NATIONAL OCEANOGRAPHIC PROGRAM LEGISLATION 469 



Mr. Seidman. Now, with your permission, Mr. Chairman, I will 

 proceed with my statement. 



Mr. Chairman and members of the subcommittee, I appreciate the 

 opportunity to appear before your subcommittee to discuss several 

 pending bills designed to strengthen the Nation's efforts in the study 

 and exploitation of the vast ocean resources of the world. 



The measures before this committee reflect a growing recognition 

 of the need to seek greater understanding of the oceans. As Presi- 

 dent Johnson stated when he transmitted to the Congress the Nation's 

 proposed oceanographic program for fiscal year 1966 : 



But never until recently did man seek great luiderstanding of the oceans, be- 

 cause he saw little necessity. There was always a new frontier, unexplored 

 land, unexploited territory. 



Now our view of the sea has had to undergo a drastic change. We have 

 always considered them as barriers to invasion ; we now must see them as links, 

 not only between people, but to a vast new untapped resource. 



The growing recogiiition of our need to improve our understanding 

 of the oceans is reflected also by a significant increase in the funds we 

 are devoting to oceanographic research and survey programs. 



Obligations of Federal agencies for oceanography are estimate to 

 increase from $62.1 million in 1961 to $141.6 million in 1966. 



The bills now before the committee obviously represent differences 

 of views as to means rather than ultimate objectives. 



I w'ill confine my remarks, therefore, tO' certain basic organizational 

 issues raised by the proposed legislation. I will not describe existing 

 Executive Office arrangements for planning a coordinated national 

 program in oceanography, since this subject was covered by Dr. Donald 

 Hornig, Director of the Office of Science and Teclinology, in his testi- 

 mony before your committee. 



Oceanography presents a difficult and complex but by no means 

 unique problem in Government organization. Oceanography is not 

 an end or purpose of Government in itself. 



Indeed, at other witnesses have undoubtedly pointed out, ocean- 

 ography is not a discrete scientific discipline, but is a composite of such 

 basic sciences as marine biology, geology, physics, and chemistry. 



Oceanographic programs embrace a host of diverse activities rang- 

 mg from marine charting to fisheries development and ocean forecast- 

 ing. Oceanographic activities are a necessary incident to, and cannot 

 be divorced from, the basic missions of such agencies as the Navy and 

 the Department of the Interior. 



Except for the National Science Foundation and the Smithsonian 

 Institution, all of the present agencies concerned with oceanography 

 conduct oceanographic activities in support of their basic operating 

 missions. 



In the foregoing respects, oceanography is similar to meteorology 

 and water resources research in that it encompasses a variety of activi- 

 ties necessary for meeting an agency's immediate operational require- 

 ments. 



Given the diversity and varied purposes of the activities grouped 

 under the general heading of oceanography, consolidation of all fmic- 

 tions relating to oceanography and related sciences in a single agency, 

 as would be provided by H.K. 921, is neither desirable nor feasible. 



Establishment of a National Oceanographic Agency would nm 

 counter to the basic princple of executive branch organization stated 



