MARINE SCIENCE 115 
tories, but the United States, which has the most vital interest in the northeast 
Pacific of any country in the world, has been guilty of gross neglect in its failure 
to institute programs for obtaining time-series oceanographic data in this area. 
The five radar picket ships which are stationed along a north-south line about 
800 miles off the west coast of the United States present an unparalleled op- 
portunity to institute a program of invaluable time-series oceanographic obser- 
vations at a cost far below that required when special survey ships must be 
operated for that purpose alone. Proposed here is a program of basic ocean- 
ographic observations from these radar picket ships. 
The observations from this program will supply fundamental information 
on oceanographic conditions (physical, chemical, biological, and fishery) and 
flow of the California Current, which is important to the research of all west 
eoast laboratories. But the significance of this information will extend beyond 
this region, as the California Current is a part of the major current gyre in the 
North Pacific Ocean. Should the radar picket line be discontinued, the informa- 
tion will make possible efficient planning for later observations by other station 
ships and/or unmanned buoys. Finally, in addition to providing these data, 
the existence of the program and the equipment aboard the ships will provide 
a basic facility for scientists to conduct additional short- or long-term research 
problems which now can be accomplished only through the costly and inefficient 
use of oceanographic research ships. 
RADAR PICKET SHIP OPERATIONS 
The radar picket line located approximately 300 miles off the west coast of 
the United States is composed of five stations which are manned continu- 
ously. * * * The possibility exists that these stations may be relocated somewhat 
in the future but not enough tto affect materially this program. * * * 
While on station, the ships stay within a radius of 25 miles of the designated 
station location. This is accomplished by steaming generally upwind and down- 
wind for the comfort of ships’ personnel. As a whole, the crews are not busy 
continuously and both squadron and ships’ personnel have been very receptive 
toward proposals for carrying out scientific work aboard the ships. Presently 
the ships’ personnel are collecting data on two problems. With rigs furnished 
by the U.S. Bureau of Commercial Fisheries, Biological Laboratory, San Diego, 
they are trolling for albacore, keeping a record of the number of line-hours 
fished, measuring size of fish caught, and sending in special radio messages 
regarding sightings of large schools of tuna. With equipment furnished by the 
U.S. Bureau of Commercial Fisheries, Biological Laboratories at Stanford and 
San Diego, the weather personnel are taking and recording four surface tem- 
perature observations a day for a study of the differences between injection and 
surface temperatures. * * * 
Research programs are acceptable to the Navy personnel under the following 
conditions: 
1. All research programs are to be conducted on a ‘“not-to-interfere” basis with 
the primary Air Force and Navy military objectives of the picket ships. 
2. The ships are not to be responsible for any financial expenditures (equip- 
ment, etc.) in connection with the scientific program or for any of the scien- 
tific data. 
8. Participation of Navy personnel will be on a “cooperative” basis, and scien- 
tific demands on them will be kept reasonable in scope. In other words, Navy 
personnel will not be held ‘unconditionally’ responsible for the collection or 
handling of scientific data. * * * 
These remarks and excerpts have been directed toward showing 
why we want the data and how we propose to get them rather than to 
describing the details of the observations we are seeking. Mr. Saur’s 
proposal, however, does contain a meticulous listing of observations 
and instruments, together with cost estimates for obtaining the data 
and plans for the economical processing and handling and dissemina- 
tion of the results. 
I thank the chairman, Senator Magnuson, and the committee for 
this opportunity of putting forth the views of the Eastern Pacific 
Oceanic Conference upon this part of their bill. 
The CuatrmMan. Off the record. 
