358 OCEANOGRAPHY IN THE UNITED STATES 



With that I will submit those papers as part of my remarks. 



Mr. Miller. Without objection, they will be made part of the record. 



(The attachments to Mr. Rivers' statement follow :) 



State of Alaska, 

 Department of Fish and Game, 



Juneau, Alaska, June 11, 19-59. 

 Hon. Ralph J. Rivers, 

 House Office Building, 

 Washington, D.C. 



Dear Ralph : In accordance with our recent conversation in Washington, D.C, 

 I am forwarding the enclosed statement concerning the Alaska Department of 

 Fish and Game Kitoi Bay Research Station on Afognak Island near Kodiak. I 

 hope that it may be of use to you in obtaining Federal assistance for the station's 

 program in conducting oceanographic research with particular reference to the 

 biological resources of the sea. 



This supplements the brief description of the station forwarded through you on 

 April 2, 1959, to Congressman George P. Miller. 

 With best personal regards. 

 Sincerely, 



C. L. Anderson, Commissioner. 



Objectives, Needs, and Costs of Expanded Oceanographic- Fisheries Research 

 Program for Alaska Department of Fish and Game Kitoi Bay Research 



Station 



Prepared June 1959 by Alaska Department of Fish and Game 



The abundance and distribution of our marine biological resources is dictated 

 by the environment in which these populations live, and this is true of populations 

 now being harvested as well as those which are, at present, unexploited. This is 

 true for the strictly marine forms such as halibut, cod, shrimp, and crabs, as 

 well as for such anadromous species as salmon, trout, and smelt whose life his- 

 tories involve both fresh water and the ocean. Fundamental knowledge of the 

 complex interrelationships of fish in Alaskan waters to oceanographic factors 

 is the key to foresight rather than handsight. With a suflScient understanding 

 of the marine environment, management agencies can accurately predict what may 

 be safely harvested, and keep stocks at a self-sustaining high level of productivity. 



A very significant facet of the life history of many of the ocean fish popula- 

 tions involves the environment over the Continental Shelf and along the shore 

 areas. Although the science of oceanography has advanced greatly, much of it has 

 been in the open ocean and in deep sea studies. The comparatively minor fringe 

 areas of the ocean have received the least attention. However, considering the 

 development of marine fisheries resources, it may well be the most important part 

 of oceanography. 



It is submitted that the Kitoi Bay Research Station is in a unique position to 

 make major contributions in oceanographic studies of the Continental Shelf 

 and shore areas which will relate closely with the life histories and factors of 

 abundance of the numerous fish populations along the Alaska coastline. To 

 accomplish this, however, the marine research facilities of the station need 

 expanding. 



As indicated in a i)revious report prepared in April 1059, the Kitoi Bay 

 Research Station, already consisting of substantial facilities in buildings, lab- 

 oratory and field equipment and already concerned with an extensive fisheries 

 research program, is still subject to serious limitations of capital and opera- 

 tions budgets. Its work in research would be considerably enhanced and a large 

 fund of information developed if monetary assistance was given for oceano- 

 graphic and fisheries work. 



Kitoi Bay is centrally located with regard to the fisheries resources of the 

 Gulf of Alaska and the Bering Sea. It constitutes an ideal base location for 

 marine research for the entire area. Further, in the general region of the sta- 

 tion itself, th(> sea gives promise of great future conuuercial production. The 

 nearby city of Kodiak may well lie the center of a future major fisheries indus- 

 try, ranking higli witli tho.se fishing centers of the rest of the world. 



With adequate equipment and staff, hmg-term research could be conducted 

 along the .shoreline and over the Continental Shelf adjacent to the southern and 

 western coastlines of Alaska. Initially, the oceanography of the Kodiak region 



