CRAIG T. KOJIMA / CKOJIMA@STARBULLETIN.COM
The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration commissioned a new ship yesterday, a former Navy vessel converted to a fisheries survey ship now called the Oscar Elton Sette. Lt. j.g. Bill Mowitt, above, explained satellite tags on fish.
Yesterday at pierside at the Aloha Tower, dignitaries including Governor Lingle and Rep. Abercrombie gathered for the commissioning of a new ship. This ship, the Oscar Elton Sette, represents an important investment in U.S. and, specifically, Hawaii's economic and environmental security, just as the Navy's ships at Pearl Harbor are an important investment in our nation's military security. NOAA sets sail
for Hawaii’s futureBy Conrad C. Lautenbacher Jr.
Sustainable development of ocean resources depends on how we pursue our stewardship of the world's oceans, coasts and fisheries, and how we invest in improving our understanding of them. Named for an esteemed international leader in marine fishery science and the first director of the Honolulu Fisheries Laboratory, the Sette will serve as a floating platform for conducting research on fisheries, coral reefs, marine mammals and collecting ocean data in the central Pacific. The research will be instrumental in managing ocean resources and preserving the complex marine ecosystems of the Hawaiian Islands.
Why is this important? Because building sustainable fisheries and effectively managing marine ecosystems can yield real economic benefits. Currently, U.S. commercial fisheries landings are worth approximately $3.3 billion, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration estimates that restoring fisheries may increase the value of that harvest by $1.4 billion as over-fished stocks recover and over-harvesting is reduced.
CRAIG T. KOJIMA / CKOJIMA@STARBULLETIN.COM
Lt. j.g. Bill Mowitt looked over a CTD unit on the ship, which measures the ocean's conductivity, temperature and depth.
I know this impressive figure comes as no surprise to people here in Hawaii. Locally, commercial fisheries landings average 30 million pounds a year worth $60 million. A recent study conducted as part of the Hawaii Coral Reef Initiative found that Hawaii's reefs contribute $360 million a year to the state's economy. Clearly, healthy Hawaii marine ecosystems contribute to a healthy economy.
The Sette, commissioned in the service of NOAA and homeported here in Honolulu along with its sister ship, the Ka'imimoana, also will serve as one piece of a global observing system needed for healthy oceans. Most data now come from stations on land; almost nothing comes from the oceans that cover 70 percent of the planet. A global observing network will help fill in the pukas in our data sets.
Buoys currently deployed in the Pacific have proven effective in predicting El Nino months in advance. By expanding our ocean observing efforts, we can improve our understanding and prediction of basin-wide cycles such as El Nino and their connection to sustainable fisheries and ecosystem management.
In fact, NOAA is already using parts of an ocean observing system to help with fisheries management decisions. Turtles typically travel in ocean currents that have high productivity rates. The geographic patterns of these types of currents shift in El Nino years. We have been able to use these observations to minimize the bycatch of turtles here in Hawaii and on the West Coast.
This brings me back to the new ship's namesake. Dr. Oscar Elton Sette was among the first to expand the concept of fishery biology to include other disciplines and succeeded in integrating this science with those of oceanography and meteorology, elevating it to a major status and advancing its economic importance worldwide. He pioneered in areas where NOAA still leads -- the development of holistic approaches to ecosystem studies, stewardship and management efforts. His accomplishments are legendary and it is a fitting tribute that this ship will carry his name and carry on his life's work for the benefit of Hawaii and a new generation of Americans.
Retired Vice Adm. Conrad C. Lautenbacher Jr., U.S.N., is undersecretary for the Oceans and Atmosphere administrator, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
