324 OCEANOGRAPHY IN THE UNITED STATES 



asked to develop information about the possible effects on the Colum- 

 bia Kiver fisheries of the building and operation of plutonium re- 

 actors. The Applied Fisheries Laboratory has continued these 

 studies to tlie present time and has advised the Commission concern- 

 ing the effects of the testing program on tlie biota of the Pacific test 

 site. The Applied Fisheries Laboratory, which is now called the 

 Laboratory of Radiation Biology, was recently selected as a prime con- 

 tractor to evaluate the effects of the Alaska harbor project (Chariot) 

 on tlie surrounding ocean environment. 



Although the Commission had long been aware of the possibility 

 of temporary contamination of land and water areas by atomic testing, 

 the unexpectedly heavy yield from the Bravo shot of March 1, 1954, 

 focused attention on the vital need for more adequate oceanographic 

 data to augment the predictions of effects of nuclear detonations on 

 living organisms. The Commission sent several scientists to Japan 

 to discuss the radiobiological aspects of the incident with their ma- 

 rine scientists. A w^orking arrangement was made permitting the ex- 

 change of duplicate samples of fishes collected before and after the 

 1956 and 1958 tests. 



The discussion with the Japanese scientists followed the March 1, 

 1954, event in which there was fallout upon a Japanese fishing vessel. 

 Some AEC people were sent to Japan to discuss this problem with 

 them. 



By the time of the "Wigwam" detonation off the coast of lower Cali- 

 fornia in May 1955, the Commission had set up a temporary fish moni- 

 toring program at the camieries on the west coast of the United States. 

 The Food and Drug Administration, which conducted the monitoring, 

 was able to assure the public that the fishes caught off the coast were 

 not contaminated by fission products. 



Because of the paucity of general oceanographic data in the Pacific 

 test area the prediction of the distribution of radioisotopes from 

 Eniwetok-Bikini by ocean currents was uncertain, and therefore it 

 became necessary for the Commission to sponsor open sea oceanog- 

 raphic surveys in 1955, 1956, and 1958. A Coast Guard cutter was 

 used in 1955 and Navy ships provided transportation for the latter two 

 cruises. Although the data collected during these cruises were favor- 

 ably received, they pointed up the necessity of continued oceanog- 

 raphic work before a very clear undei-standing was possible of the 

 environmental forces responsible for determining the effects of the 

 detonations on tlie environment. 



It is to be noted that in these endeavors the Scripps Institution of 

 Oceanography has assisted the Commission greatly for a number of 

 years in carrying out special studies related to the weapons testing 

 program, as well as the performance of biological oceanographic sur- 

 veys, especially for the "Wigwam" operation. 



In addition to the release of radioactive isotopes by detonation of 

 nuclear devices, it is obvious that other sources of radioactive mate- 

 rials will become more important to oceanographers. Small quantities 

 of very low level wastes are now being packaged in concrete filled bar- 

 rels for disposal at sea. Some low level (low activity) wastes are in- 

 herently associated with industrial uses as well as with the medical 

 research uses of radioisotopes. A part of these wastes from installa- 

 tions convenient to the seacoast are disposed of to the oceans. 



