18 



Dr. Wenk. Data are really the commodity that makes up ocean- 

 ography. Without the observations, you would have no oceanography ; 

 you would have no marine science. 



As we look back historically, we find that most scientists collected 

 their own data and utilized their own. But today the collectors of data 

 are not necessarily the users or vice versa; in other words, we now 

 have a much larger community of users of oceanographic information 

 who may never even see the oceans, including people concerned with 

 policy questions that depend on marine science data. As a consequence, 

 it was the Council's view that steps should be taken to understand bet- 

 ter the whole range of user needs, not only in the Federal Government 

 but in industry — the offshore oil industry, for example, has important 

 requirements with regard to wind and weather — and the requirements 

 of the academic community in order to determine what was needed, 

 and then finally — and we have to face this squarely — what it is going 

 to cost. We can't improve the system without some additional invest- 

 ment. 



Mr. MosHER. Mr. Chairman, one more question : Dr. Wenk, on page 

 5 it says that, "When missions cross agency lines, however, the Council 

 may designate a lead agency to assume responsibility for interagency 

 planning and coordination." 



This assumes an authority in the Council to really give direction to 

 the agencies and tell one agency to lay off and another agency to em- 

 phasize and that sort of thing. Have you had occasion to issue any 

 such instructions to the agencies, to assume that responsibility ? 



Dr. Wenk. Yes, we have, Mr. Mosher. 



Let me mention, first, that each participating agency in a multi- 

 agency program is doing whatever it is doing in accordance with ex- 

 isting statutes. In many cases, I think it is fair to say that because the 

 legislation for these agencies cannot keep up with the changing world, 

 some of the problems, particularly with regard to whether they call 

 on one agency or another, become unclear. The role of the Council in 

 this instance is to advise and assist the President, in accordance with 

 section 4(a) (3), which in fact provides for the Council to assist the 

 President in this regard. 



Mr. MosHER. You make recommendations to the President and h© 

 is the one that directs the agencies ? 



Dr. Wenk. Right. 



Mr. Lennon. Gentlemen, off the record. 



(Discussion off the record.) 



Mr. Lennon. The committee will stand in recess until the call of 

 the Chair. 



(Whereupon, at 11 :10 a..m., the subcommittee recessed, to reconvene 

 at the call of the Chair.) 



