[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},"mediaId",6104669,"mediaKeyId","2790354-9eb6a5b7c7adc757c803b0e5dad59457","parentId",2790354,"title","Scripps director warns grant pauses are shrinking graduate enrollment and straining the talent pipeline","audioSeconds",63,"startMs",3500000,"endMs",3563000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2790354-9eb6a5b7c7adc757c803b0e5dad59457&start=3500&end=3563","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2790354-9eb6a5b7c7adc757c803b0e5dad59457/thumbnail_3500000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6104669/Scripps-director-warns-grant-pauses-are-shrinking-graduate-enrollment-and-straining-the-talent-pipeline","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6104669-3b161b0f6225ac531159255c2f4804ed/orig.mp4?Expires=1770517598&Signature=DA~O~6DPeq1N6yUWBvqmtkhDIq8TIaLrx381~ZDibAy1hmg4MvxqANLWiVXSB8BZS5ypA13OZys2N9cR39c2ceuich1QMearLpwbXBUvaNlhA7i23DGgUatr~Acys9iaZAxBbw7XYiKmlTHqjhQ~2Ap8QZuF5QbEo-NHaHnouZHkYkZaZCF4rdKZEZXzuom8n8N9kQHVyW2wxxyTMFPcfmLrQMU2nYSvPN9KC7bUTN-tmkH~hLv5Xfm8QpzkqgQezPn04ceJ2tBv~rH0Q-52TIwq~ioOQPzqADG~gkh5zs1F7rzS15tqmrWUBay1LRaU423PF59p-TBzbEV4rMxFrg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","U.S. House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology","date","2025-03-27T03:26:11Z","article","Margaret Leinen, director of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and vice chancellor for marine science at the University of California San Diego, told the House Science, Space, and Technology Subcommittee on Environment that interruptions to federal funding are reducing academic capacity and shrinking the future workforce.

Asked by ranking members about the impact of grant pauses, Leinen said she contacted eight other oceanographic institution directors to assess admissions for the current year. “Most of them … decreased our admissions by half,” Leinen said, and added that across that quick sample the reduction equates to about 200 students who will not enroll in graduate programs this year.

Leinen told lawmakers that universities train many of the researchers who later staff NOAA, startups and industry, and that long‑term research infrastructure — ships, observing systems and platforms — is hard to restart once funding lapses. “These are long term commitments that are very difficult to restart once interrupted,” she said, urging continued federal investment in ships, observing systems and research infrastructure and continued support for NOAA partnerships with academia.

Committee members pressed industry witnesses about the consequences for firms. Witnesses from Oceaneering, Xocean and Sofar said reduced academic throughput would constrain both hiring and the pool of mission‑experienced personnel at NOAA and commercial clients. Several panelists described hiring needs that include applied technologists and software engineers in addition to ocean scientists.

The subcommittee kept the record open for written questions and comments for 10 days.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Environment Subcommittee Hearing - To the Depths, and Beyond: Examining Blue Economy Technologies","oneSentenceSummary","Margaret Leinen told the House Science subcommittee that recent pauses and cancellations of federal grants have forced oceanographic institutions to reduce graduate admissions about 50 percent in an informal sample, threatening the pipeline of researchers for government and industry.","taxTitle","Science, Space, and Technology: House Committee, Standing Committees - House & Senate, Congressional Hearings Compilation, Legislative, Federal","taxId",1823,"location","","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},6104674,"Witnesses tout open‑source Bristle Mouth standard and sensor networks to scale ocean data",2111,2761000,4872000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2790354-9eb6a5b7c7adc757c803b0e5dad59457&start=2761&end=4872","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2790354-9eb6a5b7c7adc757c803b0e5dad59457/thumbnail_2761000.jpg","/articles/6104674/Witnesses-tout-opensource-Bristle-Mouth-standard-and-sensor-networks-to-scale-ocean-data","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6104674-ac2e7a5e2b295290f24005382bdbb28f/orig.mp4?Expires=1770517598&Signature=bDwFh2s-g0oWgWqdPeb9yPbGJbcEODkh5w314LwXQzda8piefqhgWql7WPIlGaCXGtohOQc5ZhkHYg9SpSEZzPtt52~DXQPjQhlIaDhtImbKt6NIB9W~SFl~kF0ZZ5dCv1oulc9hUwJ~QDbBFGMmumAwrbTveEZSCjcPvyMnnjBU7PQDJWMTMNv9pxCmHNHespVy6xsIML2KOobTJ8Z535yaC0PStDWtF~YMBaaHIbeSIPQSlrwgayLi4KNmKdCWwdQ~ircL9ZLzVdB-doi0h511OduQ1-i9Qybg8VfKLs-ossZKjWXaEdmAXeH0M5TPaKGUZhzq1lEWY7FTTpE6Jg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Tim Janssen, co‑founder and CEO of Sofar Ocean, told the House Science, Space, and Technology Subcommittee on Environment that open‑source hardware and software standards — which he referred to as Bristle Mouth — are critical to scaling ocean sensing and enabling ocean artificial intelligence.

