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Researchers and funding agencies justify much oceanographic research by characterizing it as useful for better understanding ocean issues of interest to society at large. However, the direct transfer of ocean science to applications in the policy and management context remains a challenge. This paper explores how one large ocean science program, US Global Ocean Ecosystem Dynamics (US GLOBEC), has begun to take research results to applications in fisheries management, ocean observation systems, and applied ocean modeling. We review selected examples of this transition, and examine some characteristics of the program that have facilitated them. We also provide advice for future large oceanographic programs seeking to maximize the utility of their results.