Surveying the Ocean Environment 



— improvement in ocean prediction services, including broader use 

 of fleet ships for data collection^ refinement of sound propagation 

 models, and expanded use of air-dropped expendable sensors (Navy) ; 

 and 

 — continuous measurement of inshore wave action at 23 stations on 

 the U.S. coast to assist coastal engineering activities (Corps of 

 Engineers) . 

 Also, the Joint Chiefs of Staff established a Special Assistant for Environ- 

 mental Services to improve coordination of Defense Department environ- 

 mental activities, including marine activities. 



Development of Buoy Technology 



Preliminary studies have indicated that oceanographic buoys appear to be 

 a cost-effective means for acquiring synoptic data on ocean and atmospheric 

 conditions needed to achieve major gains in environmental forecasting.^ 

 Therefore, in 1967 the Council recommended that the Coast Guard be 

 assigned lead-agency responsibility for further research, development, test- 

 ing, and evaluation to advance data buoy technology and determine system 

 requirements preparatory to a future decision on establishing a National 

 Data Buoy System. 



During 1968, the Coast Guard intensified its efforts to refine user re- 

 quirements for marine environmental information, to study the dynamics 

 of the marine phenomena to be measured, to analyze the role of data buoys 

 in relation to other data collection systems, to develop needed analytical 

 tools, to develop a satellite data relay capability, and to study the manage- 

 ment of high frequency communication channels assigned for transmission 

 of oceanographic data. The broad approach endorsed by the Council to be 

 carried forward in FY 1970 is designed to lead to the procurement and de- 

 velopment of a prototype system of 35 unmanned telemetering buoys 



^ A recent major study, funded jointly by Federal agencies, concluded that systems 

 of data buoys with wide geographical coverage are technically feasible and the most 

 cost-effective means of satisfying a large number of government-wide operational 

 and research requirements for marine meteorological and oceanographic data. The 

 study analyzed and categorized four sets of requirements for marine data: (a) global 

 (deep ocean, large scale — 300 to 500 mile grid) ; (b) coastal North America (medium 

 scale — 50 to 200 mile grid) ; (c) Great Lakes and estuaries (territorial U.S. waters, 

 small scale — 10 to 50 mile grid) ; and (d) research requirements (all areas, various 

 scales from large to very small scale grid). The study showed that a substantial 

 saving is possible if buoy systems are designed and operated to serve national require- 

 ments for data acquisition as opposed to single agency requirements. 



157 



