Oceanography — The Ten Years Ahead 



These projections required certain basic as- 

 sumptions in planning — first, that annual growth 

 in manpower over the next decade will average 

 9-10 percent compared to about 7-8 percent 

 ill all fields of science and technology as a whole. 

 Oceanographic budgets will grow about 10-11 

 percent annually on the average. For oceanog- 

 raphy, the growth is expected to be about in pace 

 with the national average for all of science and 

 technology, faster during the next five years than 

 in the subsequent five years, with annual expendi- 

 tures rising to $350 million in FY 1972. 



The greatest rate of increase in funding must 

 occur during the early part of the period when the 

 need to replace obsolete and inadequate oceanog- 

 raphic ships is greatest. The net growth in the 

 size of the fleet is kept proportional to the growth 

 in manpower while facilities are expected to grow 

 primarily in size rather than in numbers. 



Some major changes in emphasis within the 

 overall program are projected. The proportion 

 of the total eff^ort which is devoted to research 

 should be markedly increased, as should that 

 directed to exploiting and managing oceanic 

 resources and controlling pollution and threats 

 to health. The fraction devoted to defense and to 

 routine surveys and services, while remaining a 

 major effort, is expected to decrease although the 

 absolute amounts will rise. Eff^orts on behalf of pro- 

 tecting life and property along seacoasts and in 

 promoting the safety of operations at sea should 

 remain relatively unchanged. 



The greater emphasis on research reflects a 

 general consensus that applied work demands a 

 firmer footing on theory and empirical observa- 

 tion and broad understanding than now exists to 

 permit even narrow questions of practical impor- 

 tance to be answered properly. Moreover, re- 

 search conducted within the context of any 

 single goal or agency mission by its nature con- 

 tributes to the general pool of knowledge and 

 inevitably finds application to other problems in 

 other agencies. The Navy will continue to devote 

 its oceanographic budget to research in areas of 

 immediate and potential importance to defense, 

 but much of this research has nonmilitary impli- 

 cation; the Bureau of Commercial Fisheries will 

 devote almost two-thirds of its growing program 

 to basic studies, and the National Science Found- 

 ation is expected to increase its program almost 

 fourfold. All told, about 56 percent of the pro- 

 jected efTort over the decade will be basic research. 



with broad though incalculable implications for the 

 applied work of all agencies in support of every 

 national goal. The program in support of basic 

 oceanography is divided as follows: 



SUPPORT OF BASIC SCIENCE; 1963-1972 

 (56 Percent Total Budget-$1300 Million) 



(millions) 

 Navy $ 465 



National Science Foundation 500 



Bureauof Commercial Fisheries 200 

 Geological Survey 40 



Atomic Energy Commission 30 



Public Health Service 30 



Smithsonian Institution 25 



Coast and Geodetic Survey, the 10 



Weather Bureau, the Bureau 

 of Mines, the Bureau of 

 Sport Fisheries, the Mari- 

 time Administration, and 

 the Coast Guard. 



About 32 percent of the total budget consists 

 of programs with direct application to other 

 national goals. It is divided as follows: 



SUPPORT OF APPLIED OCEANOGRAPHY 

 (32 Percent Total Budget -$750 Million) 



(millions) 

 The direct support of defense $ 370 



projects 

 Problems of resource manage- 1 90 



ment and the control of 



health threats in the 



world ocean 

 Exploiting resources on and 70 



under the continental shelf 

 The protection of the U.S 70 



public from local pollution 



and unfit seafood 

 Protecting life and property 50 



along the coasts and enhanc- 

 ing the safety of operations 



at sea. 



The remaining 12 percent ($280 million) of 

 the budget supports routine surveys and serv- 

 ices of general utility to the entire oceanographic 

 community. 



Most of this effort is also highly beneficial to 

 private groups with a special interest in the sea. 

 Much of it is considered essential to the fishing 

 industry, helpful to the shipping and recreation 



