rfOCEANOGWEY: A CONGFSLXIONAL PERSPECTMP

Weston E. Vivian, Ph.D.*

This Congress may weil go down i n his tory ae the most science-minded of

o w generation.

and lakes.

our bodies.

plosion and its impact on the quality of our environment.

gated Federal support of the basic sciences.

We have voiced concern over pollution of o w r i v e r basins

We have debated the poisoning of our air, and the poisoning of

We have weighed the implications of the world population ex-

We have investi-

Parhaps more than any other Congress i n this century, we have deep1L;J

concerned ourselves in many matters involving the ocean.. Over the past year

extensive hearings were held i n the House and the Senate. No less than 40

pieces of l eg is la t ion were introduced dealing with Federal marine science and

ocean technology programs. These b i l l s proposed everything from establishing

P cabinet- level oceanogzz-phic colaci l , end a %et'' NASAI t o creatiag a nation-

al eea-grant college system. They all have one thing in common---concern over

the a b i l i t y of the United Sta tes to rea l ize the potential benefits of ocea-

nography and OCBPS engineering, t o develop the rssoumea of the sea.

We aee a new American -Frontier waiting for our attention. And we're

impatient t o get on with the job.

Chr future in the acesin has been the subject cf censidareble e?cc*dzticr,

Pereonally, I am inclined t o be a6 opt fa is t ic SB Dr. Atheletan Spilh&us, Dean

of the I n s t i t u t e of Technology, Udversity of Minnesota. Many of you arc;

probably familiar with the science feature he w r i t e s for the Sunday news-

papers. Dr. Spiiha~s sees the ocean #&flag a slsjor rcile is the l i v e s ai'

*Member of Congress from Second District, Pfichigha a& Member of House Committee on Science and Astronautics

viif

future generations. Today, as an experiment, I would like t o inv i t e you t o

look ahead with me i n t o this future-and fo r a few minutea t o speculate about

tht h p Q t Of the O C d a f l 6 P B6€ i&7 S O B 8 25 rem E O W . 8f%@f-- %hi6 View

of what the future might hold f o r u6, I w i l l re turn t o the present and look

back on t h e progress we've made over the past f ive years.

clusion, I w i l l ask: "Dote the derivative of this F t warrant our expec-

ta t ions of the future?"

over the heal th and vigor of the National Oceanographic Program, and perhaps

help influence its future direction pad progre8eo

Then, i n con-

In this way you can share with me my present concern

* + * * * * * * * * * * * * * ,

L e t ' s project ourselves, now, ahead t o the l99O's - hopefullJr, the Golden

Age of the twentieth century. A enrall band of lunar explorers is w e l l et30

tablished on the mooEI F r o m their observat-oriss in rock-strewn cra ters they

look wistful iy back on a pianet t ha t appears a3rmoet en t i re ly covered by water.

On earth, our energies have turned t o the ma.

I n the Atlantic, Pacific and Gulf ef H d c o , off-shore oil well8 and

submarine mines now march across t he continental shelves and i n t o the aby8ed

d e p t h of tbe Ocefah Ia a Lewis and Clark-type erpeditior, dneral c 1 b

have been staked out across 8 5 0 , ~ square miles of American continental

ehelf t e r r i tory , Hiners are taking phosphorite frem underwater &.ne6 off

Cdiforliia t o 6uppPy the gmwiag f e r t i l i z e r fndwstry in the West. Ir waters

off Oregon and Washiagton, t i t a n i a - r i c h sands a r e fielding up enoagh ere t o

keep the ae,rospce iadutry buey twming out s~persenic tramsports, advaacsd

spacecraft, deep d i v i n g eubnersiblee for oceam exploratior and the big,

turtle like vehiclee for u o d m g the ma floorr

Off Alaska, the second-and, perhaps, equally irratioml--Al9Rkra geld

rush has taken place, when huadreds of proepectors m h e d in to the sea om

the depths.

greater benefit and duration.

