98 SEA GRANT COLLEGES 



Howard H. Eckles, S.B., University of California, 1942. He was ap- 

 pointed in 1962 as Assistant to the Science Advisor, U. S. Department 

 of the Interior. A career employee, he joined the Department in 1948 

 as a research biologist and has served since then in progressively 

 higher positions. Since 1958, he has been chief of the branch of mar- 

 ine fisheries in the Bureau of Commercial Fisheries. 



Thank you. Dr. Schaefer. In thinking over our proceedings, thus far, I have 

 had an opportunity to jot down various steps and subjects which I think will be 

 important for implementation of this new idea of sea-grant colleges. Yesterday, 

 Dr. Carlson pointed out that there was not yet adopted by the government as a 

 whole, either on the executive or the legislative side, an agreed upon policy on 

 what our country wants to do about use of the oceans and its total oceanographic 

 efforts. I would point out that this is something that needs to be done for the 

 welfare of the oceanographic effort as a whole, as well as for implementation of 

 this concept of sea-grant colleges. Dr. Schaefer stated this same point in a 

 slightly different way just a moment ago. We must have a clear understanding 

 as to what we want to do in the whole program. 



I have opportunity for rather frequent contact and conversations with mem- 

 bers of the Federal Council for Science and Technology or with officials else- 

 where in the government. I know that their outlook toward the oceanographic 

 program does not hold the concept that Dr. Spilhaus gave to us yesterday. On the 

 average there is not a feeling of great urgency about the rate we should go ahead 

 to develop the oceans from a resource and use point of view. In some circles 

 oceanography is regarded as a research opportunity that will show promising 

 things to do. Later on we can develop that information which research has shown 

 to be promising. There is a feeling that the present level of effort, which is 

 about 160 to 170 million dollars a year, is adequate for this purpose. 



I would like to make a specific recommendation for consideration by this 

 conference. This is that we ask Dr. Spilhaus, if the arrangements can be made, 

 to give his talk or a related one to the President and his Cabinet, perhaps going 

 via the Federal Council as a stepping stone to this. Secondly, suggest that he 

 give this talk to the appropriate Appropriations Committees within the Congress. 

 I emphasize the Appropriations Committees because leaders in Congress on the 

 legislative committees have stressed the importance of oceanography. But op- 

 portunities in oceanography may not be known to those controlling the funds in 

 Congress. I think we should take every step to get this concept across. Our 

 effort is to do things with the ocean, to develop it for our use and go beyond the 

 research effort, which it is at the moment. Thus, clarification of national policy 

 is my first point. 



On my second point, I think we need to agree upon a responsible agent with- 

 in the executive department to carry out the program. Senator Pell's bill men- 

 tions the National Science Foundation. I do not sense from Dr. Carlson's paper 

 that the National Science Foundation is very enthusiastic about this idea. He 

 stated the National Science Foundation is neutral ground. I state we can't make 

 progress with neutral ground. We must have someone who is enthusiastic, who 

 wants to take the responsibility and who will work closely with all agencies and 

 with the Congress, to bring the program about. I do not think it necessary to 

 point out which agencies might do this, but there are several that are interested. 

 I happen to be in one of them. 



I cite as an example, the passing of the Water Resources Research Act of 

 1964. It resulted from a bill introduced by Senator Anderson of New Mexico. It 

 resulted from a very wide base of support from the academic community. There 

 was a clear responsible agent with an idea to be carried out and a clear demon- 

 stration that the nation had to do something about producing more information on 

 the water resources of the country. If we obtain the same parallelism in ocean- 



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