OCEANOGRAPHY 175 



The program itself consists of basic research. It comes about 

 through the support by tlie Office of Naval Eesearch of unsolicited 

 projects from scientists "who are mterestecl in pursuing basic research 

 of primary concern to themselves so that essentially the Navy here 

 buys into tlie "brain power" of the scientist without in any way ori- 

 enting his interests. The scientist is happy in being able to pursue 

 the basic research, the Navy is happy in getting another bit of knowl- 

 edge to fit into a meaningful mosaic of programmatic information 

 that will further naval operations. 



Now, gentlemen, this particular progi*am is confronted with a nirni- 

 ber of practical handicaps. The handicaps are the ones that confront 

 the basic researchers working in the fields of interest to the Navy. 

 Taxonomy, as presented earlier, is one of considerable importance in 

 hydrobiolog3\ The necessity for identifying and classifj^ing marine 

 animals and phints of peculiar concern to the Na\"y is an important one 

 and yet we find that all too frecpently we are not able to get the in- 

 formation required from the limited nmnber of systematists located 

 at such institutions as the American ^lusemn of Natural History in 

 New York, the U.S. National Museum in "Washington, D.C, or the 

 relatively few other taxonomic centers in the United States of Amer- 

 ica. These men are terribl}" overburdened. Sometimes we have to 

 wait for months or even years to get the information we require. 



They have a backlog of collections that will take jenrs to work up. 



The situation is accentuated by the fact that relatively few young 

 men and women are willing to come into the field of taxonomy because 

 there are few jobs Avaiting for them. 



Finally, the matter of ships for biological research: I thmk it is 

 important that we recognize that although the institutions of ocea- 

 nography in this country possess some of the most competent biolo- 

 gists that are available in the United States, the great preponderance 

 of competent biologists contributing to our program reside outside of 

 oceanographic mstitutions. 



Nevertheless, they need field and laljoratory tools similar to the 

 oceanographers. These they are not able to get because very few 

 marine or fresh water laboratories associated with miiversities have 

 the financial means to provide the scientists with sufficient equipment 

 to realize their maximum capabilities. 



On the matter of research ships, for example, the biologist very 

 frequently has a special need for research ships which is quite different 

 from the need of the oceanographer. There is a necessity for the 

 biologist to get out into the oceans for a long enough period of time to 

 study the animals and plants in their natural environments in order to 

 determine in a coordinated way the seasonal and geographic distribu- 

 tion of these animals and plants. Right now it is very difficult for 

 them to do this because they do not have the research ships. 



As a result, they have to rely on preserved collections and the cultur- 

 ing of organisms in the laboratory. It is not possible to rear many 

 marine animals, especially deep sea forms, in the laboratory. 



Both of these facets are quite important in their own right but they 

 do not offer a suitable substitute for field research. 



I will be very happy, gentlemen, to answer any questions that you 

 may have. 



]Mr. DixGELL. Thank vou verv much. Doctor. 



Mr. Bauer? 