But more important, a rlmmganese rushr1 ha6 occurred, with far

Tar out in the Atieintic OC6Pk, pi-oep?etclr; b v e 4iscctered e i l ami

natural gae,

i n New Jersey and Delaware.

Submarine pipelines pump this aew-found wealth t o ref iner ies

The underwater construction business is booming, as industry moves

deeper i n t o the sea.

f r ee ly i n the ocean depths, free of cumbersome diving suite...breathimg

o t i c gases...working under pressure one thousand feet on the ocean floor...

Technicians and construction workers now move about

ex-

l i v i n g i n c i t i e s on the sea=bed.

Polar i s eubmarines have been supplemented by bot toa-si t t ing missile

capsulee.

acrcnse the rid-Atlaotic riOge end on eea~ounte i n the Pacific.

pa t ro l the free wor1d3s eea front ier&

An underwater detection network has been operating for years

Aquanauts now

Ruurels have been l a i d off the Atlantic coast t o feed a rapid transit

eystem that now connects the thr iving c i t i e s of an urban complex extending

fro8 Norfolk, V i r g i n i a , t o Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

Our harbors are free from pollution, thanks t o intensive sanitary engi-

neering e f fo r t s in the nearshore areas.

in Long Ieland Sound; the Eaet River has become one of the sparkling pleosure

a p t 6 of America.

Swimaere a re enjoyiw the beRChe8

And i l a the eupper now, New Yorkero have e n o u e freeh watera

Freeh water ha8 turned out t o be one of the moet valuable re60urces of

the salt 8ea6.

c o u t a l c i t i e s .

aoplical f o r truck frrrirg.

f resh water each year. And i n the process, tons of dnerals are recovered

frolr the tailings of the d e d t i m g plants. Enough WOI% ha6 bee8 done t o

shew ~tmnium cmi be recorersd in Lmge quntit ies, if necessary, frcm theee

Nuclear-powered de6dinieatiom plants aerre many of the

Costs have been cut enough t o make water from the sea eco-

Billions of @.lens of eeauater are converted to

t a i l inge fo r use i n nuclear power plants.

Fresh water wells have been brought i n on submerged lands of the conti-

Z e l i t d Shelf. !??is Vd.uEi&le I3?26Bpis;C+ fe bdw @.add mhOX% hi FbXfLd&

i r r i g a t e the c i t r u s groves.

The sea hps become a vast 60urce of drugs and pharmaceuticals.

Americans by the millions are seen i n s m a l l boats along the coasts. A

major t r a f f i c problem has developed i n 6ome areas, as sport fishermen and

other week-enders bent on recreation ply the Atlantic and Pacific waters.

C r i e s for a Federd system of small bset navigationEd &ides 816 heard EO tha t

inexperienced boaters can sail safely at Bight and i n the fog. And the scuba

diver6 have formed thei r own protective aesociations.

been established on the ocean bottom; coral reefs and submarine rockianis have

beea set aside 88 wilderness a r e a for the ?leasure of underwater pklotQgra@zrss

National parks have

sightseere and spelurkers.

Meanwhile, Congress has once again reviewed the Public Health Service

guide l ine8 €or l imi t ing exposure of our workers t o the -de of the deep.

C l a i m s and counter claim$ are flying about the e f fec ts of prolonged exposure

t o underwater work during the course of R working lifetime.

leadera are organizing underwater workers EL& art wondering whether t o press

for increased specfal extra-hazard pay.

b e g h (ut iaqdry innto economic eoncentmtfon of the aceanographic industries,

among a few big companiee that threcitea t o push the d l cper&tor out of

the sea, but %E aware that large o rgmha t ions &re z recessq t o m&e;e the

cap i t a l and organize the s c d e of ef for t required.

