Break the Ice, Coast Guard

doi:10.1126/science.310.5755.1753b

Account Information

Guest Alerts | Access Rights | My Account | Sign In

ScienceScope

A White House decision earlier this year to transfer responsibility for the U.S. icebreaking fleet from the Coast Guard to the National Science Foundation (NSF) is a bad idea. So says a National Academies' panel in an interim report released this week.

The report takes issue with the Administration's assertion that icebreaking no longer fits into the Coast Guard's mission, noting that climate change in the Arctic, for example, could bring more people to the region, adding to the Coast Guard's duties. The report also argues that NSF, as a research agency, is not equipped to manage the three icebreakers in the U.S. fleet despite its primary use in supporting scientific activity at both poles. The recommendations cover the next 4 to 8 years; a final report next summer will explore long-term options for the fleet.