143 



Chapter VT. 



F/iHDICAPS TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF OCEAUOGPaPHY IH AMERICA 



AND 

 BEST RE:;TEDIES 



I. HANDICAPS 



Studv of the ocean and its contents is amply .iustified for the 

 various reasons Y;e have attemtped to present in Chapter i , quite 

 indep«r.dent of the economic benefit that ma:- reasonably be expected 

 to accrue therefrom. The growing interest in Oceanography, reflect- 

 ed b^ tbe foundation, one after another, of a number of committees 

 in various countries, aiming to further one or another branch of sea. 

 studv, is evidence that scientists and laity alike^are agreed as to 

 this. Yet the actual progress that has been made m the studv of tne 

 sea has not been commensurate with the importance of the subject, 

 nor w^tb the amount of energy that has been devoted, of late, to _ 

 m.eetings, to discussions, to tentative plans and to propaganda m 

 general. 



That Oceanography as a distinct division of learning contimxes 

 to lae is due to the fact that certain verv deiinite obstacles, both 

 material and intellectual, hamper its advance. One of the primary 

 duties of this committee is, therefore, to consider the ways m 

 v.hich these most effectively can be overcome. 



T^ese basic impediments have a two-fold source, being dependent 

 upon (a) The fact that water is not man's native environment, and 

 (b) upon the great area of the sea and on the complex interrelation- 

 ships of all the phenomena to be studied therein. 



The fact that it is necessary to study the ma.iority of ^oceanic 

 events and phenomena, whether physical, geologic, or biologic act- 

 uISt wi?hi5 the sea; imposes very practical limitations Being a 

 terrestrial not an aquatic mamraal, man carjiot venture at al. upon 

 the sea, much less descend into it and live, without expensive mecn- 

 anicai Aeans of transportation. The biologist who turns to^marine 

 animals sim.nlv for convenience, can pick up many things of interest 

 on a"strcl1%.long the tide line, but to investigate any pnase of the 

 ocean he must have a boat. If he is to venture out more than a mile 

 or two from the land, his boat must be large enough to contain liv- 

 ing av-'-'ters and to navietate safely in all weathers. Even if his 

 Slestiga?ion be of a sort that can be carried on in a^ laboratory 

 on s'orl! his raw data must be gathered at sea. And it is oui duty 

 to emnhasize that Oceanography is im.possible unless someone does go 

 to sea whether for short trips or for long. Tnat is to say, for 

 one maA to gather information of any kind about the ocean, requires 

 labors of m.any men, reflected in the provision of a seagoing craft 

 with a crew to man her, with supplies for their subsistence also 

 (in these days) with fuel for her propulsion. ..nd as any craft lar- 

 ler than a row boat is a very expensive means of conveyance for a^ 

 small number of passengers, it follows, without exception, mat e..- 



