leading to accurate long-term environmental forecasting; scientific back- 

 ground necessary for the rational management of the living and non-living 

 resources of the sea; warning when man's activities endanger the envir- 

 onment and himself ; and the scientific basis necessary for the formulation 

 of sound international decisions on marine affairs. 



The United States offers this program as its contribution to the initial 

 phase of the International Decade of Ocean Exploration, and it is our hope 

 that many more nations will join in this important undertaking. Major 

 decisions must be made affecting the future of man on this planet, and 

 these decisions should be made in the light of sound scientific knowledge. 



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