48 



THE NAVY OCEANOGRAPHIC OPERATIONS PROGRAM 



At such ocean stations, Nansen bottles also collect actual sea 

 water samples that the oceanographers analyze for salinity, which 

 also affects sonar conditions. Other observations of concern to 

 Fleet operations are made of water color and clarity, both affecting 

 the visibility of submerged submarines and mines. 



The Oceanographic Office also collects data on nutrients and the 

 dissolved oxygen content of the oceans. Such data not only are 

 of scientific importance in identifying and following movements 

 of water masses but also are becoming of increasing value for 

 locating commercial fishery areas. The Office occupies more 

 than 900 ocean stations a year from tropic to polar waters, wherever 

 its own oceanographic ships are assigned or where its scientists 

 are embarked on Navy or Coast Guard ships of opportunity. 



Data of fisheries significance are also observed from the air- 

 craft used by the Oceanographic Office to scan sea surface 

 temperature. The boundaries of varying water masses so mapped — 

 for example, the limits of the Gulf Stream— tend to govern the 

 movements of tuna and other fish. A cooperative program with 



Instrument package for measuring 

 temperature, salinity, and sound 

 velocity. 



