126 OCEANOGRAPHY 



AVe think there should be an early emphasis on contractual or grant 

 research in this field if for no other season than this is the best way 

 to meet the need for more trained personnel. 



Some other points again are details that should be considered now. 

 Someone earlier this morning mentioned the need to strengthen work 

 in museums on taxonomy and systematics. I think there is a very 

 obvious need for a group such as the National Science Foundation 

 to handle this phase of this program. Under the program that has 

 been proposed earlier this is work that would be delegated to the 

 Bureau of Commercial Fisheries. We have no particular argument 

 with their ability to handle it, but we wonder if the scope might not 

 be mmecessarily limited by their traditional emphasis on trade- 

 oriented problems. 



We appreciate the opportunity of presenting our views to your 

 committee. We have no strong feelings on the establisliment of the 

 national data instrumentation test center other than to urge its early 

 establishment. I think we favor the establishment of the center as 

 it is proposed in the bill under a civilian agency or at least, as pointed 

 out by Dr. Schaofer, in an agency whose authorizing legislation 

 clearly points out that the civilian and military needs will both be 

 met. 



Mr. Chairman, that concludes my statement. I would be happy to 

 answer any questions. 



Mr. Miller. Mr. Bauer? 



Mr. Bauer. We have in the Department of the Interior a Bureau 

 of Sport Fisheries, and from the very' title it indicates that the moti- 

 vation was concerned with sport fishing. We have the Bureau of 

 Commercial Fisheries, and from the very title you would think the 

 motivation would be commercial fisheries, although granted they do 

 basic research in certain instances. 



Have you any idea of what would be the problems presented if one 

 were to propose that in addition to these one had in the Department 

 of the Interior a Bureau of Aquatic Biology? I am saying this in 

 view of the fact that the National Science Foundation is precluded 

 from being operators by their charter. I would like to get your 

 thoughts as to whether that would supply the manifest void that ap- 

 parently exists, granted that the needs of sport fishing and commercial 

 fishing are independent, you would have overlapping, let us say, in 

 the Bureau of Aquatic Biology. However, as far as I laiow, such does 

 not exist in the Government outside of the Smithsonian Institution's 

 Barro-Colorado Island venture. Do you think there is anything to 

 this suggestion ? 



]\Ir, Paul. This is a very interesting question and one I tliink we 

 should look at in terms of history. Originally, of course, the Depart- 

 ment of the Interior's biological work was headed up and contained 

 in a Bureau of Biological Survey. This name persisted until the re- 

 organization of the Department of the Interior, I think, just before 

 the war. I think it was proven back in the early days that it was cer- 

 tainly possible for the Federal Establishment to have an operating 

 agency who was primarily concerned with basic biological informa- 

 tion. 



For a number of reasons this function has been split up. Until the 

 reorganization of the Fish and Wildlife Service 4 years ago much 

 of the basic aquatic biology was the responsibility of the Bureau of 



