162 NATIONAL OCEANOGRAPHIC PROGRAM—1965 
Federal Council for Science and Technology, the Joint NASCAS/NASCO 
Panel on Air-Sea Interactions, and the OST Ad Hoc Advisory Committee 
on Oceanography. All of these groups have agreed on the requirement 
to implement an aggressive Ocean-Atmosphere Research Program along 
the lines proposed by the Joint ICO/ICAS Panel. ‘The Ad Hoc Advisory 
Committee on Oceanography further stated, "We believe it is essential 
that a start on such a program be made in FY-1965." 
The major obstacle in the way of implementing the Ocean-Atmosphere 
Research Program is the complexity of the federal structure which 
controls the activities required to support such a program. At the 
present time, the meteorological and oceanographic activities re- 
quired to support an effective air-sea research effort are spread 
through some twenty-one federal agencies. And, since the program 
involves a team effort between the atmospheric scientist and 
‘oceanographer, an additional problem is the coordination of two 
observational and research mechanisms which have until now been 
only incidentally related to each other. If we are to develop an 
adequate national and international program of ocean-atmosphere 
research, we must take bold and difficult steps in the fields of 
meteorology, oceanography, and possibly hydrology to: 
1. Integrate observational procedures and networks} 
2-e Develop and procure common instrumentations 
3- Create a compatible data analysis and dissemination 
system; and 
4, Plan for and implement coordinated area studies based 
on all available methods of measuring vertical transfer. 
However, unless an effective centralized coordinating mechanism is 
established, it is feared that the air-sea research effort will be 
consigned to failure. 
In view of the operational and research experience of the Department 
of Commerce (Weather Bureau and Coast and Geodetic Survey) in both 
oceanography and meteorology, it is proposed that the Department of 
Commerce take immediate action to establish a full-time staff within 
the Department to proceed with the planning, and mimes by 
FY-1965, of an effective air-sea research programe 
Sincerely yours, 
bis iC hep 
We Cdé/ JACOBS 
Chairman 
Joint ICO/ICAS Ad Hoc Panel 
on Ocean-Atmosphere Research 