Labor d o n

The Just ice De-wrtment is about t o

In the Iinited Niatiozrs, the debate over extension of national boundaries

beneath the sea hae f la red in to acrimenlourr l i f e followiag discoveries of

important vduable re~ource~ below the 188 f a t h a l ine.

are ~ s g - r a i n g t h t d l such r e ~ o u ~ c e e should belo% t o the W C F ~ ~ , , e& th t

me muall nat iom

income from their removal should be turned over t o the United Nations. The

la rger , indus t r ia l countries a r e arguing the opposite, and hearlnge a r e about

to open i n the Senate ots the argiment.

internat ional balances i n t rade and the f low of currency.

The decision eo-dct gmatly trffect

Ever-vvhere there is act ivi ty . High-speed hover-craft and hydro-foih

carry passengers overnight between New York and Southampton.

sea-wave forecasting service enables merchant captains t o navigate their 1%-

mile-an-hour ships along t he best possible routes.

ranging f l e e t of submarine tankers and freighters--have given the American

merchant marine a much needed shot i n the a m o

An international

These craft-and our oceam-

Under-the-ice polar navigation is now commonplace. Submarines able t e

avoid heavy waves and windstozms on the surface cut thowands of nile8 off

nom& trade routes br cruis ing under the pslar ice cap from Xurepean t e

American markets.

mander t o detect differences i n the aolrth'6 magnetic and gravity fielde, so he

can compare these data with charts of known geophyeical anomalies.

powered beacons planted on tho seafloor enable hin to 'home' fropl beacoa t a

beacoi i n hie voyage beneath the s e ~ .

Sensitive navigation instrument8 enable the subnar iu coc-

Nuclear-

As might be expected, fn a nation growing at sea there i6 growing demand

f o r the skills of young men and women. Sea-grant colleges, established scme

years ago t o promote education f n the ocean sciences olnd m d n e engineering,

operate i n conjunction with s t a t e agricultural centers and extenaiom services.

The eea-grant college eyetem proride6 most of the sc ien t i s t s , tecbnologista

and engineers who a r e today working on Americat8 deep ocean frontiers.

I n this world of the 1990'so the w a r on h w e r i~ d o s t won. Now that

we are able t o convert mmzy kinds of seaplant6 i n t o a u t r i t i o w food, r~ua-

culture has turned the sea into productive farming area& Large eea floor

homesteads heve been fenced off pdfth e lee ts fed and afr bubble 8creems f o

confine breeding and grazing marine animale.

range i n two-laan submersibles, and porpoises hare been trained t o help in the

rsumiup .

Underwater cowboys roam the

The developed natione of the world have pooled t h e i r r e s o w c e ~ t o give

the emerging countriee of Asia, Africa and South America the a b i l i t y t o feed

themselves.

sistance, with the United States alone providing a wide s p e c t n u of a@-

cu l tu ra l aid. Nothing ha6 been quite as spectacular, however, a8 American

e f fo r t6 t o build up the fishing technology of these l e s s e r developed nationso

India, which 25 years ago had hardly touched the vast f ishery re~ource8 of

the Indian Ocean, is now producing millions of tons of highly nutrit ioue f i s h

flour; this f lour has become a major source of protein food.

This has come about through a massire program of technical a6-

Ameficac teehologT- is encouraging fishemen of all nations t o reap the

harvest of the sea.

augurated based oa information received from extensive oceanographic surveys

and data telemetered from buoy networks covering the world ocean. No longer

do the hunters spend days looking fo r a promising catch.

p ~ t e r s POW provide forecasts of f i s h dis t r ibut ion surd abundanceo

An internat ional f i sh forecasting service ha8 been in-

High-qeed cw-

The American fishing i n d a t r y i tself has entered another period of ex-

pamion; the en t i re anau8-l catch is now consumed i n the United States.

is in sharp contrast to 1965, whelf two-thirds of our f i sh were faported and

the f i sh ing industry had yet t o make its spectacular comeback.

of t he catch comes f,-om the southem hemisphere, where the h e r f c z n Mgh-se09

f i sh ing f l e e t has become so ac t ive in recent years.

conrraissance c r a f t use electromic i n s t m e n t s t o locate Large comaatrgticrras

of fish.

