OCEANOGRAPHY IN THE UNITED STATES 



29 



11. The unpredictable aspects of new devices makes difficult the formulation of 

 an exact budget over a 10-year time scale. The committee recommends that $48 

 million be allocated during the next 5 years. It further recommends that a min- 

 imum of $10.5 million be allocated each year thereafter. The cost of this pro- 

 gram should be divided between the bureaus of the Navy and the National Science 

 Foundation. 



Budget breakdowns are given in tables 10 and 11. 



Table 10. — Estimated annual budget for engineering needs for ocean exploration 



[Millions of 1958 dollars] 



1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 



Deep-manned vehicles 



Large-manned buoys 



Unmanned buoys. 



Aircraft -- 



Other specialized vehicles 



Development of new instruments 

 Other. 



Total 



2.0 

 .3 



.6 

 2.0 



1.1 



2.0 

 2.0 

 .8 

 1.3 

 1.0 

 1.2 

 1.2 



3.0 

 1.3 

 .9 

 1.0 

 1.0 

 1.2 

 1.2 



4.0 

 .2 

 1.0 

 2.0 

 1.0 

 1.5 

 1.2 



9.5 



10.9 



4.0 

 .2 

 1.0 

 1.2 

 1.0 

 1.8 

 1.3 



10.5 



Table 11. — Estimated annual budgets for engineering needs for ocean exploration 



by agency 



[Millions of 1958 dollars] 



Radioactivity in the oceans 



The widespread use of nuclear energy for peaceful or military purposes neces- 

 sitates studies to determine the effects of radioactive contamination upon the 

 oceans and the life therein. The Committee on Effects of Atomic Radiation on 

 Oceanography and Fisheries in its report to the National Academy of Sciences 

 made certain general recommendations concerning national policy in this area. 

 Both the Committee on Oceanography and the Committee on Effects of Atomic 

 Radiation on Oceanography and Fisheries believe that more specific and detailed 

 recommendations can now be made. 



1. A single agency should be given the overall responsibility and authority for 

 regulating the introduction of radioactive materials in the oceans. Monitoring 

 of disposal sites should be done by some agency other than the regulating agency. 

 It is recommended that either the Coast and Geodetic Survey or the Public 

 Health Service be made responsible for engineering studies in and near disposal 

 areas, for routine monitoring of disposal areas and their surroundings and for 

 a continuing assessment of the effects on the environments of added radioactive 

 materials. 



2. Vigorous programs should be started for the purpose of determining the 

 circulation and mixing processes which control the dispersion of introduced 

 contaminants in coastal and estuarine environments and in the open ocean. 

 These studies represent the major part of the proposed budget in this area. 



3. A program should be pursued aimed at determining the inorganic transfer 

 of radioactive elements from seawater to the sediments. 



4. Studies should be made of the effects of living organisms on the distribu- 

 tion of radioactive elements introduced into the sea. 



5. The genetic effects of radiation upon marine organisms should be studied. 



