Marine Science Affairs 



clothing, shelter, transportation systems, and operational techniques — 

 makes possible year-round human occupancy and work. 



The Arctic region, consisting largely of international areas subject to the 

 high seas regime affording freedom of transit, is important to the development 

 of the United States and the North American continent. It affords the short- 

 est distance between the continents of Eurasia and North America. The 

 Arctic Ocean may take on increased significance as the technologies of 

 underice, icepack, and aerospace operations are more fully developed and 

 as the economic potential of the Arctic littoral is realized. 



Oil and gas of the Arctic can help meet U.S. strategic requirements if 

 energy reserves from foreign sources are cut off in times of emergency. An 

 alternate supply of petroleum could also ease the dependence of our 

 major allies on Mideast and African oil. While the plentiful strategic and 

 precious metals in the Arctic are not being intensively exploited, they are 

 likely to be in the long term as the world's population expands and other 

 sources are depleted. Also, economic development of Arctic resources may 

 be a promising way to improve urgent social and economic problems of the 

 indigenous population of Alaska. 



Scientific observations in the Arctic are of key importance because that 

 region critically influences global weather patterns and ocean circulation, 

 permafrost and sea ice properties, upper atmospheric phenomena, and ul- 

 timately all marine and terrestrial ecosystems. In addition, archaeological, 

 social, and anthropological investigations of native populations would be of 

 great scientific interest. 



Internationally, the Arctic Ocean makes us neighbors to four other na- 

 tions — U.S.S.R., Norway, Denmark, and Canada. Although Finland, 

 Sweden, and Iceland do not abut the Arctic Ocean, they too share our con- 

 cern over exploration, development, settlement, and exploitation of the 

 Arctic region. Japan has shown increased interest in Arctic resources as 

 manifested by investment and commerce, primarily with Alaska and Can- 

 ada, in far northern resources such as timber and oil. The environmental 

 hazards, high costs, and limited U.S. expertise make international coopera- 

 tion in Arctic exploration very attractive. 



Developing an Arctic Policy 



The Marine Sciences Council developed and endorsed the following 

 statements as a point of departure in considering a national Arctic policy, 

 which must be developed on a broader basis than only marine sciences, and 

 in considering mechanisms for carrying forth such a national policy. 



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