472 



One of the topics that I think we are really concerned with here is 

 the subject of the international scope of the problem. We have talked 

 in U.N. circles, in W.H.O., F.A.O., and elsewhere about many of these 

 problems. We find out that thej^ are not restricted to any nation. 



The pollutants and the toxicity problems of one nation become the 

 problems of other nations. It is not realistic to isolate any segment of 

 biomedical oceanography thinking that this is merely a national 

 problem. 



These are international problems, and I strongly; urge an interna- 

 tional cooperative effort with as many different nations as possible in 

 order to get to the heart of some of these critical matters. 



We are also recommending here, Mr. Chairman, the use of a systems 

 management approach. I bv3lieve that our past and present grant-in- 

 aid system in many ways has been very fruitful. I am not here this 

 morning to try to condemn it. I am trying to point out, however, that 

 I think that there are certain elements of it that are not conducive to 

 developing a strong national problem in biomedical oceanography. 



If NASA was to use the present system of grants-in-aid as we utilize 

 it in, the National Science Foundation, or the National Institutes of 

 Health, et cetera, I doubt very much that they would be getting to the 

 moon within the next few decades because our present ^rant-in-aid 

 system leaves too much up to the whims of the individual investigator 

 who may be extremely knowledgeable about the hind leg of a toad or 

 know a lot about a particular segment of molecular biology and have 

 missed completely major facets of our national program and our 

 international requirements. 



I think we have to develop certain national priorities. I believe we 

 have to develop strong national leadership and to establish national 

 goals. We need panels of experts that can help to establish some of 

 these goals, and this must be done on a realistic basis that is going to 

 meet some of our national needs. 



Whereas our existing grant-in-aid program has its place, I believe 

 that when we talk about biomedical oceanography — and I can add to 

 that the rest of the field of oceanography — ^we need a systems manage- 

 ment approach that can be developed on a highly coordinated basis 

 developing national goals and national priorities. 



I think that there is a need for a biomedical coordinating committee. 

 I have already indicated that in my written presentation and I don't 

 think I need to comment on that further. 



I would like to get to the matter of the establishment of a National 

 Institute of 'Marine Medicine and Pharmacology. The question has 

 been raised in the past. Aren't we establishing a rather large institution 

 to take care of a rather narrow segment of business ? 



I would like to point out that it is quite the opposite. First of all 

 the business of biomedical oceanography is the type of thing that is 

 everybody's business and consequently has become nobody's business. 



It is a field that has largely fallen down, as it were, between the 

 cracks. One official in our National Institute of General Medical 

 Sciences recently made the comment, "We do not have a mandate with- 

 in the National Institutes of Health whereby we have to work in the 

 field of marine medicine." 



Now, I think that that is a very truthful statement and a very un- 

 fortunate truth because I think that we n^d a mandate whereby an 



