Marine Science Affairs 



Surveys of the marine science activities of other nations, U.S. -funded 

 marine science programs abroad, and marine activities of international 

 organizations were also undertaken by the Council staff. These surveys 

 have highlighted the large number of different ministries involved in marine 

 activities in almost every nation, the variety of U.S. -sponsored cooperative 

 projects throughout the world, and the diversity of the activities of the 

 many international organizations involved in marine matters. Some of these 

 surveys will be released in 1968. 



Strengthening International Arrangements 



While the previous discussion reflects our immediate concerns, increas- 

 ing attention is being devoted to longer-term questions and programs, 

 particularly: 



1 . A Legal Regime for the Deep Ocean Seabed 



As inter-governmental attention focuses on the seabed, two paramount 

 issues arise : "What should be the seaward limit of the Continental Shelf?" 

 and "What resources are there beyond the Continental Shelf and who should 

 control them?" The work of the ad hoc Committee of the General Assembly 

 should contribute to a better understanding of the issues involved while 

 the programs for international ocean exploration described below are in- 

 tended to provide new insights into resource distribution. 



A desirable early step in the evolution of the legal regime for the seabed 

 would be international accord on certain general principles. As already 

 enunciated by the United States, the seabed should not become a stage 

 for a new form of colonial rivalry and should not be subjected to claims 

 of national sovereignty. Rather, the seabed should be open to exploration 

 and use by all states without discrimination. International standards should 

 be set to foster orderly exploration and use of the seabed. Cooperative 

 scientific research of the seabed should be encouraged together with broad 

 dissemination of results. Activities on the seabed should be conducted with 

 reasonable regard for the activities of other states. Pollution and interference 

 with the traditional freedoms of the seas should be avoided. 



2. International Ocean Exploration 



Without more scientific knowledge of the distribution and extent of 

 ocean resources, no nation can optimally develop and utilize them. Our 

 lack of knowledge of the scale and location of ocean resources also hampers 

 the making of sound policy decisions, domestically and internationally, affect- 

 ing commercial, scientific, and political interests. This highlights the im- 

 portance of increased scientific knowledge to fuller use of the potential of 

 the oceans and to informed decisions concerning ocean activities. 



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