497 



The duties and responsibilities of the Council were outlined in detail 

 in the Act, and represented a wide-ranging mandate over the total 

 national program in oceanography. The Council advised and assisted 

 the President in carrying out his responsibilities under the Act, These 

 included evaluation of Federal marine sciences activities, the develop- 

 ment of a comprehensive program, the establishment of long-range 

 studies, coordination of a program of international cooperation, and 

 guidance for sea-grant-program policies. 



The staff of the Council was composed of specialists in ocean 

 sciences, engineering, national security affairs, economics, foreign af- 

 fairs, and public administration. It maintained working relations 

 with the Congress, key officials of the Executive Office of the Presi- 

 dent, Federal and State agencies, industry, the academic community, 

 and professional societies to insure that considerations affecting all 

 marine science interests were brought to the attention of the Council. 



COMMISSION ON MARINE SCIENCE, ENGINEERING, AND RESOURCES 



To complement the role of the Council, the Act provided for an 

 independent advisory Commission on Marine Sciences, Engineering, 

 and Resources. The Commission was made up of 15 members from 

 Federal and State Governments, industry, laboratories and other 

 marine science institutions. Four members of Congress served as ad- 

 visors to the Commission. 



The Commission was charged with the responsibility to "make a 

 comprehensive investigation and study of all aspects of marine science 

 in order to recommend an overall plan for an adequate national ocean- 

 ographic program that will meet the present and future national 

 needs." The findings of the Commission would then be submitted to 

 the President, and the Council would assist the President in evaluating 

 and reviewing the Commission's findings. Thereafter, the Commission 

 would disband, and the Council's authority would be terminated 120 

 days after the submission of the Commission's report. 



The Commission's report, entitled "Our Nation and the Sea", was 

 submitted in January 1969. Some of its recommendations concerning 

 international affairs in the marine environment will be discussed later. 



COMMITTEE ON INTERNATIONAL POLICY IN THE MARINE 



ENVIRONMENT 



As the Marine Council began to coordinate the Federal marine af- 

 fairs, it created several committees and panels, one of which was the 

 Committee on International Policy in the Marine Environment (Fig. 

 7). This committee was responsible for U.S. foreign policy pertaining 

 to the marine environment ; international activities and initiatives per- 

 taining to the marine environment, including cooperation by the 

 United States with other nations and participation in international 

 organizations and meetings. The committee, chaired by the Deputy 

 Under Secretary of State, established a special working group 

 to handle the problem of the U.N. proposals and the U.S. position. 

 This working group consisted of representatives from the Depart- 

 ments of State, Interior, Commerce, Defense, and Transportation, and 

 the National Science Foundation. 



