science." Therefore, their program placed heavy emphasis on 

 technology — both fundamental and specific. Some scientists 

 have observed that the role of science, particularly biology and 

 chemistry, was slighted. 



Laboratories 



The report pointed out that the nation's marine science 

 program must be built around institutions such as Woods Hole 

 Oceanographic Institution, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, 

 and the Lamont Doherty Geological Observatory. It also recom- 

 mended that "coastal zone laboratories" be established in con- 

 nection with academic instiutions to engage in scientific inves- 

 tigation of estuarine and coastal-zone processes. 



The Commission suggested that a small group of labora- 

 tories, including present leaders in ocean research, be designated 

 by the government as "University-National laboratories" and 

 equipped for major global or regional scientific tasks. These 

 labs would be geographically distributed and would be open to 

 scientists from other institutions. This approach appeared to be 

 more economical than attacking major projects on a project-by- 

 project and facility-by-faciiity basis. The labs would also con- 

 tinue to seek funds for specific projects from other federal 

 agencies or private sources such as the NSF and the Office of 

 Naval Research. 



With regard to use of the continental shelf, the report 

 suggested the construction of laboratories on the shelf bottom in 

 areas of high concentration of mineral and biological resources. 

 These centers would have living and working quarters for 15 

 to 150 men and would receive logistic support through various 

 methods. Another proposal was made to build an experimental 

 nuclear power plant to be placed on the shelf to determine if 

 such plants can be moved away from shorelines and heavily 

 used waterways. 



Exploration and Exploitation 



Two suggested goals for marine techonolgy and engineer- 

 ing were to make it possible for man to work on the ocean floor 

 for long periods at depths to 2000 feet — the most productive 

 region of the sea, and to develop the capability to explore by 

 other means depths to 20,000 feet by 1980 and to be able to 

 utilize them by the year 2000. This depth takes in about 98% 

 of the ocean floor. 



According to the report only one-sixth of the world's 

 petroleum comes from the continental shelf areas now but the 

 proportion is expected to be one-third by 1980. Urging the 

 U. S. government to prepare for this, the Commission called 

 for improvement of leasing and regulatory policies for offshore 

 oil drilling. Possibilities include longer advance warning of oil- 

 lease sales, abandonment of competitive bidding in deep-sea 



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