NATIONAL OCEANOGRAPHIC PROGRAM—1965 S 
. The ocean covers more than 70 percent of the surface of the earth; 
for the most part it is the common property of the nations of the 
world and the common resource of the technologically advanced 
nations. Slow accumulation of observations made by explorers, and 
recently oceanographers, has given us a useful general picture of the 
ocean, but one inexact and almost totally lacking in detail. We know 
quite a lot about the gulf stream, the warm northward moving river 
which les off our east coast and which carries heat and life to the 
countries of northwest Europe. This region has been more intensively 
studied than any other in the world’s ocean, but we have only recently 
learned that there lies below the gulf stream another stream flowing 
with less speed in the opposite direction. We know that spectacular 
variations or meanders occur in the gulf stream, but why this is so 
or what consequences result we do not know. 
The sea sustains plant and animal life in great abundance; we 
have identified many of the forms of life which reside near the ocean 
surface, although much more is to be learned; but we know very little 
about the living population at great depths. We recognize that there 
is a truly enormous potential food supply available in the ocean; but 
we are properly cautious about its management and exploitation, be- 
cause we have so far learned so little about the food chains which lead 
through various forms of life from plankton to the edible fish. 
Recent advances in technology have given us new instruments with 
which to study the ocean floor and the layers of sediment which reveal 
much about the history of the earth. These include acoustic refrac- 
tion techniques, gravity meters of high precision, sensitive magnetom- 
eters, precision depth recorders, deep-coring facilities, and ocean 
bottom photography. We look forward to fascinating and important 
discoveries relating to the structure and history of the ocean floor, but 
the extent of the ocean is so great and the skill required in the use of 
these instruments so great that many mysteries will remain hidden 
for a long time. 
The effects of the atmosphere on the ocean and of the ocean on the 
atmosphere are both obvious and subtle, catastrophic, and gentle. 
Fort short time periods these effects may be studied independently ; 
but for longer periods the ocean and the atmosphere must be consid- 
ered to be a single system. For example, a warm ocean gives up 
heat to the atmosphere with the consequence that winds are created ; 
the winds create waves and spray, and the resulting mixing and evap- 
oration cools the ocean. Further chains of events can be traced, but 
we must recognize that we don’t know much in a quantitative sense 
about these processes. Here lie some of the critical difficulties in 
weather prediction for periods of weeks or months. To make sub- 
stantial progress in this area we shall need carefully planned 
investigations. 
The solution of the scientific problems which reside in the sea re- 
quires varied talents. Physicists, chemists, mathematicians, biolo- 
gists, mechanical and electrical engineers all are needed in oceano- 
graphic research. Each of the scientific problems I have discussed 
1s important to a number of practical problems which, in fact, de- 
termine the Nation’s interest in oceanography and account for the 
recent large increases in budgetary support. Without a clear recog- 
nition of the scientific problems and an honest determination to attack 
them, we cannot hope to solve the practical problems; and we should 
