Substantial growth is also projected for marine biology and raw ma- 
terial surveys. An approximate 25-percent cutback in programs aimed 
at improvement of navigation, port improvement, ship routing, etc., 
is suggested, from a level of $38 million for fiscal year 1967 to a level of 
$30 million in 1971. 
TABLE 7.4.—Some suggested projections of nondefense national oceanographic 
budgets 
Fiscal year 
1967 1968 1969 1970 | 1971 
Environmental prediction and control__| 14.5 25.0 35.0 45.0 55.0 
Surveys relative to raw-materials de- 
velopment {seers x eae eee ees 12.0 14.0 17.0 21.0 25.0 
Marine biological resources - _- _---___-_- 45.0 48.0 51.0 55. 0 60. 0 
Near-ocean environment-__-____---_--- 10.5 15.0 22. 0 30. 0 40.0 
Navigation aids, port improvements, 
ST Cea eee eee ic PE Me AO Re ate aN 38. 0 36. 0 34. 0 32.0 30.0 
Totalice ease. See eee 120.0 | 138.0 | 159.0 | 183.0 | 210.0 
The rationality of a sharp increase in the marine biological program 
budget depends to a considerable extent upon a political as much as an 
economic decision; namely, whether development of greater food 
yields from the ocean—a development which is likely to benefit pri- 
marily South American, Asian, and African countries—is a legitimate 
part of U.S. foreign policy. As noted, some good arguments can be 
made for such a view. Quasi-political judgments, of course, can be 
quite relevant in determining the level of other oceanographic pro- 
grams as well. 
Needless to say, programs perhaps not even envisioned today might 
be well justified in the future. New technological developments, more- 
over, could alter some basic assumptions built into these projections. 
Finally, it should be stressed that these extrapolations relate only to 
nondefense aspects of the oceanographic program; as indicated else- 
where in this report, the Navy program might properly experience a 
considerable expansion in the near future. In addition, the budget out- 
lined in table 7.4 may not allow for sufficient development of expensive 
instrumentation or ocean engineering programs. This is not to say 
that there is no scope for such programs within these figures. Never- 
theless, the possibility must be recognized that some relatively ex- 