T h i s

A good portion

Here, high-speed re-

Harvest ships a r e a le r ted and advanced fishing gear is deployed.

Chemicals, colored l i g h t s and electrically-produced sounds a t t r a c t f i s h

Eeavy-duty pump8 IIOW go i n k action, suckkng i n t o the harvesting area.

xlii

thousands of tons of animal protein from the ocean's depths.

it3 reached, the harvest f l e e t moves t o its mothership, where the catch f o r the

dag is processed on the spot. Some of the f i s h are i r radiated or freeze-dried

f o r msrket.

is widefr used in the United S ta tes as protein strpplement €or cereals and

other foods. I n 8ome places off Africa and South America, f loa t ing c i t i e s

have developed t o support the high-seas fbhing industry. Floating air t e d -

nals, apartment houses, schoole, and recreation centers enable fishermen t o

remain months, even year6 at 6ea - frequently with t h e i r families.

Conservation of the ocean's l iving t reasures is now a matter of in te r-

When the limit

#any kinds of f i s h a r e rendered i n t o a dry, Od3rle86 EOUT, which

national concern.

t o a86ure that the exploitation of the sea is wisely managed and its fisheries

sustained over the years t o COSII~.

The United States is working through the United Nation6

O n c e everybody talked about the weather. Now we're actual ly doing some-

th ing about it.

cover the globe.

of the world ocean. Data on ocean currents, temperatures, water salinities

a d other emironmental parameters a re telemetered t o s a t e l l i t e s f o r re lay

t o computer centers ashore.

accurate weather fo recmts can be made weeks i n advance.

ators, construction companies and other indus t r ies can plan ahead, knowing

that the weather, a t l ea s t , is predictable,

A World Weather Watch is i n operation. Weather s t a t i ons

Many of them arc unmanned buoys, positioned i n remote areas

Now that scientists know the earth's heat budget,

Farmers, ship oper-

The Environmental Science Services Administration ha8 inaugurated a

weather modification service. During the past year alone, three t rop ica l

s t o - i s 0lni_g5pating in the Atlanth were diizpersed bafere reaching inhabited

meas. In addition, two hurricanes were diverted from the mdoland. More-

over, climatological research has enabled s c i e n t i s t s t o predict weather

p a t t e r m over the next calendar yeart so plam can be made for warming o r

cooling, drenching or drying affected area&

A major revolution hpe been wrought on the American mene. Fishemem

they spawn i n the rivers of iuew figland; lake troiit are catching salmon

have returned i n vast numbere t o the Great Lakes, and the 6ea lamprey is no

morec And birds

nest in coastal s w a m p t h a t only a feu years ago were black with industr ia l

wastes and sewage.

Children swim where once the waters were putriffing oozee

We have restored qual i ty to the American environment. And we hare

applied our advancing technology t o mnrintdn this quality fo r generations to

comec

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

So be it, i n 19901

Some mag Skink tkt the thing8 webe imagined over these last few

minutes are far-fetched...ou't of the question. Ferhaps they are. But there

is every remon t o believe that OUT technology today is ready t o project ut3

i n to the kind of future I've portrayed.

ready t o se ize upon these opportunities.

progress of oceanography and oceaa engineering over the past five years may

give us a clue t o the p o t e n t i d vitality of this effort .

I would l i k e t o think tha t we a re -

But are we? A brief review of the

In Waihington, ne are now nearing the end of f i s ca l year 1966. Since

l960 the Pede=.d Government has spent more than one b i l l i on dol lms on ocea-

nographg. 'While tDi5 does aot seem large i n comparison t o our space ex-

penditares aver txs same p r l o d , I t has enabled fhe United States t o build

up a sizable oceanographic capability.

We entered the igm's with only a i few good research and survey ~ l i i p ~ .

Today, w e have more than one hundred; and at l e a s t half of them are of

recent cone t ruc tiom.

