NATIONAL OCEANOGRAPHIC PROGRAM—1965 145 
ACCOMPLISHMENTS 
First, let me present our production accomplishments. In the 3 years since the 
inception of NODC, we have been working toward the greater adaptability of 
processing systems already in use, as well as attempting to diversify into fields 
not presently being processed with any great degree of uniformity in the United 
States. 
Working toward this goal of ready accessibility, we have begun to convert the 
previous punched card system for physical-chemical station data into a new 
magnetic tape system. This will enable us to assemble these data so that we 
may retrieve the valuable temperature, salinity, density, and sound velocity infor- 
mation at a more rapid rate than ever before. We have, therefore, initiated a 
program of digitizing these data into a magnetic tape system of uniform units 
which will enable us, with the aid of a computer, to provide information in a 
few hours which would otherwise take months or years to tabulate. 
Our present archive contains physical and chemical data from about 260,000 
oceanographic stations contained on over 5 million punched cards. When these 
data are distributed over the world’s oceans in all seasons, one can see that there 
are many areas of the world where little or no data are available. We are 
attempting to fill some of these gaps through a vigorous acquisition program and 
exchange with other nations. These data are being processed and archived at 
the rate of three-quarters of a million punched cards each year. 
Our archives of bathythermograms (BT’s) now contain approximately 850,000 
analog temperature records for depths up to 900 feet. We are continuing to 
process approximately 30,000 per year from survey ships or other vessels for 
which there is an urgent and immediate need. Emphasis has been placed on 
digitizing BT data and putting in into a form that will make it available for 
computer programs. Proceeding with a new system, we have digitized approxi- 
mately 50,000 of the existing archives of 850,000 analog temperature records on a 
pilot project basis. (Over 2 million data points are contained on approximately 
250,000 punched cards.) Since the system has been examined and approved by 
members of the oceanographic community, we plan to step up production during 
the coming year, processing into a magnetic tape storage system what will be 
the equivalent of more than 100,000 observations (half a million punched cards). 
Because new data are being received at the rate of about 90,000 observations per 
year, this effort is still far short of what will be required to complete the ulti- 
mate goal of digitizing the entire backlog as well as keeping up with contem- 
porary inflow. 
A variety of other data are received in manuscript or other forms. Standard 
storage-retrieval systems and determination of standard recording forms have 
yet to be determined for these data. Nevertheless, these data are organized in a 
logical manner, usually geographically by data type and date, and are available 
to the oceanographic community on demand in their existing form. Develop- 
ment of appropriate storage-retrieval system(s) for these data will proceed as 
our research and development of systems for data types now in work are com- 
pleted. 
In January of this year, we began geological and biological production on a 
pilot study basis. Core, grab, and dredge data from approximately 2,100 geologi- 
eal stations have been put into the geological storage-retrieval system for test 
purposes. Approximately 1,200 biological stations (represented by 5,000 punch 
ecards) have been entered into the biological storage-retrieval system also for 
testing purposes. 
To summarize the chief contributions of the Data Center since its inception, 
I would emphasize three points: 
First: Through our efforts there has been increasing emphasis on the use of 
standardized procedures in recording and reporting. In the past, oceanography 
has been plagued by a multitude of recording forms and incompatible observing 
and reporting procedures. The NODC fortuitously has turned out to be the 
catalyst that has brought the diversified oceanographic interests together to do 
something concrete about this longstanding problem. The Data Center will con- 
tinue to sponsor and cooperate in these endeavors. 
Second: From the beginning, the Data Center has emphasized the application 
of quality control procedures to the data processing techniques we use, so that 
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