166 OCEANOGRAPHY 



existed that would cause the mutation to the pathogenic strain, then 

 this could be a possibility. 



Mr. Bauer. Now, not to change the subject very much, but have 

 you any feeling about where a data center for oceanographic informa- 

 tion of a biological nature should be placed ? 



Dr. Ray. I would like to say first of all a data center for biological 

 information to a biologist means a museum. 



I recognize, of course, that the physical data, the chemical data, 

 are essential to gather into one place and to be made available and 

 on such information a biologist would often wish to call, but when 

 it comes to the knowledge of the biological features in the sea for the 

 most part, let us say one of the most important aspects of the collec- 

 tion of information is the collection of specimens and their proper 

 identification. 



This means that the animals, the plants, the micro-organisms, must 

 be available for study and as reference collections for comparative 

 studies throughout time and this, of course, means the U.S. National 

 Museum which has this function already directed to it imder its 

 statutoiy existence as an independent branch of the Government. 



I think that in terms of thinking about data centers for oceano- 

 graphic work one must keep in mind the needs of biology in this re- 

 spect and include the U.S. National Museum and possibly other nm- 

 seums as well as a repository of the basic biological information in 

 terms of collections. 



Mr. Bauer. Thank you. 



Mr. DiNGELL. Mr. Pelly ? 



Mr. Pelly. Dr. Ray, where is the American National Museum 

 that you referred to ? 



Dr. Ray. The U.S. National Museum is a part of the Smithsonian 

 Institution. 



Mr. Pelly. I understand now. I did not quite know it by that 

 name. 



In other words, you feel that for want of funds, the Museum has 

 not been able to keep up and give the student and the scientist suf- 

 ficient material for their work ? 



Dr. Ray. I think there are a number of factors here. The museum 

 staff in terms at least of the people who are active in the curating, 

 identification, description of materials from marine collections, are 

 among our leading taxonomists in this country. They have, how- 

 ever, been expected or have had the responsibility to do far more than 

 is possible for anyone or small group of individuals to do. One of 

 the difficulties has been that in biological surveys and expeditions 

 of the past there has been plenty of financial, or at least enough fi- 

 ancial support so that the work has been done to collect, to preserve, 

 and to bring to shore the specimens that represent the areas that have 

 been visited, but there has never been adequate provision for paying 

 for the personnel, to study these materials afterward and to bring 

 the results of the study to publication. 



I understand from Dr. Waldo Schmidt, who has retired, but he 

 was the curator of the marine invertebrates, there was 10 yeare' work 

 simply to study the collections of the past, with the present personnel 

 and amount of money available and still after studies are made, there 

 is insufficient provision within the budget to publish the work after 



