40 



shelf and slope may show large-scale movements 

 of the ocean as it has in\'adecl and retreated from 

 the continents, and could make it possible to 

 determine whether such changes are cvclic in 

 nature. This program, like other XSF sponsored 

 investigations, contributes in large measure to 

 the Continental Shelf Program. 



The Ocean Sediment Coring Program began 

 in FY 1966 and \\ill continue for a number of 

 vears. The Foimdation is budgeting $1,500,000 

 in FY 1967 for this program. 



ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION 



FY 1965- 

 FY 1966- 

 FY 1967- 



-$3,703,000 

 -$4,227,000 

 -$4,598,000 



Background 



The Atomic Energy Commission's role in ocean- 

 ography centers on the de\elopment, use and 

 control of atomic energy. This is part of AEC's 

 overall statutory function to pro\ide for the 

 common defense and security of the people of 

 the United States and to protect the health and 

 safety of the public — both important goals of the 

 National Oceanographic Program. A major ob- 

 jecti\e is to quantif\' and imderstand the risks 

 so that man mav more freely use atomic energy 

 to obtain its man\- benefits. Se\enty-five percent 

 of AEC's oceanographic research is related to the 

 environment on the continental shelves. 



Once radioactivity gets into the marine environ- 

 ment it is subject to a wide range of physical, 

 chemical, and biological influences. Some of these 

 dilute and disperse the activitv while others con- 

 centrate it, or affect its mo\ement. In general, 

 these influences are a function of the elements 

 involved, the place and condition of the ph\sical 

 circulation pattern, the geochemistr\ of the local 

 sea water environment, and the biota of the site 

 in all its taxonomic variations, population dv- 

 namics, ecological relationships, and distributional 

 patterns. The following program areas are sup- 

 ported inider the Biology and Medicine Program 

 in 42 diff^erent research projects at imiversities 

 and institutions throughout the United States. 



1. Biological Uptake, ConcentraUon, Distribution, 

 and Effects of Radioactive Elements 



Studies of the uptake, concentration, distribu- 

 tion and redistribution of radioactive elements, 

 and effects of these on marine biota, comprise a 

 major segment of the total program. Studies of 

 distribution and abundance of fish, shellfish, 

 and other biota, some of commercial importance, 

 are being conducted to define marine populations 

 and to establish the ecological relationships as 

 baselines for future assessments of change. 

 Emphasis is placed on ecological studies of marine 

 food webs to demonstrate and measine cycling 

 of nutrients and trace elements. Studies include 

 uptake, retention, and loss of indi\idual or groups 

 of elements by selected species of biotic com- 

 munities in one or more trophic levels. 



2. Marine Sedimentation and Chemical Interactions 



Biology and Medicine Program 



Nuclear explosive tests, waste disposal opera- 

 tions, fixed and mobile nuclear reactors, special 

 isotopic power applications, and research radio- 

 tracers may directlv or indirectly introduce radio- 

 acti\it}' into the marine environment. To imder- 

 stand the risks involved in these operations, it 

 is necessarv to be able to predict in a quantitative 

 fashion, the time-space-biological distributions 

 of radioactivit) , the possible effects on the marine 

 biotic processes, and the mechanisms and pos- 

 sible means and rate of retinn to man. 



Limited studies will be conducted on phase 

 distributions of selected elements in the marine 

 environment to determine sedimentation rates 

 and exchanges with suspended and bottom sedi- 

 ments. Other studies of the distributions of 

 naturally occurring radioactive elements such as 

 carbon- 14 are providing clues to the top-to-bottom 

 ocean circulation rates. Studies of the composi- 

 tion and fate of terrigenous sediments provide 

 information on the possible interactions with 

 radionuclides and their translocation in the 

 marine environment. Studies of partitioning 

 of natural isotopes in the uranium and thorium 



