program into meaningful new knowledge. This group will be expanded at the rate of one man per new ship. A second phase where new resources are needed is in the area of bathymetry. This function will serve not only the ocean survey program of the Coast and Geodetic Survey, but the entire Federal and nongovernmental oceanographic community. Currently the collection of hydrographic (bathmetric) data at sea is the only large-volume data accumulation program that is not completely automated, and the data must still pass through the stage where men hunch over chart tables to put down by hand the information that is continuously recorded from depth sensors and in a short time will be continuously recorded from accurate navigation systems. The new ships planned by the Coast and Geodetie Survey, the steadily increasing numbers of ships becoming available to the private oceanographic institutions, and the imminent availability of an allweather, all-ocean navigation system of high accuracy demands that a system of automatic recording, storage, and contoured printout of deep-sea soundings be developed and made operational in the very early stages of the program. Discussions with industry have already shown that such a system is feasible. It remains only for some agency with foresight to establish such a system. It is planned that such a system be developed and operated under the aegis of the Coast and Geodetic Survey and as a part of the ocean survey program. Preliminary feasibility-study funds are programmed in fiscal year 1967, and based on the results of this study the funds for the whole system will be requested as appropriate in subsequent years. An additional resource that must be developed is a small planning staff within the Office of Oceanography whose efforts are devoted solely to the planning for the ocean survey program. The work performed by Operations Research Inc. has developed a whole series of planning tools that must be utilized for an effective prosecution of the survey program. (See especially ORI Technical Report No. 316, Summary Report of the Operations Research Study of the National Ocean Survey Program.) This will require a minimum of three persons as a planning staff by fiscal year 1968. Other requirements for shipboard and shorebased personnel are detailed in ORI Technical Report No. 296, but in brief these requirements are geared to the delivery of the new ships. 6. Mechanism for changes.-No plan should be so locked in concrete that it cannot be changed as the conditions warrant. The present plan is merely intended as a spelling out of the goals and the presently planned mechanism for achieving these goals. There has been in the past, and there will undoubtedly be in the future, slippage in the proposed ship-construction schedule. As the present schedule changes, all of those factors which are geared to this schedule will change accordingly. The various mathematical models prepared by Operations Research will enable the planning staff in the Office of Oceanography to make the necessary modifications in the plan. As the survey itself progresses, there will be new criteria developed and, for example, the spacing of survey lines will change as a function of what has been found to date. These changes can also be accommodated by the mathematical planning models. By the same token, as the small grid of oceanographic buoys developed its data on the ranges and spectrum of oceanic variables, the relative proportions of the task to be accomplished by ships and buoys can also be modified with the models. It is anticipated that there will be continuing advisory committees (see ICO pamphlet 7. National Plan for Ocean Surveys) which will continually monitor the results of the work at sea and offer advice on the general conduct of the surveys. This group will work in conjunction with the Ocean Surveys Advisory Panel of the Interagency Committee on Oceanography in the planning of each year's operations. In this manner the surveys will continue to be responsive to the overall requirements of the oceanographic community-both Federal and nongovernmental. Summary In summary, the ocean survey program of the Coast and Geodetic Surver is devised to provide within a reasonable amount of time accurate base mans of the topography of the sea floor, of its geophysical and geological characteristies, and to provide for the systematic collection, compilation, and presentation of statistically significant data for a wide range of users. The resources required are geared to the rate of delivery of the requisite new ships, and these include personnel and shore facilities. The total task as now envisioned will require 37 years to complete if the United States is to do it alone. It will require 14 years-if the schedule as planned is met-to complete the 30 percent of the world ocean survey that might be considered as that portion to be accomplished by the United States if a truly international effort in this endeavor can be developed through the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission. The need for surveys of this type has been well documented in a series of publications. The planning tools to carry out the surveys in an effective manner have been developed in detail. There remains only the administrative decision to get on with the job for the satisfying of the various immediate user requirements, and for providing future generations of Americans with the basic tool for the exploitation of the world ocean for their economic growth, general well-being, and their national defense. Mr. REINECKE. Do any of your research or other programs involve the use of private industry as a means of assisting not only to collect the data but as a means of contracting to them to do the work? Admiral KARO. Not as to the actual field operations at the present time; no, sir. But we do have contracts with institutions in certain phases, as in the tidal work. We have given a grant to Scripps to work out some of the basic theories, and we utilize the competence of the various technical institutions when we have the funds. Mr. REINECKE. As far as making any of your surveys or any of the ocean data is concerned, you are not trying to contract this out to encourage free enterprise to get into this field? Dr. HOLLOMON. No, but we do contract out all the shipbuilding, of course, and we do contract out the development of special instruments that are necessary for carrying out the survey. Mr. REINECKE. But not the use of any of these. Dr. HOLLOMON. But not the use of the ships. Mr. REINECKE. Do you contemplate that? Dr. HOLLOMON. No, sir; not at the moment. Mr. REINECKE. Even though there are many ships that could be used for this? Dr. HOLLOMON. I am not so sure about that. Admiral Karo can speak to the question. In knowing the difficulties we have had constructing the special oceanographic ships with the characteristics that are needed in sea keeping and the instrumentation aboard, I would doubt whether there were many ships so available, but Admiral Karo may speak to the question. Admiral KARO. The industry, of course, is developing competency, and in the future, if the funds are sufficient and we can work out a modus operandi with them and be sure of the results we get, we will consider that. From our operations research study, which has just been completed, and the recommendations, we will redefine our operational program to get the maximum benefit from this study. Mr. REINECKE. To date, though, you have not asked any private contractors to bid on such exploration? Admiral KARO. No, sir; for the simple reason is that we find difficulty having enough funds to operate our own ships. Mr. REINECKE. Sometimes private enterprise can operate less expensively than the Government. Dr. HOLLOMON. Could I go off the record a minute? Mr. LENNON. Off the record. (Discussion off the record.) Mr. REINECKE. No further questions. 