52 OCEANOGRAPHY IN THE UNITED STATES 



charting of these marginal areas, there should be concurrent studies 

 to determine causes and methods of correction. In many areas con- 

 siderable funds are expended each year by the Government in 

 dredging and maintaining navigation in the main shipping channels. 

 Additional studies of these marginal lands as they relate to the total 

 natural resource potential of the Nation should also be concurrently 

 undertaken. A comprehensive oceanographic program should in- 

 clude the collection, compilation, and analysis of basic data on sedi- 

 mentation in these coastal areas. 



I have dealt almost exclusively with the more practical phases of 

 oceanography ; those visible phases which affect our everyday living. 

 There are many other areas which must be considered in any compre- 

 hensive oceanographic program. Among these are such areas as heat 

 and moisture exchanges between the oceans and the atmosphere, for 

 such transfers affect our weather. Also to be considered are the 

 heat transfers between the oceanic waters and the underlying earth 

 mantle. 



The deep sea current information, which has been mentioned before, 

 is vital in the study of bulk water transfer, which in turn affects the 

 supply of plankton or fish food. This in turn affects the commercial 

 supply of fish. The interrelationship or correlation between meteor- 

 ological phenomena and ocean currents is a matter for intensive study. 

 I am sure you all remember the exceptionally warm waters along the 

 California coast a year ago which in turn brought new species of fish 

 in great abundance to our coastal waters. Oceanographers of the 

 Coast and Geodetic Survey traced this phenomenon to a sustained 

 change in offshore wind patterns for several months which in turn 

 changed current patterns of long standing. The result was warmer 

 water and a superabundance of fish. 



The subject of oceanography is most interesting, and one which 

 has many facets. This is only natural considering that it deals with 

 the oceans, covering about three- fourths of the earth. 



Mr. Miller. Admiral, I want to thank you for that statement. It 

 is a very fine one. Time is rather running out on us. There are a 

 lot of questions which we would like to ask. 



We might induce you to come back again. 



Do you feel that there is a need at this time for a study of the 

 kind that this committee is undertaking to try to coordinate, correlate 

 and investigate this field ? 



Admiral Karo. Well, as I mentioned in my prepared statement 

 here, oceanography, of course, goes hand in hand with our own more 

 prosaic work of charting, and we have always felt that we should 

 make these oceanographic investigations not only for our own need 

 but for the need of the public in general. 



I might mention that last week, just a week ago today I believe, 

 there was a meeting in the Pentagon of the various interested agen- 

 cies and thoy have established a committee which will study the 

 problem of correlation of effort and to come up, I believe, with a 

 coordinated program. 



Mr. Miller. We hope to have members of that committee before 

 us at the proper time. 



We want to confine our initial efforts to those people with whom 

 we are well acquainted and who know the work of this committee. 



