148 MARINE SCIENCE 



our national welfare and security. We believe a practical and fair balance of 

 responsibility and financial assistance should exist between the activities of 

 citizen scientists and governmental scientists, between citizen institutions and 

 governmental institutions. 



Recommendation: That bill S. 2692 of September 11, 1959, be modified and 

 adopted with the following changes and/or additions. 



I. Under section 4 dealing with the administrative and financial responsibili- 

 ties of the National Science Foundation there be added on page S, after line 6 the 

 following: "(c) The sum of $40,000,000 for the proper preservation and housing 

 of marine specimens." and on page 8 at the end of line 9 there be added the words 

 "and marine biological" and on page 9, line 2, after the word "oceanographers" 

 there be added the words "or marine biologists". 



II. Under the section of "Declaration of Policy," the following changes or 

 additions be made : On page 3, line 11, after the word laboratory, there be added 

 a comma and then the word "museum." On page 3, line 15, after the word 

 "instruments," there be added the words "methods of preservation of specimens." 

 On page 6, line 17 and line 20, the word "fisheries" be deleted and replaced by the 

 words "marine biological." 



3. Both the bill and the oceanographic report of the National Academy of 

 Science (upon which the bill is based) fail to recognize the need or make 

 provision for a suitable or extensive enough National Oceanographic Records 

 Center or a vitally needed center for the survey indexing and dissemination 

 of man's present knowledge of the marine sciences. 



Comments : One of the great problems confronting all scientists is their in- 

 ability to keep up to date with the advances in their respective fields. It is in- 

 conceivable that a 10-or-more-year program of investigation can be initiated 

 without some provision for a modern, electronic system of indexing what is al- 

 ready known about the physical and biological aspects of oceanography. With- 

 out this tool, which should be international in scope, our research will bungle 

 along on a hit-or-miss fashion. It is especially mandatory in the field of marine 

 resources and the surveying of marine life, that the estimated 600,000 books and 

 articles on marine animals and plants be expertly indexed. 



In my opinion, the technical difficulties and specialized knowledge required in 

 this operation will make necessary the guidance and administration of a records 

 center to be set up and run by the Smithsonian Institution. The Smithsonian is 

 certainly the logical place for any taxonomic, biological, or ecological indexing 

 program. However, some opposition to this idea may be anticipated from the 

 administration of the Smithsonian who consider the scientific aspects of their 

 organization to be a research rather than a service function. While I quite 

 support this view, I believe that if sufficient funds and additional personnel were 

 authorized for this purpose, such a service function would be of immense na- 

 tional value and would be in keeping with the Smithsonian's present service 

 functions in the areas of exhibits, publications, dissemination of knowledge, and 

 identification services. 



From my own personal standpoint, the broad research program on marine 

 moUusks which the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia is undertaking 

 requires an indexing of the molluscan literature. We have 30 international par- 

 ticipants in our program, and all greatly desire a control on the literature. We 

 shall attempt to go ahead in a primitive fashion with what small private funds 

 are available. Our really only great hope is that our Russian colleagues will 

 evolve and share with us a complete indexing of our field. In my opinion, the 

 country or institution which serves as the brain or nerve center of marine 

 sciences will ultimately command the lead in setting policies and carrying out 

 research programs. 



Recommendation: That bill S. 2692 of September 11, 1959, be modified and 

 adopted with the following changes and/or additions : 



I. That under section 7 on page 14 concerning the Department of Commerce, 

 on line 22, following the word "oceanographic" there be added the words "and 

 marine biological and taxonomic." 



II. That on page 16, line 23, the sum of "$250,000" be deleted and the sum 

 "$1,000,000" be added. That on page 17, line 3, the sum "$100,000" be deleted and 

 that the sum "$1,000,000" be added. 



III. That serious consideration be given by the drafters of this bill on whether 

 the Smithonian Institution or the Department of Commerce should be responsible 

 for either or both a biological and physical oceanographic records center, and 

 that such accumulated records be made available to national and international re- 

 search workers and institutions on a nominal cost basis. 



