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the hub of our national tsunami warning system and also serves to 

 provide warnings internationally to all countries in the Pacific basin. 

 Effective warnings depend on ESSA's and other nations' network of 

 seismic and tide stations throughout the Pacific. To improve local 

 warnings, regional networks are being established. Only last month 

 ESSA dedicated its new local warning system for Alaska based on 

 Palmer, Alaska. 



Nearly all marine interests need astronomic tide calculations, tidal 

 characteristics and long-term sea level trend predictions. They are used 

 for navigational safety, in-shore operations and in the determination 

 of coastal boundaries, as well as in design and planning of shoreline 

 and offshore structures, 



ESSA's network of tide gages enables it to calculate and publish the 

 times and heights of high and low waters for 54 primary American 

 stations and for 39 stations in 18 nations and U.S. trust territories. As 

 required, tides can be computed for approximately 6,000 secondary 

 locations. 



Observations from temporary tidal current stations are used to pre- 

 dict average tidal currents and for circulation studies of tidal estu- 

 aries. Predictions are made of the times of slack waters and the times, 

 speeds, and directions of maximum tidal currents for 25 U.S. coastal 

 and harbor stations. Similar predictions can be made for about 2,000 

 additional locations. 



ESSA is also embarking upon a program of providing estuarine 

 flushing forecasts for the use of other agencies concerned with water 

 pollution. This will utilize the output from ESSA's present programs 

 of astronomical tide predictions, tidal currents, riverflow, and wind 

 forecasts. 



COOPERATION — INTERAGENCY AND INTERNATIONAL 



The marine programs of ESSA are intimately connected to those 

 of other Federal agencies and foreign governments. Collaborative 

 efforts with other agencies and Government is essential for the accom- 

 plishment of ESSA's mission. International arrangements through 

 the World Meteorological Organization and the Inter-governmental 

 Oceanographic Commission enable ESSA and other Federal agencies 

 to obtain ocean and weather observations from foreign countries. 

 Observations from 800 merchant ships are received daily ; seismic data 

 and tidal data are received routinely. On the national scene we 

 participate closely in joint projects with other Federal agencies and 

 private institutions. 



One of the most striking examples may be the major, comprehensive, 

 field investigation in support of the world weather program, presently 

 planned for 1969. It will be executed within the general area of 

 Barbados, with primary focus on the problem of ocean-atmosphere 

 interaction, as well as related physical oceanography and small- and 

 medium-scale meteorology. Planning for this field experiment has been 

 carried out with other agencies such as the Navy, Department of 

 Interior, Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, NASA, and 

 the National Science Foundation, and the Department of Transporta- 

 tion. It will involve extensive university participation and possibly 

 that of other nations. 



