ects arc measured in weeks instead of days; 

 the oti'shore petroleum exploratory well depth 

 record has doubled from G-40 feet, to 1,300 

 feet. Wliile ships have increased in size to 

 giant ;!0(),000-ton tankei-s, our advances have 

 been punctuated by occasional disasters that 

 presage the urgent need to minimize the 

 growing hazards of new technology. 



The National Sea Grant Program and the 

 new water pollution control programs are 

 notable examples of Federal efforts to spur 

 beneficial marine activity. Progress in the 

 production of fish protein concentrate has 

 raised expectations about animal protein 

 from the sea. On the international scene, 

 the Malta Eesolution to the United Nations 

 General Assembly highlighted the legal and 

 political problems that will surround ex- 

 ploitation of the mineral resources of the deep 

 seas which technology pi'omises to bring 

 within the reach of man. The U.S. initia- 

 tive in proposing an International Decade 

 of Ocean Exploration has further inten- 

 sified interest in international scientific 

 collaboration. 



Althougli the Commission has treated its 

 mandate broadly, it has not been possible 

 within the time available to make an exhaus- 

 tive examination and assessment of all ma- 

 rine activities. We have taken account of the 

 relationship between civil and military ma- 

 rine affairs in various sections of this report 

 but have made no attempt to treat questions 

 of military security as such. Nor has the 

 Commissioii dealt with the inmiensely com- 

 plex problems of the U.S. Merchant Marine, 

 about which many studies exist. We have, 

 however, considered the requirements which 

 the use of the sea for transportation places 

 upon our ports and upon services offshore. 



The problems of pollution have taken a 

 l)rominent role in the Commission's studies 

 and recommendations. But we have been well 



aware that waste disposal and pollution in 

 the ocean and estuaries are often inseparable 

 from pollution upstream and even pollution 

 in the air and land environments; these ulti- 

 mately must be treated as a single problem. 

 We have deemed it appropriate to our mis- 

 sion, however, to consider those pollution 

 problems that affect directly the marine en- 

 vironment, including the Great Lakes. 



In approaching its task, the Commission 

 resolved itself into seven panels to examine 

 and assess well-defined areas of marine activ- 

 ity : basic science ; marine engineering and 

 technology; marine resources; environmental 

 monitoring and the management of the 

 coastal zone; industry and private invest- 

 ment; international issues; and education, 

 manpower, and training. Tliese panels held 

 many hearings, traveled about the country to 

 gain firsthand knowledge of activities related 

 to their assignments, and finally distilled a 

 tremendous mass of material into a series of 

 reports. Throughout this ^Deriod of study and 

 drafting, the Commission met together regu- 

 larly to review and evaluate critically the 

 findings and recommendations of these task 

 forces. The iianel reports are to be published 

 separately, and we commend them to the 

 attention of all those who wish to go more 

 deeply into the subject. They constitute the 

 primary source material upon which the 

 Commission based its own final conclusions. 



We are convinced that the recommended 

 national marine program will contribute ma- 

 terially to the national economy and strength- 

 en the national security. The pages that fol- 

 low outline not a cra.sh endeavor but one 

 geared realistically to the means of the Na- 

 tion. We realize that, in terms of timing, 

 each element of this program must be con- 

 sidered in the context of overall national 

 priorities. 



