OCEANOGRAPHY 69 



they just travel those routes constantly and the areas where we need 

 information on the depths, on the temperatures, on the type of bottom, 

 and that sort of thing, the very places where we need this information 

 is where the average commercial ship does not go. 



Mr. Bauer. That is one form of industry, but I was thinking par- 

 ticularly of the geophysical exploration industry which has for many 

 years conducted offshore oil surveys, seismic surveys, gravity, and so 

 on. 



Admiral Pierce. Of course, they would have to build the ships and 

 find the crews. 



I am wondering whether the actual cost of this venture would be 

 less or more than by the Government doing it. 



Mr. Bauer. We shall hear from industry on that later this morning. 

 I have one last question, sir. Do you have any idea of the cost of ship 

 operation per mile of survey in round figures ? 



Admiral Pierce. I have figures on the operation of survey vessels 

 by what we call classes, by the size of the vessels. 



We call our class I ship, ships that will run anywhere from 230 feet 

 up to 300 feet. To keep that ship at sea for 9 months with 12 officers 

 and 76 men — in that officer group you could include oceanographers — • 

 would be in the order of $750,000 a year. In other words, the annual 

 cost would be $750,000 and the ship would be at sea 9 months. 



Incidentally, the English have a very well-known oceanographic 

 research vessel, the Discovery II. I noticed in one of their articles that 

 they spoke very proudly of the fact that in the last 4 years that ship 

 had been at sea hal f the time. In other words, it had worked 6 montlis 

 out of t\\Q, year at sea. 



For the class II vessel, around 175 feet in length, carrying 11 officers 

 and 58 men, the cost would be annually a little over $500,000 a year, 

 and the class III vessel, which would have little ability to stay at sea, 

 which is around 135 feet in length, carrvmg six officers, it costs an- 

 nually $230,000. 



These are figures based on Coast and Geodetic Survey's information. 

 This is what it costs to operate ships each year. 



Mr. Bauer. Thank you. 



Mr. Miller. Admiral, I was interested in an implication in part of 

 your statement, starting at the bottom of page 3, where you say that : 



Until 1947, the various programs of the Coast and Geodetic Survey, includ- 

 ing our work in oceanography, were conducted pursuant to authority contained 

 in a niimber of legislative enactments and executive directives promulgated over 

 the period of our 140 years of existence. 



Then you state that the enactment of Public Law 373, 80th Con- 

 gress, gave you a sound and comprehensive statutory basis to perform 

 many of your programs. 



Do we need additional law at this time in view of the importance of 

 oceanography to further give you a sounder basis on which to operate, 

 a firmer basis on which to operate ? 



This is the thing with which we are concerned. Most of the author- 

 ity for oceanography is incidental to some other activity and this 

 committee wants to find out whether there is sufficient legislation on 

 the books or whether we should put more legislation on the books to 

 establish this firmly and give it the type of foundation in consonance 

 with its importance. 