I n 1960, you miy remember reading about the bathyscaph TRIESTE and how

it successfully dived more than 37,000 f e e t i n t o t he deepest most t rench in

t h e ocean. A t t h a t time i t w a s our only research submersible; today w e have

more than 20 exploring t he cont inenta l shelves and even searching f o r lost

atomic bombs of f t he coast of Spain.

Five years ago, un ive r s i t i e s and research i n s t i t u t i o n s sought Federal

funds t o bui ld urgently needed oceanographic l abora tor ies and t ra in ing

centers .

the Office of Naval Research.

graphic capab i l i ty i n t he world,

do not lag behind t h e Soviet Union.

Support w a s forthcoming from the National Science Foundation and

Today we have the most up-to-date oceano-

And apparently this is one area where we

We can also take some comfort i n our oceanographic manpower s t a t i s t i c s ,

Five years ago the re was mounting concern over t he lack of t ra ined pro-

fess iona l s in this f i e ld , Now, l a rge ly due t o t h e rapid build-up of t r a in ing

f a c i l i t i e s in our col leges and un ivers i t i es , more young people have been en-

couraged t c ecter the profession,

engineers, and sea-going technicians are working i n support of t he nat ional

oceanographic e f fo r t . And t h e outlook seems br ight for t he future, 86

s c i e n t i s t s t ra ined i n other fields, and engineers sxperienced in the systems

sqproech so succesafully used i o our space program, become in te res ted in t h e

ocean and its opportunit ies f o r a rewarding career,

Today, more th&n 3,OOO ocesnogr&@ers,

Our traditional concept of oceanography k s Seen ?ut t h o u g h r a the r

fundamental chsnges ~ v e r these p e t f i v e years.

oceanography as a fragmented, in te rd i sc ip l inary science, today we look at i t

as a unif ied, a l b e i t far- flung, cohesive whole, Furthermore, i n the legis-

l a t i o n current ly pending i n Congress oceanography l e considered t o imply not

only t he s c i e n t i f i c study of t h a t part of our planet covered by water, but

app l ica t ion of our increased knowledge of the sea, t h e exploi ta t ion and

development of its reso~~,rces~ Cming, EB I do, from Michigan, I am

Where once we looked u m n

gra t i f ied , too, that i n this 8ame l eg i s l a t i on the Great Lakes a r e recognized

BB the inland - sea13 that they are, and deserving the same Federal a t ten t ion

And as w e make t h i s transition--from research and exploration- to engi-

neering and exploitation, American industry is becoming increadngly a l e r t

t o the business opportunities impl ic i t i n our growing oceanographic

knowledge, and therefore i s becoming more enthusiastic about committing in-

vestment funds.

Thus, i n lookhg back over the p t five years I tMnk w e can find

sa t i s f ac t ion i n our substant ia l progress i n building a national oceanogrepbic

capabil i ty. We have a strong and expanding fleet; we a re developing the

too l s we need t o work and l i v e in the ocean depths; we have a sound manpower

base; our scientific leadership %e vigorous and swta ined; and we have the

i n t e r e s t and support of induetry.

d i r ec t ly enough--to go where we waat t o go and do what w e w a n t t o do f n the

- ocean?

But a r e we moving f a s t enough-and

Regretfully, i n my opinion,--no we are noto

I n this bel ie f I am suppo,rted by many other members of Congress. After

such an auspkcicrus beginning, the National Oceanography Program now appears

to be f a l t e r i n g - - z ~ ~ t a Z i l ~ 9 in prt, for w a a t sf dirsctiola and priority,

The oceanographic budget for 1966 is barely two pe-rcent mer that f o r f i s c a l

graphic observation fiatforme, and 1Bst,lueen~ation--actually are under

those requested l a s t ,'ised. 3-6aPc

now economizing, deferring the e s sen t i a l long-term cap i t a l i n v e 8 t a e ~ t s necee-

%a ~gencies sc:pp,-tiq acea,lop;lhy are

A t this time i n our history, when we have not only the capabili ty but

the public in t e res t i n exploring and developing the sea, why do we level off

.*.&& is dready a ..e- r c 7 r J ...*a wwueE;+, effor t? TCS €mSwer clearly lies ic part iz the

demands on funds created by the war i n Vietnam; i n part, i n the lack of ap-

preciation in Congress of the benefit8 t o be gained; i n part, i n the lack of

leaders t o insti l l in t e res t ; but also, surely, in part i n the disjointed way

i n which the Federal agencies are organized t o meet oceanographic objectives.

