D. Federal Laboratories 



Federal laboratories are necessary to provide 

 Federal agencies with the capability for carrying 

 out their missions. If they are to be responsive to 

 the opportunities as well as the needs of basic 

 science, they should continue to devote some of 

 their effort to basic research problems. Such 

 practices are also necessary to attract and maintain 

 a high level of scientific competence within these 

 laboratories. 



Agency support for extramural research should 

 avoid competitive struggles over fund allocations 

 between its in-house and its extramural con- 

 tractors and grantees. Federal research programs 

 need flexibility which only outside grants and 

 contracts can provide. 



There is a need for Federal laboratories large 

 enough to meet the Goverrmient's requirements. 

 Many Federal laboratories are understaffed and 

 underfinanced. There should be fewer, stronger, 

 adequately equipped and staffed Federal labora- 

 tories. 



The practice of siting new Federal laboratories 

 close to university centers should be followed. 



Recommendation : 



Federal laboratories should be strengthened by 

 moving in the direction of fewer but stronger 

 laboratories adequately funded and staffed with 

 even closer affiliation with academic institutions. 

 Steps should be taken to provide an atmosphere in 

 these laboratories conducive to attracting first- 

 rank scientists by providing the necessary flexi- 

 bility at the scientific leadership level. 



IX. FEDERAL SUPPORT SERVICES 



Basic marine science depends on the existence 

 of technical support services, usually provided by 

 the Federal Goveriunent, to meet many needs 

 beyond those of research. Among the most im- 

 portant are those deaUng with mapping and 

 charting, navigation, and data management. 



A. Mapping and Charting 



The President's proposal for an International 

 Decade of Ocean Exploration will involve exten- 

 sive mapping and charting of the deep oceans as 



well as the continental shelves and slopes. The 

 panel's proposal to establish as a major U.S. goal 

 the understanding of the planetary ocean will be 

 closely served by the proposed Decade and its 

 mapping and charting programs will be critically 

 important. 



The Federal Government today has no mech- 

 anism whereby requirements of mapping and 

 charting for basic science can be accommodated in 

 connection with surveys conducted for other 

 purposes. But with a minimum of additional 

 effort, mapping and charting can, in many in- 

 stances, satisfy certain needs of basic science. 

 There is a need for mechanisms by which Federal 

 mapping and charting are kept under frequent 

 review by the scientific community to insure that 

 these efforts are also responsive to the needs of 

 basic science. 



Recommendation : 



The mapping and charting activities of the Federal 

 Government should be made as responsive as 

 possible to the needs of basic science and mecha- 

 nisms should be established whereby mapping and 

 charting operations of the Federal agencies can be 

 reviewed to insure responsiveness to science needs. 



B. Navigation 



The Federal Government should establish a 

 precise coastal navigation system which would be 

 available to support scientific research in the 

 oceans. Such a system would be of great utility to 

 many other marine activities. The scientific com- 

 munity should continue to work closely with the 

 Navy in the perfection of the satellite navigation 

 system as a supporting service for research and 

 surveys on the high seas. 



The situation with regard to navigation over the 

 outer continental shelves of the United States and 

 in coastal waters beyond the capability of visual 

 methods of position fixing is not as favorable. 



Recommendation : 



The Department of Transportation should proceed 

 with the installation of a precise electronic navi- 

 gational system sufficient to cover the entire 

 coasts of the continental United States and Hawaii 

 by the early 1970's and of Alaska and the Bering 

 Seaby the late 1970's. 



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