Marine Science Affairs 



ence with sea lanes at the approaches to New York Harbor, Delaware Bay, 

 and San Francisco. Sea lanes are projected for Cook Inlet and the Chesa- 

 peake Bay. Also, a system of fairways leading to all of the principal U.S. 

 ports in the Gulf of Mexico has been established. These sea lanes and fair- 

 ways are being delineated on all appropriate coastal charts being prepared 

 by ESSA. 



Channel and Harbor Improvement 



The Corps of Engineers has primary responsibility for construction, 

 maintenance, and protection of channels and harbors ^ and supports re- 

 search in such areas as channel hydrodynamics, shoaling, stability of break- 

 waters and jetties, silting of ship channels, harbor surges, wave dynamics, 

 currents, and sediment movement. 



The development of new dredging techniques and equipment to keep 

 pace with dredging requirements for deeper navigation channels and in- 

 creased pumping distances to disposal areas should receive particular at- 

 tention. The Corps has 57 coastal channel and harbor improvement projects 

 currently underway, for which the total Federal costs are estimated to be 

 $1.09 billion.^ Congress has authorized (but not funded) another 90 proj- 

 ects, to cost an estimated $1.1 billion. 



Even with these planned improvements, however, many existing chan- 

 nels will not be adequate to accommodate the deeper draft tankers and dry 

 bulk vessels now operating. These newer vessels and further technological 

 advances will necessitate new or improved channel and harbor facilities. 

 The need for dredging may be reduced by development of ports on a 

 regional basis or by construction of ofTshore terminal facilities. 



Improving Navigation Aids 



The Marine Sciences Council endorsed as a priority efTort development of 

 a national plan for navigation, currently being prepared by the Department 

 of Transportation (Coast Guard and Federal Aviation Administration), 



^ There are now 500 commercial harbors with depths up to 45 feet, approximately 

 250 small craft harbors, and about 23,000 miles of inland and intracoastal waterways. 



^ Major individual projects are New York Harbor, Chesapeake and Delaware Canal, 

 Mississippi River at the Gulf Outlet, the Sacramento River, connecting channels 

 in the Great Lakes, and Cross-Florida Barge Canal. 



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