Oceanography and ocean engineering presently a r e fraeplented among 17

operating bureaus and offices, located i n s i x departments and three indepen-

dent agencies. Each plane its own program, i n conformancep the rule book

says, with the Admi~ds t ra t ion~s Long-Range Oceanographic Plan and i n co-

ordination with other agencies who constitute the Interagency Committee on

Oceanography.

However, long before the proptied budget item of any agency reach this

coordination committee, dozens of fights fo r recognition and suppolri; have been

won or l o s t within each agency i t s e l f . Here, oceanography is i n competition

with hundreds of other programs, many closer t o the t'maidLinett in te res t of the

encompassing department . Thus the advocates of oceanography often function at a low policy-makfng

Above them ic the departmectd. hierarchg. &re l a y e ~ s of o f f i c i a l s , who level.

often have very l i t t l e knowledge of or even any in te res t i n the National

Oceanographic Progrm. Y e t it is here that the c r i t i c a l budgetary decisions

are made. Eere the proposed s'nipe and hbora io r i e s are dropped and programs

Cut back,

Without strong advocacy i n these higher echelons, and appreciation that

t h e i r agency's program As a key part of a l a rger Federal ef for t , oceanography

is j u t a peripheral program; it weuthers the budgetary storm the best f t cplb

Furthermore, there is no obvioaa mechaniea whereby t3me advocate outside p.

agency can in tercede on behalf of oceanography, e i t h e r before o r after the

c r i t i c a l decisions are made.

T h ~ r & i ~ d l ~ ~ the Interagency Committee on Oceanography might do so)

being the Government's focal. point for policy-making, But it is not famous

€or its successes i n this role, its members m e mid-level policy makers i n

their Q K ~ dep~ztrnents.

s iiii ~ ~ s i e t a n t secretary se.;e,-al levels dewn i o the Deprtloaot 0 Defense,

he has conf l i c t ing role6 t o fi3J.

True, t he Chairman is a Pres iden t ia l appointee; bu t ,

When t h e I.C,O. looks t o its parent body, the Federal Council for

Science and Technology, w h a t does it find?

It finde a group first -without any o p e r s t i o d axthw3ty o r F~aods.

The C~~rac i . 2 . is Largely advisory,

even here oceanography has not fared well. For example, two years ago, IC0

It, can only endorse and recommend. But

made a Oirect apFed t o t h e C-nmcil t o in tercede on behalf sf several agen-

cies whose programs far 1966 were thouglzt t o be under-funded.

took no actione

The Council

Can the advocates of oceanograpw, perhaps, find an effective supporter

OST In the President's Office of Science and Technology?

wis set ;rp rsst t c be efzhsr a adaozats of say single rea cd science or es

opemtiag agency,

to promote ocemmgm-&c interests,

m i g h t De of' dubious proprietyo

The anewer is noo

It: is purely a staff orgari imtion and lacks the r t s o u c e ~

And Lowthemore P p romot iow approach

3s WheF-e elEE c a oceEEGgrEpky t m ? TkLS is isi qt;estia-, t h t k s been

bothering Congress. I n t h e pa&, Seesion, the Congrem considered several

pxpoerels fsr

a stronger voice t o advocate its claiw in competition with other F e d e d

resskrch & derclapeat effs,rtclc

aceemg.z.z@q act od.7 c etroag s t a t u t m y baseS hgt else

We have considered the following four principal alternatives,

First, t o "beef upll the present coordination set up between the

existing en t i t i e s , tha t is, the Interagency Comdttee

on Oceanography, the Federal Ccuncil, and the Office

of Science and Technology.

