research. Perhaps the most notable example is that of the samples and in- 

 formation gathered from the Challenger Expedition (1872-76) which are 

 still being examined and compared with contemporary studies. 



The marine sciences are multidisciplinary; marine scientists apply the 

 fundamental disciplines of physics, chemistry, and mathematics as well as 

 biology, astronomy, geology, and meteorology to their study of the world 

 ocean. 



Influenced by the rotation of the earth, imbalance in solar heating, and 

 interactions with the atmosphere, the world ocean acts as a large moderating 

 system. But the ocean is not homogeneous; various physical and chemical 

 processes act on it to bring out differences in water masses and natural fer- 

 tility. Boundary conditions imposed by continental masses and undersea 

 topography mold the contemporary conditions within the ocean basins. 



As in other environmentally dependent disciplines, single solutions to a 

 problem are never without relation to other causes or eflfects. Perhaps the 

 geologic concept of "multiple working hypotheses" is an apt description of 

 the nature of the present research endeavor in the marine sciences. But a 

 multiple hypothesis approach implies a number of investigators and investi- 

 gations, some operating on a small laboratory scale, others on collection and 

 synthesis of information for the solution of global problems. 



The investigations and some highlights of last year's work, presented in 

 this chapter, are noteworthy examples of the nature of the marine sciences 

 program — a blend of many problems and workers, each contributing to 

 our understanding of the world ocean. 



Arctic and Northern Cold Regions 



The development of the Arctic and its adjoining areas often involves 

 finding unique solutions to complex problems. It has become apparent, for 

 example, that vast quantities of natural resources await us, yet in terms of 

 exploration the area is extremely inhospitable. The environment is still 

 largely unpolluted, although pollutants could persist for unusual lengths of 

 time. The shortest routes between many world centers cross Arctic lands 

 and waters, yet routine, scheduled commercial marine transportation through 

 the Arctic region still lies far in the future. Strategically, the Arctic is of 

 great importance but its environment precludes conventional surface naval 

 operations and greatly changes the nature of most other military actions. 



Because of the Arctic's overall significance and resource potential Arctic 

 environmental research was one of the five initiatives selected by the Presi- 

 dent for immediate, priority attention. Major objectives of the Arctic pro- 

 grams will be — 



( 1 ) Investigations of the polar icepack, including its effect on trans- 

 portation and global weather; its interaction with coastal installations 

 and morphology of the coastline; and its impact on sedimentation 

 processes and coastal ecology ; 



(2) Study of the polar magnetic field and its effect on 

 communications ; 



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