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sources, sovereignty of straits or restricted waters 
or of strategically located sea mounts are a poten- 
tial source of tension, and must be subject to agree- 
ments based on better data than now available. 
D. Safeguard Public Health 
Because of its size, the ocean has often been 
regarded as an unlimited reservoir for waste dis- 
posal. Yet, as we have learned about pollution in 
an apparently unlimited expanse of fresh air, the 
ocean must similarly be protected against unwit- 
ting disposal of oily and industrial waste, sewage, 
and radioactive materials. Data are required con- 
cerning the potential dilution of waste by ocean 
currents and concerning the food chain which may 
involve transfer of substances or bacteriological 
organisms harmful to man. Such inquiries have 
become urgent in an increasingly urbanized society 
wherein effluents may be concentrated in estuarine 
and in-shore waters that are simultaneously sites 
for recreation and the habitat of attractive sea 
food. 
E. Protect Life and Property Ashore 
Improve weather prediction. Weather and cli- 
mate on land are critically influenced by the sea. 
Droughts, floods, blizzards, and tornadoes a thou- 
sand miles from the sea coast are generated as part 
of a complex process, driven by moisture evapo- 
rated from the oceans. Without collection of es- 
sential oceanic data related to meteorology and the 
interaction of wind and water, accurate weather 
forecasting will always be limited to short time 
intervals. 
Protect lives and property. The violence of the 
sea in storm-propelled or tidal waves and hazards 
from ice pose threats to life and property. Warn- 
ings of tsunamis and hurricanes and of icebergs 
are often of life-and-death importance. Also im- 
portant is an understanding of the phenomena of 
beach building and erosion, of countermeasures 
by man which will contribute to the protection 
of life and of private property. 
F. Strengthen Basic Science 
Past experience has demonstrated that our na- 
tional welfare is critically related to the quality, 
scope, and vigor of our scientific base. As the 
demands of national security, of economic devel- 
opment, and of related technical fields become 
stronger, it becomes more and more important 
NATIONAL OCEANOGRAPHIC PROGRAM—1965 
that we provide a reservoir of intelligence—of 
knowledge and of skilled talent—to meet specific 
requirements and also to serve as a long range 
investment to meet the unforeseen. Basic research 
is important for its possible application. But it 
also provides answers to important questions re- 
garding the world around us, the origin of the 
planet itself, the processes by which the continents 
are formed, the evolution of life itself. Those who 
pursue such knowledge for its own sake and share 
it with humanity as a whole satisfy man’s basic 
curiosity and need to understand the world in 
which he lives. In the past these men have helped 
modify man’s ways of thought in complex and far 
reaching ways. The Federal Government has made 
it a matter of de facto policy to maintain the 
strength of the U.S. scientific enterprise, and to 
broaden its geographic distribution around poten- 
tial centers of excellence. Expanding the man- 
power base in oceanography is a specific objective 
of this program. 
G. Conserve Resources Held in Common 
Strengthen the fishing and shipping industries. 
In the face of severe foreign competition, the Con- 
gress has provided direct protection and subsidy 
for the fishing and shipping industries. Such sup- 
port may become more effective if oceanographic 
information is fully and aggressively applied. With 
a better understanding of fish behavior and de- 
ployment of modern equipment, the fish catch can 
be enhanced. Also, using data on surface wave 
spectra, and improving sea state forecasting ships 
can be more efficiently designed and routed for 
fast freight delivery and reliable passenger serv- 
ice. 
Assist off-shore oil and mineral industries, and 
recreational development, Although there are 
numerous indications of rich mineral and oil 
deposits that one day will claim commercial in- 
terests, their exploitation does not provide im- 
mediate incentives to private investment. Because 
geologic maps of the continental shelves and 
of the deep ocean are non-existent, the possible 
economic benefits from the mining of common 
substances or of trace elements that have been 
concentrated by the sea are unknown. Such map- 
ping, and study of prototype techniques for ex- 
ploitation, which is beyond the present capability 
of private interests, can be considered a logical 
extension of mineral surveys and pilot plant op- 
eration on land. These activities are of increasing 
