Appendix A Commission Staff Study: ^ Education, Manpower, and Training 

 in the Marine Sciences 



The staff of the Commission on Marine Science, Engineering and Resources has conducted an 

 extensive review of the present and projected supply and demand in marine education, manpower, and 

 training. It found that reUable data were inadequate or non-existent for many aspects of its task; that 

 programs, particularly at the Federal level, were poorly coordinated; and that the history of the marine 

 sciences over the past decades has been characterized by an emphasis on basic and appHed research at the 

 expense of education and training. 



The review also found that, at the present, the manpower situation in the marine fields is not critical, 

 although shortages do exist in certain areas, and that it is impossible to predict future supply/demand 

 conditions with any precision. 



The demand for adequately trained manpower and the ability of the Nation to cope with the demand 

 are complicated both by the expanding and diverse nature of the field and by the various categories of 

 employment it provides. Some persons work directly in marine science and engineering; others are 

 associated with industries conducted on or in the marine environment— commercial fishing, offshore oil 

 operations, the merchant marine, and recreation. Still another group is composed of naval. Coast Guard, 

 and other uniformed personnel. Although this study is primarily concerned with persons active in marine 

 science and engineering, its interests extend to the other aspects of marine-related activities. 



Even within marine science and engineering, job categories and levels of competence are widely 

 diversified, and there is considerable transferability in and out of the marine fields. At the heart of the 

 manpower system is a small core of professionals, with extensive backgrounds in oceanography or 

 marine engineering, although often formally trained in other fields. These people tend to spend all or 

 most of their working years in the marine fields. Other professionals spend only part of their careers in 

 marine-related occupations; their basic training in science or engineering is used for various types of 

 employment. Finally, many ocean specialists, technicians, and craftsmen are mobile; they enter and 

 leave the marine areas according to the relative advantages of other fields of employment. These persons 

 may or may not have received formal training in marine matters; all or most of what is needed for their 

 marine activities may be picked up from on-the-job training or from short courses of instruction. 



I. DIMENSIONS OF THE PROBLEM 



Before the current situation in marine education, manpower, and training can be assessed, three basic 

 terms must be defined. In this study, "education" is used to include activities in which individuals 

 receive formal instruction as part of a broadly based curriculum that, in most cases, leads to the award of 

 a certificate or degree. "Manpower" represents existing labor force— the number of individuals gainfully 

 employed in occupations directly and indirectly related to marine affairs and, where applicable, their 

 employers. "Training" denotes special instruction designed to improve an individual's occupational 

 skills. Such experience generally does not carry academic credit beyond the secondary school; however, 

 some individuals with long experience can eventually attain professional status without formal 

 education. 



This study will consider education and training programs in relation to their quantity, quality, and 

 type. Of the existing data on education, training, and manpower in the marine sciences, much are 



This report was prepared by Lewis M. Alexander, 

 with the assistance of Holmes Moore. Acknowledgements 

 are due to Dr. Richard Fleming of the University of 

 Washington Department of Oceanography, consultant; 

 Robert Abel and Harold Goodwin of the National Sea 

 Grant Program; Mrs. Norma Martof of the Committee on 

 Marine Research, Education and Facilities of the National 

 Council; and Arnold Joseph of the Council staff. 



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