National Goals in Oceanography 



15 



Since the problem is international, it is necessary 

 that the solution to it will be also. 



Less spectacular but nevertheless of importance 

 are the ravages of marine organisms on man- 

 made structures. For example, it is estimated that 

 about $250 million is spent annually for mainte- 

 nance and repair of damage caused by marine 

 organisms. Oceanog[raphic work sponsored or con- 

 ducted by the Navy's Bureau of Yards and Docks, 

 the Office of Naval Research, the Maritime Admin- 

 istration, and the Atomic Energy Commission all 

 has a bearing on this problem. 



2. SAFETY AT SEA 



Closely related to protecting life and property 

 along the coasts is the responsibility to help assure 

 the safety of operations at sea. It is shared by the 

 Coast Guard, the Navy, the Coast and Geodetic 

 Survey, and the Weather Bureau. For example, 

 the annual spring "calving" of glaciers into haz- 

 ardous floating icebergs and cakes of many sizes 

 is monitored and warnings to shipping issued by 

 the Coast Guard's conduct of the International 

 Ice Patrol. Theoretical studies to support better 

 prediction of likely courses taken by sea-ice and 

 how long it can be expected to take to melt are 

 also important. Weather Bureau and Navy weath- 

 er predictions at sea are invaluable to shipping, 

 and Coast and Geodetic Survey and Navy Ocea- 

 nographic Office charts of navigational hazards 

 and aids are being constantly improved and up- 

 dated from survey work. As submarines go deeper, 

 detailed bottom mapping will assume even greater 

 importance as will determining the location of 

 sea mounts and underwater mountain ranges 

 rising toward the surface. 



With the advent of meteorological satellites, 

 their potential in oceanography must be explored. 

 There are already indications that they will be 

 useful in surveys of sea-surface temperatures and 

 radiation (heat budget of the ocean), ice reconnais- 

 sance and sea-state observations. Such information 

 will help greatly in oceanographic forecasts. It is 

 expected that at the end of the ten-year period the 

 Weather Bureau will be making a substantial 

 eff^ort in helping to solve these problems. 



Most of the protective eff'ort against natural 

 hazards is operational or engineering, so that the 

 small funding for oceanography under this goal 



(about two percent of the ten-year oceanographic 

 budget) is only a small part of the story. 



F. Summary 



To comprehend the world ocean, its boundaries, 

 its properties, and its processes, and to exploit 

 this comprehension in the public interest, in en- 

 hancement of our security, our culture, our inter- 

 national posture, and our economic growth in- 

 volves: 



Strengthening Basic Science 



Improving National Defense 



Managing Resources in the World Ocean 



Managing Resources in Domestic Waters 



Protecting Life and Property; Insuring the 

 Safety of Operations at Sea 



These are the national goals toward which the 

 federally supported oceanographic program is 

 directed. They are more easily separated in con- 

 cept than in practice. Each leans on one or more 

 of the others for its own fulfillment and work 

 done with the intent of furthering one may in the 

 end more materially benefit another. Neverthe- 

 less, they are useful concepts, and particularly so 

 when a framework is needed for organizing a 

 plan such as this, a framework in which emphasis 

 and balance can be more clearly seen. 



The budget required for oceanographic pro- 

 grams, ships, instruments, and facilities to meet 

 the aggregate national goals, taking into account 

 availability of skilled manpower, should grow an 

 average of 10 percent to 1 1 percent a year from a 

 level of $124 million in FY 1963 to $350 million 

 in FY 1972, for a total of about $2.3 billion over 

 the decade. Over 44 percent of the federal budget 

 will go to private laboratories as compared to 37 

 percent in 1963. The total ten year budget is allo- 

 cated among the various goals as follows (Further 

 delineation is provided by Table 1): 



1. About 57 percent will support basic research 

 and serve to strengthen basic science; 33 of this 

 57 percent will contribute simultaneously to scien- 

 tific development for other national goals as shown 

 below. In 1963 this figure was nearer 43 percent. 



2. About 35 percent will support defense as 

 compared to 44 percent in 1963. Some 20 percent 

 supports Navy basic research already included in 

 (1) above and 15 percent supports applied pro- 

 grams. 



