50 MARINE SCIENCE 
You will recall that Dr. Sette advised you that I had agreed to serve as 
chairman pro tem to convene this committee. Members present at our first 
meeting asked that “pro tem” be dropped. I have agreed to serve as chair- 
man with reluctance because I am also chairing another HPOC committee; 
however, I will do so unless one of the absent members will care to volunteer. 
Bert Bennett will serve as secretary. 
You will note from the minutes that we adopted a procedure for developing 
the proposed program and that we each have work to complete before our next 
meeting which is set for as soon after April 15 as possible but before May 1. 
Could you advise me as to what date is most convenient and whether you will 
be able to attend a meeting in San Diego or Los Angeles. It is important that 
as many of us as possible be present at the next session. 
I shall also be interested to know if our Washington, D.C. and Monetery 
colleagues have plans to visit southern California during the next few months, 
so that we may schedule a committee meeting to coincide with their visits. It 
does not seem feasible to schedule meetings anywhere but in San Diego or Los 
Angeles. 
I request that each of you prepare the statements as outlined in the minutes 
as quickly as possible and that you make every effort to see that copies reach 
the secretary and the other members not later than April 10, 1961. By this 
means, we will have the opportunity to review each other’s requirements prior 
to our next meeting. 
Please use the guide list of needs and wants in preparing your statement 
so that integration into an overall picture of needs and wants will be easier. 
I hope that we will be able to do a good job. 
Sincerely, 
GERALD V. HowArp, Chairman. 
Eproo CoMMITTEE ON A COOPERATIVE PROGRAM OF STUDY OF THE HASTERN TROPICAL 
PAciFIc OCEAN 
Minutes of the initial meeting held at Scripps Institution of Oceanography on 
February 17, 1961 
Members present: G. V. Howard, USBCF, chairman; EH. B. Bennett, IATTC, 
secretary; H. C. LaFond, USNEL; R. S. Arthur, SIO; W. M. Chapman, TRC; 
J. D. Isaacs, SIO. 
Members absent: M. B. Schaefer, IATTC; J. B. Bjerknes, UCLA Met.; 
C. N. G. Hendrix, USNHO; G. W. Kalstrom, USWB; P. M. Wolff, NANWHP 
(Monterey) ; Dr. H. J. Stewart (C.&G.S§.). 
The committee noted that, although each member is from a research group 
which has interest in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean, the members are not 
officially representing their organizations. 
The question of participation of individuals from other groups in the com- 
mittee was discussed. In particular, the overlapping of parts of the AEC 
proving ground and “the eastern tropical Pacific’ (defined below) was indi- 
cated. Moreover, the AHC, although interested in a cooperative study, prob- 
ably would not be able to contribute directly to the study. It was proposed 
that scientists from such groups might be called upon for advice and assist- 
ance as required but that the committee should not be enlarged. 
Because of the diverse committee membership and the fact that the com- 
mittee report must be presented to the EPOC in September 1961, it was felt 
that there was little hope of ever having a full committee meeting and that 
each meeting would probably have a different group of members. A solution 
to this problem will be explored, however, in the hope of having at least one 
full committee meeting in the summer. In any case, notices of future meetings 
will be circulated well in advance. 
The eastern tropical Pacific was defined as that part of the ocean bounded 
by 30° N., 20° S. and by 140° W. and the west coastlines of the Americans, but 
this definition of area of interest was not meant to exclude the atmosphere 
above the ocean nor the sediment structure in the sea bottom. There was some 
discussion of the extent and quality of previous studies in the area with the 
result that a summary of previous and continuing activities is to be prepared 
by the secretary and distributed to the committee before its next meeting. It 
was considered desirable to have a coordinated study of the eastern tropical 
Pacific because— 
(1) the United States would gain prestige from a well-planned, well- 
executed cooperative study of a large ocean area; 
