The logistic curve was approaching a limit of $140 million by 1966, 
and growth ceased by loss of definition, a characteristic way for a 
logistic curve to stop. It is not surprising that oceanography which 
was easy to identify at the $8 million level should be less definite 
after a seventeenfold growth in funding. For fiscal year 1967 the 
program was redefined by ICO to include major components of 
oceanographic engineering in the MOHOLE and Deep Submergence 
Systems programs, among others (fig. 8.2). Consequent development 
may initiate a new period and type of growth. 
The total Federal oceanographic budget includes defense compo- 
nents which are not included in the National Oceanographic Pro- 
gram. The total program, as reflected in the Federal oceanographic 
budget, continued its exponential growth until 1965, 2 years later 
than the National Oceanographic Program. It then fluctuated and 
now stands at about $310 million. 
Components of marine science and technology supported by the 
Federal oceanographic budget are research and teaching in academic 
institutions. As the concept of oceanography has broadened, the pro- 
portion of the budget supporting academic research has decreased. 
A measure of academic oceanographic support is the sum of pertinent 
grants or contracts from the National Science Foundation and Office of 
Naval Research. This support grew exponentially from 1957 to 1963, 
then began to decline (fig. 8.1). Much of the growth in the period 
1957-63 supported the establishment and strengthening of new oceano- 
graphic centers. Asa result older laboratories received a smaller frac- 
tion of new money. The total Federal contribution to Scripps Insti- 
tution of Oceanography and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution 
grew exponentially from before 1955 and 1963, but at a slower rate 
than other components of the Federal oceanographic budget (fig. 8.2). 
During the next 2 years Federal support to these institutions was 
essentially constant, while the whole oceanographic budget continued 
to grow rapidly. 
The pattern of Federal support which emerges seems reasonably 
clear. The whole budget and different components all grew expo- 
nentially from roughly 1958 to 1963. The doubling time was only 2 to 
21% years, however, and could not continue for many years without 
reaching an unsupportable level. Growth in different components 
of Federal support from 1958 to 1965 was as follows: 
Fuld 
1. All support of SIO (Scripps Institution of Oceanography) plus WHOI 
(Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution) ~_______________ 3 
2. Selected support of all academic institutions___________________________ 6 
3d. .Nationaloceanographiciprocrams= 29s) 2. ee eee ee ee 9 
4: Total Hederalvoceanographic programs. =) 2 ee es al 
Beginning with nothing but basic research and education on a few 
campuses, marine sciences and technology have developed an under- 
68 
