48 FRONTIERS IN OCEANIC RESEARCH 



Similarly, the Hydrographic Office provides forecasting service 

 for ice conditions in the Arctic to assist the ships in resupplying the 

 DEW line bases. 



Aside from the military aspects of oceanography a knowledge of 

 the interaction between the atmosphere and the ocean with the result- 

 ing effect on climatic changes may produce profound effects in the 

 eventual control and modification of weather. 



The resources of the sea, particularly the living resources, must 

 ultimately play a larger role in the world's economy. The seas also 

 may be expected to provide potential mineral and chemical resources, 

 as well as exotic sources of power. 



The Coast Guard, Coast and Geodetic Survey, Hydrographic 

 Office, and Maritime Administration are all concerned with problems 

 of commerce at sea. Numerous types of charts showing bottom to- 

 pography, weather conditions, sea states and swells, currents, tides, 

 and ice conditions are all essential for successful maritime operations. 



A great deal of additional research must be conducted to establish 

 the whys and wherefores of these conditions in order to make them 

 more reliable. 



I could describe for you some of the intriguing possibilities for 

 exploiting the oceans to benefit mankind, but I am sure you are al- 

 ready familiar with many of them. Instead, I would like to make 

 a few comments about how the Government is going about the im- 

 portant task of coordinating and expanding our oceanographic 

 capabilities. 



The report of the National Academy of Sciences has focused na- 

 tional attention on the needs of oceanography. The Interagency 

 Committee has demonstrated its effectiveness in a short time as a co- 

 ordinating mechanism. In response to the tasks facing it, the Com- 

 mittee has established working panels for specific purposes. The 

 function of one panel is to plan and coordinate our ocean survey 

 program. A second panel has the responsibility for working out the 

 details for establishing and the policies for operation of a national 

 data center. We are considering additional panels for training and 

 education, for basic research, and possibly one for special devices 

 and instrumentation. 



Our next major task is to develop the budget for fiscal year 1962. 

 Each agency's program and the national program as a whole will be 

 reviewed critically by the committee for balance and technical va- 

 lidity. The final result must be adequate to meet our most immediate 

 needs using the resources available while emphasis must be placed 

 on providing the tools we need on a long term basis. 



We expect to seek endorsement of this program and budget from 

 the Federal Council for Science and Technology and approval from 

 the President before presenting it to Congress as a complete national 

 program in oceanography. 



Finally, I come to the contributions which the Congress has made 

 and can make to oceanography. Each of the several bills which are 

 now being considered by the Congress has had a salutary effect by 

 attracting widespread interest in oceanography both within and out- 

 s'de of the Government. However, I believe that the Federal agen- 

 cies now have the authority necessary to carry out our oceanographic 

 program. We need your favorable consideration of the budget re- 



