68 ADVANCEMENT OF MARINE SCIENCES 



The number of marine scientists in the United States is small. 

 Many European countries, and Canada on this continent, have more 

 oceanographers in proportion to population than the United States. 

 Soviet Russia has 60 percent more marine scientists than the United 

 States and is conducting an intensive training program. 



The number of institutions in the United States in which a pro- 

 spective oceanographcr can receive advanced training is small. Only- 

 one institution of higher education, the University of Washington, 

 has imdergraduate com'ses in oceanography leading to a bachelor 

 degree. Twelve universities provide graduate education in oceanog- 

 raphy leading to a Ph. D. degree. Of these, four offer Ph. D.'s only 

 in biological oceanography, four in one or more of the nonbiological 

 fields such as physical, chemical, and geological, and four offer this 

 degree in all fields of oceanography. 



A total of about 150 educators are on the professional staffs of 

 these institutions which offer education in oceanography but most of 

 these are engaged in research instead of teaching. The Committee on 

 Oceanography estimates that there are only about 50 persons in the 

 Nation actively engaged in graduate teaching, or less than 10 percent 

 of the 520 professionally trained oceanographers in the country. 



To maintain adequate staff with which to train students in oceanog- 

 raphy, many institutions have drawn on other nations, Norway, 

 Sweden, Great Britain, Denmark, France, Italy, and Japan, where 

 interest in the oceans dates back for centuries. 



Many of the Nation's outstanding marine scientists, now, of 

 course, American citizens, were born and received their education 

 and training in foreign countries. This source of supply, institutions 

 are discovering, is almost exhausted. The number of professional 

 oceanographers in other countries, throughout the world in fact, is 

 small, and many nations today are finding a pressing need for greater 

 scientific knowledge about the oceans. 



This means that the United States must more and more look to its 

 own for faculty, advanced students, and professional marine scientists. 



The Committee on Oceanography in its report stated that the 

 10-year program envisaged will require — 



an approximate doublmg of the number of professional 

 : oceanographers at the doctoral level and an increase of 

 ^ rather greater magnitude in personnel of lower categories 



over the next several years. 



Obviously, this necessitates doubling the educational 



programs as rapidly as possible. 



The committee recommended that the Office of Education conduct 

 a program of encouragement and assistance to provide new faculty 

 in oceanography at existmg or new teaching centers, and that it also 

 assist graduate students preparmg to become oceanographers thi'ough 

 a program of long-term fellowships. 



Section 9 would authorize Such programs. 



Need for these programs also was expressed by witnesses at hearings 

 on S. 901, and in communications from university officials to your 

 committee. 



