NATIONAL OCEANOGRAPHIC PROGRAM—1965 373 
nearly 100,000 pleasure craft of all sizes operating in these waters. The 
commission has been active in combatting pollution, the worst obstacle to 
development of a large number of otherwise splendid potential resort areas, 
Jt has been reported that. during the last, navipaltion season, which 
spans about eight ice free months, commerce passing ‘through the Great Lakes 
area exceeded the combined tonnage transiting both the Panama and Suez Canals, 
in an entire year. It is interesting to note that about 85% of all of the 
iron ore produced in the United States is transported vi@ the Great Lakes. 
During the last decade Montreal was believed to be the second largest port 
in the entire North American Continent in terms of total tonnage handled. 
This alone gives some indication of the enormous use being made of the Great 
Lakes for navigational purposes and of the interest of the Joint Commission 
representing the two governments in giving all possible encouragement and 
support to development; of navigational aids, harbor and channel dredging 
programs, and ice forecasting projects. 
The Commission works very closely with a large number of industrial 
interests including automotive, steam power, oil refining, pulp and paper, 
and chemical] and steel industries of all. kinds. Considerable aquatic research 
is underway purGcuant Lo, this darye seale indugliial use, since most of the 
water is returned directly to the Lakes as waste. 
By far the most important function of the Commission is the over- 
view of sanitation programs, Objectives in pollution contrel include the 
creation of maintenance of clean and healthy surroundings (including develop- 
ment of resort areas) the 2xpansio: of industry, and the furnishing of 
resources for agriculture, navigation, and power. In pursuance of these aims 
the Commission is concentrating its effort on: 
(1) construction of treatment facilities; 
(2) measurement of chemical constituents of waste’ discharges; and 
(3) analysis of reeeived water to measure pollution indicios. 
_As evidence of the interest of the United States, particularly in pollution 
studies, the Public Ilealth Service supports more scientific programs in the 
Great Lakes area than any other federal agency. 
The Commission works very closely with the U.S. Public Health 
Service, Michigan Water Resources Commission, the Michigan State Department 
-of Health, the Water Pollution Control Board of New York, the New York State 
Department of Health, the Department af National Health and Welfare of Canada 
and the Ontario Department of Health (Canada). The method of operation used 
by the Commission is usually to appoint advisory boards of technical experts 
who plan, direct, and control field investigations and report their findings. 
_ The Commission then recommends appropriate measures to the two governments. 
