260 



March meetings. Our preliminary statement, based on these discussions, follows. 

 As the Panel reports of the Commission become available, we will continue our 

 review of the iCommission Report and vrill look forward to the opportunity to 

 comment in detail when public hearings are held by your Committee. 



The Commission on Marine Science, Engineer'ing and Resources has produced 

 a milestone report. The Committee on Oceanography concurs in the Commis- 

 sion's conclusion that : 



"How fully and wisely the United States uses the Sea in the decades ahead will 

 affect profoundly its security, its economy, its ability to meet increasing demands 

 for foods and raw materials, its position and influence in the world community 

 and the quality of the environment in which its i^eople live." 



We applaud the recommended national marine program of the Commission 

 as a major contribution and believe that national science needs will be well 

 served by this program. 



The single most important recommendation of the Commission is that the 

 national marine program requires a major reorganization within the Federal 

 Government, a point also stresseid in our report "Oceanography 1966, Achieve- 

 ments and Opportunities." We believe that a single agency, or its equivalent, 

 would provide the needed fo'cal point for the development of capabilities that are 

 essential to meet national needs recognized by the Commission. In our opinion 

 many of the activities essential to an expanding program are unlikely to be ade- 

 quately carried out in the framework of the shared agency responsibility. 



Although the details of reorganization and the scope of activities for the pro- 

 posed new agency will require much study and negotiation, we support the Com- 

 mission recommendation that efforts in this direction proceed without delay. 

 Furthermore, we urge the Congress to give early consideration to this proposal of 

 the Commission. 



As reorganization is discussed and as elements of the national marine program 

 are considered in depth, many details and differences of opinion will need to be 

 considered. The Committee on Oceanography recognizes the importance of con- 

 tinuing review and discussion, but strongly expresses the hope that such debate 

 will not obscure the main thrust of the Commission's recommendations. 



The program recommended by the Commission requires both an adequate tech- 

 nology and a firm, scientific basis. In spite of the vigorous growth and development 

 in the marine sciences and technology over the past few decades, the fact remains 

 that our knowledge of the oceans and the factors that control its living and non- 

 living resources are just beyond the exploratory stage. Effective exploitation of 

 the oceans' resources requires knowledge that can answer the fundamental ques- 

 tions of "where", "ihow", "why", and for certain resources "when". At present 

 our ability to monitor the oceans is limited by technology, our hopes to improve 

 the ocean environment as well as our ability to predict changes in the oceans is 

 limited by the progress of science. To achieve capabilities beyond these limits our 

 nation will require an organization and a program suCh as is recommended in the 

 Commission Report. 



Specifically, the Committee on Oceanography believes that the following major 

 recommendations of the Commission will do muCh to accomplish these goals : 



(1) Establish increased understanding of the planetary oceans as a major goal 

 (page 23 of the Commission report) . 



(2) Establish university-national laboratories (page 27). 



(3) Establish coastal zone laboratories (page 29). 



(4) Initiate a comprehensive fundamental technology program (page 27). 



(5) Establish national projects (page 37). 



(6) Sea Grant Program expansion (page 44). 



I hope these comments are helpful, and will be pleased to provide additional 

 elaboration at a later date. 



That is the end of the letter, and the rest of this statement is in the 

 form of elaboration on some of these points. 



The subject of oceanography is one on which NASCO has pro- 

 duced a number of reports summarizing from time to time the status 

 of the field, its potential and recommendations for the future. From 

 time to time also the Committee offers specific advice in response to 

 questions that are posed by its agency sponsors. NASCO was asked at 



