Chapter 7 Organization 



I. BASIC AUTHORITIES 



The Navy, under its broad authorities, main- 

 tains an extensive oceanographic and meteoro- 

 logical data collection, processing, and dissemina- 

 tion system. SECNAVINST 5430.70 of Aug. 19, 

 1966 established the Office of the Oceanographer 

 of the Navy, to exercise centralized authority, 

 direction, and control of the Naval Oceanographic 

 Program. The program encompasses science, tech- 

 nology, engineering, and operations, including 

 essential personnel and facilities to explore and lay 

 the basis for exploration of the ocean and its 

 boundaries for naval applications to enhance se- 

 curity and support other National objectives. The 

 Department of Defense service concept is to meet 

 mlHtary requirements by providing forecasts and 

 analyses tailored for the individual military user or 

 operation; the Navy provides oceanographic sup- 

 port to U.S. and NATO forces worldwide. 



The Coast Guard (Department of Transporta- 

 tion) under 14 USC §90 operates and maintains 

 floating ocean stations for search and rescue, 

 communication, and meteorological services in 

 such ocean areas as are regularly traversed by U.S. 

 aircraft. The section states that the: 



Coast Guard shall conduct such oceanographic 

 research, use such equipment or instruments, and 

 collect and analyze such oceanographic data, in 

 cooperation with other agencies of the Govern- 

 ment, or not, as may be in the national interest. 



Under 46 USC §738, the Coast Guard is 

 charged with the responsibility for "patrol and 

 service for the study of ice endangering the 

 shipping tracks of the North Atlantic Ocean." 



The U.S. Weather Bureau was established in 

 1890 and operates under the authority of 15 USC 

 §311, which states, in part, that: 



The Chief of the Weather Bureau shall have charge 

 of the forecasting of the weather, the issue of 

 storm warnings, the display of weather and flood 

 signals for the benefit of agriculture, commerce, 

 and navigation, the gauging and the reporting of 

 rivers, the maintenance and operation of seacoast 



telegraph lines and the collection and transmission 

 of marine intelligence for the benefit of commerce 

 and navigation. 



The Environmental Science Services Adminis- 

 tration, established by Reorganization Plan No. 2 

 of 1965, combined the Weather Bureau, the Coast 

 and Geodetic Survey, and the National Bureau of 

 Standards' Central Radio Propagation Laboratory. 

 ESSA's primary mission includes the description 

 and prediction of the physical environment. In 

 transmitting the Plan, President Johnson spoke of 

 ESS A as providirig: 



a single national focus for our efforts to describe, 

 understand, and predict the state of the oceans, 

 the state of the lower and upper atmosphere, and 

 the size and shape of the earth. 



ESSA has specific authority for comprehensive 

 programs with respect to meteorology and ocean- 

 ography. Various provisions require collaboration 

 in the collection and dissemination of weather 

 data, and the conduct of meteorological research, 

 between ESSA and such other agencies as the 

 Department of Defense and the Department of 

 Transportation. Included is authority for ESSA to 

 act as Federal coordinator for meteorological 

 requirements. 



The Secretary of the Interior is authorized to 

 carry out extensive oceanographic, biological, 

 technological, statistical, and economic programs 

 to ensure rational use of marine resources. The 

 role of environmental monitoring in the Depart- 

 mental programs is to provide those data needed 

 to support development of marine food, recrea- 

 tional, mineral, and water resources. 



Under the Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956, as 

 amended, the Bureau of Commercial Fisheries and 

 the Bureau of Sport Fisheries and WildUfe are 

 authorized to take such steps as may be required 

 for the development, advancement, conservation, 

 and protection of fishery resources. To carry out 

 this policy the Bureau of Conmiercial Fisheries 

 and the Bureau of Sport Fisheries and WildUfe 

 collect, analyze and disseminate those environ- 

 mental data needed for predictions of abundance 

 and distribution of fishery resources to ensure 

 proper management and rational development. 



11-51 



