international endeavor. 
The primary objective of the Ocean Survey Plan can be 
simply stated: to provide for the efficient and systematic 
eollection, compilation, and presentation of oceanographic 
data for use in furthering our understanding of the sea for 
science, for the national economy, and for defense. More 
specifically, there are certain missions of the Federal agencies 
which are dependent for their efficient prosecution upon sys- 
tematic ocean surveys, and there are basic scientific problems 
of world-wide scope which also require surveys of this nature 
to provide the data necessary for their solution. The Ocean 
Survey Plan has been devised in response to these applied and 
basic data requirements so that each ship or other data- 
collecting means will be utilized to the fullest in the making 
of observations and collections at sea. The specific objec- 
tives for which this Plan was developed include: 
ake The Navy has urgent requirements for ocean-wide data on 
bottom topography, gravity, magnetics, sediment character- 
istics, and the varying characteristics of the water column. 
The requirements are related to the installation and mainte- 
nance of ASW systems, prediction of sonar ranges, effective 
routing of ships, mine and counter-mine operations, surface 
and sub-surface navigation, the operation of specific weapons 
systems, and pro- and anti-submarine warfare operations. 
Time-series and synoptic surveys are required to assist in 
obtaining the required understanding of the ocean as an 
operational environment. If the Navy is to operate in all 
