190 NATIONAL OCEANOGRAPHIC PROGRAM LEGISLATION 



the President in his message to the Congress accompanying Reorgani- 

 zation Plan No. 2 — 



a single national focus for our efforts to describe, understand, and predict the 

 state of the oceans, the state of the lower and upper atmosphere, and the size 

 and shape of the earth. 



I have given considerable thought to this problem, and I do not 

 think that ESSA — or any other single Federal department or agency — 

 should be given all the Federal responsibilities that somehow relate 

 to the oceans. The creation of ESSA is a response to the fact that 

 the oceans, the lower and upper atmosphere, and the earth all interact 

 and help determine each other — ^that the physical environment is a 

 scientific whole and that one aspect of the environment cannot be 

 studied and understood in isolation. 



But because ESSA is concerned with the physical aspects of the 

 oceans, it does not follow that it must also be concerned with every 

 aspect of the oceans. It seems no more appropriate, for example, to 

 bring physical oceanography and marine transportation together be- 

 cause both are related to the oceans, than it does to bring geology and 

 agriculture together because both are related to the earth. Certainly, 

 the physical oceanographer can assist those concerned with marine 

 operations. But I think we may continue to leave them in separate 

 agencies. 



Or take the example of pollution. Those who are concerned with 

 the biological effects of pollution on man should continue to bear this 

 responsibility. When they deal with harbor and estuary pollution, 

 the oceanographer can provide invaluable help. But simply because 

 the oceans are involved is no warrant for placing the primary duty of 

 dealing with harbor and estuary pollution in the focal agency for 

 physical oceanography. 



The Federal departments and agencies have grown out of major 

 national concerns — with such vital matters as the proper utilization 

 and conservation of our natural resources, the protection of the public 

 health, and the national defense. If we were to integrate the entire 

 Federal effort related to the oceans in a single agency, we would do 

 so at the cost of fragmenting Federal responsibilities for these matters. 

 T think this would be a mistake — ^this sort of fragmentation would 

 only weaken the ability of the Federal Government to look at such 

 problems as the Nation's resource problems or its pollution problems 

 as a single whole. 



What binds together the Federal departments and agencies that have 

 a concern with one aspect or another of the oceans is that they all need 

 extensive information about the physical characteristics of the oceans. 

 And, so, I come back to my basic point — that we must have a single 

 focus within the executive branch for physical oceanography to serve 

 these various needs. Again, I think it is appropriate to consider 

 whether the Federal civilian programs in physical oceanography need 

 strengthening. 



It should be clear that I do not feel it necessary for the Congress to 

 create a new council, committee, or commission to assign or to recom- 

 mend the assignment of functions in the area of oceanography. I 

 think that by enacting H.R. 2218, the Congress could lend the Presi- 

 dent increased support in developinng a comprehensive oceanographic 



