299 



Mr. Abel. I would like to discuss the fiscal ^nature of the program 

 very briefly. As you know, the Science Foundation was permitted to 

 reprogram $1 million of its own funds for this purpose from 1967 

 funds which were carried over for fiscal year 1968. The budget for the 

 fiscal year 1968 program as submitted by the President was $4 million 

 for the program. It is too early in the fiscal year 1969 cycle to predict 

 what the level of support will be. 



As has been explained in previous hearings, the Science Foundation 

 does expect that the program could, all things being equal, rise within 

 the next 4 or 5 years to perhaps $20 or $25 million. As you know far 

 better than I, this depends on far too many national and international 

 factors to try to predict with any accuracy now. 



The last issue 1 would like to raise concerns broadly the Nation's 

 view of this young program. It is apparent from the correspondence 

 and the attention that we have received already that Sea-Grant im- 

 plies to some a panacea to solve all of the problems associated with the 

 development of our oceans. That in turn, judging from the acclaim 

 often given to our Nation's ocean program, may be expected to cure all 

 ills of humanity. This is not to be, gentlemen. I would emphasize that 

 payoff from research and development in the oceans must be consid- 

 ered in very, very long-range context. This does very definitely apply 

 to the Sea-Grant concept as well. 



In considering the future of this program, my natural optimism 

 as its manager has to be tempered by experience and knowledge of 

 the essential nature of the ocean itself. I would not under any circum- 

 stances want to mislead you into looking for payoff from the Sea- 

 Grant program for at least the next couple of years. In fact, realism 

 dictates that really significant payoff is at least a decade in the future. 

 Of course, we are looking for some useful results well before that time, 

 particularly including the emergence of highly trained manpower. 



As you know, you have given us a double-barreled program, not 

 only with the objectives of exploitation per se, but also permission 

 and the wherewithal to build the resources, including trained man- 

 power from which to conduct these exploitation programs. Therefore, 

 our initial objectives will concern mainly the building up of these 

 resources from which we are going to accomplish practical exploita- 

 tion of the seas later on. It is something to which the Sea-Grant con- 

 cept is admirably suited. It is a goal which we personally approach 

 with considerable enthusiasm. 



Ever since the program's inception I have been deluged with de- 

 mands from all sectors of the marine science community, highlighting 

 above all else a desperate need for ocean technicians ; that is, persons 

 competent to go to sea, make observations at sea, to keep the apparatus 

 running and repair it as necessary, to take the data and at least initial- 

 ly process these data and do similar things in the shoreside labs. This 

 is a prime mission to which we in the Sea-Grant Program are already 

 committing ourselves and hopefully we would predict significant out- 

 put of such technicians in 3 or 4 years. 



In conclusion, I think it is desirable to point out that the potential 

 effect of this program has already been signaled by the enthusiastic 

 response we have already received. You have created a rather great 

 weapon for this exploitation. 



