206 NATIONAL OCEANOGRAPHIC PROGRAM LEGISLATION 



Mr. Keith. What plans has the Department of Commerce made to 

 determine in the national interest what our rights, responsibilities, and 

 opportunities are with reference to this increase in your domain? 



Dr. HoLLOMON. We have done several really quite modest things. 



First off, I would like to indicate to you that the capability of the 

 Commerce Department to do this necessary survey is being substan- 

 tially increased, in the next year or so, by the acquisition of additional 

 ship capacity. We have two ships now being constructed — ^two new 

 ships — and one authorized, so these ships will be used in substantial 

 measure for ocean and Continental Shelf surveys. So that, there is a 

 capability coming along. 



Mr. Keith. In your request for the funds to build these ships, did 

 you tie it in directly with this particular area ? 



Dr. HoLLOMON. No. The requests for funds for the first two ships 

 were before the effective date of the Continental Shelf treaty. 



Mr. Keith. What specifically have you done with reference to the 

 Continental Shelf? 



Dr. HoLLOMON. Specifically, the Continental Shelf ? 



Specifically, we have let a contract with the Battelle Memorial Insti- 

 tute to examine the question of what sorts of surveys are required, what 

 the economic benefits might be from such surveys, and to lay out a 

 program for the analysis of the Continental Shelf. We hope to have 

 that available by the end of the month. 



Mr. Keith. This is a specific contract for that specific purpose? 



Dr. HoLLOMON. For that specific purpose, to give us guidance as to 

 what we should do, and to how much of our resources should be put 

 into that. 



Mr. Keith. How much of a contract is that in dollars? 



Dr. HoLLOMON. About $58,000. This is an analysis of what we 

 should do. This is not, of course, the action program. 



Mr. Keith. Was this correlated with Interior? 



Dr. HoLLOMON. I can't answer the question. 



Admiral Karo, is Interior participating in that study ? 



Admiral Karo. Not financially in this particular one, though they 

 were consulted. 



Dr. HoLLOMON. We are making it available through ICO, through 

 the Interagency Committee on Oceanography, which is aware of the 

 study, and the study specifically is not coordinated with Interior in 

 letting the contract. 



Mr. Keith, Doesn't that indicate a need for some coordinating 

 agency to give direction and cohesion ? 



Dr. HoLLOMON. The results of the study, the facts of the study, the 

 way the analysis is to be carried out, and so on, is available to and has 

 been discussed, I am sure, with ICO, which is the coordinating agency. 

 You may want to respond to this que^ion, Admiral. 



Mr. Keith. Well, I have specific reference to your testimony as to 

 the responsibility of the Interior Department here. 



Dr. HoLLOMON. Right. 



Mr. Keith. And it would seem to me that that should be recognized 

 in the directive to that Agency or the independent contract that has 

 been let for the purpose. 



Admiral Karo. Mr. Keith, when we worked out the terms of refer- 

 ence for this contract, we did discuss this with the various other agen- 



