resource issues of immediate public concern. These include coastal and ocean engineering, fisheries science, and marine-related social sciences and law. To ensure that programs respond to local as well as national concerns, the law requires that one-third of the program funds come from non-federal sources such as industry or state or local governments.

An essential element of each Sea Grant College Program is its Marine Advisory Service (MAS). MAS provides a key link between Sea Grant funded research, other NOAA programs, and coastal constituents. Providing a two-way communication path, the MAS helps to insure the relevance of Sea Grant Research and helps maximize the ultimate benefit of that research through outreach.

MIT Sea Grant College Program

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology was designated as a Sea Grant College in 1976-the first private institution of higher learning to be appointed as such. Through a rigorous research program, through dedicated outreach programs, and through an integrated educational program, we have followed a steady course of work, both anticipating needs and responding to others as they become apparent. Our innovative marine research is guided both by the unique resources of higher educational institutions in Massachusetts and by local and national research needs. We are fortunate to be able both to draw on and support the expertise and ingenuity of researchers not only from MIT, but from the University of Massachusetts, Boston University, Harvard University, Northeastern University, and elsewhere in the region as well. In addition, we benefit from our ability to partner with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Sea Grant Program. Our intensely collaborative approach assures that we involve a wide specter of industrial and governmental groups. We have been fortunate in gaining significant funding from various government agencies, and in turn, we have also focused our energies in transferring our gained knowledge to industry.

Integral to our commitment to basic and applied research are two other components: outreach and education. Through our outreach we ensure that research results reach our audiences, and we stay tuned into the needs of our constituents. Our educational scope is wide, from educating school children about marine pollution to nurturing and challenging those undergraduate and graduate students who will become the marine researchers, coastal managers, and aquaculturists of tomorrow. MIT Sea Grant's program is focused on addressing local, regional, and national issues for the upcoming years.

MIT Sea Grant's program is focused on addressing local, regional and national issues for the upcoming years. In so doing, we also adhere to Sea Grant's Network Plan, which identified these critical areas: Economic Leadership, Coastal Ecosystem Health and Public Safety, and Education and Human Resources.

The Regional & Global Context

Our Host Institution - The Massachusetts Institute of Technology

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology was founded in 1861 to establish a new kind of independent educational institution relevant to an increasingly industrialized America. From its inception, the Institute has been guided by the philosophy that professional competence is best fostered by coupling teaching and research and by focusing attention on real-world problems-hence the development of the teaching laboratory.

The mission of MIT is to advance knowledge and educate students in science, technology, and other areas of scholarship that will best serve the nation and the world in the 21st century. The Institute is committed to generating, disseminating, and preserving knowledge, and to working with others to bring this knowledge to bear on the world's great challenges. MIT is dedicated to providing its students with an education that combines rigorous academic study and the excitement of discovery with the support and intellectual stimulation of a diverse campus community. The Institute seeks to develop in each member of the MIT community the ability and passion to work wisely, creatively, and effectively for the betterment of humankind.

As one of the world's outstanding universities, MIT continues to meld education and research. MIT and industry have a long record of cooperation, with projects ranging from joint education and research (in which student participation is often a strong component) to intensive continuing education programs. The collaboration is extensive: industrial executives serve on the MIT Corporation and its committees; MIT faculty serve as consultants for industry; and MIT educates and prepares its students for careers in industry. The relationship between MIT and industry has had an important effect on the direction of education at the Institute.

The Office of Corporate Relations at MIT promotes collaboration among MIT, industry, and government in order to better serve the Institute's mission of education, research, and service. The Industrial Liaison Program enables member firms to draw upon MIT expertise to inform their own technology strategies, and at the same time helps Institute faculty stay abreast of the latest developments in industry.

The Local Landscape - The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts has a rich and colorful maritime history, with its early economy built around the oceans. Today, a significant part of the Commonwealth's economy remains dependent on the sea. However, unlike during colonial times, the finiteness of the ocean's bounty has been realized.

