24 PROVIDE A COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAM IN OCEANOGRAPHY 



bility be left with universities and other agencies which are presently 

 handhng such activities. 



Reference, section 9(a): By provision of the act of March 3, 1879, 

 referred to above, the Smithsonian Institution has been designated as 

 the official repository of the governmental collections of "rocks, 

 minerals, soils, fossils, and objects of natm^al history, archaeology, 

 and ethnology." However, it would be useful to redefine repository 

 responsibility in this area and to assui"e that the collection and preser- 

 vation of marine organisms is given proper emphasis in the expansion 

 of oceanographic activities recently recommended by the President. 

 We believe that repository responsibility of the Institution can be 

 affirmed by admmistrative action and we shall continue om^ efforts 

 in that direction. This would assure that specimens collected in the 

 course of the various phases of oceanographic research which are no 

 longer needed for investigations in progress would not be lost but 

 would ultimately be available for continuing taxonomic study. 



The Bm'eau of the Budget advises that there is no objection to the 

 submission of this report to the Congress. 

 ■Sincerely yom's, 



Leonard Carmichael, 



Secretary. 



National Academy of Sciences, 



National Research Council, 



Committee on Oceanography, 



Washington, D.C., July 27, 1961. 

 Hon. George P. Miller, 

 Boom 506, Old House Office Building, 

 Washington, D.C. 



Dear Congressman Miller: At my request, Sumner Pike, 

 Milner Schaefer, and Roger Revelle of the National Academy of 

 Sciences' Committee on Oceanography reviewed and prepared com- 

 ments on H.R. 4276. I wish their findings to be incorporated in my 

 testimony before your Subcommittee on Oceanography June 22. 



In general, they endorse the concept of a National Oceanographic 

 Council as a means of continuing the long-range development of a 

 coordinated national oceanographic program. 

 Specifically, they recommend that — 



(1) The proposed Council should have an advisory committee 

 made up of leading nongovernmental marine scientists. The 

 members of this committee should be selected from a slate of 

 nominations prepared by the National Academy of Sciences. 



(2) The members of the Council should either be Presidential 

 appomtees at the time of their appointment to the Council or 

 their appointment to the Council should be submitted by the 

 President to the Senate for confirmation. There should be one 

 member from each of the Federal departments and independent 

 agencies concerned with oceanography. 



(3) In addition to those Council members identified in H.R. 

 4267, the Council should liave a member from the Department of 

 Health, Education, and Welfare, and the Department of State. 

 These departments have a substantial stake in a coordinated 

 national oceanographic program. The Public Health Service is 

 actively studying pollution problems in coastal waters and it is 



