572 NATIONAL OCEANOGRAPHIC PROGRAM LEGISLATION 



It was to test the feasibility of the research-ship-of-opportunity 

 concept wherein an instrumented van or module is placed on board 

 a merchantman to take oceanographic and biological data, including 

 the processing of living organisms gathered by the ship, during its 

 regular cruise without interference with the ship's operation schedule, 

 or normal routine. 



The background is that the original Project Neptune, sponsored 

 by Dr. Galler, started with a Pacific phase conducted in the Pacific 

 Ocean on board the American Mail Line ship Java Mail during its 

 cruise from Seattle, Wash., to Hong Kong in October-November 1964. 

 I was privileged to participate in the short shakedown period of this 

 cruise in September during the passage of Java Mail from Los Angeles 

 to San Francisco. 



The results of Project Neptune Pacific, which was classed as a 

 prefeasibility test of the research-ship-of-opportunity concept, was 

 reported in detail in the hearings before this subcommittee on Janu- 

 ary 22, 1965— Serial 89-1. 



As you know, that cruise was classed as a complete success, having 

 demonstrated the ability of a small scientific party to obtain various 

 oceanographic data and the gathering of biological samples, utilizing 

 a mobile science van laboratory on board ship. 



Dr. Clinton Maag, Acting Life Sciences Officer of NAMTC, Point 

 Mugu, lead the project with the assistance of Dr. Aron and Mr. Ber- 

 caw of the General Motors Defense Research Laboratory, Santa Bar- 

 bara, Calif., and those able mariners, Mr. Jack Drewry and Capt. 

 Paul Bauer of the House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Conunittee. 



The success of that project lead to the initiation and support of 

 Project Neptune Atlantic by Dr. Galler and the Office of Naval Re- 

 search to do a complete and more advanced feasibility test of the 

 research-ship-of-opportunity concept in the Atlantic. As invited by 

 Dr. Galler, my associates and I at Florida Atlantic University pre- 

 pared and submitted a proposal on February 15, 1965, which was 

 accepted by the Office of Naval Research. A contract was issued 

 to do the project in early June 1965. 



The intervening time between the submission of our proposal and 

 the receipt of the contract was occupied by planning for the project, 

 transporting a mobile van laboratory from Point Mugu to Boca Raton, 

 Fla.; which, incidentally, was accomplished by a Marine Reserve 

 transport aircraft on a training transcontinental flight ; refurbishing 

 and a] tering the van to meet our requirements ; preparing requisitions 

 for equipment and supplies; and plamiing the cruise with Atlantic 

 ship lines. When we received our contract in June we rushed our 

 purchase orders through and were able to assemble all our gear, outfit 

 the van, and get it ready for transport to the port of embarkation in 

 less than 1 month from receipt of the contract. We would have 

 greatly appreciated more time but we were able to do it in about 4 

 weeks. 



After a preliminary survey, the selection of ship lines and specific 

 ships available in the limited time available within our academic 

 calendar, resolved itself into a choice of the S.S. Momrhacdraco of the 

 Moore McCormack Lines and two shij^s of the American Export- 

 Isbrandtsen Line. Contract delays, project timing, and the maritime 

 strike finally settled our choice to the S.S. Export CTmrnpion of the 



