Chapter 6 Technology and Marine Science 



Science and technology are reciprocal spurs. 

 Joined in proper measure, they can bring mutual 

 advances of enormous import. In marine science, 

 because of the difficulty of operating in the 

 oceans, the relationship must be closer than in 

 many other fields of science. Technology makes it 

 possible to sample the deep ocean bottom, live and 

 work in the oceans, and acquire the data that 

 science needs for its marine effort. Yet, in general, 

 basic science and marine technology have failed to 

 achieve the level of partnership necessary to the 

 advancement of many fields of marine science. 



It is true that outstanding examples can be 

 cited, such as the use of deep drilling techniques 

 for exploring the geophysical structure of the 

 ocean bed. Yet examination of the activities at 

 major ocean science laboratories in the academic 

 community and in some Federal laboratories shows 

 only marginal attention being paid to provision of 

 the kind of modern engineering support which the 

 growing problems in ocean science require. On the 

 other hand, there is a vigorous marine and general 

 engineering competence in industry but, for rea- 

 sons not always easy to understand, that com- 

 petence has not generally been directed toward the 

 solution of basic science problems. 



In their prepared statement at the panel's 

 hearings, Dr. R. A. Ragotzkie and C. H. Mortimer, 

 University of Wisconsin, said: 



The schism between natural scientists and engi- 

 neers must be bridged by processes of education of 

 both groups and by a recognition by fund granting 

 organizations that engineering talents are needed 

 in many environmental research activities. 



The report of the Panel on Marine Engineering 

 and Technology has addressed the problems of the 

 need for technology in the National marine science 

 program, giving extensive descriptions of the ad- 

 vances to be expected in the next decade. This 

 report focuses upon the needs of the scientist for 

 technology. 



The total development of marine science has 

 suffered from a failure to provide the proper kinds 

 of engineering support. Too few engineers have 

 been brought into the field to work on basic 



marine science problems, although much of the 

 engineering and technology being developed for 

 other reasons is susceptible to marine science use 

 today. 



The lack of adequate engineering development 

 skills specifically associated with basic research is 

 limiting development in some areas. In physical 

 oceanography, for instance, Professor Henry 

 Stommel of the Massachusetts Institute of Tech- 

 nology, said in a statement at the panel's hearings: 

 "I don't think that either scientists or engineers 

 realize the time and funds needed for good 

 engineering in ocean instruments." 



Besides retarding the rate of progress in field 

 experimentation, this deficiency is costly. In the 

 fields of space or communications, it would be 

 considered unthinkable to deploy expensive opera- 

 tions without properly engineered equipment of at 

 least reasonably assured dependability. In marine 

 science, however, it is not unusual to expect a high 

 failure rate for equipment. 



The panel is struck by the number of key 

 technological developments now under way which 

 will have a radical impact on the kinds of specific 

 problems it will be possible to attack, as well as on 

 the manner in which basic science itself will be 

 conducted. Several of these developments will 

 bring within reach an approach to problems which 

 previously could only have been attacked at 

 forbidding cost, or not at all. For example, the 

 sophisticated modern sonar ought to be used more 

 for biological research. The background noise so 

 troublesome to the Navy is often primary data to 

 the biological oceanographer. 



Data-sensing unattended buoys, in the next 

 decade, will finally put oceanography in a position 

 to describe the physical state of the seas and 

 enable scientists to understand their fluctuations 

 and to test theories for their prediction. The buoys 

 also hold potential for the measurement of bio- 

 logical and chemical constituents of the oceans. 

 While today the sensor systems for the automatic 

 measurement of biological and chemical variables 

 are limited, their development is clearly going to 

 occur. Once operational, the data they produce 

 may revolutionize understanding of biological 

 processes in the ocean and the relation of those 



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