From the President’s Office – 1/4/2013
Well, 2012 was quite a year. As you can see from our programmatic and advocacy Year in Review sections, Ocean Leadership was extremely busy with numerous activities and accomplishments. The ocean science community was also front and center for much of 2012 as natural disasters like Hurricane Sandy highlighted the continued need for a better understanding of how our ocean works and the close connectivity it has with our economy.
To no one’s surprise, Washington focused on the politics of the presidential and congressional elections last year, which unfortunately, resulted in a lack of congressional actions, the lowest in 60 years. However, as we move into 2013, there has actually been some movement. At the 11th hour this week, the tax component of the fiscal cliff was avoided. But, the need for a major budget compromise still looms with the current continuing resolution ending in March along with sequestration and debt ceiling issues. The newly sworn in 113th Congress will certainly be very busy.
Because of all this uncertainly in 2012, Ocean Leadership actively advocated for the importance and protection of federal research and education funds. I can assure you that we will continue to do so in 2013 even more aggressively. With upcoming federal budgets still unclear, there are significant challenges ahead. However, I am sure that if our community acts like a community and focuses on the important and exciting science taking place, we will succeed in the advancement of our field.
Bob
