A. ORGANIZATION AMD HISTORY 



The International Indian Ocean Expedition (IIOE) was conceived at the first 

 meeting of the Special Committee on Oceanic Research (SCOR) of the Inter- 

 national Council of Scientific Unions (ICSU) in September 1958. United 

 States participation was initially planned by the Committee on Oceanography 

 of the National Academy of Sciences (NASCO). The preliminary plan was presented 

 to the Federal Council for Science and Technology in May I960,, and approval 

 for United States participation was announced by the White House on June 13, 

 I960. Scientific responsibility for the United Stages participation was 

 assigned to the National Academy of Sciences - National Research Council, and 

 the National Science Foundation was directed to plan and coordinate Federal 

 support for United States participation in the program. 



At the request of the Director of the National Science Foundation, other 



Federal agencies with potential interest in the IIOE appointed representatives 



to serve as single points of contact and facilitate communication an ong the 



agencies. As a result of meetings of these representatives held during the 



summer of i960, it was determined that the preliminary plans were inadequate 



to carry out the stated aims of the IIOE, particularly in the areas of 



biological oceanography and of air-sea interaction, and following international 



meetings held by SCOR at Copenhagen and Helsinki in July i960, NASCO enlarged 



its Indian Ocean Expedition Panel, set up five Working Groups (Biology; 



Geology, Geophysics, and Bathymetry 5 Meterology: Physical and Chemical Oceanography; 



and Expedition Data) and drew up an enlarged program for U. S. participation. 



During the spring of 1962, it was agreed between SCOR and the new International 



Oceanographic Commission (IOC) that henceforth the Secretary of IOC would have 



responsibility for coordination of the IIOE. At the same time NASCO, as 



the United States adhering body to SCOR, felt it inappropriate to continue 



to coordinate the United States participation in the IIOE. Full responsibility 



for the United States program was thus assumed by the National Science Foundation. 



The NASCO IIOE Panel was discontinued in April 1963. 



B. FINANCIAL SUPPORT 



The original Presidential Directive in June, I960, provided that United States 

 participation in the IIOE would be funded by normal budgetary process. 

 Accordingly, the United States Navy, historically the chief Federal sponsor 

 of basic research in oceanography through its Office of Naval Research, agreed 

 to permit vessels whose operations it finances through research contracts at 

 Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and 

 Lamont Geological Observatory to undertake cruises to the Indian Ocean. Data- 

 processing facilities at the Navy Oceanographic Office were put at the 

 disposal of tils U. S. participants; Navy survey vessels in the Indian Ocean were 

 assigned to make oceanographic observations in support of the IIOE. 



The National Science Foundation, which supports research through grants made as 

 the result of applications proposing specific research projects, encouraged 

 United States research institutions to submit proposals for research connected 

 with the IIOE, and took steps to augment its available research funds by includ- 

 ing a special item for the IIOE, commencing with its Fiscal Year 1962 budget. 



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