NATIONAL OCEANOGRAPHIC PROGRAM—1965 
Ship Construction 
During the past year construction was com- 
pleted on fivenew researchvessels. These ships 
represent the first specially designed research 
craft added to the nation's oceanographic fleet 
since construction of the R/V Atlantis in 1931. 
The gain in efficiency, capacity, habitability, 
and productivity from use of such ships, rather 
than converting older vessels for research, will 
greatly augment our research capability. 
Three of the new ships, the CONRAD, 
GILLIS, and DAVIS, are AGOR's, constructed 
with Navy funds according to specifications and 
design developed by the Navy's Bureau of Ships. 
The CONRAD will be operated by the Lamont 
Geophysical Observatory in pursuance of its 
research activities. The GILLIS and DAVIS will 
be operated by Navy research laboratories on a 
cooperative basis. 
The new ALBATROSS IV is a 1000 ton bio- 
logical research vessel with capability for both 
fishery research and general oceanography. It 
will be employed by the Bureau of Commercial 
Fisheries’ Woods Hole Laboratory in studies of 
the distribution and abundance of ground fishes 
in the western North Atlantic in relation to en- 
vironmental factors, and to determine the effects 
of domestic and foreign fishing on fish stocks. 
The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution 
received the new research vessel, ATLANTIS I, 
to replace the famous sailing vessel it has had 
in service for the past 31 years. ATLANTIS Il 
is a 2100 ton ship with spacious laboratory and 
living accommodations. 
The addition to the research vessels, two new 
survey ships, the PEIRCE AND WHITING, were 
delivered to the Coast and Geodetic Survey. These 
760 ton ships are designed for both hydrographic 
and oceanographic surveys, and replace two 
obsolete vessels. 
All the new vessels are equipped with the 
latest and best equipment for their assigned 
tasks. In addition to the conventional instruc - 
mentation, winches, etc., they incorporate such 
features as underwater viewing ports, center 
wells, underwater television equipment, bow 
thrusters, and other significant improvements 
over previous designs. 
Surveys 
Survey activity was again marked by exten- 
sion of the degree of coordination among the 
agencies with survey interests. 
505 
Naval Oceanographic Office 
(unclassified surveys) 
During FY-1963, hydrographic surveys 
were conducted in the Gulf of Siam (USS 
MAURY), Equatorial Pacific (USS REHOBOTH), 
NE Providence Channel (USS SHELDRAKE), and 
a joint US-Icelandic survey of FaxaFloi. Asur- 
vey in the vicinity of Key West will be accom- 
plished this year (USS TANNER). Oceanographic 
survey_ were conducted in the Arctic aboard 
U. S. Navy and U. S. Coast Guard icebreakers. 
Oceanographic, hydrographic, and geophysical 
data were collected. In addition, the Office now 
is participating in the I.1.0.E. aboard the USS 
SERRANO (AGS-24). On this survey, most of 
the effort will be devoted to collecting oceano- 
graphic information, including bathymetric data 
which will be taken concurrently. Aeromagnetic 
surveys have provided or will provide complete 
vector magnetic data along approximately 
160,000 nautical miles of survey track through- 
out the world. Surface ship surveys have pro- 
duced approximately 40,000 line miles of total 
magnetic intensity data. Geodetic observations 
included eight 1st-order Astro stations in the 
SW Pacific; positions of satellite tracking sta- 
tions in the Philippines, Samoa, Japan, and 
Brazil; and location of monitoring sites for the 
East Coast Loran-C network. 
Coast and Geodetic Survey 
Fourteen USC&GS ships conducted hydro- 
graphic surveys in the Chukchi Sea, Southeastern 
Alaska, Gulf of Mexico, Puerto Rico, Straits of 
Florida, in the mid-Atlantic States coastal 
areas (special resurveys following large scale 
coastal damage from a severe storm in March 
1962), and in the Gulf of Maine. Intensive 
oceanographic surveys were conducted from 
three ships in the North Pacific, and tropical 
Atlantic. The PIONEER in the first half of 
FY-1963, and the PIONEER and SURVEYOR in 
the last half devoted all their time at sea to the 
Ocean Survey Program. 
Survey facilities and technology were 
markedly advanced through expansion of ship- 
board laboratory facilities, installation of deep- 
sea anchor winch systems on two major ships, 
and procurement or development of numerous 
new survey instruments. Among these were 
the development of an acoustic probe for con- 
tinuous sub-bottom profiles, a gas chromotog- 
raphy system for dissolved oxygen analysis, 
new improved shipboard salinometers, and 
underway current measuring equipment. 
