Page 61: of Marine Technology Magazine (November 2022)

The Japanese government also The U.S. is not unique in possessing showed support, approving four media burdensome bureaucracy. In complet-

About the Authors personnel from the Japanese National ing 25 global expeditions over 4 years

Broadcaster NHK to document the to conduct over 100 dives in seventeen dives and recognize the thousands of of the world’s deepest ocean trenches, fallen IJN sailors with a wreath-laying Caladan requested 16 permits from 11 ceremony. Considering China’s increas- countries. Three were not approved ing assertiveness in the Indo-Paci? c outright, and all of these denials came region, such a visible reinforcement just before the commencement of an of the U.S.-Japan alliance would have expedition resulting in signi? cant been a powerful postscript on President ? nancial cost and lost research op-

Biden’s visit to Tokyo in May. portunities.

We believe that several mechanisms All permits, even those approved could have led to our permit’s ap- however, faced extraordinary data proval. First, another clause in Obama’s request burdens and many were only proclamation provides an exception for approved shortly before expedition scienti? c instruments left on the sea? or. start dates when the risk of expedition

Acknowledging that the DSV Limiting abandonment at great cost was very

Rear Admiral (ret.) Tim Gallaudet,

Factor is one of the greatest deep-sea real. The multitude of highly scruti-

Ph.D., is a former acting undersecre- tary and assistant secretary of com- scienti? c instruments ever constructed, nized approvals needed for marine merce, Deputy Administrator of NOAA,

NOAA could have considered ballast scienti? c research, primarily due to and oceanographer in the U.S. Navy. weights as a necessary “leave-behind” extremely detailed environmental

He is the CEO of Ocean STL Consulting, part of the scienti? c system. reviews of minimally impactful opera-

LLC and fellow at The Explorer’s Club.

Another section states “…this procla- tions, stands in stark contrast to the mation shall not restrict scienti? c explo- utter lack of oversight or sanction of ration or research activities by or for the commercial vessels that accidentally

Secretaries” (Secretaries of Commerce dump over 1,000 containers a year into and Interior, with NOAA acting on be- the ocean, including into the Papah- half of Commerce). Thus, NOAA could anaumokuakea National Monument.

have simply characterized the expedi- Our purpose here is not to criticize tion as scienti? c exploration under the environmental regulations or regulators. 2020 Caladan-NOAA agreement. Rather, we wish to illustrate how inef-

Lastly, we point out that before the ? cient processes, excessive organiza- 2016 proclamation, the regulations tional inertia, and a lack of good faith governing the monument allowed the re- assumptions for established research lease of material so long as it causes no organizations can sti? e innovative and injury to the resources of the monument. transformational advancements in our

The wrecks of Midway lie in the ocean understanding. abyssalpelagic zone of the deep ocean Most of the world’s oceans have where the likelihood of ecological harm yet to be explored. At this time where

Credit Tamara Stubbs-Chip from a modest amount of steel ballast global geopolitical events tend to

Commander (ret) Victor Vescovo is a would have been near zero. Also, bear generate nothing but troubling and former intelligence of? cer in the U.S. in mind that the wrecks themselves tense headlines, international ocean

Navy. He is the owner and chief sub- measure in the hundreds of thousands expeditions like those conducted by mersible pilot of Caladan Oceanic, of tons of steel. Unfortunately, our per- Caladan and others like them can give

LLC, a co-founder of Insight Equity, and mit request was subject to the ambigu- our world good news by casting a light recipient of the 2020 Gold Medal of ous language in the proclamation rather on our undiscovered ocean and serving

The Explorer’s Club.

than new implementing regulations as sorely needed beacons of hope and because NOAA has failed to update unity. Shame on us if we let bureau- them over the last six years. cracy black them out.

www.marinetechnologynews.com 61

MTR #8 (50-63).indd 61 11/29/2022 3:18:19 PM