42 



Knowledge is power and you have given us a lot of knowledge. We 

 hope that we can act with authority from that knowledge. If any of 

 your colleagues would care to comment further as to that, I would 

 appreciate it. 



Dr. Stratton. I would like to ask Dr. Knauss to comment perhaps 

 because he has been much concerned about the future and how we 

 continue to support it. He comes from somewhere near you. 



Mr. Keith. I know. Sometimes it is a rival institution and other 

 times 



Dr. Stratton. On this we are not rival institutions; we are all 

 supporting the same cause. 



Dr. Knauss. I can only say, Mr. Keith, since I am familiar with 

 the report and do live close to your district, that I would be delighted 

 to help you in whatever way I can. I have already spoken to the 

 Board of Trustees of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution last 

 week on the Commission report. I told Dr. Fye I would cooperate in 

 whatever way I could in helping to interpret this report. 



Mr. Keith. There was one area that you have some expertise and 

 responsibility to. I think this would be important that we mentioned 

 this. You talk about redefining Continental Shelf. Yet it seems to me 

 that internationally there has been a trend to the current definition. 

 Would this not fly in the face of international custom and law? Would 

 we not be going over on a brand new track in the definition of a 

 Continental Shelf? 



Dr. Knauss. Are you referring to the statement in this highlight 

 document or to the report? 



Mr. Keith. In the highlights. 



Dr. Knauss. I think when you have the opportunity to read that 

 part of the report which deals with this in considerable depth, that 

 perhaps your question wiU be answered. What we are making is a 

 recommendation with respect to possible changes in international con- 

 ventions because we feel that the present conventions are inadequate 

 to the task at hand. We do this with full knowledge of what the 

 present situation is and full awareness of what the problems are. 



Mr. Keith. I know that you have advanced the theory from time 

 to time that we should have 200 miles, or the press has indicated 

 that. 



Dr. Knauss. One thing about a university is that we do not always 

 speak with one voice. There are colleagues of mine at the University 

 of Rhode Island who said so, but I have not. 



Mr. Downing. I, too, would like to compliment you and the mem- 

 bers of the Commission on this magnificent job which has culminated 

 in this report. Not only is it a great document but it is interesting 

 to read, which I think is a great tribute to whomever put it together. 



I can see where some of the things you have recommended wiU 

 be controversial, but on the whole I think it is a fine report. I believe 

 I can back most of it. 



I am particularly interested in the coastal zones which you suggest 

 setting up and I am interested in relation to my own district which 

 is a coastal area, as you know. It has an excellent laboratory, the 

 Virginia Institute of Marine Science. It also has several universities 

 interested in oceanography. 



Would you mind briefly describing how this would work? 



