Document Resume Ed 072 962 Se 0/5 637 Title Institution
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DOCUMENT RESUME ED 072 962 SE 0/5 637 TITLE The Federal Ocean Program. INSTITUTION Executive Office of the President, Washington, D.C. PUB DATE Apr 72 NOTE 131p. AVAILABLE FROMSuperintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402 (Stock No. 4106-0033, $0.70) EDRS PRICE 4Y-$0.65 HC-$6.58 DESCRIPTORS *Annual Reports; *Environment; Federal Government; Marine Biology; Natural Resor--es; Ocean Engineering; *Oceanology; *Program Descrip ins; Technology; *Water Resources ABSTRACT Prepared in accordance with the Marine Resources and Engineering Development Act of 1966, this annual report reviews the nation's efforts to comprehend, conserve, and use the sea. Protecting and enhancing the marine environment together with developing and managing glrine resources are emphasized. It includes: (1) a comprehensive description of the activities and accomplishments of all agencies and departments in the field of marine sciences during fiscal year 1971, (2) an evaluation of these activities, (3) recommendations for legislation, and (4) an estimate of the funding requirements of each agency and department for marine science activities for the succeeding fiscal year. Based on the major purposes of the Federal Marine Science Program, it summarizes the many facets of international cooperation and collaboration, national security, fishery development and sea food technology, transportation, development and conservation of the coastalzone, health, nonliving resources, oceanographic research, education, environmental observation and prediction, ocean exploration/mapping/charting and geodesy, general-purpose ocean engineering, and national data centers. Numerous charts and photographs are dispersed throughout the text, with statistical data and supplemental information provided in the appendix. (BL) -NM 111 MIN WI. ,-tuttaLWA,Vavalit. e.,14/4" A.V.r.Z-fisinkiez,1% G] THE FEDERAL OCEAN PROGRAM The annual report of the President to the Congress on the Nation's efforts to comprehend, conserve, and use the sea. April 1972 E For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U S. Government Printing Office Washington, D.C. 20402 - Price 70cents Stock Number 4106 0033 PRESIDENT'S TRANSMITTAL MESSAGE TO CONGRESS TO THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES: It is with pleasure that I transmit today the report of the Federal Ocean Program. It has been a year of significant accomplishments and continued evolution of new directions to know, conserve, anduse the sea. A most important characteristic of our maturingocean program is that we are increasingly viewing our efforts in the marine environment from the fresh perspectives illuminated by our need for its abundantresources and by the necessity to search carefully into theconsequences of our actions in its development. We must insure the proper balance of these throughmeas- ures which are compatible with the long-term maintenance of a healthy marine environment. During 1971, strong emphasis was placedon improvements in the manage- ment of our marine living and nonliving resources, on easing pressures which threaten certain species with extinction, and on enforcement ofmeasures to prevent environmental pollution and degradation. We have steppedup our studies of the ways in which we must manage our coastal zones to protect our fisheries, to make them available for marine transportation, to minimize pollution, and to enhance their recreational values. I have recommended legislation to establish national landuse policy programs which include priority provisions for coastalzone management. Further, in view of our increasing concern withenergy supplies to sustain the Nation's economic growth and the health and well-being ofour people, the Federal Ocean Program moved to explore the geophysical and geological character of our continental shelves. It should be recorded that 1971was the year in which the Federal Government beganto move vigorously to map and chart these promising submerged lands and theirresource ;potential. A major share of the Federal Ocean Program continuedto support vital national defense object; es related to operations in the marine environment. Nevertheless, the major program increases of the past fewyears and those for the coming year are in the civil sector. Among the important accomplish- ments have been the increasing momentum to provide the operational capability for man to do useful work beneath thesea through application of research submersibles and laboratory habitats; the development ofa system for the assessment of the abundance and distribution of harvestable living marine resources; and the designation of the first four Sea Grant Colleges. Our efforts to explore the marine environment have been