sediments and environmental samples. GEOTRACES. An international program collecting data on trace elements in the ocean—rare chemicals that play important roles as essential nutrients, act as tracers of past and present processes, and affect organisms as toxic contaminants. Global Ocean Biogeochemistry Array (GO-BGC). A multi-institutional program contributing 500 robot-ic floats to collect chemistry and biology data from the ocean surface to more than 1 mi. deep, allowing us to transform how we observe the global ocean. Advancing ocean science, technology and sustain-able development capabilities through domestic and in-ternational partnerships enables every country to achieve more together than alone. Through these five programs, NSF can leverage international attention to amplify the impact of its work and showcase U.S. leadership in the international scientific community. Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in Ocean Sciences NSF prioritizes equity, diversity and inclusion in all of its activities because these activities catalyze innovation. For example, CoPe Hubs, mid-scale research infrastruc-ture investments, and the Ocean Decade all offer import-ant pathways to broaden participation, support diverse early-career professionals, and ensure that ocean solu-tions include and empower communities and individuals historically left out of scientific processes. In addition to these activities, NSF supports equity, diversity and inclusion through a wide range of other actions, including the GOLD program, which aims to create inclusive networks of champions across the geo-sciences, as well as through awards such as Unlearning Racism in Geoscience (URGE), which is centered around a community-wide journal-reading and policy-design curriculum to develop and implement anti-racist policies in the geosciences. Looking Forward OCE looks forward to future actions from the Biden-Harris Administration on ocean issues through the recently reconstituted Ocean Policy Committee (OPC). Activities within this lead interagency body, coupled with domestic calls for Ocean Shots from the U.S. National Committee for the Ocean Decade, will help ensure fed-eral coordination and a strong response to domestic and international ocean science challenges. ST Review&Forecast By Sarah Loftus Fellow Water Power Technologies Office U.S. Department of Energy Supporting Deployment of Marine Renewable Energy Technologies I n 2021, the U.S. set a goal of reaching 100 percent clean electricity generation by 2035, a target requiring a variety of renewable ener-gy sources. Marine energy technol-ogies generate electricity from waves, tides, river and ocean currents, ocean ther-mal gradients, and salinity and pressure gradients. These technologies could charge equipment in the ocean such as oceanographic research devices, provide power to remote coastal commu-nities, and eventually supply electricity to the grid. Marine energy technologies are still being developed and tested, but their power potential is considerable. A report published in 2021 by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) found that just 10 percent of technologically available marine energy sources could power roughly 6 percent of U.S. electricity needs, or about 22 million homes. The U.S. Department of Energy’s Water Power Tech-nologies Office (WPTO) boosts the research, develop-ment and deployment of marine energy technologies through competitive funding opportunities and technical EMPOWERING world leader in electric underwater robotics 12 ST | January 2022 www.sea-technology.com
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