SHIPS-OF-OPPORTUNITY 



main purpose being to develop techniques in forecasting the ever- 

 changing thermal structure of the sea. The area of the ASWEPS 

 experiment was initially restricted to the western North Atlantic 

 Ocean, but it has gradually been extended to include the eastern 

 North Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, and the Pacific Ocean. 



At the outset, it was determined that ASWEPS development 

 depended, to a large extent, on the regular receipt of oceanographic 

 data, temperature-versus-depth information being the single most 

 important environmental parameter required. To help meet this 

 important temperature profile requirement, the Naval Oceanographic 

 Office set up a network of reporting ships which consisted of the 

 approximately 500 U. S. Navy ships that had previously been equipped 

 to make bathythermograph (BT) observations. They were directed 

 to make BT observations 4 times each day and transmit the results 

 to the Naval Oceanographic Office for analysis. A composite of the 

 data received has been used, as planned, for the preparation of 

 synoptic sea surface temperature, sonic layer depth, and vertical 

 gradient charts which are transmitted to the fleet and others by 

 facsimile broadcast, similar to weather charts, or by radio message. 

 These data have also been applied to the development of thermal 

 structure forecasting techniques. 



It was soon evident that the quantity and distribution of the data 

 being reported was inadequate to provide the synoptic picture desired. 

 Accordingly, a program was established to fill the data gap by 

 utilizing various ships-of -opportunity, in this case, any vessels with 

 a BT capability that were willing to participate. The first agency 

 to cooperate in the program was the U. S. Coast Guard, but shortly 

 thereafter the Bureau of Commercial Fisheries, the U. S. Coast and 

 Geodetic Survey, various private institutions, and foreign govern- 

 ments were also cooperating. 



To increase the efficiency of the reporting network, a study was 

 conducted to determine the feasibility of installing BT equipments on 

 Civil Service manned ships of the Military Sea Transportation Service 

 The study, begun in May 1959, proved extremely successful. Four 

 MSTS passenger ships and one MSTS cargo ship operating routinely 

 between New York and northern Europe were equipped with a BT- 

 coUecting capability. The Civil Service crews in these ships obtained 

 and transmitted BT observations twice daily, when operating outside 

 the 100-fathom curve, without any deleterious effect on the ship's 

 primary mission. These ships increased the area of BT coverage by 

 collecting their data along the sea lanes to and from Europe, thereby 

 providing a dependable data input in areas where Fleet ships seldom 

 operated. 



As a result of the success of this venture, additional MSTS ships 

 in both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans have been BT equipped. As 

 of July 1 of this year 28 MSTS ships were regularly collecting and 

 reporting BT data. 



Various other governmental agencies and educational institu- 

 tions operating survey vessels throughout the world were invited to 

 participate in the program. Most of the organizations contacted 

 responded favorably and are cooperating faithfully. 



To effectively accomodate the expanding activities of ASWEPS, 

 additional analysis groups were established. In October 1962, a 

 Regional Analysis Group was initiated under the auspices of Naval 

 Weather Service at Fleet Weather Central, Guam. Then, in January 

 1964, the Pilot ASWEPS (PASWEPS) Centre was established in 

 London by the British Admiralty (now Hydrographic Department, 

 Ministry of Defence). This year, additional analysis centers have 

 been established in Rota, Spain; Pearl Harbor, Hawaii; and Alameda, 

 California. 



The initiation of the analysis system at Guam precipitated the 

 idea of soliciting the cooperation of all friendly nations operating 

 BT-equipped ships in the western North Pacific. As a result, BT 

 data is now being received from Australian, British, Hong Kong, 

 Japanese, Korean, and New Zealand ships operating in that area. 



Nations operating Ocean Station Vessels in the eastern North 

 Atlantic PASWEPS area regularly transmit reports to the central in 

 London. These participating countries, besides the United Kingdom, 

 include Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway, and France. 



In May 1959 the USNS GEN. WILLIAM O- DARBY was BT equipped 

 and commenced reporting into synoptic network- 



Despite the apparent size of the growing network, the amount 

 of BT data received daily remained inadequate for conclusive analyses 

 of the sea's thermal structure. Pursuant to the primary objective of 

 the program, the search for potential BT data platforms continued. 

 For all practical purposes, the only extensive source of ocean-going 

 platforms that remained untapped for oceanographic data collection 

 was that of the commercial maritime industry. 



More than 18,000 commercial vessels of over 1,000 gross tons now 

 ply the world's oceans, 900 of which fly the American flag and many 

 more are American owned. While the concept of utilizing these 

 vessels for oceanographic data collection had been discussed for years, 

 little or no organized effort had been made to exploit this source. 



A study was initiated by this Office to determine what improve- 

 ment could be made in the synoptic data distribution by utilizing 

 these ships-of -opportunity. By simulating a plot of selected mer- 

 chant ships embarked on scheduled voyages and assuming that they 

 were reporting BT data at prescribed intervals, a marked improve- 

 ment in the distribution of synoptic data was theoretically achieved 

 throughout the network. 



Encouraged by the results of the study, the Naval Oceanographic 

 Office issued a proposal through the American Merchant Marine 

 Institute for commercial steamship companies to participate in a 

 pilot project to determine the feasibility of employing commercial 

 ships for the acquisition of BT data. The pilot project would involve 



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