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sion was well underway. A six-man delegation of American ocean 
scientists visiting the U.S.S.R. in 1964 reported that in 1961, the 
U.S.S.R. was operating oceanographic survey ships having a total gross 
tonnage of 50,000 tons compared with 60,000 tons in the United 
States. The number of scientists (excluding technicians) was estimated 
at 700, expanding at a rate of 10 to 15 percent per year. The number 
of Soviet oceanographers was estimated at between 1,000 and 1,500 
in 1964. The United States had more than 1,500 scientists at that 
time (2,000 were listed in 1968 vs. 1,600 for the U.S.S.R. in that 
year). 
In 1974, the number of ocean scientists and supporting technicians 
in the United States totalled between 2,000 and 3,000, while the 
Soviet Union was estimated to have between 7,000 and 8,000 ocean 
scientists and technologists. The actual number of scientists may not 
differ very much between the two countries. The great discrepancy 
is in the numbers of technicians. The Soviets have long been thought 
to be handicapped by a shortage of scientific personnel, and they 
have apparently opted to supplement their professional ocean scientists 
with oceanographic technicians. The Soviet oceanographer at the Can- 
didate (Ph.D.) level can expect a group of five to ten junior scientists 
and technicians to assist him in his work. In contrast, the American 
ocean scientist works with little support, and tends to be overwhelmed 
in a morass of data. 
Comparing the strength of the two countries in terms of their 
respective oceanographic fleet with worldwide oceanographic capabili- 
ties, U.S. superiority was known to be overwhelming in the 1950’s 
and early 1960’s. By 1971, the United States had 39 research vessels 
of over 1,000 GRT; the U.S.S.R. had 70 such ships. Counting all 
oceanographic vessels, including small coastal ships, the United States 
had 120 ships and the Soviets 200 in 1974. Of the United States 
research ships in the over 1,000 GRT category, six are over 20 years 
old; most of the Soviet ships were constructed during the 1960’s. 
The Defense Department data on the comparative size of the oceano- 
graphic research fleets coincide with figures quoted by Janis and 
Daniel.” The latters maintain that in 1970 the Soviet fleet was made 
up of approximately 200 vessels with a displacement of about 320,000 
tons, compared with only 180,000 tons for the U.S. oceanographic 
research fleet. It should be noted that the total number of available 
research vessels is only one way to measure oceanic research activities. 
Actual time spent at sea doing oceanographic research and the 
methods of data collection are of great importance. U.S. ships are 
known to spend more active time at sea than Soviet vessels and 
their highly automated methods of data collection greatly enhance 
their capabilities. 
Intelligence sources indicate that the Soviet Union has continued 
to improve its oceanographic resources by additional new construction 
of ships, qualitative improvements of their research fleet, and con- 
tinued input of trained oceanographic technicians to supplement the 
professional ocean scientists. In contrast, critics maintain that the U.S. 
oceanographic program has been poorly funded in recent years. The 
Navy’s oceanography program peaked in 1967 with a budget of $268 
million (1967 dollars). In 1974, only $184 million was allocated for 
oceanography and $178 million was actually made available in FY 
*Mark W. Janis and Donald C. F. Daniel, the U.S.S.R.: Ocean Use and Ocean Law, L.S.I. Occa- 
sional Paper No. 21 (University of Rhode Island, Kingston, May, 1974), p. 6. 
