101 



Admiral Waters. We do not actually get into the location of 

 mineral deposits. As I said, we get into the business of the geological 

 structure of the bottom. As far as having information so we can tell 

 people, "You will find gold here, and so-and-so there," we do not go 

 that far into it. 



We do have the data available for industry that might help them, 

 probably with some extra effort on their own part, make an intelligent 

 decision on what parts of, say, the Continental Shelf they would be 

 interested in leasing when they are put up for bid by the Department 

 of the Interior. This is the way it works. We do not say, "There is 

 oil off so-and-so, and you should lease that." We say, "These are the 

 data, and they were obtained with some of your tax dollars and you 

 are as entitled to them as anybody else." 



Mr. E.EINECKE. I am thinking of the case of the Department of the 

 Interior, which had a run going up to Alaska looking for manganese 

 nodules. If these findings were made available, who would have title 

 to them ? 



Admiral Waters. That would, of course, depend on where they are, 

 sir. If they were manganese nodules, they are probably in the deep 

 ocean and that is one subject. But if they are on the shelf, they are 

 subject to lease through the regular bidding techniques through the 

 Department of the Interior. 



Mr. Eeinecke. I tend to agree on your position on this but I am 

 cautious we do not in some way stultify any private investment 

 exploration. 



Admiral Waters. I think it would rather tend to encourage them 

 because I think that it is a very risky venture to begin with. You have 

 to have a lot of risk capital to go off out in the ocean. Look at fellows 

 who are a little bit nervous today down in the gulf with all of those 

 offshore oil rigs there and a hurricane coming up the gulf. It is that 

 sort of thing that makes it risky, and the fact you may or may not 

 find anything. You have to explore first. 



I think if some spinoff such as small submersibles, research ve- 

 hicles, improved alloys and that sort of thing make it easier and 

 cheaper for the industrial outfit to get in, then this is going to en- 

 courage their expansion into the oceans rather than discourage them. 



Mr. Eeinecke. Would your office encourage the so-called lead, agency 

 concept here to take over the program ? 



Admiral Waters. Not necessarily, sir, but certainly, sir, there are 

 many areas where the lead agency concept will work. I do not know 

 whether they need a lead agency concept plus some sort of a coordinat- 

 ing board or what. 



I think that is really up to the Commission to decide. The lead 

 agency concept does work and works very well in our experience. 



For example, the Coast Guard was given the lead agency role about 

 a year ago in the study of all offshore deep-water buoys for all agencies 

 interested in them, and they have done an excellent job. 



Mr. Eeinecke. On August 6 the Washington Post ran an article and 

 I quote: 



A Presidential Task Force is planning the future development of oceanograpliy 

 in government and a separate federal agency to explore and develop an oceano- 

 grapMe program is under consideration. >nJ5900 'lO't laaasT 



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