48 OCEAN SCIENCES AND NATIONAL SECURITY 



attribute between quite unrelated events and exceptionally good or 

 bad fishing. 



Such studies might well confirm whether fish detect food by sight, 

 smell, or hearing and thus what bait might be most productive. 

 Observations might determine how they respond to nets; whether 

 perhaps certain species successfully elude this type of trap. Some fish 

 are known to respond to underwater noise and it would be entertaining, 

 indeed, to consider the possibility of whistling fish into range of a 

 fishing vessel. 



With deepwater vehicles, behavior of marine life can be observed in 

 its natural environment, an important consideration because this 

 behavior is vastly altered if tlie fish is removed to an aquarium for 

 observation. Even automatic cameras or underwater television 

 iconoscopes would permit vastly improved observations. 



Also deserving further study are the sudden mass mortalities of fish 

 which occur sporadically throughout the world. Frequently this 

 phenomenon is accompanied by "red tides," wherein the surface of 

 the sea water is heavily discolored and whatever material causes the 

 coloration destroys millions of pounds of fish. Outbreaks on the 

 West Coast of Florida extend in bands 20 miles wide. Fish entering 

 these patches of water would sm'face, whirl about crazily, turn on 

 their sides, float a wbile belly up, then sink to the bottom. With an 

 onsliore wind, people on shore were affected by a burning sensation 

 to the nostrils, eyes, and throat. The economic consequences of a 

 "red tide" are serious for both local fisheries and those catering to the 

 seaside tourist trade. 



Having noted earlier the primitive techniques of sea fishing, it is 

 apparent that fishing vessels and techniques all over the world have 

 evolved by trial and error, although frequently well adapted to local 

 conditions. The Biu'eau of Commercial Fisheries has done a great deal 

 to guide technological advancement in this area but study of these fish- 

 ing ships remain incomplete. Since these craft are usually designed by 

 individual boatbuilders ratlier than naval architects, the choice of 

 lines, general arrangement, powerplant, etc., may often be selected on 

 the basis of tradition rather than technology. In particidar, the per- 

 formance of a vessel in a seaway rather than still water assumes real 

 significance in terms of the number of days that a fishing boat may 

 be effectively kept at sea and used in rough weather. To be sure, 

 the performance at sea is a function of the skill of the crew, but 

 a great deal of information is needed to improve qualities of stability, 

 seaworthiness and sea kindliness from actual observations. 



Tlie vessels which are noted later in this report as needed for 

 oceanographic research can simultaneously serve the needs of the 

 fishing industry in that some of them may serve as prototypes for 

 fishing. This may appear to be a unique twist in that oceanographers 

 universally complain about the inefficiency of the current fleet engaged 

 in research because almost without exception the vessels are con- 

 verted from other purposes. The important point, however, is that 

 oceanographic research sliips also have an optimum requirement for 

 seaworthiness and sea kindliness. The need to utilize every possible 

 day at sea for oceanographic observations and the related requirements 

 for a stable platform will carry over into the area of fishing. Thus, 

 full scale experiments in the design of new oceanographic research 

 ships could well lead to a new generation of hulls from which the 



