181024-N-PO203-0100 CHARLESTON, S.C. (Oct. 24, 2018) Dr. Tom Drake, Ph.D., head of the Ocean Battlespace Sensing Department at the Office of Naval Research (ONR), participates in a panel discussion on the future of the federal oceanographic research fleet during the 2018 OCEANS conference and exposition. ONR manages six Navy-owned oceanographic research vessels; the historic deep-submersible vehicle Alvin, and the Floating Instrument Platform, or FLIP. These research assets are charter-leased to U.S. academic research institutions to operate and maintain in support of Navy and U.S. ocean research objectives. (U.S. Navy photo by John F. Williams/Released)