ORGANIZATION AND HISTORY 



The International Indian Ocean Expedition (IIOE) was conceived at 

 the first meeting of the Special Committee of Oceanic Research (SCOR) 

 of the International Council of Scientific Unions (ICSU) in September 

 1958, United States participation was initially planned by the Committee 

 on Oceanography of the National Acaden^r of Sciences (NASCO) . The 

 preliminary plan was presented to the Federal Coimcil of Science and 

 Technology in May I96O, and approval for United States participation was 

 announced by the VJhite House on June 13, I960. Scientific responsibility 

 for the United States participation was assigned to the National Academy 

 of Sciences - National Research Council, and the National Science 

 Foundation was directed to plan and coordinate Federal support for United 

 States participation in the program. 



At the request of the Director of the National Science Foundation, 

 other Federal agencies \i±th potential interest in the IIOE appointed 

 representatives to serve as single points of contact and facilitate 

 communication among the agencies. As a result of meetings of these 

 representatives held during the summer of I96O, it was determined that 

 the preliminary plans were inadeqtiate to cairy out the stated aims of the 

 IIOE, particularly in the areas of biological oceaiaograp}:Qr and of air-sea 

 interaction, and following international meetings held by SCCR at Copen- 

 hagen and Helsinki in July I960, NASCO enlarged its Indian Oceaa Expedi- 

 tion Panel, set vcp five Working Groups (Biologyj Geology, Geopkysics, and 

 Bathymetry I Meteorology: Pl^sical and Chemical Oceanography; and Expedi- 

 tion Data, respectively), and drev; up an enlarged program for U, S. 

 participation » 



During the spring of 1962 it was agreed between SCOR and the new 

 International Oceanographic Commission (IOC) that henceforth the Secretary 

 of the lOG would have responsibility for coordination of the IIOE, Simul- 

 taneously NASCO, as the United States adhering body to SCOR, has felt it 

 inappropriate for it to continue to coordinate the United States partici- 

 pation In the IIOE, and full responsibility for the United States program 

 thus has been assumed by the National Science Foundation. 



FINANCIAL SUPPORT 



The original Presidential directive in June, I960, provided that 

 United States participation in the IIOE would be funded by normal 

 budgetary process. Accordingly, the United States Navy, historically 

 the chief Federal sponsor of basic research in oceanography through its 

 Office of Naval Research, agreed to permit vessels whose operations 

 it finances through research contracts at Scripps Institution of Oceano- 

 graphy, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, and Lament Geological 

 Observatoiy to undertake cruises to the Indian Ocean, Likewise the 

 data-processing facilities at the Navy Oceanographic Office were put 

 at the disposal of the U, S. participants, and survey vessels in the 

 Indian Ocean were assigned to make oceanographic observations in st5)poi*t 

 of the nOE, 



