58 



OCEAN SCIENCES AND NATIONAL SECURITY 



obsolescence of either shore or seagoing facilities. It was not the 

 purpose of this report, however, neither would it be possible nor 

 appropriate to evaluate the performance of oceanographic research 

 activities as could be done, for example, in terms of the effectiveness 

 of a weapon system, in meeting its specified performance requirements. 

 Nevertheless, the qualitative parameters of research are highly 

 important because the need for more research funds and manpower 

 can sometimes be in part ameliorated by a more effective utilization 

 of the supply on hand. This type of self-appraisal was undertaken by 

 the NAS Committee on Oceanography only incidentally. 



A. ORGANIZATIONS CONDUCTING RESEARCH 



Oceanography is a very recent area of research activity in the 

 United States. To be sure, hydrographic surveys were first syste- 

 matically organized on a worldwide basis some 100 years ago, but the 

 systematic collection of scientific knowledge about the sea dates only 

 from approximately 1920. At that time, there was a mere handful of 

 laboratories; but the number has increased almost tenfold in the 

 intervening 40 years, having doubled during the most recent 15. 

 There are now approximately 70 laboratories of various size with the 

 growth in number shown in Table 2. 



In this table, these marine laboratories have been classified accord- 

 ing to the type of sponsoring agency — as between Government owned 

 and operated laboratories (state or Federal), universities, and non- 

 profit independent research organizations. Virtually none of the 

 research is currently undertaken by industrial or commercial estab- 

 lishments. 



This tabulation reflects the exceedingly rapid postwar growth, from 

 1945 to 1950, during which time the number increased by 70 percent. 

 Such a precipitous expansion matches the pattern in other scientific 

 fields — thus representing the pent-up needs for basic research that 

 had been deferred during the pressure of wartime activity. This 

 expansion also reflects the boom in GI student enrollment and in 

 corresponding increase in facilities for instruction. 



Although further growth continued from 1951 to 1958, it was some- 

 what slower and, in fact, from 1958 to 1960 growth appeared to have 

 been completely arrested. 



Table 2. — Number of marine laboratories in the United States and territorial posses- 

 sio7is showing growth from 1920 to 1960 



' Not Including naval laboratories concerned exclusively with military oceanography. 



2 Mainly non-profit corporations engaged in marine research funded by private capital, or by endowments 

 provided by foundations. 



3 Very recently, a number of industrial concerns, either by broadening the scope or diversification of their 

 research activities, have added small groups devoted to the marine sciences. These programs, however, 

 cannot be considered to have matured to the status of a "Marine Laboratory." 



Source: "Oceanography, 1960-70, Marine Sciences hi the United States in 1958", NASCO Report, chapter 

 12, p. 1. 



