example, In-house efforts have resulted in survey aind documenta- 

 tion, in a preliminary fashion, of the extensive need for and use 

 of improved environmental information by the construction, offshore 

 oil, and gas industries and by marine military (naval) activities. 

 Similar efforts are also being directed toward the fisheries in- 

 dustry. In addition, the Project Office has recently contracted 

 with the Resource Management Corporation of Bethesda, Marylgind, 

 to assess the benefits to transportation (air, land and sea) 

 that will accrue from improved environmental prediction. Similar 

 in-depth quantitive studies are needed for all major functional 

 users of improved environmental information. 



(7) Six high-frequency radio bands have been set aside 

 for oceanographic use on an international basis. The Project 

 Office is funding and coordinating a study effort by the Environ- 

 mental Science Services Administration's (ESSA) Institute of 

 Telecomm\mication Sciences to recommend the optimiom utilization 

 and aillocation of this limited resource. 



(8) Earlier this month the Project Office sponsored a 

 Scientific Advisory Meeting at the Coast Guard Academy, New 

 London, Connecticut. Attendance included more than 30 leading 

 scientists working in the field of the marine environment. The 

 experience and guidance of this knowledgeable group will provide 

 an important contribution to the development and use of NDB 

 systems. Their interest in integrating scientific experiments 

 into pilot buoy networks and operational systems is particularly 

 noteworthy. 



(9) Ship support for the major Federal government data 

 buoy progr£ims has provided valuable experience and information 

 on buoy handling and servicing problems. 



(10) As in any other major development effort, extensive 

 coordination with potential users, the scientific community and 

 industry is considered necessary and is being effected on a con- 

 tinuing basis. In addition, the Project Office is working with 

 other Federal agencies in developing United States' positions for 

 implementing "ocean stations" for data acquisition, and in inter- 

 national sharing of the data and resulting products. These 

 activities are coordinated internationally through the Integrated 

 Global Ocean Station System (IGOSS) Working Group of the Inter- 

 governmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) and the World 

 Weather (Watch) Program (WWW) of the World Meteorological Orgein- 

 ization (WMO). 



(11) In the areas of alternative teohnicail approaches 

 and cost-effectiveness analyses, two major in-house studies have 

 been \mdertaken. The first contains substantial, elements of a 

 proposed technical approach (PTA) for data buoy network develop- 

 ment in the deep ocean and coastal areas, considering only data 



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