367 



It lias been suggested that this in turn may produce warming of the 

 waters, depleted oxygen, reduced circulation, inadequate nourishment 

 for the organisms, and eventual elimination of important coastal 

 fisheries. 



I do not say that all the changes that may be wrought will be dele- 

 terious. In fact, I am not even sure that there will be any substantial 

 ecological change. I am suggesting, however, that we cannot afford to 

 run the risk of producing irreversible changes without first knowing 

 what those changes might be and determining whether we are willing 

 to put up with them. 



Mr. ScHADEBERG. Doctor, that is a very fine statement. 



Would the same possibility of deleterious effects in the area of the 

 Aswan Dam apply to dams that we might build in this country '. 



Dr. Galler. Yes, sir. I think that to some extent that is also true 

 for dams that we have built in this country and plan to build in this 

 country. 



Mr. ScHADEBEEG. I remember the testimony the other day that we 

 had in the hearing where one of the witnesses said that we didn't know 

 it but if we had a sea level canal it might make a difference in the 

 changes of the temperature of the water in the oceans which might 

 affect the world weather. I think this has caused us some real second 

 thoughts, Mr. Chairman. 



Mr. Lennon. Thank you, Mr. Schadeberg. 



Mr. Karth. 



Mr. IvARTH. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 



I appreciate Dr. Galler's obvious interest in ecology and the total 

 environment, Mr. Chairman, because unfortunately there are not 

 enough people who are really interested in it, perhaps because there are 

 not enough people who really understand its serious consequences. 



We continue to pollute the atmosphere of the earth and the oceans 

 but I do want to assure Dr. Galler that there is great interest today 

 in this whole question in Congress ; more than ever before. I am on 

 another subcoinmittee of this full committee, Fisheries and Wildlife 

 Conservation, and we are now holding hearings on a bill, which would 

 establish a 3-man advisory commission to the President on this very 

 question and study not only the pollutants that are going into the sea 

 but also the pollutants that are going into the air and the land; study 

 the whole ecological question. The feeling that you must relate to the 

 atmosphere and the earth and seas all at one time, and cannot just 

 study these things as separate parts is understood. So we do want to 

 assure the Doctor that it is getting some attention. 



Mr. Lennon. Thank you, Mr. Karth. 



Mr. Ruppe. 



Mr. Ruppe. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 



I note that on the bottom of page 3 and the top of page 4 you say 

 that — 



The information gap between taxonomy and the programmatic marine sciences 

 is widening in inverse proportion to the increase in support of oceanography and 

 the related marine sciences. 



I wonder if you would expand on that a little, if you ^Aould. 

 Dr. Galler. I will try, Mr. Congressman. 



