58 OCEANOGRAPHY 



Chesapeake Bay Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Md. 



Maury — Oceanographic research vessel ; constructed, 1950 ; length, 58 feet ; 

 beam, 15 feet ; scientists, 4 ; crew, 4 ; displacement, 34 tons ; range, 300 miles. 

 Outfitted for oceanographic research in bays and estuaries. In 1959, the Maury 

 spent 133 days performing work in Chesapeake Bay. Operating cost is $250 

 per day, 50 percent Navy support. 



'Narragansett Marine Laboratory, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, R.I. 



Billy — A small 40-f()ot boat used for limited research within Narragansett 

 Bay. In 1959 the l>nit spent 152 days at work on the bay. In addition, per- 

 sonnel from the Narragansett Marine Laboratory spent 30 days, during 1959, 

 performing oceanographic research from U.S. Navy destroyers in the open ocean. 



Hudson Laboratories, Columbia University, Dobbs Ferry, N.Y. 



Josiah Gibbs — Converted AVP ; construction, World War II : length, 310 

 feet ; beam, 41 feet ; scientists, 30 ; crew, 48 ; displacement, 2,750 tons. Out- 

 fitted for all types of oceanographic research. In 1959, the Gibbs spent 212 

 days at sea. Operating costs were $2,150 per day, 100 percent Navy support. 



Mr. Miller. Admiral Pierce, you were next on the list. If you 

 do not mind coming; up on another day, maybe we can get through 

 with a part of this thing and take all of your testimony at once. 



Maj. Gen. W. K. Wilson, Jr., president of the Beach Erosion Board. 



STATEMENT OF MAJ. GEN. W. K. WILSON, JK., PRESIDENT, BEACH 

 EROSION BOARD; ACCOMPANIED BY JOSEPH M. CALDWELL, 

 CHIEF, RESEARCH DIVISION, BEACH EROSION BOARD, CORPS OF 

 ENGINEERS, U.S. ARMY 



General Wilson. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am a little out- 

 numbered here this morning. 



Mr. Chairman, I am Maj. Gen. W. K. Wilson, Jr. I am Deputy 

 Chief of Engineers for Construction and in that position I am also 

 president of our Beach Erosion Board. 



I have with me, Mr. Caldwell, who is in the permanent staff of our 

 Beach Erosion Board. 



I feel somewhat like I am standing on the beach just getting my 

 feet wet while these depths are being explored and, as a matter of 

 fact, our whole problem could be called either a fringe problem or 

 a fringe benefit. 



Our basic concern is to bring into the program on oceanographic 

 research the fact that the nearest shore is a portion of it and the basic 

 scientific information on the nearest shore is almost in the same 

 category as we have been hearing. 



The amount of information we have is very limited. 



I would like to point out just briefly why the Army, as such, is con- 

 cerned. You no doubt are aware that the civil works mission of the 

 Corps of Engineers consists of three major f mictions: the improve- 

 ment and maintenance of navigable waterways, first authorized in 

 1924; flood control and related water resource development, author- 

 ized on a national basis in 1927; and beach erosion control measuMes 

 in 1930. In addition to these three functions — that is, navigation, 

 flood control, and beach erosion control — Congress in 1955 handed the 

 Corps of Engineers responsibility for developing hurricane protection 

 measures along our seacoast. 



From the above, it is seen that the Corps of Engmeers is vitally in- 

 terested in inshore physical oceanography, as it furnishes the scientific 

 basis of design of our navigation improvements at coastal inlets and 



