NOAA and Japan Partner Research and Technology Development
By Daniel Parry, OAR Office of Communications
Dr. Spinrad, with JAMSTEC representative Toshihiko Chiba, formalizes an MOU beneficial to marine science and technology development between the two agencies.
Dr. Richard W. Spinrad, assistant administrator, NOAA Oceanic and Atmospheric Research, and Toshihiko Chiba, director, Washington D.C. Office of Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology met at NOAA’s Silver Spring office, to formalize a joint Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed in Japan earlier this month by JAMSTEC President Yasuhiro Kato.
This MOU coordinated through NOAA Research International Affairs establishes a framework encouraging joint activities in reference to ocean and climate research and technology development. “Today’s meeting helps to increase the benefits and effectiveness of mutual programs related to ocean and climate,” said Dr. Spinrad. “By expanding collaboration among scientists, our agencies are equipped to reciprocate facility and cost sharing and technical data vital to the advancement of marine science.”
Collaborative research on tsunami detection and warning, global climate modeling, effects of greenhouse gases, the TRIangle Trans-Ocean buoy Network (TRITON) and work performed at the Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory (PMEL) contributing to the Indian Ocean Observing System (IndOOS), are all possible through this new cooperative agreement. Research results developed under this MOU can be made available to scientists as part of a joint commitment towards broader dissemination of information to the scientific community.
Also this month, retired U.S. Navy Vice Admiral Conrad Lautenbacher, Ph.D., undersecretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator met with Ifremer representatives in France to sign a similar MOU on Cooperation in Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences. Ifremer coordinates bilateral partnership agreements with Japan, United States, Canada, Australia, and European countries contributing to international research studies on climate, environmental and biodiversity.
U.S and Japan delegations will meet for three days in Colorado, June 30 through July 2, at the 12th U.S.-Japan Workshop on Global Change to discuss in-depth collaborative activities with an emphasis on climate outlook as it relates to combined human-activity and natural occurring events contributing to greenhouse gases.
June 26, 2008