OCEANOGRAPHY 127 



Commercial Fisheries, Tlie Division of Sport Fisheries is too new 

 to evaluate. Because of funding problems their branch of research 

 has not had a chance to develop too effectively. I think this was 

 brought out quite cleurly in the hearings on the Lennon bill last year 

 by your committee. 



As to the possible advantages of establishing yet another bureau 

 directly concerned with basic biological studies within the Fish and 

 Wildlife Service, my personal inclination is that this would tend to 

 be self-limiting. Adequate fmids would be hard to secure. I would 

 rather see a strong program to take advantage of the pool of biologi- 

 cal talent available outside the Federal Government. We have heard 

 a lot of this discussion as far as basic research in missiles and rockets 

 is concerned. It is equally true in biology. 



I am more inclined to favor the approach of working for a 

 strengthening of the marine biological section in the National Science 

 Fomidation with primarily emphasis on contractual research with 

 academic institutions. If gaps appear as this program is strength- 

 ened, they should be filled in by strengthening the existing agencies 

 within the Fish and Wildlife Service. 



I do not see any real need or any advantage particularly in trying 

 to establish a basic scientific unit withm Interior. 



Mr. Bauer. Thank you. 



Mr. Miller. Are there any further questioning? I want to thank 

 you, Mr. Paul, for coming up. We always enjoy seeing you here. 



I want to say in behalf of sports fishing that the economic result 

 and value to the country, not directl}' but tlirough collateral channels, 

 is very great. Weighed against other interested facets of this work, 

 I am certain in many cases it would be surprising if people got a good 

 look at it. I think more money is expended by people seeking recrea- 

 tion in the field of fisheries, and mcreasingly so with the salt water 

 fishing, than many of us stop to realize. Its impact on the economy 

 is very' great. I think it deserves every consideration. Thank you. 



Mr. Paul. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, 



Mr. Miller. Next is Dr. Colmnbus O'Domiell Iselin. We have 

 got to get that "O'Donnell" m there because that is part of the Irish. 

 We welcome you here, sir. 



STATEMENT OF DR. COLUMBUS O'DONNELL ISELIN, WOODS HOLE 

 OCEANOGRAPHIC INSTITUTION, WOODS HOLE, MASS. 



Dr. IsELiN. Mr. Chairman, at its last meeting the Academy Com- 

 mittee on Oceanography studied carefully the proposed Marine 

 Science and Research Act of 1959. We read it carefully and made 

 some comments. We fomid a few very minor inconsistencies. I be- 

 lieve that a copy of tliis piece of paper is already available to you. 

 Therefore, it seems to me it would be more useful if I attempt this 

 morning to make some general comments about the development of 

 marine science in this country and about some of the difficulties that, 

 as I see the situation, seem to lie ahead. 



Oceanography, as we know it today, grew out of the interests of 

 European naturalists during the latter part of the 19th century in the 

 sea as the original environment for the development of life on this 

 planet. In about 1900 physical oceanography hardly existed, but al- 

 ready by this time extensive collections of marine organisms had ac- 



