The ocean sciences community is currently engaged in the process of defining new facilities that will support oceanographic research, education, and monitoring efforts for the next several decades. New research vessels, drilling ships, coastal and deep-ocean observing systems, satellites, and submersibles will be designed to increase ocean access in terms of geographical coverage, depth, temporal continuity, and resolution of events. Aircraft may be largely overlooked facilities that are capable of providing observations and data in ways that satisfy many research goals, and they should be considered an important component in the future mix of oceanographic facilities.

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