[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 14 (Tuesday, February 24, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E213]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     NATIONAL SEA GRANT COLLEGE PROGRAM REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 1998

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                               speech of

                          HON. STENY H. HOYER

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 11, 1998

  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 927, the 
National Sea Grant College Program Authorization. We have needed to re-
authorize the Sea Grant Program since 1995 and I want to applaud 
Representatives Saxton, Young, Abercrombie and Farr for their 
leadership on this increasingly important issue:
  Mr. Speaker, the Sea Grant Program was established in 1966 to improve 
the conservation, management, and utilization of marine resources. 
Modeled after the highly successful Land Grant College Program, Sea 
Grant has become a National leader in conducting marine research. This 
research is conducted at 29 designated Sea Grant colleges but the 
program disseminates their findings to over 300 hundred colleges and 
universities across the country. One of these Sea Grant designees is 
the University of Maryland which is located in my District. Maryland is 
a leader in living marine and estuarine resources research and I can 
attest to quality of the research conducted through the program.
  As a Member from a coastal district, I am acutely aware of the 
problems confronting our marine environment. This spring and summer we 
saw how critically important research is with the outbreak of 
Pfiesteria in the upper Chesapeake Bay. At the time of the outbreak, we 
were not certain about the most basic facts about the organism, exactly 
what conditions triggered it to become lethal, how it attacked fish, 
and the potential danger this organism posed to humans.
  The Chesapeake Bay, Mr. Speaker, is not only a National ecological 
treasure but is one of the most abundant and productive places to 
conduct research. In addition to Pfiesteria, the Bay has seen the 
oyster population, which is so vital ecologically and economically, 
threatened by Dermo and MSX viruses. Sea Grant has been the leader in 
the Oyster Disease Research Program and fully six million dollars per 
year is specifically earmarked in the re-authorization for oyster and 
Pfiesteria study.
  Mr. Speaker, I encourage all my colleagues to support this 
legislation to reauthorize this critically important environmental 
program.

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