OCEAlsr SCIENCES ANJD NATIONAL SECURITY 15 



sponsorship did not continue indefinitely, and the situation which 

 prevailed nia}' be summarized as follows: 



With the onset of World War II, practical applications of oceanography were 

 recognized by the Armed Forces and funds became available for oceanographic 

 work of all sorts. After the war, inflation made it impossible to continue 

 oceanographic research on the pre-war scale without additional support. The 

 Government has continued to provide this. Nevertheless the healthy growth of 

 oceanography has been hampered by the uncertainty as to how long this support 

 may be available, and by other restrictions. i" 



It was with tliis backgroinid of pessimism that a second study to 

 review the needs of science of the oceans was initiated by the National 

 Academy' of Sciences in 1949. The results were published in 1951, 

 simunarizing research accomplishments and applications of oceanog- 

 raphy in peace and war. Then current problems in developing 

 oceanography were delineated with regard to ships, shore facilities, 

 manpower and education and finances. Conclusions and recom- 

 mendations are summarized in the following. 



The Committee believes that the oceanographic sciences offer a rich and promis- 

 ing field for research. Continued progress is essential not only to increase man's 

 understanding of the world in which he lives, and its biological processes, but also 

 as a basis for the exploitation of the untapped resources of the oceans. To insure 

 this progress both private and public support are needed to provide the stability 

 and freedom prerequisite to basic scientific advances. Government support on 

 a liberal and farsighted basis should continue to provide the extensive coordinated 

 effort demanded by the size and complexity of oceanic phenomena. 



The Committee recommends that a determined effort be made to secure private 

 funds for the following specific purposes: 



1. Provision of research fellowships, at both pre- and post-doctoral levels, at existing 

 oceanographic institutions. — Such fellowships would enable young people trained 

 in the basic sciences to use their abilities and experience on research in oceanogra- 

 jiliy. Many of the recipients of such fellowships may be confidently expected 

 to gain a permanent interest in and understanding of problems of the sea, and to 

 make tliese problems a lifelong focus of their research work. Because of the 

 specialization involved in oceanographic research and the time required to bring 

 a research problem to a successful conclusion, these fellowships should be for at 

 least two and preferably three years. 



2. Provision for visiting investigators both from American colleges and abroad. — 

 If it were possible to furnish adequate laboratory facilities and ships services to 

 visitors at the existing laboratories, new ideas and advances in tlie basic sciences 

 would quickly be applied to the ocean. Thus the isolation of these laboratories 

 because of their location at the water's edge would in large part be overcome. 

 Before this becomes feasible it will be necessary to alleviate the overcrowded 

 conditions of laboratory buildings and to endow the unrestricted operations of 

 the ships, at least in part. 



3. Provision of permanent positions for research workers in the oceanographic 

 sciences. — By far the greater part of oceanographic research is now supported by 

 contract funds on a relatively short-term basis. As a result, commitments can- 

 not be made for new positions with tenure at the oceanographic institutions 

 despite the large increase in the numbers of persons engaged in oceanographic 

 research. Consequently, considerable difficulty exists in attracting and holding 

 research workers of the highest caliber. This situation should be remedied both 

 l)y increasing the number of permanent staff positions at the oceanographic 

 itistitutions and by providing faculty positions in universities. 



4. Provision for support of research in basic aspects of biological* and chemical 

 oceanography. — These fields are not now receiving adequate support from govern- 

 ment .sources primarily because of their lack of immediate importance to militarj- 

 or fisheries problems. They present, however, many of the most challenging and 

 ]>romishig jjroblems uf the sea. 



5. Support of high stas exploratory t-xptditions. Tht di-vylopjuent of new methods 

 for sounding and navigation, for geophysical and geological exploration of the 

 sea bottom, for measuring currents and i)ropertit's of ocean waters, and for col- 



w "Oceanography, 19.51," Report 2C)8, N'AS-NRC, p. vii. 



