126 



the lightships. The Service nr int-.ins 'i considerable number of the.-e 

 on the Atlr„ntlc ond Prcific coasts, severr 1 of th -m beiiip- strJ-ioned 

 so fr,r o\^,t nt sen -'nd in suob exposed positions th.".,t, the^r offnr uni- 

 que stations from which constant record of the state of tbe ocean 

 cnn be obtained. 



Tbe personnel of th - lightships -re not trained in special 

 scientific procedure, but are skilled in t>.e h-ndllng of various 

 signalling and navigational ar^p-ratus. If methods of observation 

 can be strnd'-^rdized rnd simplified sufficiently to be carried out 

 by nersons of reasonrble intelligence, lightships offer opportuni- 

 ties wbich could h 'rdly be m-tched for tl^e continuous record of _ the 

 temperatures of the surf-^ce such as can bo obtained with recording 

 thermographs: for periodic record of the deep water temp-ratures : 

 for measurements over long periods of the velocitv and direction of 

 the currents: for Periodic collection of wnter samnles at various 

 depths for future analysis in soiro laboratory nnd for meteorologi- 

 cal observations. Biological collections could also in many cases 

 be obtained from the lightshins bar the simple process of streaming 

 townets from tbe ship with the tide. 



In the past the Lighthouse Service has shown itself ready to 

 cooper 'te by arranging for its personnel upon the llghtsliips to make 

 temper- ture' observations, many of w>' ich have been accumulated. And 

 as the important lightship st-.tions ^re re-son-iay permanent, such 

 general cooperation may be expected in the future. 



Furthermore, if observations of an intricacy beyond the capabil- 

 ities of the crews of the lightships were .desired, arrangements could 

 no dovbt be made to st-tion special observers on those ships for 

 longer or shorter periods. 



Records of temper-turc h-ve also been taken from lighthouses 

 along the co-st. And, while it is difficult in such situations to 

 obta-LP resvlts accur;-te according to modern requir^^ments , v/ith a 

 little care they mav prove useful to illustrate seasonal -nd annual 

 va-iatlons. Here again experience In the past shows that ready co- 

 operrtion js bo be expected. In fact tv^e Lighthouse Service utiliz- 

 ing lighthouses, lightships and vessels, is now actually cooperating 

 with the Scripps Institution for Oceanography in an extensive pro- 

 gram of investigation on the Pacific co-,st in the collection of tem- 

 peratures, water samples, plankton, and meteorological datar also 

 with the TT. S. Bureau of Fisheries as well. 



5. United States Wavy. 



It is less easy to predict the cooperation to be expected from 

 the United States Navy than for the other government bureaux so far 

 discussed, because its marine explorations must always be incidental 

 1 other du t le s . 



There is pr>ecedent for participation by the Nav^^ in many fields 

 of oceanic exploration. "'e need only mention Lieutenant Maury's ach- 

 ievements when, "s he-d of the Naval observatory, he laid the found- 

 ation for our modern knowledge of the circulation of the surface 

 waters of the oceans. 



