PREDICTION OF THE MARINE ENVIRONMENT 87 



Since the synoptic approach to ice observing and forecasting 

 had proved successful in the early and mid-1950's, oceanographic 

 forecasters began to explore other phases of oceanographic fore- 

 casting that could be of value to the Navy. Ocean waves, especially 

 high seas, had always plagued naval operations and merchant ship- 

 ping. Both commercial and military ships for years had reported 

 ocean wave conditions in the six-hourly synoptic weather reports 

 transmitted by radio to forecasting facilities. No procedure, how- 

 ever, was available for showing wave conditions synoptically for an 

 entire ocean. In 1954, forecasters constructed the initial synoptic 

 wave charts, showing wave height contours for the entire North 

 Atlantic. By 1956, synoptic and prognostic wave charts were being 

 transmitted to the Fleet via radio facsimile. 



From this has grown the oceanographic prediction program 

 which has received the highest praise to date, the Optimum Track 

 Ship Routing (OTSR) program. OTSR techniques were developed 

 by scientists of the U. S. Naval Oceanographic Office in 1956-57. 

 Predicted wave charts made it possible to use wave forecasts in 

 routing of ships along tracks of maximum operational efficiency. 

 Ocean currents and surface winds are also considered in deter- 

 mining the fastest and/or safest track. The program was made 

 fully operational by the Naval Weather Service in August 1958. 

 Fleet Weather Central Alameda is responsible for OTSR in the 

 Pacific Ocean and is currently providing service to an average of 

 2,000 ships per year. Recently, Fleet Weather Central Guam 

 began OTSR services to assist in handling the overload from 

 Alameda. In the Atlantic Ocean area. Fleet Weather Facility 

 Norfolk provides OTSR services to an average of 800 ships per 

 year. The program is provided ships controlled by the Military 

 Sea Transport Service (MSTS) as well as to Fleet units; it serves 

 to reduce average transit times significantly by avoiding the 

 rougher sea and higher wind areas. Additional benefits have 

 been realized from reductions in ship and cargo damage and in 

 passenger and crew discomfort. Commander MSTS reported a 

 savings of $500,000 in tanker operations because of reduced time 

 at sea during the first year of OTSR services; 655 ships were 

 provided the services. In addition, cargo and passenger ships also 

 averaged savings of $100,000 each in fuel costs due to lessened 

 steaming time. Although not computed in dollars, savings also 