Second, t o establish a new independent agency.

Third, t o establ ish a National Oceanographic Council, headed by

tho Vice-President, with cabinet- level representation

from each of the sea-going agencies,

and Fourth, es tabl ish a blue-ribbon national colgmission t o study

and recommend an overall plan fo r an adequate national

program.

O f these various approaches, only the first--up t o this date--has been

acceptable t o Administration witnesses. However, during the 1st Session of

t9As present Corrgresn, both the House and Senate ;passed two b i l l s based os the

other approaches.

(1) The Senate B i l l - S. 944 - proposed a Council at a higher leve l thPn the

present Interagency Committee on Oceanography.

by the Vice President.

plans t o the Council for implementation.

The Council. would be headed

A study commission also is provided for, t o recommend

(2) The Ro-me ~erslon o a t s t he National OceanograpMc Council, and ant ici-

pates tha t the Tres iCe~ t ~o*L;ld use existiog mechazisne i n the Office of

Science and Technology and the Federal Council t o implement these proposalso

It also establishes a self- liquidating commission which vould recommend plan8

for a program t o the President.

Actually, I believe both b i l l s agree on far more points than they differ .

Both b i l l s emphasize the need fo r action. They differ only in the degree of

required ac t ioa and the leve l at which this action and leadership should be

exercised. IR proposing the C&xbinet-leVel Council with its OWR s t a f f , the

Senate b i l l tends t o go much fur ther than the Home b i l l ,

Neither of the b i l l s , however, appears to me t o be stroag enough.

Nevertheless, I believe the b i l l s are suf f ic ien t ly close together that a

workable compromise seems possible in this Session,

Then, a bigger b a t t l e will need t o be fought,

Today, the rate of expenditure fo r our research programs i n vacuum

space--outer space--is some t h i r t y times as great as our expenditure for wet

space, the oceans.

budget, compared t o an equivalent 3% increase of the space budget, would lead

t o far more predictably econoaically rewarding programs.

Yet, I am mre that a doubling of the oceanographic

For while the sea fs a f e r t i l e biological space, the vacuum above the

ear th is a barren space. Now I believe strongly that w e earthmen should soon

explore this bPrren space reickdsg ax% fma cwr @a&; btit I believe eqrdly

strongly tha t , considering the population problems now besetting the planet,

we should not l e t our astronomical curiosi ty d is t rac t us frog our terrestrial

opportmities.

I n closiag, you may wonder why 1, a congress ma^ from a11 inland,

Midwest s t a t e , from a Xstx5ct having thousands of square miles of Midwest

field c,--,p fams--xhy I sh~-&d show aig IEterest 5;i B-L- Wstion*s ocesnagr&pMc

progras, The a;;swer is simple,

Erst, Michigan iiseif is nearly surrounded by our great inland seas;

the S ta te is increasingly aware of the importance of oceanography and ocean

enginee~ng t o fte industr ia l future.

Erie,has a port Used by vessels engaged in overseas trade,

Wg awn Dis t r ic t , which fronts oa Lake

But second, beyond these p o l i t i c a l ties, I personally have strong family

t i e e t o the sea. Like my parents and the i r parents before them, I w a s born

in a s m a l l , ieolated fishing village on a remote coast of Newfoundland, a

vi l lage which depended entirely on the sea for its livelihood, its trans-

portation, communication, and comeme.

lived for years close t o the shores of Narraggnsett Bay.

I wore Navy blue for three yeare.

Later, I moved t o New England, and

During World War I&

Thus I have some personal acquaintance with the seas its moods, its lore

perhaps and i t 6 lure, its harsh demands.

it w i l l enchant and nurture my progeny.

It fed-and killed--my ancestors;

In closing, l e t me say th&t I w i l l consider myself rewarded today to the

extent that you make clear, t o your representative i n Congress, the promising

prospect of the great waters -- the opportunity this generation hae t o seek

and harvest new bounty i n thei r depths.

mi

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