Manpower Implications of Commission Budget Projections 



Est. 1980 



Excludes capital outlay. 

 2 



International Oceanographic Foundation categories. See page IV-3 for definitions. For purposes of this exhibit, the 

 definitions should be construed broadly to include persons of various backgrounds when working on ocean-related 

 problems regardless of the nature of their primary interests and employment. 



Total professional personnel computed on a "rule of thumb" formula of $50,000 per professional person. The 

 assignment of this computed number to the various professional categories has been made entirely on a judgmental 

 basis. 



Includes personnel trained in basic scientific disciplines at the M.S. level or higher working on fundamental problems 

 relating to materials, environmental effects, biomedicine, and so forth. 



B. Supply 



The number of natural scientists in the United States, as reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, is 

 about 400,000, and the number of professional engineers, according to the National Academy of 

 Engineering, is about 500,000. From these pools and from the graduating classes in science and 

 engineering must come future oceanographers, ocean engineers, and ocean specialists. Significant 

 contributions are made by the marine education programs. In 1967-1968 over 1,400 individuals received 

 either Bachelor's or higher degrees in marine science in the United States. How many accepted 

 employment in marine-related occupations is not known. 



The extent to which development of marine science and engineering activities depends upon persons 

 trained specifically in marine fields is very difficult to assess. No systematic data now exist on the nature 

 of the formal training of persons employed in marine fields. The marine area is obviously responsible for 

 educating some portion of the personnel it needs; it cannot rely entirely on transfers from other 

 discipHnes. 



Not all persons receiving ocean science and engineering degrees, particularly at the undergraduate 

 level, can be expected to remain in the marine field. Training in marine curricula generally is broad 

 enough to permit transfer to other fields. Furthermore, many students taking advanced degrees intend to 

 teach. As appeal of the marine environment continues to grow, more teachers will be needed at both the 

 undergraduate and secondary school levels, for more students will be seeking one or more "general 

 education" courses in marine matters. 



The expectation of a sharp expansion of marine programs has brought increased enrollments in 

 marine curricula, and all indications are that the number of graduates in marine fields will accelerate over 

 the next few years, perhaps outpacing demand. Such a situation is not necessarily unhealthy. An 

 oversupply of graduates would most likely mean that the more competent would remain in the marine 

 fields and that others would transfer to different occupations. 



IV-5 



