ment is to increase within a reasonably short interval. At the same time 

 excellence, experience, and capabilities in marine science and technology 

 are shared by many nations. Hence, a broad program of ocean exploration 

 can be carried out only through a cooperative effort by many nations. The 

 success of such an endeavor will depend in large measure on the extent 

 to which various nations contribute their particular expertise and capabili- 

 ties, assume a share of responsibility for the program, develop their man- 

 power and facilities, and disseminate to others the results of scientific dis- 

 coveries. 



The Decade can be a period of opportunity to broaden methods of 

 cooperation between nations that will persist far beyond the Decade in 

 developing the future economic potential of the ocean. Cooperative pro- 

 grams of the past provide experience and a base on which to develop ex- 

 panded and more deliberate efforts of the future. 



Geographical Exploration off Ocean Resources 



The Decade can contribute to the economic and scientific development of 

 all participants. Also, the Decade can encourage and assist in the development 

 of resources, and particularly new sources of food, critically needed in the 

 developing areas of the world. Thus, emphasis should be placed on the 

 identification and assessment of food and mineral resources as well as 

 investigation of ocean processes. 



Realization of the full food potential of the sea will require an assessment 

 of unused fish stocks readily available to current fishing techniques. In addi- 

 tion, there are known resources in the deep ocean and in the mid-depths that 

 to date cannot be harvested economically. Expanded efforts to locate fish 

 more precisely, increase the efficiency of capture, and predict abundance 

 and availability of the stocks on a seasonal basis should lead to substantial 

 improvements in fish catch. Increased efficiency also will expand the need 

 for scientific management techniques to avoid overfishing and disturbing 

 the ecological balance. Improved understanding of fishery resources and 

 their reactions to natural and manmade disturbances is necessary to in- 

 crease and maintain the yield and to resolve international fishery conflicts. 



While very little is known of the composition and distribution of non- 

 living seabed resources, these resources are being sought on the Continental 

 Shelf to meet a growing demand for energy and minerals. In the deeper 

 ocean there are extensive sedimentary basins and other geological structures 

 that may signify imp>ortant resources. However, the content and the geo- 

 logical history of these features remain unknown. Also lacking is the detailed 

 information about regional geological structure that is so necessary for 

 assessment of resource potential. If we are to develop knowledge of the 

 history of the ocean basins and gain insights into mineral resource distribu- 

 tion, the full array of geophysical and geological exploration expertise must 

 be employed. Exploration objectives might include sedimentary^ basins, 

 ridge systems, major faults, and oceanic extensions of continental structures. 

 A substantial portion of the mineral exploration, however, should be reserved 

 for investigation of the unusual and of those aspects of the deep ocean which 

 make it different from the continents. 



Any segment of the programs of the Decade devoted to the mineral 

 resources of the Continental Shelf would be undertaken only with the per- 



