1008 
Then you make a confession which few people do: 
I must confess that, personally, I had earlier entertained doubts as to the feas- 
ibility of such a program as it was originally proposed. However, the Sea Grant 
Program has made significant and rapid progress. 
Then you go on to tell what a great job it has done. Yet you opposed 
it at the time? 
Dr. McEtroy. Originally. 
Mr. Lennon. As you are opposing now the Commission’s recom- 
mendation ? 
Dr. McExroy. I opposed it as it was originally put forward prior 
to passage of the act, and I submit that the innovations that the Na- 
tional Science Foundation has made in carrying out the program have 
resulted in a significant contribution from what I envisioned from 
the original proposal. IT am in complete agreement with the present 
sea grant program. 
Mr. Lennon. You may proceed. 
Dr. McEtroy. At the present time we are block funding, and have 
been since 1966. The ship operation support for the oceanographic in- 
stitutions, as for example, Woods Hole, Scripps, Lamont, “Miami, 
Washington, Oregon State, Hawaii, and others. This “block funding” 
and the oceanographic research conducted by these institutions al- 
re eady carry out some of the recommendations that are in the Com- 
mission’s report. 
We recognize this as a very important activity, and I am prepared 
to say that the sea grant program itself has added significantly to 
these research activities. 
I will close this informal statement, and we can go back to the 
prepared statement, if you would like. 
Mr. Lennon. You go ahead, Doctor. 
Dr. McEnroy. I would like to add that at the present time the sea 
grant program has extremely close relationships with Interior, ESSA, 
the Agricultural Extension Service, and the Army Enginers, and 
we think the program is moving ahead most significantly. We would 
hate to see the program disturbed. 
This concludes my very informal summary of what T think are 
the highlights of the points I wanted to make in my formal state- 
ment, and “if you would like to go over the formal statement page by 
page I would be glad to take the time to do that, Mr. Lennon. 
(The prepared statement follows:) 
STATEMENT OF Dr. W. D. McHitroy, Drrector, NATIONAL ScIENCE FOUNDATION 
Mr. Chairman and members of the Subcommittee on Oceanography, it is a 
pleasure to appear here this morning to discuss the Report of the Commission 
on Marine Sciencés, Engineering and Resources, entitled Our Nation and the Sea, 
and H.R. 13247. I have followed the Commission’s activities with considerable 
interest since my participation in the activities of its predecessor, the President’s 
Science Advisory Committee’s Panel on Oceanography. As you are aware, our 
published report, titled Effective Use of the Sea, was used as a reference docu- 
ment by Dr. Stratton and his Commission members. 
Since becoming Director of the National Science Foundation on July 14, 1969, 
I have read the Commission report and the panel report on Science and Environ- 
ment. I greatly admire the comprehensive and thorough efforts of the Commission 
members, and your own foresight in establishing the Commission. The Commis- 
sion has made a great contribution toward analyzing and defining our national 
goals in the marine environment and in pointing out the programs needed to 
accomplish these goals. 
