114 MARINE SCIENCE 
At a meeting in Eugene, Oreg., in June 1960, attended by a member of the 
committee members and several other interested scientists, it was concluded 
that a program of observations from the picket ships would be of great value 
to oceanographic research in the northeastern Pacific, was justifiable, and was 
feasible. It was further decided that a comprehensive program with broad 
justification would stand the best chance of receiving financial support and that 
an attempt should be made to prepare such a program proposal. * * * 
Some of the uses for the data, as indicated from the responses to the question- 
naire are given below. The observations would provide in a general sense: 
(a) Fundamental time-series observations on the average climatic and tem- 
poral variability of physical and biological conditions in the California Current 
region. 
(b) Valuable reference data for the interpretation of synoptic surveys in the 
surrounding or neighboring areas by indicating whether the surveys were made 
at a typical or an atypical time or during the transition from one time to 
another, and 
(c) Along with those taken at Weather Stations PAPA and NOVEMBRBR, a 
basic network of stations taking time-series data in the northeast Pacific. 
More specifically, this program would provide, in relation to work of HPOC 
laboratories : 
(a) Augmentation of the surveys in the northeast Pacific and Gulf of Alaska 
hy POG, off the Washington coast by U. of W., off the Oregon coast by OSC and 
off the California coast by the CalCOFI program. 
(6b) Data on the occurence and movement of phytoplankton, zooplankton, and 
nekton for research at UBC, U. of W., OSC, SIO (MLR), and BCF (La Jolla). 
(c) Data on migration and ecology of albacore for Oregon Fish Commission 
and BCF (San Diego) and of salmon for Fisheries Research Institute (Univer- 
sity of Washington) and BCF (Seattle). 
(d) Reference points for northeast Pacific surveys to be undertaken by U.S. 
Coast and Geodetic Survey under the NASCO recommendations. 
(e) Time-series data for Pacific research on the variability and prediction of 
temperature and other physical conditions in the upper layers essential to mili- 
tary problems of the Hydrographic Office and carried on at SIO by contract 
with various governmental agencies. 
(f) Facilities for operational testing of unmanned buoys under varying 
conditions. * * * 
The proposal for a program of oceanographic observations at west 
coast radar picket ships reads in part as follows. 
Time-series data from single locations in the ocean represent one of the most 
valuable research tools for increasing our understanding of the marine environ- 
ment. Time-series observations in the fields of geophysical and biological 
sciences often form the foundation for later fundamental research papers which 
never could have been prepared had not the observations been taken with only 
“the good of the science” in mind at the time. But for more immediate applica- 
tion, time-series data in the ocean are invaluable in the interpretation of synop- 
tic surveys in the surrounding area. ‘They serve to indicate whether the 
Synoptic survey was made at a typical or an atypical time or during the transi- 
tion from one time to another. Finally, time-series data establish the character 
of temporal fluctuations, the average conditions and magnitude, and changes of 
variability. In this way they advance our ability to forecast the variations in 
oceanographic conditions which can be applied in numerous ways, e.g., (a) the 
prediction and availability of commercial fish species, and (0b) the predic- 
tion of thermal structure and sound conditions in the ocean for military 
purposes. * * * 
* * * extensive sampling of biological populations eannot be accomplished 
through the use of unmanned buoys, as presently conceived. We should, there- 
fore, avail ourselves of the existing opportunities to collect these data from ships 
that are presently manning ocean stations for other purposes. Because of the 
amount of ship traffic, the wide continental shelves on which numerous light- 
ships are located, and military emphasis, this has been done to a fair extent in 
the North Atlantic Ocean. However, very little of such data have been taken 
in the northeastern Pacific Ocean. The only significant contribution has been 
the observational program at weather ship Papa in the Gulf of Alaska, which 
has been conducted by: the: Pacific Oceanographic: Group of Canada.-during. the _. 
past 4 years. These data have benefited research at numerous west coast labora- 
