scientific community. To this end, CSAGI conceived, established, and 

 supervised a program of World Data Centers (WDCs) , and CIG Continued 

 the program. Upon the termination of CIG, ICSU created a special 

 Panel on World Data Centers to continue their functional supervision. 



128. FEDERATION OF ASTRONOMICAL AND GEOPHYSICAL SERVICES: FAGS 

 ICSU provides 11 services, each responsible for the treatment 



of a specialized series of observations collected throughout the 

 world. The Services are centralized in the Federation of Astronomical 

 and Geophysical Services (FAGS). Though international in character, 

 each service is in a national scientific institution. Those of 

 interest to marine scientists are covered in entries 130 through 133. 



In 1975, FAGS' executive board added a policy group to its struc- 

 ture, known as the Policy Group on Scientific Information (POGSI). 



129. CENTRAL SEISMOLOGICAL BUREAU: BCIS 



Located in Strasbourg, France, and known by the initials of its 

 French name. Bureau Central International de Seismologie, BCIS is re- 

 sponsible for the collection of earthquake and related data. Theories 

 on sea floor spreading, continental drift, and plate tectonics have 

 been supported by data held by BCIS. 



130. INTERNATIONAL GRAVIMETRIC BUREAU: IGB 



Usually known by the initials of the French name. Bureau Gravi- 

 metrique International (BGI), IGB is in Paris. Its data holdings are 

 essential in telecommunications, navigation, geodesy, and geophysics. 

 Among its holdings are gravity and bathymetric profiles at sea. 

 Since 1970 it has been compiling the World Map of Sea Gravity Surveys. 



131. PERMANENT SERVICE FOR MEAN SEA LEVEL: PSMSL 



Located in the United Kingdom, PSMSL is responsible for data on 

 sea-level heights above a fixed datum and for the collection of infor- 

 mation about tide-gage installations and methods of processing tide- 

 gage observations. It recently revised its format for the mean sea- 

 level data base and has made it available in a published version that 

 will be updated annually. It regularly publishes bibliographies on 

 mean sea levels and tides. 



132. PERMANENT SERVICE ON EARTH TIDES: SPMT 



Located in Brussels, SPMT is known by the initials of its French 

 French title, Servide Permanent des Marees Terrestres. 



Other Nongovernmental Organizations 



133. AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF PORT AUTHORITIES: AAPA 



Founded in 1906, AAPA is concerned with the development of 

 ports and harbors in the Western Hemisphere. 



134. ARCTIC INSTITUTE OF NORTH AMERICA: AINA 



Founded in 1945 by Canadian and United States scientists, AINA 

 furthers the scientific study and exploration of the Arctic. Its 

 interests are not confined to the Arctic — it is also concerned with 

 the Middle North, Alpine Regions, and Antarctica. In 1974 it organ- 

 ized a program called Arctic Development and the Environment (ADE), 

 whose purpose is to influence the interplay of forces inherent in re- 

 source development with the protedtion of the total environment. It 

 sponsors symposia, programs for exploration, and compiles the Arctic 

 Bibliography, a comprehensive and exhaustive bibliography of Arctic 



30 



