118 OCEAN SCIENCES AND NATIONAL SECURITY 



The Committee fomid that relative to other areas of^ scientific 

 endeavor, progress in the marine sciences in the United States has 

 been slow, especially considering the challenge that the seas present 

 which they contend is every bit as significant in our national life as is 

 outer space. 



Particular attention was drawn to all of the military and nonmilitary 

 potential of the sea noted earher in this report, finally concluding 

 mth a set of five recommendations. These are reproduced in the 

 following : 



The key to the growth of oceanography in the United States lies in basic re- 

 search—research which is done for its own sake without thought of specific prac- 

 tical applications. The very nature of basic research is such that the problem 

 which will be attacked and the results which will be obtained cannot be predicted. 

 The very nature of appUed research is such that its success depends upon the size 

 of the reservoir of fundamental knowledge upon which it must draw. The rate 

 of progress in the applied marine sciences will be determined in the long run by 

 the rate of progress in the basic marine sciences. 



The Committee has concluded that both the quantity and quality of basic 

 research in the marine sciences can and should be increased substantially during 

 the years ahead. Specifically the Committee recommends: 



1. The U.S. Government should expand -its support of the marine sciences at 

 a rate which will result in at least a doubling of basic research activity during 

 the next 10 years.^^ 



It should be emphasized that doubUng the basic research activity will require 

 more than doubling the total expenditures. 



A large part of the deliberations of the Committee were devoted to discussions 

 of the conditions under which basic research can flourish. First and foremost, 

 progress depends upon the interests, experience and creative imaginations of 

 individual scientists. But the individual scientist does not work in a vacuum. 

 He must have instruments and facilities. He must live in an atmosphere which is 

 conducive to creative activity. These necessities in turn give rise to problems 

 involving marine research laboratories — problems of leadership, financial stability, 

 flexibility, growth, academic associations and physical facilities. 



Not only for research but in order to exploit and use the oceans we need more 

 detailed knowledge which can be obtained only through systematic surveys in 

 three dimensions. These surveys should include such features as depth, salinity, 

 temperature, current velocity, wave motion, magnetism and biological activity. 

 It is essential that these surveys be conducted on an ocean-wide ocean-deep 

 basis as quickly as possible. Our knowledge is now Umited largely to waters 100 

 miles from shore and even here it is inadequate for present and future needs. 

 Accordingly, the Committee recommends: 



2. The increase in support of basic research should be accompanied during 

 the next 10 years by a new program of ocean-xoide surveys. This will require 

 a two-fold expansion of the present surveying effort. 



We believe that, on a long-range basis, basic research coupled with systematic 

 ocean surveys are of paramount importance iu solving a number of urgent prac- 

 tical problems involving military defense, the development of ocean resources and 

 possible future increases of radioactive contamination of the seas resulting from 

 the rapid development of atomic energy. However, research and surveys must 

 go hand in hand with a vigorous and imaginative applied research and develop- 

 ment program. Accordingly, the Committee recommends: 



3. The United States should expand considerably its support of the applied 

 marine sciences, particularly in the areas of military defense, marine resource.'^ 

 and marine radioactivity. 



The implementation of these general recommendations requires action upon a 

 number of broad fronts. More marine scientists must be educated. Additional 

 ships and shore facilities must be built. New instruments and techniques must 

 be strengthened. 



To achieve these aims in the next 10 years will necessitate many agencies of the 



8' In 1958 about $23 million were spent for apiJlied and basic oceanographic research. The basic research 

 share of the total was not over $9 million. About $8 million of this, including the 1958 share of lOY e.xpendl- 

 tures, were Federal funds. • . -- , 



(p:ditors note; .Subscciucnt studies for this present report indicate that the level of support m fiscal year 

 1958 was about $:in million; details of these modifications to figures are discussed in Section VI.) 



