Whereas the United States has a long standing commitment to exploration...
Whereas the oceans of the world remain largely unexplored...
Whereas the oceans are a primary component of our ecology and vital for the well-being of our future...
We the undersigned support full funding of the NOAA for the purpose of ocean exploration with, at minimum, the same financial and political commitment afforded to NASA. The oceans have a wealth of untapped knowledge, much of which may be applicable to eventual exploration in space, geology and plate tectonics, biology and countless other fields. There are also many untapped resources which could benefit all of us. A commitment to this exploration would reap benefits equally as far-reaching as those of the space program.