674. NATIONAL OCEANOGRAPHIC PROGRAM—1965 
DEVELOPMENT OF SYSTEMS AND 
PUNCH CARD FORMATS 
GEOLOGICAL, GEOPHYSICAL, AND BIOLOGICAL DATA 
The investigatory work began in FY-62 concerning possible information and data storage 
and retrieval systems suitable for adaptation to geological, geophysical, and biological oceanography 
material continued during FY-63. The status of development follows. 
GEOLOGICAL-GEOPHYSICAL DATA 
During FY-63, the geological-geophysical program developed according to guidance by the 
ad hoc Committee for Geological and Geophysical Data under the chairmanship of Dr. Harris B. 
Stewart, Jr. The committee indicated that the most valuable initial contribution of NODC would be 
the development of a system of recording and disseminating information on core, grab, and dredge 
samples taken by government and non-government institutions with emphasis on non-government 
sources. Accordingly, NODC submitted for final approval, a master geological station card for 
core, grab, and dredge data to the ad hoc Committee for Geology. We plan to complete during 
FY-64 detail cards for specific geological analysis to be tied into the master card. 
A master geophysical station card and associated specific analysis cards are being studied; 
it is hoped that approval of these cards can be obtained early in FY-64. 
Collections for a thesaurus of geological-geophysical terms for the purpose of developing 
a non-digital storage and retrieval system have begun but efforts in this direction will not be 
concentrated until digital procedures are well established. 
BIOLOGICAL DATA 
During FY-63, major oceanographic institutions were personally contacted and correspondence 
was exchanged with interested scientists from the United States and foreign countries with the pur- 
pose of establishing punch card formats for several classes of biological data. 
Upon receipt of comments and suggestions from the scientific community, NODC presented 
the following proposed cards to a specially selected ad hoc committee, chaired by Dr. Bostwick H. 
Ketchum, for review: 
Identification card (location, vessel, institution, cruise, time, etc.) 
Station Index card 
Environmental card 
Phytoplankton card 
Primary Productivity and Phytoplankton Pigment card 
Zooplankton card 
BN Oo ON ae Ore 
Benthos card 
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