Marine Science Affairs 



— The development and improvement of the capabilities, performance, 

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

 in exploration, research, surveys, 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. 



— The cooperation by the United States with other nations and groups 

 of nations and international organizations in marine science activi- 

 ties when such cooperation is in the national interest." ^ 



Role of the Marine Sciences Council 



The Marine Sciences Council, in the Executive Office of the President, 

 assists the President in policy planning and coordination of the activities in 

 24 bureaus of 11 Federal departments and agencies (see Table I.l) by 

 seeking to: (a) identify unmet needs and opportunities to which Federal 

 marine science programs could be directed, especially gaps resulting from 

 programs that cross agency lines; (b) recommend priorities on a Govern- 

 ment-wide basis by selecting areas deserving additional emphasis; (c) 

 identify impediments to progress and strategies for their circumvention; 

 (d) develop policies by which the objectives and programs of one agency 

 will not inadvertently conflict with equally valid but independent activities 

 of another; (e) recommend — in those cases where missions of several agen- 

 cies may overlap — that one agency assume a lead responsibility for Govern- 

 ment-wide planning, guiding, coordinating, and assuring fiscal support; (f) 

 coordinate — through a committee structure — programs which are of concern 

 to many agencies; (g) insure that the appropriate resources of the Federal 

 Government are brought to bear on mutually agreed upon goals; (h) 

 evaluate programs so as to eliminate marginal activities; and (i) develop 

 background legal, economic, and technological studies to help in identifying 

 alternative policies and criteria for choice. 



The Council has met 11 times since August 1966. It has developed a 

 number of program and policy recommendations discussed in subsequent 

 chapters. Most of its attention has been devoted to isolating urgent problems 

 deserving priority attention, planning programs, and insuring that necessary 

 funding and leadership are provided. 



' PL 89-454. 