\"Bristle Mouth is exactly that,\" Janssen said, describing it as a plug‑and‑play standard for marine sensors that he compared to the role USB played for consumer electronics. He said the decision to open‑source the platform required funding from philanthropy and government partners, and that adoption unlocks broader access to sensor networks.

Sofar operates a large private sensor network and runs Wayfinder, a routing product Janssen called “Google Maps for large commercial ships,” which he said improves safety and efficiency. He described three policy recommendations for Congress: reauthorize the Weather Act (to maintain programs such as the National Mesonet), prioritize foundational technologies through NOAA and other agencies, and streamline procurement to favor flexible, milestone‑based contracting.

Janssen described deployments of Bristle Mouth–compatible buoy and mooring systems in Alaska and the Arctic through partnerships with the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Ice Center, saying the systems have operated through winter and can host low‑power, AI‑enabled hydrophones and water‑level sensors for long‑dwell monitoring. “You can then over the air update the firmware on that subsurface sensor, without touching anything else in the other system,” Janssen said, noting the importance of low power consumption to enable persistent stations in remote regions.

Panelists underscored operational value for weather and extreme events: Dr. Margaret Leinen of Scripps said expanded Argo and deep Argo arrays and gliders improve forecasting for hurricanes, atmospheric rivers and coastal hazards by measuring heat content below the surface — a key factor in storm intensity. Representatives also discussed how real‑time ocean data complements aircraft reconnaissance in hurricanes and supports storm surge and flood forecasting.

Industry witnesses emphasized the commercial benefits of scale. Shepherd Smith of Xocean described his firm’s operational model — retaining and operating USVs rather than selling vehicles — to maintain high utilization and reliability across jurisdictions. He said Xocean plans more than 2,500 days at sea this year and is building additional USVs to scale operations.

Several members pressed for procurement reform to help smaller companies work with federal agencies. Janssen argued that milestone‑based contracts and simpler solicitation processes would encourage start‑ups to engage with government programs and de‑risk commercialization.

","Sofar Ocean and other witnesses told the House Science subcommittee that open standards and low‑power sensor networks are essential to bulk up ocean data for AI, hurricane forecasting and Arctic monitoring, and urged Congress to streamline contracting and sustain public funding.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},6104680,"House Science subcommittee urges faster ocean mapping through public-private partnerships",4117,926000,5043000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2790354-9eb6a5b7c7adc757c803b0e5dad59457&start=926&end=5043","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2790354-9eb6a5b7c7adc757c803b0e5dad59457/thumbnail_926000.jpg","/articles/6104680/House-Science-subcommittee-urges-faster-ocean-mapping-through-public-private-partnerships","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6104680-f34e627846fe46c45a9d262a97e910e9/orig.mp4?Expires=1770517598&Signature=Ns4vqrgC~WrYay0zVJaDj89uM5tTJpc8Xmj5R5O7dI3B6ZBA7jIF~y33RvbAQXbcW3p3nwkg04l7XZlFTC1J0XJUweLgFyIqFheGd~qw4Y9lIda5LHG3JG06GqaAgDFLlwgnMpLUlZ6CYPGBWFMoEJHpMC7bsfOvN4nMRkTqypYM5aZX94IBeZa-Cw2Zn57Nvg-8cwPD7wFTaW43QOXoZ3k~Vlk2YSZEqaOlXIkzu4zpFJk-D~0qoQQUan149jad3Y9eKIMUUsVhZ2sa6fxa7U9TVF2FVp-3x1avsgMg8LQsIKX0otDDj-0lqAbovPWwHwddZtzb4bOxlX6Jlm5u4A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The House Science, Space, and Technology Committee’s Subcommittee on Environment held a hearing on ocean mapping and “blue economy” technologies, where industry and academic witnesses told lawmakers that public‑private partnerships and faster procurement are needed to meet U.S. mapping goals and scale ocean data collection.

