NATIONAL OCEANOGRAPHIC PROGRAM—1965 
meet the needs and capabilities of the institu- 
tions contracting to perform ONR research. 
These vessels are listed below. 
ACONA Oregon State 154T (new) 
FY 1959 University 
HOH University of 90T (conv) 
FY 1962 Washington 
KYMA New York Uni- 90T (conv) 
FY 1962 versity 
TRIDENT University of 820T (conv) 
FY 1962 Rhode Island 
AGASSIZ Scripps Institution 400T (conv) 
FY 1962 of Oceanography 
With these added to the ICO construction pro- 
gram, it is evident that not only is the category 
of basic research receiving much-needed atten- 
tion, but that, where appropriate, steps have 
been taken to meet promptly the immediate 
needs of growing establishments by making 
available smaller craft through the medium of 
conversions. 
Present planning anticipates that ship con- 
struction will reach a peak in the next few years 
followed by a gradual decrease, as the present 
backlog is overcome, to a level which will sus- 
tain normal growth. 
Although the shipbuilding program is ex- 
pensive and accounts for a large part of the total 
national program, the U. S. cannot expand its 
oceanographic activities until we have sufficient 
modern ships to meet the demands of research 
and technology. An adequate shipbuilding pro- 
gram is of major importance to the National 
Oceanographic program. 
D. SURVEYS 
The Survey Program of the Federal Gov- 
ernment for FY 1964 is budgeted at $20.23 mil- 
lion. This represents an increase of $1.74 mil- 
lion over FY 1963. The largest portion of this 
represents increased deep ocean work of the 
Naval Oceanographic Office brought about pri- 
marily by the delivery of a new ship. 
Surveys for FY 1964 are, for the purposes 
of this report, separated into two categories: 
Ocean Surveys, and those oceanographic (includ- 
ing hydrographic) surveys which are related to 
other missions of the various agencies but do 
not fall within the rather narrow definition of 
"ocean-wide surveys" originally proposed by 
20 
o21 
NASCO. Ocean Surveys are the first attempt of 
any country to undertake the systematic survey 
of the entire deep ocean. The surveys are ac- 
curately controlled navigationally, and include 
mapping the shape of the sea floor; the magnetic 
and gravity properties of the deep sea; the phys- 
ical, chemical, and biological characteristics 
of the water; geological characteristics of bot- 
tom sediments; and the meteorology of the over- 
lying atmosphere. 
After a slow start in FY 1964, and a modest 
increase to a total of $1.78 million in FY 1963, 
this program undergoes more than a three-fold 
increase in FY 1964 to a total of $6.04 million. 
This is due to several factors. The first of 
these is the assignment of the additional C&GS 
Ships SURVEYOR and PEIRCE to full-season 
operations within the Ocean Surveys concept. 
The second is that both that agency and the 
Naval Oceanographic Office are increasing their 
participation in the Ocean Survey Program by 
planning more time of other large ships for 
this program. The third factor is the increased 
effort of the Bureau of Commercial Fisheries 
in placing biologists aboard survey ships, and 
the beginning of the Geological Survey's partici- 
pation in this program. 
It is particularly noteworthy that, while the 
FY 1964 support for Ocean Surveys has in- 
creased by $4.26 million, there has actually 
been a decrease of nearly $2 million in total 
funds for other mission-oriented surveys. This 
indicates that the total survey effort is expand- 
ing toward Ocean Surveys rather than existing 
mission-oriented work. The major expansion 
in the Nation's Ocean Survey Plan will occur in 
FY 1965. During that year, the Navy's first 
vessel specifically designed and constructed 
for this purpose will begin operations, as will 
the two such vessels of the Coast and Geodetic 
Survey. 
The International Cooperative Investigations 
of the Tropical Atlantic are described in Annex A 
to this report. As an indication of the level of 
effort for FY 1964, it is estimated that the 
Bureau of Commercial Fisheries will support 
the Investigations from its research funds at a 
level of about $1.1 million. ONR is planning to 
support private oceanographic institutions in 
this expedition at about $0.2 million, the C&GS 
has one ship participating in FY 1963, and the 
Coast Guard will have a ship in the FY 1964 
phase. The Oceanographic Office, though not 
participating with ships, is providing services 
in assisting the planning. The total cost of the 
U. S. portion of this program in FY 1964 is es- 
timated at less than $2 million. 
