This effort is spread over many scientific and engineering disciplines 

 and many technologies; it involves a wide diversity of institutions. 

 The participants include twenty-four bureaus in eleven Federal de- 

 partments and agencies, thirty-three subcommittees of the Congress, 

 and numerous State, regional, and international organizations. In 

 the private sector, participants include universities and maritime, 

 chemical, electronics, aerospace, mineral, oil, fishing, recreational, and 

 other industries. One of the purposes of the Marine Resources and 

 Engineering Development Act of 1966 is to foster a coherent sense 

 of direction and purpose in any expanded program through a creative 

 and cooperative partnership of Government, business, and the aca- 

 demic and scientific communities. 



National Policies and Objectives 



To mobilize the Nation's marine science activities, the Marine Re- 

 sources and Engineering Development Act of 1966 declares it to be 

 the policy of the United States "to develop, encourage, and maintain 

 a coordinated, comprehensive, and long-range national program in 

 marine science for the benefit of mankind to assist in : 

 — protection of health and property, 



— enhancement of commerce, transportation, and national security, 

 — rehabilitation of our commercial fisheries, and 

 — increased utilization of these and other resources." 

 This mandate of the Congress and the President further identifies 

 eight objectives related to these goals. Specifically, the marine science 

 activities of the United States should "contribute to the following 

 objectives : 



— The accelerated development of the resources of the marine 



environment. 

 — The expansion of human knowledge of the marine environment. 

 — The encouragement of private investment enterprise in explora- 

 tion, technological development, marine commerce, and economic 

 utilization of the resources of the marine environment. 

 — The preservation of the role of the United States as a leader in 



marine science and resource development. 

 — The advancement of education and training in marine science. 

 — The development and improvement of the capabilities, perform- 

 ance, use, and efficiency of vehicles, equipment, and instruments for 

 use in exploration, research, surveys, and the recovery of resources, 

 and the transmission of energy in the marine environment. 

 — The effective utilization of the scientific and engineering resources 

 of the Nation, with close cooperation among all interested agencies, 

 public and private, in order to avoid unnecessary duplication of 

 effort, facilities, and equipment, or waste. 



14 



