OCEAN SCIENCES AND NATIONAL SECURITY 113 



4. All but one of these ships were converted from some other origmal 

 purpose, and by not being specifically designed for ocean research, 

 they carry a ratio of crew-to-scientist of 3 to 1 up to 10 to 1, instead of 

 an optimum 1 to 1. Some of the survey ships, although far larger 

 than required for this function, collaterally serve to train naval crew. 



5. Because these ships are not well suited to their present function, 

 operating costs may be excessive. Theu" replacement b}" properly de- 

 signed vessels wouldjnot only reduce these operating costs, but would 

 increase the effectiveness of scientific manpower who must put in a 

 substantial portion of their research time at sea. An improvement in 

 efl'ectiveness of 30 percent, for example, is equivalent to an increase 

 in professional staff of that same amount. 



6. Since the present fleet appears to be fully utilized, any marked ex- 

 pansion in oceanographic research can be satisfied only by a compara- 

 ble increase in the number of vessels. Because of the long lead time 

 for planning, designing, and building such ships, funding must antici- 

 pate actual service by 2 to 3 years. The proportion of budget devoted 

 to ships will be more during intervals of capital expansion — even 

 possibly exceeding 50 percent of total appropriations. 



7. Any expansion in program, with corresponding needs for man- 

 power and facilities, should be phased to avoid the losses of a crash 

 program. Funds should thus be available for facilities in an orderly 

 relationship to demands for expansion in program and of the cor- 

 responding increases in manpower. 



8. Further research in the ocean now requires a whole new genera- 

 tion of vehicles capable of putting instruments and men deep within 

 the environment itself — for the systematic and selective probing 

 of the sea and its contents. The U.S. Navy's bathyscaph represents 

 a first step, and world leadership in this important field. Until other 

 vehicles following the Aluminaut concept are available, it represents 

 the only U.S. capability for exploring the deep ocean. 



9. Provisions are lacking for central storage, coordination and 

 retrieval of survey data. 



10. No inventory has been made of availability or specific future 

 needs of shore-based facilities, as has been done for ships, except by 

 TENOC for those laboratories operating on Navy contracts. 



E. FUNDING 



1 . The most recent comprehensive statistics on a national basis are 

 for fiscal year 1958. At that time, a total of $30 million was devoted 

 to oceanic research of which $24.1 million was contributed by Federal 

 agencies. The largest single sponsor was the Navj^, whose contribu- 

 tions of $13.71 million represents 46 percent of the national total. 



2. In 1958, Federal sponsorship of oceanic research represented 

 slightly more than 2 percent of the total Federal funds obligated that 

 year for all research (exclusive of development) . 



3. For Fiscal 1959, Federal funds allocated to oceanographic re- 

 search, exclusive of those development projects with specific military 

 objectives, again totaled roughly $18 million. For Fiscal 1960, the 

 total has been increased to $39 million, with most of the increase from 

 the Navy. 



