Revised 2/25/03

The order of Agenda items will likely change to accommodate the schedules of the participants

Tentative Agenda

UNOLS COUNCIL MEETING

Wed. Mar. 5 & Thurs. Mar. 6, 2003

Scripps Institution of Oceanography

Martin Johnson House (T-29)

La Jolla, CA

 

0800: Coffee and Pastries

 

0830: Call the Meeting:  Tim Cowles, UNOLS Chair, will call the meeting to order and provide an opportunity for introductions.

 

Accept the minutes of September 2002 Council Meeting.

 

Federal Agency Reports:

Federal Agency Representatives will have the opportunity to report on agency activities or raise any issues that they would like addressed by the Council.  Issues related to Fleet Renewal will be addressed later in the meeting.

 

UNOLS Discussion Items:

 

0900: UNOLS Fleet Renewal Activities

·        Congressional appropriations report language – report by Navy required

·        NSF process for Funding Vessel Construction Efforts

·        Summary of Fleet Improvement Committee meeting – (Annette DeSilva)

·        Final Recommendations from the Navy’s Common Hull Study (Dan Rolland)

·        Science Mission Requirements (SMRs) – The Ocean Class and Regional Class SMRs will be provided to the Council for endorsement.

·        Conceptual Design Process

-        Regional Class

§         Status of NSF/JJMA efforts and timeline (Dan Rolland)

§         Bay Marine design study (Mike Prince)

-            Ocean Class – Status (Tim Cowles)

       Will the JJMA study address the Ocean Class?

·        Other Fleet Renewal Implementation Items:

-            Operator Selections

-            Construction management plans

 

1030: Break

 

·        On-going Design and Construction Efforts:

-         Status on ARRV Preliminary Design, Model tests, funding (Mike Prince)

-         Status of CAPE HENLOPEN Replacement effort (Annette DeSilva)

-         CAPE HATTERAS Mid-life Status (Bruce Corliss)

-         PELICAN Mid-Life Status (Steve Rabalais)

-         EWING Mid-Life Improvement Plans – Report on R/V Ewing Midlife Workshop (pdf 9.7 mg) (Annette DeSilva)

-         KILO MOANA – Review of initial operations and post cruise assessments. (Annette DeSilva)

 

·           FOFC Long-Range Fleet Plan – plans for an update?

-         NOAA, Coast Guard, Oceanographer’s plan for renewal

-         Other facilities such as observatories, aircraft and submersibles

-         Need to update the Academic Renewal Plan

 

1130: Working Group to address Observatory Facility Needs A working group has been formed with Alan Chave as Chair.  A report on their membership, first meeting and plans will be provided.  Their task statement will be discussed. (Annette DeSilva)

 

1200: LUNCH

 

1300: Ocean Studies Board’s plans for a Deep Submergence Study – OSB will conduct a study to consider the requirements for conducting deep submergence research and to inventory and examine the best available technologies to carry out this work.  DESSC related activities would be discussed.  (Annette DeSilva)

 

1315: Scientific Committee for Oceanographic Aircraft Research (SCOAR) – A report on SCOAR’s membership, first meeting, and future plans. (Carl Friehe)

 

1335: Quality of Service, Post Cruise Assessments – Mike Prince

·        Report on utilization of new form.

·        Report on feedback received on 2002 operations.

·        Discuss any additional actions that maybe needed.

 

1425: Break

 

1445: UNOLS Wires and Cables –Mike Prince will report on plans for developing new wire and establishing safe working load parameters.

 

1500: 2003 Icebreaker Plans and Major Issues (AICC – Lisa Clough)

 

1520: R/V Safety StandardsCouncil Endorsement (RVOC)

 

1540: ISM Compliance – Report on the status of operations since implementation of ISM.  Discuss RVOC recommendations regarding voluntary compliance by smaller UNOLS Vessels.  (RVOC)

 

1550: Ship Operations Cooperative Program (RVOC)

 

1605: Marine Mammals and Acoustic Permitting Issues – A discussion on implications of the recent court order restraining operations on NEW HORIZON and the impact of these measures on future operations.  Should a UNOLS group be formed to consider a UNOLS model for managing and obtaining acoustic permits as a fleet service? 

 

 

1700: Adjourn Day 1 Meeting

 


Thursday, March 6, 2003

 

0830 Recap Day-1 discussions - Tim Cowles will recap Fleet renewal and Marine Mammal/Acoustic permitting discussions.

 

0845 Other Issues (reports and discussion as needed)

·        Research Vessel Security and the impact on scheduling (Joe Ustach)

·        2003 Operations and Scheduling Issues, (Joe Ustach)

·        Defined Levels of Technician/Instrumentation Support (RVTEC)

·        RVTEC Representation on UNOLS Committees (RVTEC)

·        Ocean Commission Study – encourage all to review draft documents and provide feedback.

·        State Department, Hiring new personnel, LOS status, Procedures

·        UNOLS Missions, Goals and Objectives –Mike Prince

·        Nominating Committee for Council

-         Form a nominating committee

-         Review list of pending membership changes

 

1025: BREAK

 

1045 Marine Mammal & Acoustic Permitting Issue:

·        Speaker Phone connection with OSB

-         Jim Yoder -NSF

-         Mel Briscoe - ONR

-         Roger Gentry - NMFS

·        UNOLS Council discussion; formulate recommendations and action items

 

1200 UNOLS Business

-         Need for and plans for Summer UNOLS Council Meeting

-         Plans for September Meetings and Annual Meeting

-         Keynote Speaker and major agenda focus

·         Annual Report – Mike Prince

·         UNOLS Membership Changes – Lehigh University

·         Proposal submitted for first year of 2nd grant – Mike Prince

 

1230        Wrap Up

 

Congressional Report language:

 

"The committee believes that scientific knowledge of the oceans and ocean environments makes a critical contribution to U.S. national security and commercial vitality.  The committee notes, that in large part, U.S. scientific expertise in oceanography and ocean sciences is sustained by the Office of Naval Research and the National Science Foundation partnership that provides oversight of the University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System (UNOLS) fleet.

 

The committee recognizes the age of the UNOLS fleet and the need for a rational plan for renewal of the fleet over the next ten years. Therefore, the committee directs the Secretary of the Navy to submit to the Senate Committee on Armed Services and House Committee on Armed Services no later than February 1, 2003, a report detailing specific requirements and outlining a specific plan for UNOLS fleet renewal. The report should include specific recommendations on the numbers of each class of ship to be maintained in the UNOLS fleet, their geographic distribution, the schedule for their replacement, and estimates of ship construction costs.”