tional utility. Our position is summarized in the 

 following recommendation: 



Recommendation : 



The Nation must push forward with a comprehen- 

 sive and diversified program for the development 

 of new technologies to monitor the global marine 

 environment. Such a program is the key to 

 maintaining adequate surveillance over our total 

 marine environment. 



C. Earth-Orbiting Satellite 



Results from the TIROS, NIMBUS, and ESSA 

 satellites indicate their potential for regular global 

 synoptic coverage of surface ocean conditions. 

 Sensors now available or in advanced development 

 can provide routine sea-surface temperature meas- 

 urements, ice mapping, and estimates of sea- 

 surface "roughness." The satellite can serve as a 

 communications link for the interrogation of 

 ocean platforms and transmission of the data to 

 central processing facilities. 



A. Buoys 



Buoy system technology offers a promising 

 approach to the collection of oceanographic and 

 meteorological data in remote ocean areas. Cost 

 estimates for proposed full-scale operational buoy 

 systems indicate the need for adequate field 

 testing before final deployment decisions are 

 made. Experimental buoy systems could be used 

 to advance our understanding of major scientific 

 problems as well as provide tests of buoy hard- 

 ware. 



Recommendation: 



The National Data Buoy Development Program 

 should be pursued vigorously. The program should 

 provide for tests of alternative buoy hardware con- 

 figurations, and different network spacings before 

 a commitment is made to a major operational 

 system; many of these tests can be conducted in 

 support of major oceanographic research efforts. 



B. Aircraft 



Aircraft have been used effectively to collect 

 meteorological data, measure sea-surface tempera- 

 tures, launch expendable bathythermographs, and 

 collect sea-state data. 



Recommendation : 



NASA development of satellite-borne oceano- 

 graphic sensors, of techniques for the location of 

 platforms, and of transmission of data from plat- 

 forms should continue. Plans for early use of 

 oceanographic sensors on board operational satel- 

 lites should be pursued vigorously. 



IV. RESEARCH PROGRAM 



While environmental monitoring is technology- 

 limited, environmental prediction is seriously 

 limited by a lack of basic understanding. To 

 remove the principal scientific limitations the 

 panel makes the following recommendation: 



Recommendation: 



Intensive research efforts should be mounted to 

 provide the necessary understanding of oceano- 

 graphic processes in: 



—Sea-air interaction 



—Scales of motion 



—Dynamics of ocean currents 



—Biological-physical environmental relationships. 



V. ORGANIZATION 



Recommendation : 



The oceanographic aircraft role in an opera- 

 tional environmental monitoring system must be 

 reviewed. Aircraft operated for other missions by 

 various Federal agencies should be instrumented to 

 collect oceanographic data. 



A. Agency Responsibility for NEMPS 



Four Federal agencies are principally involved 

 in the provision of marine environmental monitor- 

 ing and prediction services: Department of De- 

 fense (Navy, Air Force), Department of Trans- 

 portation (Coast Guard and FAA), Department of 



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