626 NATIONAL OCEANOGRAPHIC PROGRAM—1965 
ANNUAL REPORT OF THE NATIONAL OCEANOGRAPHIC DATA CENTER 
(July 1961 through June 1962) 
On January 16, 1962 the National Oceanographic Data Center completed its first full year 
of operation and on June 30, 1962 finished its first full Fiscal Year. Some of the work in Fiscal Year 
1962 was a continuation of the task begun in 1961 of completing the organization of the NODC. 
In addition to this task the NODC has made a number of significant accomplishments during this period. 
In the area of physical-chemical data, the computational capability of the NODC in the pro- 
cessing of oceanographic station data was speeded up by a factor of 25 to 1 by conversion to the 
new 1401-7070 computer system. 
A new format for listing oceanographic station data which eliminates the need for separate 
wiring boards was developed. Both publication listings and regular listings now can be run by using 
the same wiring board. 
During Fiscal Year 1962 the NODC staff developed a standard form for recording physical- 
chemical data. This form was designed to incorporate most of the suggestions of the oceanographic 
community, so that it would adequately serve consumer needs. This form has been adopted by the 
International Indian Ocean Expedition, and will be especially printed for participants in that expedi- 
tion. The first Working Group of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission has recom- 
mended to the Commission that this same form be used by participants in the forthcoming International 
Cooperative Investigations of the Tropical Atlantic Ocean. 
A new punch card format for physical-chemical data was also developed by the NODC staff. 
The format was developed concurrently with the recording form to eliminate coding operations when 
data are submitted on the NODC form. A provisional bathythermograph log was printed and dis- 
tributed. After a period of testing by components of the U.S. Navy Fleet the log is currently under- 
going revision. The log is also currently used by other nations. 
Work has begun on the development of a BT punch card to digitize both data in the NODC 
archives and future BT data. This card is being developed concurrently with the BT log and in concert 
with the oceanographic community. 
In the area of publications the NODC released, in December 1961, the joint IGY WDC-A- 
NODC publication Oceanographic Vessels of the World. This publication has stimulated such great 
interest that a supplement is currently in work. The first publication in the catalog series, Reference 
Sources for Oceanographic Station Data, was also released in FY-62. By the end of FY-62 the first 
two publications in the Manual Series, M-1, Oceanographic Conversion Tables for Use by the Interna- 
tional Indian Ocean Expedition, and M-2, Processing Physical and Chemical Data from Oceanographic 
Stations, were in press and will be released early in FY-63. 
