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The identity of species of marine organisms and adequate knowl- 
edge about their biological, behavioral, and ecological characteristics 
is essential for the development of a rational basis for the nondestruc- 
tive exploitation of man’s oceanic resources. si) Be 
The Smithsonian Institution has been providing this kind ot 
knowledge for many years. We are building up our national marine 
study collections to gain the basic knowledge about the plant and 
animal populations of the oceans needed by scientists and technolo- 
gists alike in achieving their mission-oriented objectives. — 
* This is a very exacting task, one which requires a specialized train- 
ing in systematics and many years of experience. By utilizing the 
basic knowledge about the inhabitants and conditions of life in the 
sea accumulated by Smithsonian scientists, the mission-or1ented Fed- 
eral agencies are in a much better position to carry on with their 
operations. Be 
If the Department of the Interior, for example, is interested in mtro- 
ducing a species into a new environment for that species, our scien- 
tists may be in a position to provide information about the predators 
or parasites that may be encountered. 
If scientists at the NIH wish to screen certain marine plants and 
animals in a search for antibiotics or other biologically active sub- 
stances, our scientists may be able to provide both specimens and 
knowledge of relationships between populations that may serve as 
clues to the discovery of new pharmaceutical agents. 
On broader ecological questions, our scientists are often called upon 
to define the scientific problems and search for the basic knowledge 
upon which to construct solutions. 
Recognizing the fundamental biological importance of solar radia- 
tion to sustain life in the sea and on the land, scientists at the Smith- 
sonian’s Radiation Biology Laboratory are investigating the ecologi- 
cal and physiological effects of changes in spectral distribution of 
solar radiation resulting from atmospheric pollutants both over land 
and over sea. 
Scientists at our Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute are study- 
ing the behavior and ecology of tropical species of terrestrial and 
marine organisms under natural conditions and how the tropical 
environment could be affected by man’s intervention, as, for example, 
by constructing an interoceanic sea level canal. 
The National Museum of Natural History in the Smithsonian is one 
of our Nation’s great scientific centers for research in systematics. 
Our scientists and their study collections provide knowledge that 
is essential for understanding the biodynamics of the oceanic 
environment. 
The Smithsonian Oceanographic Sorting Center serves as a research 
support organization for marine scientists throughout the world. 
Assuring adequate financial support for systematics research is a 
matter of deep concern to me, especially in view of the rapidly in- 
creasing demands for basic knowledge derived from systematic and 
ecological investigations required in achieving our national goals in 
marine resource utilization. 
In this connection, I wish to reiterate the statement made by 
Dr. Sidney R. Galler when he testified before this subcommittee earlier 
this year: 
