OCEANOGRAPHY IN THE UNITED STATES 105 



not only myself but everybody I come in contact with in my Depart- 

 ment is interested in exactly the same thing you are and we are not 

 interested in inefficient operations or any kind of waste and this present 

 action was designed particularly to coiTect that kind of a thing. 



Mr. Flynn. Thank you. 



Mr. Miller. Mr. Curtin. 



Mr. Curtin. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 



Do I understand that the Albatross is the oldest of the vessels en- 

 gaged in this kind of work ? 



Mr. McKerxan. I think it is the oldest oceanographic vessel in the 

 United States. 



Mr. Curtin. How old is it ? 



Mr. McKernan. It is 33 years old. 



Mr. Curtin. Do I understand that it is your intention to charter 

 four trawlers to do part of the work that was being done by the 

 Albatross? 



Mr. McKernan. Mr. Curtin, not specifically. The question that 

 was put to me, as I recall it, was how many vessels have we chartered, 

 or at least I answered that question. 



The answer was that we have in about the last year chartered four 

 dijfferent vessels and you know we put those out on bids. We ask 

 for bids and tell them what we are going to do and the length of the 

 cruise and we put out the specifications needed. Then these various 

 vessel owners answer our bids and bid on this particular cruise or 

 this particular project so that this is somewhat indefinite — and I do 

 not mean, under any circumstances, to be evading your question, but 

 it is not possible to give the precise number of vessels or cruises that 

 will be chartered during the next 4 or 5 months. 



Mr. Curtin., Then you are not in a position to say how much the 

 cost of this charter sei'vice is going to be for the next fiscal year as 

 compared to what it would cost to keep the Albatross in operation? 



Mr. McKernan. Yes, I am, because when we do not charter out- 

 side vessels we will have an intrabureau charter of the Delaware so 

 that I am in a position to say that the approximate cost of vessel 

 operation next year, I think, is about $110,000 for the biological por- 

 tion of our program. That compares with an estimated budget of 

 $192,000 for operation of ilxo, Albatross. 



Had we operated the Albatross at $192,000 next year, which was 

 the estimate that it would have cost us, this would have meant that 

 the scientific work in New England would have dropped $67,000 

 in order to meet those estimated increased costs. 



Mr. Curtin. But if you use these trawlers you will not do the 

 same amomit of scientific work on the high seas, will you? 



Mr. McKernan. No ; we will not. 



Mr. Curtin. You will do a lot more work in the laboratory on 

 information you have previously assembled ? 



Mr. McKernan. Yes. 



Mr. Curtin. Is it your thought that these trawlers are more effi- 

 ciently designed so that they can better do the work formerly per- 

 formed by the Albatross? 



Mr. McKernan. In connection with the fishing portions of these 

 charters, a charter of the fishing vessels themselves is even more ef- 

 ficient, but with respect to any aspects of oceanography and any as- 