Massachusetts boasts 1,500 miles of coastline; its abundant, diverse mix of natural wonders and economic engines improves our quality of life and enriches our economy. Businesses, tourists, and residents alike are drawn to the state's coast for the many opportunities it offers. With a 2001 census estimate of close to 6.4 million people, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is one of the most densely populated states in the United States. (The state comprises 8,257 square miles of land and water.)

Coastal industries such as tourism, shipping, and commercial fishing contribute an estimated $70.7 billion to the Massachusetts economy. Thus, protecting these important coastal resources while promoting responsible economic development is critical to the state's financial and environmental good health. At the same time, negotiating between sometimes conflicting notions of how best to utilize the Commonwealth's valuable marine resources is an ongoing challenge.

The Region - The Gulf of Maine and Our Regional Infrastructure

It is impossible to discuss marine resources in the Commonwealth without discussing the Gulf of Maine, a semi-enclosed sea bounded to the south and east by tall underwater land forms (or banks) which rise up to form a barrier to the North Atlantic, and to the west and north by the coastlines of Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia. The Gulf of Maine includes the Massachusetts and Cape Cod Bays, and its watershed extends inland to affect 41% of Massachusetts' total land mass. Included in this is the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, an 842-square-mile area whose rich biodiversity includes many species of marine mammals and fertile fishing grounds.

In Georges Bank, the relatively shallow waters, large area and great variety of fin and shellfish have all contributed to its being one of the most important fishing grounds in the world. While productivity in this region had dramatically decreased, the Northeast Multispecies (Groundfish) Fishery Management Plan has helped the biomass to rebound, with some species ahead and others still lagging behind the planned rebuilding schedule. Landings of the major species managed under the plan totaled 111 million pounds and were valued at roughly $103 million in 2001, a 20% increase in landings and 10% increase in revenues over the prior year. In addition, New Bedford has reestablished itself as the most valuable fishing port in the Northeast.

· Boston Harbor

The Ocean-Related Scientific/Technological Setting

Ocean Observatory Science

In 1997, Congress established the National Oceanographic Partnership because, as it stated, "understanding of the oceans through basic and applied research is essential for using the oceans wisely and protecting their limited resources; therefore, the United States should maintain its world leadership in oceanography as one key to its competitive future."In 1999, the National Research Council conducted a study to determine the utility of a vast, well-integrated ocean observatory, which would incorporate the best technology for predicting climate change and researching coastal processes and anthropogenic influences on the environment.The development of this observatory concept has led to the proposed Integrated Oceans Observing System (IOOS). This system envisions a network of autonomous observatories at depths where data will be gathered in an integrated space and time structure. These observatory nodes will be tied into the extensive network of existing sub-surface ocean floor communication cables placed between continents for telephone traffic in years past. Such nodes are intended to function in a well-integrated network with common data management and interface protocols, affording the scientific community ready access to biological, chemical and physical measurements in support of research questions that go to the very essence of understanding the influence of the ocean on earth processes.MIT Sea Grant is poised to provide key technologies to such a network based on its capabilities in autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), underwater communications, and the development of novel sensors and instrumentation packages.

Sustainability in Fisheries and Aquaculture
Given the significance of seafood production in the Northeast, the issues associated with achieving and maintaining sustainability in fisheries and aquaculture demand our program's attention. The needs are driven by the economic and social significance of these industries and by society's responsibility to properly manage its ocean resources.Regulated under the Sustainable Fisheries Act, the fishing industry has had to respond to draconian cutbacks while regional stocks rebuild. As a result, the sea scallop resource has seen a rapid turnaround as stocks protected within groundfish closed areas have resulted in near record catches, and New Bedford has regained its role as the Northeast's highest valued fishing port. Certain groundfish species have been slow to recover, but the biomass trends are positive, and many fishermen who have remained active are profitable.However, in spite of these positive signs, all is not well. The science being used to make management decisions is not adequate, and the industry is under attack from environmental organizations concerned with biodiversity and protecting the seabed from impacts associated with fishing activity. The debate has moved to the courts, and continued restrictions are threatening the survival of the industry and those coastal communities so dependent on fishing.Aquaculture is also under stress due to the application of precautionary principles and the inadequate understanding of such activities on the surrounding ecosystem. The challenges associated with shifting aquaculture from contested coastal waters into the open ocean present compelling research opportunities.MIT Sea Grant has unique capabilities to address these issues, from scientific, technological and anthropological standpoints. These include the engineering of fishing systems, the assessment of the economic and social impacts of regulations, the growing understanding of the ecological significance of fishing and aquaculture, and the development of better tools for determining the abundance and behavior of commercially important stocks. The application of passive acoustics to fisheries is an example of an emerging research opportunity in this area.

