ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENTS IN 1968 AND 1969 



Support of U. S. Oceanography Programs 



Two Senate proposals were made in the first half of 1968 

 to reinvest a portion of government revenues from marine oil 

 operations into oceanographic research. The plan suggested by 

 Senator Warren Magnuson would make $25 million of revenues 

 available for marine exploration and mapping. Senator Russell 

 Long's even more ambitious plan would earmark 521/2% of the 

 revenues from off-shore oil and gas leases for marine science 

 research. These revenues currently total more than $1 billion 

 annually. 



A report prepared by the National Planning Association 

 under contract with the Marine Council and NSF was pubUshed 

 in May 1968. It examined over fifty measures that the federal 

 government might take to stimulate private investment in 

 marine resource development and concluded that "there is no 

 dearth of measures" for achieving this objective. 



International Decade of Ocean Exploration 



President Johnson proposed the IDOE program in March 

 1968. It would dedicate the next decade to intensified and sus- 

 tained international collaboration to plan, develop, and imple- 

 ment programs for exploring the world's oceans. In December 

 1968, the General Assembly of the U. N. welcomed the concept 

 within the long-term program of research and exploration under 

 the aegis of the United Nations. It has been estimated that the 

 cost will be $8 - 10 billion, with a U. S. contribution of about 

 $3 billion. 



The National Academy of Sciences and the National Acad- 

 emy of Engineering have been contracted to study the scientific 

 and engineering goals and priorities and to provide advice for 

 the IDOE. The joint NAS-NAE study is expected to be com- 

 pleted by mid 1969. 



Educational Programs 



The Sea-Grant Program of NSF began in fiscal year 1968 

 with a $5 million dollar budget. Six institutional programs were 

 initiated, as were smaller grants for two other major institutions 

 for planning activities, eight grants for educational projects, 

 eight for research projects, and five for study and planning 

 projects, NSF's request for FY 69 was $15 million, but the 

 Bureau of the Budget imposed a $6 million ceiling. In August 

 1968, a compromise bill was signed which authorized a 2-year 

 extension of the program, a budget of $6 million for FY 69, and 

 $15 million for FY 70. These measures will have serious effects 

 on the impact of the program for the near future. 



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