362 NATIONAL OCEANOGRAPHIC PROGRAM LEGISLATION 



It is my belief that the primary need to be considered by members 

 of this committee and the Cone;ress is tlie attainment of a solid founda- 

 tion of knowledge of physical oceanography, marine biology, marine 

 geology, geography, and geophysics, and all of the other segments of 

 this advanced field of scientific endeavor which we label "ocean- 

 ography." 



In a few brief examples I would like to try to tie the knot between 

 scientific inquiry and application in an effort to show how an improve- 

 ment or a gain in technology is tied to a much broaded base of scientific 

 knowledge. This will be quite superficial, of course. 



The varying salinity in the oceans affects trnnsmission of sound in 

 water and therefore is important in the development of sonar and 

 other underwater electronic techniques. 



At the same time, salinity may be a critical factor in supporting 

 certain marine life. This same marine life could also be affected by 

 variances in water temperature, another basic variable in the sea. 

 These factors may determine breeding grounds and could be vital in 

 any ocean conservation program. 



Why are certain species found in one area only? Why do they 

 migrate ? How often do they reproduce ? The answers are difficult to 

 find, but are obviously valuable to the commercial fishing fleets. 



The waves and currents born off the Aleutian Islands could be the 

 source of the ocean forces eroding the coast of California. What 

 causes these currents? And following that answer — how can we take 

 advantage of our knowledge to effectively combat shoreline erosion? 



Knowledge of currents and waves and storms could save lives and 

 money by permitting better routing of ships. The first attempts at this 

 have already been made. Studies of sea ice may permit development 

 of polar sea routes for the future's freight-carrying submarines. 



The meteorologist knows little of the currents and deep stirring of 

 the great oceans which affects the atmosphere above and which may 

 strongly influence the climates of the Avorld. 



The mining engineer works with the handicap of limited knowledge 

 of the ocean floor, its mountains, ridges, valleys, shelves, and covering 

 sediments — knowledge of all of this is crucial to devising methods for 

 finding and extracting mineral resources. 



Much more must be learned about the dissolved minerals and gases 

 in the ocean before the chemical resources of the seas can be exploited. 

 But to sum up and from a broader and more important viewpoint, the 

 scientist lacks a comprehensive and thorough knowledge of the rela- 

 tionships between all of these scientific disciplines. He does not know 

 precisely or is he able to predict how the known variables of the sea 

 operate. In addition, there are other variables that are at work in the 

 sea that have not been defined and that have a tangible force in the 

 ocean. 



A well-coordinated effort will begin to answer these problems and 

 provide the impetus needed by the scientific and industrial communi- 

 ties to complete this necessary initial work. Government legislation 

 need not be of the inclusive nature of the enabling legislation that 

 established the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, be- 

 cause we have already a sufficient investment for a beginning and the 

 nucleus of a scientific community which is capable of growth. 



