05/21/07 The Forgotten Frontier

If space can be called the final frontier, the ocean should be known as the forgotten one. With all the emphasis on global warming and the environment it is unbelievable that there hasn't been any true in-depth sea research completed since the 1870's. Last week a group of prominent scientists announced that the National Science Foundation will spend 335 million dollars to build a major research facility over the next six years right here in our back yard, oops ocean. An important facet of this research will fall to the University of Washington earmarked to receive 170 million of the funds to study how to measure changes on the Juan de Fuca Plate. Dubbed the "Neptune study"; (North East Pacific Time-integrated Undersea Networked Experiments) our university students will be using undersea internet video and underwater robots. The best part of all is that the general public will be invited to go along via live internet feeds. The National Science Foundations lab will mean our coastal waters will help the rest of the world understand more about tsunamis, salmon runs and even weather patterns.