The bathythermograph shdes received from units of the Fleet and 

 other governmental and privately-sponsored surveys are processed by 

 the contractors. A total of over ten thousand processed bathythermo- 

 graph records was received by the Office during the year. 



Compilation of Oceanographic Data. — Once the data has been received 

 by the Office it must be processed so that it may be filed and be readily 

 accessible for use during the preparation of charts, manuals, and reports. 

 Some types of data, received in tabulated form, are filed without further 

 processing. Other types of recorded information such as that on the 

 sea and swell forms and the Special Observer's Logs are punched into 

 IBM cards for ease of filing and sorting. 



The bathythermograph records, which number approximately two 

 hundred thousand, are photographic copies of the originals. During 

 fiscal 1948 the entire collection of bathythermographs were refiled by 

 global quadrant, one degree quadrangle and by month. 



Bibliographic Files. — One important phase of the oceanographic 

 compilation programme is the acquisition and maintenance of a biblio- 

 graphic file. This file includes not only the card index, cross referenced 

 to subject, author, and area, but also, whenever possible, copies of the 

 technical papers and reports, either published or manuscript. 



Oceanographic Publications. — The end products of the survey and 

 compilation programmes are the publications. As the types of data 

 concerned with the oceans cover many basic fields of science, the resulting 

 publications are also varied, both in type and subject. Examples of 

 these publications include current, sea, and swell and temperature atlases, 

 sonar, bottom sediment, density and temperature charts ; reports, for 

 general or specific areas, relating to currents, sea, and swell, currents, 

 sea ice, &c., and various other technical and popular studies relating 

 to all phases of oceanography. 



Oceanographic Conferences. — As this Office is responsible for all oceano- 

 graphic work conducted by the armed forces it is necessary that close 

 liaison be maintained among all activities concerned. These activities, 

 in part, include the Research and Development Board, the Bureaus and 

 Offices of the Navy Department, the Army and the Air Forces. Also 

 other governmental agencies, such as Fish and Wildlife Service, the 

 Coast Guard, and non-governmental activities such as the various 

 oceanographic laboratories and universities, must be frequently consulted. 

 The most practicable way to maintain this liaison and co-operation 

 is through conferences of interested personnel. During fiscal 1948 

 personnel from this Office attended a total of 118 conferences which 

 met in Washington, Baltimore, Seattle, San Francisco, Woods Hole, 

 and other localities on oceanographic matters. 



Liaison on Oceanographic Matter. — Through co-operation with other 

 agencies, both governmental and non-governmental, domestic and 

 foreign, the amount of oceanographic data received was considerably 

 increased. Reporting forms were supplied to the Swedish research vessel 

 the " Albatross " ; close liaison was maintained between the Fish and 

 Wildlife Service and the Division resulting in a mutual exchange of data ; 

 tidal information was procured from the Coast and Geodetic Survey. 

 Considerable information was obtained from oceanographic laboratories 

 and activities in foreign countries. 



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