NATIONAL OCEANOGRAPHIC PROGRAM—1965 
hurricane reconnaissance airplanes are sched- 
uled during the first synoptic period of EQUA- 
LANT I (provided that a TIROS satellite is in 
operation). Two DC-6 type planes will fly par- 
allel tracks 300 miles apart from Recife to 
Dakar and return the following day. If TIROS 
operations permit, an extra flight may be made 
from Dakar over the ICITA area prior to the 
return to Recife. 
BUREAU OF COMMERCIAL 
FISHERIES (BCF) 
Vessel Operation: EQUALANT I - GERONIMO 
and OREGON 
EQUALANT II - GERONIMO 
In an effort to standardize biological data, 
the Bureau of Commercial Fisheries provided 
each participating vessel with all necessary 
equipment and supplies for the determination of 
primary productivity and measurements of the 
standing crop of the zooplankton. Arrangements 
are being made for performing the essential 
Beta counting services for the primary produc- 
tivity measurements and for determination of 
the displacement volume of each zooplankton 
sample. 
Mr. Vernon E. Brock, Director, Bureau of 
Commercial Fisheries Biological Laboratory, 
Washington, D.C.,was approved by the IOC Sec- 
retariat as the International Coordinator for the 
ICITA. His duties, as defined in a resolution 
adopted by the IOC, include, in part, ''coordinat- 
ing and advising concerning schedules and pro- 
grams of observations... .keeping all partici- 
pants of the ICITA and interested organizations 
informed...assisting, where practicable, in 
procurement, loan and exchange of equipment... 
convening meetings of the International Coordi- 
nation Group and implementing the assembly 
and preparation of the data resulting from the 
ICITA for publication and preparation and pub- 
lication of the Atlases." 
U.S. COAST AND GEODETIC 
SURVEY (USC&GS) 
Vessel Operation: EQUALANT I - EXPLORER 
Bathymetry - Plotting sheets and instruc- 
tions for their use were prepared by the USC&GS 
for use aboard each participating vessel, both 
U.S. and foreign. It is anticipated that following 
the field surveys these plotting sheets will be 
535 
assembled by the NODC and copies provided to 
WDC/A and WDC/B. 
Drift Cards - Several thousand drift cards 
were prepared by the USC&GS for release from 
the ICITA vessels. Each card, laminated in 
plastic, carries instructions printed in English, 
French, Portuguese, Spanish and Russian. 
Tidal Data - The Tide Section of the 
USC&GS will assemble all tide data from sta- 
tions in the ICITA survey area for the period of 
the investigations. These data will be prepared 
for publication, as applicable, in both the Data 
Reports and the Atlas. 
Radio Central - The EXPLORER will serve 
as radio central during EQUALANTI. The 
communication capabilities aboard the vessel 
were considerably augmented by the USC&GS 
for the purpose. Instructions for transmitting 
the encoded surface weather and upper air ob- 
servations, as prepared through coordinated 
effort of the USWB, USC&GS, USCG, USAF, and 
NODC, were distributed to each vessel. The 
daily forecasts for the survey area, prepared 
by the USWB, will be received from NSS Wash- 
ington and re-broadcast from the EXPLORER. 
NATIONAL OCEANOGRAPHIC DATA 
CENTER (NODC) 
The NODC, at the request of the Interna- 
tional Coordinator, assumed responsibility for 
assembly and shipment of various encoding 
forms for oceanographic data, coding manuals, 
BT log sheets and instructions, meteorological 
reporting forms and manuals, plotting sheets 
for navigational purposes, and instructions for 
selected standardized observations. (Translated 
into French, Spanish and Russian by the Depart- 
ment of State.) Sets of each of the above were 
furnished to each participating vessel. 
In cooperation with the USC&GS, the NODC 
arranged the communication plan and schedules 
for use during EQUALANT I. In addition to the 
arrangements for communications among radio 
central (EXPLORER) and the other vessels, ar- 
rangements were made with Captain L. Capurro 
of the Argentine Hydrographic Office for trans- 
mission to the NODC of the data from at least 
one complete oceanographic station each day. 
Vertical sections of temperature, salinity, den- 
sity and oxygen will be maintained as these data 
are received via teletype through the Potomac 
River Naval Command. 
It was proposed by the participants in the 
June Working Group Meeting that the NODC 