The hearing opened with the subcommittee chair noting the scale of the task: the U.S. exclusive economic zone spans more than 13,000 miles of coastline and contains about 3,400,000 square nautical miles of ocean, and no single agency can meet national mapping targets alone. Representatives from Oceaneering, Xocean, Scripps Institution of Oceanography and Sofar Ocean described complementary roles for federal agencies, research institutions and private companies in mapping, monitoring and operational uses of ocean data.

Why it matters: Accurate bathymetry and persistent ocean observations underpin commercial shipping safety, offshore energy, disaster forecasting, defense planning and scientific research. Witnesses said delays in adopting new autonomous platforms and cumbersome federal contracting slow progress and raise national security and economic risks.

Earl Childress, senior vice president and chief commercial officer of Oceaneering International, urged sustained public‑private collaboration. “Strong public private partnerships can accelerate innovation,” Childress said, describing how oceaneering’s resident remotely operated vehicles and remote operation centers have been repurposed for government uses and can reduce vessel days and emissions.

Shepherd Smith, chief technology officer of Xocean and a retired NOAA rear admiral, summarized the mapping gap: “This year's NOAA ocean mapping progress report shows that 46% of U.S. waters are still unmapped.” Smith said uncrewed surface vessels (USVs) and other autonomous systems could efficiently cover a large portion of that gap if procurement and contract panels allow newer entrants sooner.

Smith recommended two policy changes: a mid‑cycle review to add companies with new capabilities to NOAA’s hydrographic surveys contract before the current award pool is revisited in 2029, and better integration of the Uncrewed Maritime Systems (UMS) IDIQ with the hydrographic survey contracting framework so NOAA can access firms that specialize in autonomous survey operations.

Margaret Leinen, director of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, emphasized the role of academic research and long‑term infrastructure in the ecosystem. She described joint university‑NOAA programs that deploy Argo floats, gliders and buoys used for forecasting, fisheries management and coastal hazard warning. “These are long term commitments that are very difficult to restart once interrupted,” Leinen said, warning that funding pauses reduce institutional capacity.

Several members pressed witnesses on workforce and funding. Leinen told the panel that, after a review of eight oceanographic directors, “Most of them … decreased our admissions by half,” a drop she said totals roughly 200 graduate students across that sample and poses a risk to the talent pipeline for both public and private sectors.

Smaller firms emphasized procurement barriers. Tim Janssen, co‑founder and CEO of Sofar Ocean, urged Congress to streamline contracting and favor milestone‑based or flexible mechanisms that allow startups to compete and accept more outcome‑based risk. “Government contracts … are slow and unnecessarily complicated,” Janssen said, urging reforms to accelerate adoption of commercial technologies by NOAA and other agencies.

Members from both parties repeatedly framed the issue as one of national competitiveness and security. The full committee chairman noted international activity in seabed mapping and asked witnesses about relative U.S. capabilities; witnesses said U.S. technology is strong when deployed but warned that capacity shortfalls and funding interruptions create strategic risks.

The hearing record will remain open for 10 days for additional written questions and comments from members.

","Witnesses at a House Science, Space, and Technology Subcommittee hearing urged Congress to accelerate ocean mapping by expanding public‑private partnerships, modernizing NOAA contracting, and sustaining research funding to preserve the technical workforce.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Scripps director warns grant pauses are shrinking graduate enrollment and straining the talent pipeline

Witnesses tout open‑source Bristle Mouth standard and sensor networks to scale ocean data

House Science subcommittee urges faster ocean mapping through public-private partnerships