Marine Geophysics
Our quest for a greater understanding of the earth's crustal dynamics has lead scientists to an increased level of deep ocean research, much of which has been facilitated by new methods and instruments. Recent expeditions under the Arctic icecap of the Gakkel Ridge, an 1,800-kilometer section of the midocean ridge, revealed new evidence of volcanism and hydrothermal activity. The Ocean Drilling Program, a 22-nation consortium, has reached its operational limits in terms of both drill depth and riser capabilities. However, a new drill vessel that will soon be available will greatly increase the drill depths. This will allow exploration of some of the most intriguing physical, chemical and biological aspects of the deep ocean. Unstable sediments, oil- and gas-rich deposits, and remote regions of the earth's crust open up new opportunities for research and expedition support in the deep ocean. A significant challenge here is to provide technology that allows for unmanned exploration and characterization of potentially valuable ocean botom resources. MIT Sea Grant can lead the technological push towards such advancement in underwater robotic technologies and applications.

Global Warming
The global warming debate continues to be of utmost concern for most of the world's nations. There is no doubt that the current trend in greenhouse gas production must be countered. A particularly fascinating but controversial notion is CO2 sequestration in the oceans. Coupled with this is the theory that iron fertilization can trigger enhanced primary productivity, offering both an antidote to fossil fuel burning and a boost to the productivity of the oceans. Yet the attendant ecological risks are immense. Of particular importance is the need for instrumentation platforms which have the capability to measure chemical and biological phenomena.

Marine Archaeology
The increasing interest in ocean archaeology presents a heightened need for sophisticated instrumentation and support systems. As new subsea sites are discovered, archaeologists require tools for properly identifying and examining these sites, and the demand for sonar imaging and visualization technologies is increasing rapidly. The Archaeological Diving Unit based at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland and the Centre for Maritime Archaeology (part of the National Museum of Denmark) are actively engaged in the underwater survey and exploration of Stone Age settlements and Viking medieval shipwrecks off the Danish and Swedish coastlines. These explorations make use of advanced side-scan sonar for imaging and sub-bottom profilers to determine the nature of the overlying sediment structure and better prepare archaeological teams to gather meaningful information with minimum hazard to personnel. Our own AUV laboratory has led two recent expeditions in the Mediterranean Sea to study Greek and Roman trade routes.Domestically, an extensive survey of the area in Lake Huron known as "Shipwreck Alley" was recently conducted in the deep waters of the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary and Underwater Preserve. This site is considered important, as it relates to the commerce supported by the Great Lakes during an era significant in the nation's growth and westward movement. The site is also a treasure trove of ship design and building methods spanning a period from wooden sailing ships to steamers to more modern designs. In addition to the archaeological focus of the survey, the exploration revealed many underwater sinkholes that were above the lake's surface during the last ice age. As a result, these sinkholes-several hundreds of meters across and as deep as 20 meters-are thought to contain much valuable etiological information on the inhabitants of this region.The survey in Thunder Bay used ROV technology that required a substantial research and operational vessel on-site and ably manned throughout the mission. AUVs offer the potential for extensive exploration of these and other impotant archaeological sites. Such exploration also presents an exciting area of research for young people interested in entering the field of ocean engineering.