134 MARINE SCIENCE 



We commend the way in whicti the bill implements the report of the Committee 

 on Oceanography, and strongly endorse its objectives. 



Because aquatic biology is an integral and important part of aquatic science, 

 this committee has studied with especial care those aspects of the NASCO report 

 and of S. 2692 that pertain to biology. We have concluded that the bill would 

 be more effective in achieving its objectives if some of its provisions were 

 modified. 



In response to your request for comments and advice concerning this bill, we 

 herewith submit this report of our deliberations. Our recommendations relate to 

 three general aspects of the bill ; namely, the assignment of responsibilities for 

 basic research assigned to various agencies ; the education and recruitment of 

 aquatic scientists ; and the improvement and expansion of facilities for research 

 in the aquatic sciences. 



We draw attention to the fact that oceanographic problems differ only in size 

 and salt content from those of lakes. Limnological centers and inland colleges 

 and universities play important roles in the recruitment and training of aquatic 

 scientists, as well as in research applicable both to oceans and lakes. We there- 

 fore use the term "aquatic science" in this report, rather than "oceanography," 

 to emphasize the broader aspects of the scientific field and its nationwide 

 significance. 



SUPPOET OF BASIC BIOLOGICAL EESEAECH 



Adequate financial support of basic research is essential to the development of 

 the aquatic sciences. Funds for such research must therefore be available to all 

 institutions engaged, or planning to engage, in the aquatic sciences and their 

 supporting scientific fields such as biology, chemistry, geology, mathematics, 

 meteorology and physics to an extent justified by the scientific merits of their 

 programs. This committee believes that S. 2692, aiming at a considerable ex- 

 pansion of oceanographic and limnologic research on a national scale, provides 

 insufiicient funds to underwrite the basic biological research needed for such an 

 effort. We recommend, therefore, that serious consideration be given to in- 

 creasing significantly the amount of money authorized for research in this im- 

 portant aspect of aquatic science. 



We also recognize that the success of the proposed expansion of aquatic science 

 will be determined largely by the manner in which the funds for the support of 

 basic research are administered. We therefore believe that a maximum return 

 for the money invested can best be insured by entrusting the administration of 

 basic research funds to those Federal agencies which now have prime responsi- 

 bilities in this respect and have gained the confidence of the scientific community. 

 Consequently, the committee feels that the major proportion of such funds should 

 be allocated to these agencies. 



For example, the National Science Foundation seems to us the most appro- 

 priate agency to administer the major share of the basic research funds. How- 

 ever, the sum of $37,200,000 allocated to the NSF for basic research operations 

 over a 10-year period is thought to be wholly inadequate to enable the Foundation 

 effectively to support the fundamental needs of the program envisaged by 

 S. 2692. 



The committee is also convinced that the NSF, with the aid of its advisory 

 panels, will wisely administer such funds within the framework of its present 

 organization, and hence the creation of a separate Division of Marine Sciences 

 should not be required by law. If such a division were established, it would 

 probably be necessary to set up subdivisions representing the biological, chemi- 

 cal, physical, and earth sciences ; and these would duplicate the existing admin- 

 istrative structure. 



The Biological Sciences Division of the Ofiice of Naval Research likewise has 

 performed exemplary service in supporting basic research in aquatic biology, a 

 field that obviously is of interest to the Department of the Navy. This committee 

 therefore hopes to see more adequate reference to basic biological problems 

 under the description of the mission of the Department of the Navy in S. 2692. 



The Bureau of Commercial Fisheries of the Department of the Interior, 

 while clearly in a position to pursue basic research and already authorized to 

 grant contracts for this purpose, has a defined major objective in applied science. 

 We believe it desirable to allocate funds to this agency for basic research which 

 is directly related to their mission. However, we feel that the sum allotted 

 by the bill to the Bureau for basic biological research is disproportionately large 

 compared with that allocated to the NSF, the agency responsible for the support 

 of basic research in all areas of oceanography and limnology. 



