OCEANOGRAPHY IN THE UNITED STATES 389 



You did in this budget ask for additional fimds for development 

 work on a new research vessel ; is that not correct ? 



Mr. McKernan. In which budget ? 



Mr. Drewry. Your current budget. 



Mr. McKernan. The 1961 budget? 



Mr. Drewry. Is it 1961 or 1960? 



Mr. McKernan. The budget we recently submitted to the Depart- 

 ment and which still, insofar as I know", is a confidential depart- 

 mental budget, I do not believe I am at liberty to disclose what 

 we asked for. 



Mr. Drewry. What I understood was you requested something like 

 $100,000 for design and development work in the 1960 budget. 



Mr. McKernan. We are very thankful that this was put into our 

 budget in the Senate, Mr. Drewry, and sustained by the House, we 

 understand. We are very pleased and thankful for this and we have 

 started preliminary studies leading toward design of a proper research 

 vessel for New England. 



Mr. Drewry. Will this be a prototype design or a special vessel? 



Mr. McKernan. We will attempt to develop a design which might 

 have broader application. In the case of fisheries research vessels, 

 fisheries research and oceanographic vessels, sometimes one suited for 

 the New England area might not be suited for the more tropical 

 or semitropical waters either by reason of the kind of experimental 

 fishing to be carried on in the boat or by weather itself. 



For example, fishermen and research people out in New England 

 and the North Atlantic region, the vessel has to have considerably 

 different characteristics from those that we use in the Hawaiian Is- 

 lands, for example. 



Mr. Drewry. How will you proceed with this design and develop- 

 ment work ? Will you call on your own resources ? I do not suppose 

 you have any naval architects in the Interior Department. 



Mr. McKernan. No. 



Mr. Drewry. Will you work with the Maritime Administration or 

 will you go to outside contractors ? 



Mr. McKernan. We will work with Maritime Administration and 

 outside architects. 



Mr. Drewry. Similar to the way Coast and Geodetic Survey has 

 done with their survey vessels ; is that correct ? 



Mr. McKernan. I believe that is the way they do it, also. 



Mr. Drewry. Several years ago there w^as talk of a 10-year pro- 

 gram which Fish and Wildlife Service had itself. What is the 

 status of that program at the present time ? 



Mr. McKernan. Yes, you had reference — and very hightly so — • 

 to the matter of advanced programing and looking into the long- 

 range needs for ocean research. We have been doing that. In fact, 

 I was a member of a survey team back in the winter of 1956-57 which 

 did study the long-range needs of our particular bureau. That 

 particular program is still under fairly active consideration within 

 the Department but has not been approved nor released by the De- 

 partment yet. 



Mr. Drewry. It is still within the Department? 



Mr. McKernan. Yes. 



Mr. Drewry. When it receives departmental approval, then what 

 happens to it? 



