Chapter I

MARINE SCIENCES AND NATIONAL GOALS

The Oceans and Society

Marine science is a term employed in Public Law 89-454 to designate scientific research, engineering, and technological development related to the marine environment. The marine environment is considered to include the oceans, the Continental Shelf of the United States and its territories, the Great Lakes, and their resources. Marine science affairs cannot be considered in isolation. Research and development activities in the oceans must be related to similar activities on land. So, too, must man's exploration and exploitation of the oceans' resources. Marine science goals, policies, programs, and activities must therefore be examined in two ways: as they relate to the unity they derive from the marine environment, and as they contribute to major goals of society and the Nation. It is in this second context--the relatively unfulfilled promise of the sea to contribute to human needs that recent effort became increasingly motivated to deal with major issues of world peace, starvation, and general welfare; the requirements and problems of a growing and increasingly urbanized population; and the protection of our environment and seashore resources from unnecessary degradation.

Recognizing the importance of the oceans to society, the Federal Government began in the late 1950's to increase its rate of investment to strengthen the Nation's capabilities in marine research and engineering. Concurrently, the business and academic communities and the States began to extend their interests in offshore activities such as intensified petroleum and gas exploration, application of aerospace technology, development of new fisheries, and efforts to preserve coastal areas. These combined efforts have strengthened the extent of our understanding of the oceans, the availability and sophistication of our instrumentation, laboratories, ships, deep submergence vehicles, and other data-collecting platforms, and our ocean science and engineering manpower base.

Indeed, we have progressed significantly during the 1960's, but the total marine sciences enterprise-both public and private-is still small, representing only about three percent of the Nation's total technical effort.

and many technologies; it involves a wide diversity of institutions. The participants include twenty-four bureaus in eleven Federal departments and agencies, thirty-three subcommittees of the Congress, and numerous State, regional, and international organizations. In the private sector, participants include universities and maritime, chemical, electronics, aerospace, mineral, oil, fishing, recreational, and other industries. One of the purposes of the Marine Resources and Engineering Development Act of 1966 is to foster a coherent sense of direction and purpose in any expanded program through a creative and cooperative partnership of Government, business, and the academic and scientific communities.

National Policies and Objectives

To mobilize the Nation's marine science activities, the Marine Resources and Engineering Development Act of 1966 declares it to be the policy of the United States "to develop, encourage, and maintain a coordinated, comprehensive, and long-range national program in marine science for the benefit of mankind to assist in:

-protection of health and property,

-enhancement of commerce, transportation, and national security, -rehabilitation of our commercial fisheries, and

-increased utilization of these and other resources."

This mandate of the Congress and the President further identifies eight objectives related to these goals. Specifically, the marine science activities of the United States should "contribute to the following objectives:

-The accelerated development of the resources of the marine environment.

-The expansion of human knowledge of the marine environment. -The encouragement of private investment enterprise in explora

tion, technological development, marine commerce, and economic utilization of the resources of the marine environment.

-The preservation of the role of the United States as a leader in marine science and resource development.

-The advancement of education and training in marine science. -The development and improvement of the capabilities, performance, use, and efficiency of vehicles, equipment, and instruments for use in exploration, research, surveys, and the recovery of resources, and the transmission of energy in the marine environment. -The effective utilization of the scientific and engineering resources of the Nation, with close cooperation among all interested agencies, public and private, in order to avoid unnecessary duplication of effort, facilities, and equipment, or waste.

groups of nations and international organizations in marine science activities when such cooperation is in the national interest." Congress has singled out international cooperation for particular emphasis. The seas offer unique opportunities to enhance scientific exchange and to promote understanding between nations in all sectors among the scientists, the universities, the Federal Government, and industry.

In short, the Act calls on the marine science communities to contribute to fulfillment of our national policies. The bountiful resources of the sea can help solve man's increasing need for food, water, minerals, and energy. A vigorous and imaginative program of marine research, development, and exploitation is consequently anticipated on a significantly larger scale than formerly as an integral part of the economic, political, and social fiber of our nation and other Nations.

Chapter II

MOBILIZING FEDERAL RESOURCES

The Federal Role

In view of the diversity of broad economic, social, and political goals that can be served by the sea, and the traditional role of the Federal Government in promoting our national interest, the 1966 Act anticipates that the Government will continue its past interest in marine sciences. Federal leadership is necessary, for example, to insure that marine science activities:

-sustain a naval science and technology to meet national security needs;

-support foreign policy objectives by fostering international agreements, understanding and cooperation, and by supporting technical assistance to developing nations on the principle of self-help; -enhance capabilities for describing and predicting the state of the oceans and the weather and provide services to marine interests; -explore and foster exploitation of fish, minerals, and energy resources by mapping, by appropriate development of technological capabilities, by formulation of means for public and private collaboration, and by encouragement of private investment; -aid abatement and prevention of pollution and assist in the conservation and improved utilization of recreational, esthetic, and economic resources of our sea coast and Great Lakes;

-protect life and property at sea, and along the coast; -nourish basic knowledge and develop scientific facilities and manpower.

At the same time, the Government recognizes that the vitality of our industrial organizations and the creativity of our scientists have been major factors in our progress toward better understanding and use of the seas. Indeed, the bulk of Federal funds devoted to marine efforts has been expended through grants and contracts with private industrial and academic organizations. The States have also become increasingly involved in studying and preserving our coasts and in insuring rational exploitation of coastal resources.

With the broadening and deepening interest in marine activitiesnational and international-the articulation of key Federal policies