increasingly characterized by the trend toward major large-scale studies conducted by Federal agencies in national programs such as the Marine Ecosystems Analysis .1 study of the New York Bight, and with other nations in international pro- grams, such as the International Field Year for the Great Lakes and the International Decade of Ocean Exploration. In these, we are moving out to the ocean "laboratories" with arrays of ships, specially designed buoys, air- craft, earth-orbiting satellites, and submersibles to apply collective efforts to solve special problems and to advance knowledge and understanding. I am pleased to report, also, the continued strengthening of Federal ties, both in scope and level of activity, with industry, state and local governments, and universities. I consider this a most essential aspect underlying our marine programs. As I have stated in the past, private industry, state and local gov- ernments, scientific and other institutions must increase their own efforts if we are to continue our headway toward solving the myriad of marine problems. My budget request for the Fiscal Year 1973 provides $672 million in sup- port of our programs in marine science, engineering, and services, an in- crease of more than $60 million over last year's request. This budget will enable us to continue our advances in all areas of importance toour vital and increasing national interests in the seas. PREFACE A Report to the President Fromthe Office of Science and Technology, April 1972 THIS REPORT TO THE PRESIDENT ON THE FEDERALOCEAN PROGRAM iS pre- pared in accordance with Public Law 89-454, theMarine Resources and En- gineering Development Act of 1966, which states that thePresident shall transmit to the Congress an annual report including: (a)A comprehensive description of the activities and the accomplishments of all theagencies and departments of the United States in the field ofmarine sciences during the preceding fiscal year; (b) an evaluation of suchactivities in terms of the objectives set forth pursuant to Public Law 89-454;(c) such recommenda- tions for legislation as the President may consider necessary ordesirable for the attainment of the objectives of Public Law 89-454;and (d) an estimate of funding requirements of each agency anddepartment of the Federal Government for marine science activities during thesucceeding fiscal year. This report on the Federal Ocean Program issubmitted to the Congress in response to that requirement. v TABLE OF CONTENTS Page PRESIDENTS MESSAGE IH PREFACE v I. A NEW EMPHASIS 1 Resources and Environment 2 The Turn Toward the Coast 3 Monitoring, Predicting, and Mapping 3 Marine Science and Technology 4 National Security 6 States and Nations 6 Institutional Adjustments 7 Level of Effort 8 II. PROTECTING AND ENHANCING THE MARINE ENVIRONMENT. 11 The Coastal Zone 12 Regional Studies 14 Water Quality 15 Improved Criteria and Standards 15 Regulatory Measures 16 Containment and Recovery of Oil Spills. 19 Oil-Water Separation Equipment 20 Ship Waste Treatment 20 Recreation 21 Minimizing Effects of Construction and Development 23 Coastal Engineering 23 Marine Mining 24 Construction for New Energy Supplies 25 International Affairs 26 III. DEVELOPING AND MANAGING MARINE RESOURCES... ..... 29 Living Resources 30 Resource Management 31 Resource Assessment 33 Aid and Alternatives for the Fishing Industry 33 Quality Assurance 35 Endangered Species 37 Nonliving Resources 39 Geologic Investigations and Mineral Resource Appraisal 39 Leasing and Management of Mineral and Petroleum Resources 41 Marine Minerals Technology 42 Water Resources 43 International Activities 44 Fishery Arrangements 45 v11 Page IV. MONITORING, PREDICTING, AND MAPPING THE OCEANS 49 Oceanic Observation and Prediction 49 An Evolving Global System 55 Mapping and Charting the Oceans. 55 Nautical Charts 55 Geophysical Mapping 57 Coastal Zone Mapping 58 Automation of Data Acquisition, Processing, and Reduction 59 Ocean Information Services 60 The Smithsonian Institution Sorting Centers.. 63 V. NATIONAL SECURITY 65 Oceanographic Operations 66 Environmental Prediction 69 Ocean Science 70 Ocean Engineering 72 ARPA Marine Science and Technology 75 VI. ADVANCING THE NATIONAL CAPABILITY IN MARINE SCI- ENCES AND TECHNOLOGY 77 Sea Grant 77 Manned Undersea Science and Technology Program 80 NSF Oceanographic Facilities and Support. 83 Ocean Sediment Coring Program 83 Oceanography From Space 84 Transportation 88 Major Research Projects 91 International Field Year for the Great Lakes (IFYGL) 92 Great Lakes -St. Lawrence Seaway Navigation Season Extension Demonstration 95 GARP Atlantic Tropical Experiment (GATE) 95 Arctic Ice Dynamics Joint Experiment (AIDJEX) 97 Louisiana Coastal Ecology 97 Activities of the IOC 98 International Decade of Ocean Exploration 100 Environmental Quality 101 Environmental