53-367-65- -18 Mr. ROGERS. Mr. Chairman, I realize the bells have rung, and we have to leave, but I just wonder before the second bell if I could ask a question. Mr. LENNON. Go ahead. Mr. ROGERS. What is your total program as far as a funding of money? Dr. HOLLOMON. $12 million, approximately. Mr. ROGERS. About $12 million? Dr. HOLLOMON. Yes, sir; I think that is correct. That is not including ship construction. Mr. ROGERS. This is just for research alone? Dr. HOLLOMON. Research, surveys, analyses, data collecting, and so forth; about $12 million. In Commerce, it was, in fiscal-it is $13 million. In fiscal 1964, it was $23 million; 1965, about $19 million. And both include ship construction. The 1966 budget, about $13 million, which did not include ship construction. Mr. ROGERS. Yes, sir. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. I just wanted to say that I, too, appreciate the testimony today, but I am very disappointed that our departments are not more aggressive in presenting the problems and holding to the status quo as much as they are. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. LENNON. The committee has not adjourned, but you may go off the record, now, if you will. (Discussion off the record.) Mr. LENNON. Now, the committee will resume its hearings this coming Tuesday morning, at 10 o'clock, in the Longworth Building, in the regular committee room, at 10 o'clock. The acoustics are a little better. Thank you for your attendance. (Whereupon, at 12:15 p.m., the hearing was recessed, to reconvene at 10 a.m., Tuesday, August 10, 1965.) NATIONAL OCEANOGRAPHIC PROGRAM LEGISLATION TUESDAY, AUGUST 10, 1965 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, OF THE COMMITTEE ON MERCHANT MARINE AND FISHERIES, Washington, D.C. The subcommittee met at 10:10 a.m., pursuant to recess, in room 1334, Longworth House Office Building, Hon. Alton Lennon (chairman of the subcommittee) presiding. Mr. LENNON. The subcommittee will come to order and resume its hearings. Our first witness is my good friend and colleague and a member of the Subcommittee on Oceanography, the Honorable Tom Ashley. STATEMENT OF HON. THOMAS L. ASHLEY, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF OHIO Mr. ASHLEY. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. During the past week you and members of this subcommittee have heard numerous requests and statements in support of the establishment of a National Oceanographic Council. All of these statements, aside from outlining the substantial benefits to science that would be derived from such a council, have pointed out the necessity for some form of coordination of this Nation's undersea research and development efforts. The dire need for this authority, and the strong tide of support for its establishment can hardly be denied. There are many considerations that provide ample justification for a national council to guide our collective exploration of the seas and I would like to review these briefly, along with the salient features of my own bill, H.R. 6457. The past few years, Mr. Chairman, have witnessed an awakening of the world, and the United States in particular, to the realization that the vast oceans of this planet conceal the greatest physical wealth known to mankind. Dramatic technological advances have now breached the oceans' depths and opened an entire new world, filled to the brim with seemingly inexhaustible deposits of man's most dire necessities. Mineral wealth, bottomless wells of petroleum, and protein sufficient to defeat the greatest enemy of man-the hunger and poverty that has always driven him over the brink of self-destruction exist in such fantastic quantities that all of mankind will never be able to consume it all. This natural treasure alone would be reason enough for an immediate, all-out oceanographic research and development effort. But there is even more need. Millions of dollars have been appropriated in the past decade to enable man to pierce the outermost reaches of space. In addition to the considerations of acquiring scientific knowledge of our universe-leading to later development of its potential resources—we have launched this Nation's military and defense efforts toward the heavens with resounding success. Our national security, for almost 200 years a matter of landlocked concern tenuously guarded by the expanse of oceans, has recently become a matter of great concern for those who guide our space programs. We have effectively met this challenge, only to be faced with another of equal seriousness. Only last week, members of this subcommittee heard Mr. David Strang, a specialist in the field of Soviet oceanography, relate the Soviet Union's formidable program for the study of the world's oceans and continental coastlines. Mr. Strang's report, as well as other available sources of information, indicate such a great Soviet expansion of effort in this area that the position of our leadership as explorers of the oceans is in serious doubt. His primary conclusion, that the Soviet Union has oriented a major portion of its oceanographic programs toward the areas of military science, undersea warfare, and defense development, strikes a note of urgency into our present deliberations. It is a foregone conclusion that we can hardly afford to place second best in any area of endeavor, let alone one of such recognizable magnitude. The objective of the bill I have introduced is to establish a program which will insure the United States mastery of the seas. Without imposing upon the rights and prerogatives of the legislative and executive branches of our Government, as well as the important interests of private industry, this bill seeks the establishment of a comprehensive, coordinated national program of oceanographic research, exploration and engineering, guided and reviewed by Congress, prosecuted by the executive, and joined in by all the people. Direction of the program is appropriately assigned to the President, who would be aided by a National Oceanographic Council for Science and Technology. This bill allows the widest possible latitude to accomplish the aims of the program. These goals, already stated admirably by my colleagues in both IHouses, have included: First, the expansion of human knowledge of phenomena in and related to the oceans, the marine environment, and the Great Lakes, their boundaries and contents. Second, the preservation of the role of the United States as a leader in oceanographic and marine science and technology. Third, the enhancement of the culture, general welfare, and security of the United States. To these I have added: The exploitation of the oceans, in terms of recovery of mineral and living resources, safer waste disposal, improved recreation, expanded commerce, and extended weather prediction. Under the provisions of this bill, members of the Council shall be selected and delegated by the President's department heads, thus permitting membership at the highest science policy level of Government, equivalent to that of the Federal Council for Science and Tech |