SEA GRANT COLLEGES 167 



STATEMENT OF BE. EANDAL M. EOBERTSON, ASSOCIATE DIREC- 

 TOR rOR RESEARCH, NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION; ACCOM- 

 PANIED BY HARVE J. CARLSON, DIVISION DIRECTOR FOR 

 BIOLOGICAL AND MEDICAL SCIENCE, NATIONAL SCIENCE 

 FOUNDATION 



Senator Pell. Will you proceed as you vrill, Dr. Robertson? 



Dr. Robertson. Thank you, Senator Pell. I am cleliglited to have 

 the opportunity to speak to you today. I would like first to introduce 

 my colleague, Dr. Plarve Carlson. Dr. Carlson is Division Director 

 for Biological and Medical Sciences in the National Science Founda- 

 tion, and is the Foundation member of the Interagency Committee on 

 Oceanography of the Federal Council of Science and Technology. 



I am a physicist, sir, and spent 12 years with the Office of Naval Re* 

 search before joining the National Science Foundation in 1958. 



I would like to read a very short statement outlining the Founda- 

 tion's position with regard to S. 2439. 



The Foundation is in agreement with three basic premises of S. 

 2439 : first, that the time is now ripe for an aggressive move toward 

 fuller exploitation of the resources of the seas ; second, that our univer- 

 sities and colleges must play a key role in this movement; and third, 

 that wiiile ocean science itself is in reasonably good shape, the exploi- 

 tation of ocean resources needs a new push forward. 



Ocean science, both physical and biological, has only just begun to 

 develop an adequate understanding of the complex natural phenomena 

 of the seas. This work must go forward and should be intensified. 

 The Foundation agrees, however, that the time is now at hand to 

 mount a concurrent program of applied research and exploratory 

 development, in which we must take direct aim at optimum utilization 

 for our country of the resources of the oceans. On the basis of ex- 

 perience it can "be expected that advances in ocean technology will open 

 up new opportunities and techniques for basic research. 



The Foundation believes that no one agency can undertake the entire 

 task. For example, the Navy Department, the Department of Com- 

 merce, the Department of the Interior, and the National Science 

 Foundation have essential roles to play. Each one has skills and 

 resources in this very field w^hich can and must be dedicated to our 

 mutual objectives. Therefore, consideration should be given to hav- 

 ing any sea grant bill make clear that direct participation of those 

 and other appropriate agencies is contemplated. 



The National Science Foundation can well undertake a key role 

 in developing strength in the ocean resources field at our academic' 

 institutions. Under its present legislative authority, the National 

 Science Foundation can undertake the support of many programs in 

 the general field of oceanography. However, we would welcome a 

 specific assignment in the area of academic research, basic and applied, 

 and education along the lines envisaged by the provisions of the bill 

 as our part of a continuing governmentwide effort. It is in inter- 

 action with the academic institutions of our country that the Founda- 

 tion has the greatest store of experience and competence. However, 

 the Foundation considers that it should not be assigned responsibility 

 for activities involving the development of practical systems for 

 exploitation of the marine environment. 



