REPORT ON OCEANOGRAPHY 33 



The Institute of Oceanography at the University of British Colum- 

 bia provides post-graduate courses in physical, chemical, and biological 

 oceanography leading to Master's and Doctor's degrees in each science. 

 Research at the Institute is mostly concerned with fundamental prob- 

 lems in oceanographic processes such as mixing, internal waves, chemical 

 activity of sea water, the relation of fishes to their environment, and the 

 geological processes at work. 



The National Organization that makes all this work possible is 

 simple and economic. While Canada may be counted as one of the well- 

 to-do nations, the resources for oceanographic research are definitely 

 limited. This is a notoriously expensive field of study requiring ships, 

 crews, costly equipment, and highly trained personnel. Prior to the 

 war a large number of agencies dabbled in oceanography, but made 

 little or no progress because they could not finance the work. However, 

 after the war all the government departments that were concerned with 

 oceanography pooled their efforts in the Canadian Joint Committee on 

 Oceanography. The National Research Council, the Navy, the Defense 

 Research Board, the Fisheries, the Hydrographic, and the Meteorological 

 Services, are all members. Each contributes money or facilities, and 

 the Atlantic Oceanographic Group (A.O.G.) or the Pacific Oceano- 

 graphic Group (P.O.G.) carry out the research programs. The Oceano- 

 graphic Committee of the Royal Society holds an annual symposium. 



There are three oceanographic ships on the Pacific Coast, and four 

 on the Atlantic. These are operated by the Navy, some with civilian 

 crews, and some with Naval crews. Base Laboratories are provided by 

 the Fisheries Research Board on each coast. Publication is provided in 

 the Journal of the Fisheries Research Board, the Canadian Journal of 

 Research, Proceedings of the Royal Society and a Manuscript Series 

 from each Oceanographic Group. 



In general, the Oceanographic Groups undertake all surveys and 

 longterm observations, applied problems, and large fundamental pro- 

 blems. This consolidation is a great saving because it is often possible 

 to satisfy several demands from the same set of data. For example, the 

 daily seawater observations provide indices of submarine climate for 

 the fisheries and an index of oceanographic conditions. 



The arrangement has worked satisfactorily for eight years, and is 

 gaining wider acceptance and support all the time. 



