84 EFFECTIVENESS OF THE COMMITTEE ON OCEANOGRAPHY 



These recommendations were favorably endorsed by the Inter- 

 agency Committee on Oceanography and are now being studied by 

 the Federal Council for Science and Technology. 



The fourth series of meetings is currently in progress and will 

 result, in a few days, in submitting the proposed operating schedules 

 for U.S. oceanographic ships for fiscal year 1963 similar to the schedule 

 published in March 1961 as ICO Pub No. 1. If the committee 

 desires, this document will be submitted for the record as soon as it 

 is published. 



In conclusion, I would like to list those areas where the Ships 

 Panel has contributed to bringing about a more effective national 

 oceanographic program: 



1. The published yearly operating schedules serve to acquaint all 

 agencies with the work of others. This in itself eliminates duplica- 

 tion which might otherwise have occurred were it not for this exchange 

 of information. It also invites joint participation in oceanographic 

 expeditions. Preliminary review of the fiscal year 1963 operation 

 areas shows that all agencies gave serious consideration to where 

 others were operating. This year shows a much better distribution of 

 ships than did last year. 



2. The Coast Guard is investigating the feasibility of establishing 

 an oceanographic ship category as recommended by the Ships Panel. 

 Establishment of an oceanographic ship category would remove con- 

 fusion among designers as to whether cargo or passenger ship stand- 

 ards should prevail. 



3. Ship construction procedures have been recommended by the 

 panel and endorsed by the ICO. These procedures are currently 

 under study by the Federal Council for Science and Technology. 



4. The Ship and Survey Panels held a joint meeting at the request 

 of the Coast and Geodetic Survey to discuss and comment on the 

 proposed design of the Coast Survey's world ocean survey ship. As 

 a result of these comments, the Coast Survey is incorporating design 

 features in this important class of ship which are truly unique and will 

 give it a greatly increased capability over the original design. 



5. Review and exchange of agency shipbuilding programs has re- 

 sulted in three specific reassignments of ships to prevent duplication 

 or to give a better distribution of ships. In fiscal year 1960, the Navy 

 reassigned a ship destined for Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute 

 to the use of east coast Government laboratories because the National 

 Science Foundation was already providing a ship for Woods Hole. 

 In fiscal year 1962, the Coast Survey reassigned a proposed ship from 

 being a replacement for an overage coastal survey ship to the Nation's 

 first world ocean survey ship. This is the first ship planned for world 

 ocean surveys and gave great impetus to the world survey program. 

 And lastly, in fiscal year 1962, the National Science Foundation 

 approved assignment of a ship to Texas Agriculture and Mechanical 

 College because the Navy's long-range plan could not provide a ship 

 to Texas A. & M. before fiscal year 1965. This in turn will be followed 

 by a revision of the Navy's long-range plan to take into consideration 

 the planned programs of other agencies. This mutual give and take 

 is very beneficial and will go far in giving a proper balance to the 

 number, size, and assignment of ships needed to meet our country's 

 oceanographic requirements. 



