b PROVIDE A COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAIVI IN OCEANOGRAPHY 



BACKGROUND OF THE LEGISLATION 



H.R. 12601 is a clean bill, introduced at the direction of your com- 

 mittee's Subcommittee on Oceanography as the product of some 

 three and a half years of study and a number of hearings, both in- 

 vestigative and legislative in character. H.R. 12601 supersedes 

 H.R. 4276. 



Your committee's interest in the problem of development of a 

 coordinated national program in oceanography was stimulated in 

 January 1959, just prior to the release of chapter I, "Introduction and 

 Summary of Recommendations" of a report entitled "Oceanography 

 1960-70," prepared by the Committee on Oceanography of the 

 National Academy of Sciences-National Research Council. The work 

 of that Committee on Oceanography, hereinafter referred to as 

 NASCO, was made possible by the sponsorship of several Govern- 

 ment agencies having extensive interest in the oceans, i.e., the Atomic 

 Energy Commission, Bureau of Commercial Fisheries of the Depart- 

 ment of the Interior, National Science Foundation, and the Office of 

 Naval Research, Department of the Navy. 



Many other Government agencies engage in activities involving in 

 greater or lesser degree some phase of oceanography. The term 

 "oceanography" embraces many scientific disciplines. Indeed, it en- 

 compasses the scientific study of all aspects of the oceans, their bound- 

 aries and their contents. Oceanographic research is undertaken in a 

 variety of private and Government laboratories. Important segments 

 of industry are engaged in various types of oceanographic activity, 

 with new prospects for the exploitation of marine environment opening 

 up with increasing frequency. 



In view of the NASCO report and the obvious responsibilities among 

 many departments for one or more elements embraced within the 

 term "oceanography," your committee's first step was the appoint- 

 ment of a subcommittee to stud}^ the NASCO report and hold thorough 

 hearings to ascertain the extent of the Government's current partici- 

 pation in this field. The subcommittee was charged with responsi- 

 bility to assess the status of the marine sciences in the United States, 

 both within and without the Government, and make recommendations 

 for legislation or other action that might be needed to develop and 

 maintain an effective national oceanographic program for the future. 

 During this phase of its inquiry no legislation was before the 

 subcommittee. 



General hearings, held during 1959 and 1960, produced more than 

 400 pages of printed testimony, with witnesses appearing on behalf of 

 such agencies as the U.S. Navy Hydrographic Office, tlie Coast and 

 Geodetic Survey, the Office of Naval Research, the Atomic Energy 

 Commission, the Fish and Wildlife Service, Navy Bureau of Ships, 

 Federal Alaritime Board and Maritime Administration, the Weather 

 Bureau, Beach Erosion Board, Coast Guard, Woods Hole Oceano- 

 graphic Institution, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and others. 

 In addition, the subcommittee and its staff met on manj^ occasions 

 with the members of the National Academy of Science's Committee 

 on Oceanography in a cooperative effort to find the most effective 

 mechanism for fostering and maintaining a well balanced national 

 program. 



