238 



raphy of the ocean floor where the Nation has an interest ; the delin- 

 eation of major ocean currents; and the completion of geophysical 

 studies of the Continental Shelves, and of the estuaries and other 

 coastal features of the Nation's shoreline. 



ESSA publishes approximately 800 different nautical charts to 

 cover the 21^ million square miles of the Nation's navigable waters. 

 Some 2 million are printed and distributed annually, at modest cost ; 

 and we are continually revising and reissuing charts to account for 

 changes which could affect navigational safety for commercial and 

 recreational uses. An important new effort of our marine program is 

 directed at the publication of bathymetric maps, graphic representa- 

 tions of underwater topography, for the development of the Conti- 

 nental Shelf and ocean floor. 



The hydrographic program produces physical measurements and 

 charts not only of oceans but other waters, along with their marginal 

 land areas. As a result, charts are maintained of coastal areas includ- 

 ing harbors and estuaries. Charts are also produced for recreational 

 boating on nearshore waters, inland lakes, reservoirs and waterways 

 for which other Federal agencies have not been assigned responsibil- 

 ity. Standard nautical charts are supplemented with a series of U.S. 

 Coast Pilots, providing information on navigation, regulations, land- 

 marks, channels and anchorage peculiarities, meteorological informa- 

 tion, ice conditions, freshets, routes, pilotage, and port facilities. 



Our shoreline mapping programs employ Coast and Geodetic Sur- 

 vey aircraft and metric cameras for the production of high quality, 

 tide-controlled, infrared photographs permitting accurate delineation 

 of the shoreline and legal boundaries. 



WARNING AND PREDICTION 



The marine environment confronts man on both land and seas with 

 an unusually wide yariety of danger and disaster — the hurricane, the 

 storm surge, the tsunami, ice, sudden winds, torrential rain are only 

 a few. Thus ESSA's forecast and warning services are central to the 

 Nation's marine existence. 



The life, safety, and economic well-being of many millions of per- 

 sons depend upon the successful performance of these complex and 

 challenging tasks. And incidentally, the recent incidents we have had 

 with Hurricane Beulah in the past few days is a very good example. 

 The most sophisticated of equipment and techniques — satellites, radar, 

 buoys, complex communications systems, and numerous specialized 

 services — are used to the fullest extent possible to help keep the mariner 

 and coastal dweller safe. ESSA has begun to implement the recom- 

 mendations of an interagency group relating to a natural disaster 

 warning system, an important part of which relates to tsunamis and 

 hurricanes. 



ESSA's operational environmental satellites are providing almost 

 complete global coverage of cloud cover, as well as of large-scale ice 

 concentrations, over the oceans. They make possible rapid global data 

 collection and communication. Our plans are to use this operational 

 satellite system to acquire ocean observations as well. Global sea-sur- 

 face temperature measurements and large-scale ocean currents, and 



