198 MARINE SCIENCE 
the enforcement of laws and treaties for the conservation of marine life in 
Pacific-Arctie waters. In this capacity the related field of oceanographic research 
is not overlooked. 
(c) Patrol craft, 100- io 200-foot (total 23) 
This group includes the 125- and 165-foot classes constructed in the 1920’s 
and 1930’s respectively. ‘These vessels primarily are delegated to coastal search 
and rescue duties. The cutters assigned along the Gulf of Mexico patrol the 
U.S. fishing fleet on the productive shrimp grounds of the Campeche Banks. 
In this capacity, these ships conduct sounding surveys and have contributed 
to the bathymetry of these fishing grounds. 
Hxeept for occasional water pollution and radioactive waste disposal studies, 
these vessels have not participated in additional oceanographic activities. Their 
present assignments and workload would preclude an oceanographic pregram 
except possibly as part of the Campeche patrol. 
It should be noted that three ships of this type have served for many years 
as important oceanographic vessels. These are the cutters Marion and General 
Green assigned as the ice patrol oceanographic vessels from 1926 to 1940 and 
made the pioneering oceanographic surveys of the Labrador Sea and Baffin 
Bay which still stand as first-rate achievements. A former cutter, the Craiw- 
ford, has been one of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution’s most active 
research vessels for nearly a decade. 
(@) Cceangoing tugs (total 8) 
This group includes former Navy vessels of the ARS (2138 feet), ATE (206 
feet) and ATA (148 feet) classes. The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution 
vessel Chain and Scripps Institution Argo, Horizon and Spencer F. Baird also 
are of these classes. 
The Coast Guard primarily uses its tugs for ocean rescue duties. Two of this 
type annually are assigned as standby ice patrol cutters and in years of 
severe iceberg hazard patrol the Grand Banks of Newfoundland. A noteworthy 
contribution was made by one of these ships during the 1959 ice patrol season 
when it conducted a study of radar detection of ice at sea. 
In June 1960, one of these vessels in cooperation with the National Institutes 
of Health made a significant oceanographic achievement in establishing and 
retrieving a deep sea mooring in the study of radioactive waste disposal. 
No special oceanographic instrumentation currently exists or is provided for 
the tugs. The nature and workload of the normal duties of these ships would 
prohibit any but a limited cceanographie project. 
The planned replacements for the tugs are included in 200-foot medium en- 
durance vessels planning noted under the ‘Patrol craft” heading. 
(c) Buoy tenders over 150-feet (total 55) 
These are the oceangoing vessels which service offshore and major aids to 
navigation. The dominant type of this group is the 180-foot class which 
numbers 388 ships. Two of these vessels in cooperation with the U.S. 
Navy participated in the first U.S. transit of the Northwest Passage in 1958. 
Others have conducted significant hydrographic surveying and mapping of 
Greenland and arctic waters. 
The highly successful meteorological and oceanographic automatie buoy in 
the Gulf of Mexico was established as a cooperative effort with the U.S. Navy 
aud U.S. Weather Bureau and is serviced by a 180-foot Coast Guard tender. 
It is reasonable to assume that since these are the only U.S. vessels capable of 
working buoys at sea, the future plans for increased use of oceanographic buoy 
systems will call upon the services of this type of vessel. 
One of the 180-foot class is especially assigned as the oceanographic vessel 
for the International Ice Patrol. Its activity is later discussed. This ship has 
proven excellent for this purpose and can maintain progress in a survey during 
heavy weather. 
The Coast Guard operates five 189-foot tender class cutters which are sister 
ships to the Yamacraw (transferred to U.S. Navy, 1959) which conducted ocean- 
ographic research for the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and is now 
engaged in research for the Navy. ‘This class is shorter ranged, has no ice re- 
inforcing, and is less suitable for oceanographic investigations than the 180-foot 
class. 
The normal workload and operation of the buoy tenders in aids to navigation 
precludes any but the most limited oceanographic effort except as especially 
assigned such as the ease of the arctic cruises and the Ice Patrol oceanographic 
vessel. 
