2. By the new agency in carrying out its responsibility for man- 
agement of the environment and ocean resources and for pro- 
viding description and prediction services through a balanced 
program of direct participation and support of industry and 
universities. 
3. By the Navy in carrying out its mission of national security 
through its laboratories and industry and through ONR support 
of civilian institutions, as well as by its supporting role in the de- 
velopment of undersea technology and provision of national test 
facilities. 
4. By agencies such as AEC and HEW in carrying out their 
missions. 
5. By the Smithsonian Institution in fulfilling its unique ob- 
ligation to systematic biology. 
In summary the proposed new agency would be an operating agency 
whose mission is to provide for effective use of the sea by man for all 
purposes to which we now put the terrestrial] environment. The 
agency’s responsibilities would be broader than just the quest of new 
knowledge and understanding. In addition, in the provision of pre- 
diction and description services the agency would be responsible for 
the atmospheric and solid-earth environment. 
The creation of a mission-oriented agency with major responsibili- 
ties for ocean development of science and technology does not by 
itself provide a clear mechanism for coordination, planning, and 
budgeting. Several agencies, the Navy and NSF in particular, will 
continue to have major responsibilities in ocean-oriented activities. 
The need for information interchange and dissemination now dis- 
charged by ICO will continue and we recommend formation of an 
interagency group under the Federal Council for Science and Tech- 
nology to provide services now rendered by ICO and the Interagency 
Committee on Atmospheric Sciences. This group should also have 
responsibilities for information interchange involving the solid-earth 
sciences. This group would thus link the activities within the new 
agency with those in other agencies for all the environmental sciences. 
Budget allocations between the new agency, NSF, and the Navy 
would be on a competitive basis, recognizing the mission responsibili- 
ties of the new agency and the Navy. The Federal Council, the 
Bureau of the Budget, and Congress would all participate in the 
budgeting process. Though the proposed agency does not solve all 
problems of budgeting, it does provide a centralized authority with 
major mission responsibility for the oceans. 
The proposed reorganization will create a multitude of political and 
social problems. However, at present a unique opportunity exists to 
develop an organization capable of assuming major responsibility 
90 
