OCEANOGRAPHY IN THE UNITED STATES 33 



designated as the United States National Committee for this long-range co- 

 operative program. 



2. Grants should also be sought from foundations and governmental sources 

 to support special projects such as the proposed year-long international ex- 

 pedition to the Indian Ocean by covering the increased expenses to United 

 States oceanographic institutions and by making the participation of other coun- 

 tries possible. Special funds needed for the Indian Ocean project are estimated 

 at about $2 million. 



3. An intergovernmental conference of the maritime countries should be 

 called, after suitable preparation, to discuss means by which the governments 

 can cooperate in increasing man's knowledge of the oceans. Specifically, agree- 

 ments should be sought regarding the means of carrying out ocean-wide sur- 

 veys, including allocation of responsibility to different countries, intercalibra- 

 tion of techniques, and free exchange of data. It would be expected that the 

 United States' proportion of this international responsibility for surveys would 

 be about the same as its proportion of financial responsibility for support of 

 United Nations agencies. This conference should be a first Step toward the 

 establishment of a World Oceanographic Organization ; a United Nations spe- 

 cialized agency corresponding to the World Meteorological Organization. 



4. In the study and conservation of the living resources of the sea, regional 

 international organizations, such as the various international fisheries com- 

 missions, have proven effective. 



In developing formal intergovernmental cooperation in the marine sciences, 

 the Federal Government should give special emphasis to the establishment 

 and adequate support of such regional organizations, and should seek to broaden 

 their charter to allow an integrated research program on all aspects of a par- 

 ticular oceanic region. 



5. In order to increase the effectiveness of cooperation between United States 

 marine scientists and laboratories and marine scientists in other countries, the 

 United States State Department should be prepared to assist positively, sympa- 

 thetically and promptly in facilitating research ship operations and the ex- 

 change of information, persons, equipment, and supplies. 



6. The need for increased protein foods from the sea is especially urgent 

 in underdeveloped countries. The International Cooperation Administration 

 in its programs of technical assistance should give greater emphasis to marine 

 resources surveys and to research projects and training programs in the marine 

 sciences. The Federal Government should also encourage United Nations 

 specialized agencies such as UNESCO and FAO in their efforts to aid under- 

 developed countries to achieve greater utilization of marine resources. The 

 funds needed for both these purposes have not been budgeted separately in this 

 report but are included in the budget for ocean resources studies. 



Budget and operations 



The total recommended budget for the period 1960-70, broken down by cate- 

 gory and agency, is given in tables 17 and 18. It should be emphasized that 

 although the budget includes the capital costs of ships involved in strictly mili- 

 tary research and development, it does not include the other costs which are 

 involved in such work. 



Concerning the actual funding and operations, the committee recommends : 



1. A higher percentage of longer-term funding must be made available in 

 oceanographic research. Past funding has been inefficient, and has held back 

 much longer-term imaginative research. A reasonable portion (30 to 50 percent) 

 of the annual operating budget should include 5-year money which is refreshed 

 annually. Existing laws permit allocation of many funds on a 5-year basis. 

 The military is accustomed to making long-term commitments of 5 to 10 years 

 when they adopt a new weapons system and it is equally essential that they 

 make long-term commitments for research. 



2. Administrators of research and laboratory directors must have a higher 

 percentage (25 to 50 percent) of their funding free to spend on those good 

 research problems which emerge without the benefit of planning. 



3. Government organizations which presently fund or carry on extensive re- 

 search and development in oceanography should continue to do so in the field 

 of their special interests. For example, the Navy, the Atomic Energy Com- 

 mission, and the Bureau of Commercial Fisheries all have their own important 

 oceanographic problems. It is recommended that each bureau and organization 

 sponsor and finance much of the research which it needs to meet the demands 



