§1447b Regional Marine Research Boards

Summary

Create a Regional Marine Research Board for each of nine coastal regions: Gulf of Maine; greater New York bight; mid‑Atlantic; South Atlantic (includes Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands); Gulf of Mexico; California; North Pacific; Alaska; and the insular Pacific (Hawaii, Guam, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands). Each board must have 11 members: 3 appointed by the NOAA Administrator (one must be a Sea Grant Program Director from a State in the region and will serve as chair), 2 appointed by the EPA Administrator, and 6 appointed by the Governors of states in the region. Members must have relevant expertise; most must be trained in marine or aquatic science and currently doing research or research administration. Members serve 4‑year terms, vacancies are filled the same way for the rest of the term, and members may receive travel and per diem pay under section 5703 of title 5. Each board must write and send a marine research plan to NOAA and EPA under section 1447c, coordinate research, get review and input from users and interest groups, assure high research quality, and send periodic reports to Congress under section 1447e. Boards may cooperate with federal, state, local, interstate, nonprofit, and foreign partners; make contracts, grants, and agreements; publish results; hold conferences; use federal facilities; accept funds and donations; and acquire patents or other property rights. Boards set their own rules, create committees, hire staff, and should use existing research administration when possible. Each board ends on October 1, 1999 unless Congress extends it.