For distribution to UNOLS Fleet Improvement Committee at 20-21 July 95 meeting
Last month, the College of Geosciences and Maritime Studies of Texas A&M University (TAMU) reached agreement in principal with the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences of the University of Miami (UM) for a joint marine operations program. TAMU and UM believe the combined strengths at both institutions can create an efficient use of existing- facilities leading to enhanced multidisciplinary research on regional to global scales.
The key aspects of the TAMU-UM Joint Marine Operations Program are:
1) Ship Ops: our intermediate class vessels would be jointly operated, while the smaller vessels and the Texas Maritime Training vessel Texas Clipper would be operated out of our respective institutions. Staging capability would be maintained at both Miami and Galveston. For next year 1996, TAMU-UM are working toward the joint operation of Gyre, with a subsequent evaluation of both Gyre and Iselin to determine which ship should be operated by TAMU-UM until replacement vessel(s) might be obtained.
2) Techs and Equipment: these will be jointly scheduled and shared to best advantage of the combined program, taking advantage of complimentary specialties.
3) Proposals: annual proposals to NSF for a) Ship Ops; b) Shipboard Scientific Equipment; c) Technicians; d) Oceanographic Instrumentation, would be a joint submittal from TAMU and UM, with separate budgets and indirect costs for each institution.
4) Organizational Structure: guidance and future planning will be the responsibility of the Science Advisory Committee, to be made up of representatives from the administration, marine departments, academic departments, and the marine technology groups of both institutions.