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have long traditions of national service in this area; the Survey for 

 160 years in mapping and charting the oceans, and the Weather 

 Bureau for 100 years in the provision of marine weather services. 

 Our other comi)onents are deeply involved in the use of satellites for 

 oceanographic observations, and the conduct of research on a wide 

 range of oceanic processes, an understanding of which is vital if we 

 are to remove scientific limitations on our ability to render new^ and 

 improved marine services. Man's environment is global and indivisible. 

 The ocean is an integral part of this global environment and cannot 

 be understood, predicted or controlled unless its interactions with the 

 air above and the earth below are simultaneously observed and com- 

 prehended. To appreciate this fundamental fact we need only realize 

 that the hurricane is a creature of the ocean maintained by its warm 

 waters and the energy it receives from condensing water vapor drawn 

 from the oceans. The ocean current systems are maintained by the 

 winds of the atmosphere. Tsunamis, those devastating seismic sea 

 waves, are generated by submarine earthquakes. In a real sense the 

 oceans control our weather, and the problems of drought and long- 

 range weather forecasting and weather modification can be under- 

 stood and solved only if we observe and understand the oceans. 



In just as real a sense, our ability to operate in the oceans, to develop 

 its resources, control its pollution, and to use it for transportation, is 

 controlled by the capricious atmosphere through its effects on the sea 

 state, and its current systems. A substantial number of our 11,000 

 employees are actively engaged in one aspect or another of marine 

 science and service. They operate our ships for survey and research 

 activities in the oceans, our coastal and ocean tide gage and seismic 

 stations, our coastal radars, and marine weather stations, our opera- 

 tional environmental satellite system as well as our aircraft. And 

 here we encounter another imperative: If we are to observe, under- 

 stand, and be able to predict and ultimately control important aspects 

 of our marine environment, it will be necessary to bring to bear in a 

 comprehensive and unified manner all of our observational and com- 

 munication technology both old and new to place the restless seas 

 under suitable surveillance in a systematic and economical manner. 



The services and research undertaken by ESSA are among the most 

 essential and vital if this Nation is to make effective use of the sea. 

 The products provided by ESSA are used by all who would operate 

 in the seas, whether the goal is mineral explorations, development 

 of the sea's living resources, safe transportation, prediction of the 

 weather, or achieving an understanding of its processes. 



Absolutely fundamental to the national move seaward to explore 

 the world's last frontier, is the need to provide maps and charts of 

 the ocean bottom and the geophysical and oceanic characteristics im- 

 portant to such exploration. 



MAPPING AND CHARTING 



ESSA's hydrographic and ocean survey program, executed by the 

 Coast and Geodetic Survey and the Institute for Oceanography, is 

 directed toward this objective. Our target in cooperation with other 

 Federal agencies is the completion of charting of the depths and topog- 



