SEA GRANT COLLEGES 123 



Dr. Knauss. Many of my scientist friends have asked me what a sea 

 grant college is. I believe the statement of the committee does much 

 to answer that question. A modern university is dedicated to teach- 

 ing, research, and public service. The land grant system of research, 

 academic instruction, and extension — getting knowledge into circu- 

 lation and use — has made American agriculture the most productive 

 in the world. The land grant colleges were probably one of the best 

 investments the Federal Government ever made. The sea grant college 

 concept implies a similar attack on the many problems of marine 

 science and industry within the context of a modern university. 



Sea grant colleges, or whatever you would like to call them, are 

 already emerging on college and university campuses from Maine to 

 California. A modem university is committed to serve the people in 

 its region wdio are faced with scientific, technical, and other problems. 

 The people who are tiying to reap a living from the sea have long- 

 neglected problems and they are turning to the universities in increas- 

 ing numbers for solutions and assistance. In other w^ords, we are 

 going to have sea grant colleges one way or another. However, Fed- 

 eral legislation is most important if you wish to accelerate the process 

 and to establish high initial standards of performance. 



In the course of my travels I have had some opportunity to learn 

 what other institutions are doing to develop our ocean resources, but 

 naturally I know more about what is happening in Rhode Island. 

 I'd like to talk about what is happening here in Rhode Island as an 

 example of what one might expect from a sea grant university, be- 

 cause the University of Rhode Island has made some progress in 

 becoming a sea grant institution. In part this is due to a maritime 

 tradition that goes back to colonial times. Now, here in this State 

 you are never very far from the sea. In addition, our university is 

 a relatively young institution where you can experiment, innovate, 

 and initiate programs without too great a concern for tradition. 



The graduate school of oceanography trains students at the 

 master's and doctoral level in all aspects of marine science. We 

 operate a major research vessel, Trident^ which can travel to all 

 parts of the world's oceans. Our faculty and graduate students are 

 working on the frontiers of ocean science and they have been respon- 

 sible for at least a few of the many important discoveries that are 

 being made regularly in this new^ and exciting field. 



Our graduate school of oceanography, with its total commitment 

 to the sea, serves as a focal point around which many programs have 

 developed. At one time or another we have had 30 departments 

 within the university working on various projects under a coordinat- 

 ing group known as the committee on marine resources. We have 

 been concerned with the marketing problems in the fishing industry, 

 the growth and exploitation of the hard shell clams, beach stabiliza- 

 tion and dune rebuilding, the possibilities of obtaining pharma- 

 ceutical agents from the ocean, labor efficiency in fish processing and 

 handling — to name but a few areas of investigation. 



A year ago we established what I believe is the first uni\orsity 

 group focusing its attention on law of the sea. The Law of the Sea 

 Institute has or is seeking to promote understanding and solution of 

 the legal and international problems that arise from attempts to ex- 

 ploit the sea. This summer nearly 200 lawyers, scientists, and educa- 



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