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Uses of the Ocean Among the ways in which man uses the ocean, the following activ- ities should be included: Use of living resources; use of mineral resources (including production of fresh water); shipping and navigation; establishment and pro- tection of coastal works; siting and maintenance of cables, pipelines and tunnels; disposal of wastes; forecasting of ocean and atmosphere weather and climate; warnings and forecasting of storm surges and tsunamis; ex- traction of energy; recreation; national and collective security. Each of these activities can benefit, to a greater or lesser extent, from the results of appropriate investigations envisioned for the Decade. In the long run, standards of l iving should rise with greater availability at lower costs of protein foodstuffs throughout the world. The aggregate supply of energy-producing resources w i l l be greater as a result of offshore production. Other resources, both mineral and organic, presumably lie on the continental shelves and in the deep ocean; the careful assessment of their location and value is necessary for the establishment of orderly programs for their exploitation. A scientific basis is required for the conservation and management and for international agreements dealing with the ocean and its resources. Increased use of the oceans and its resources may tend to exacerbate the already existing potential for conflict amont maritime nations. Such con- f l ic ts cannot usually be resolved exclusively on technical grounds. Yet there is a significant component of technical nature. For example, fishing disputes - 6
can arise from lack of biological knowledge of the resource being exploited. Jurisdictional disputes over the resources of the sea floor may be due in part to inadequate scientific and engineering information. I t is hoped that Decade programs w i l l make an important contribution to the diminution of internat- ional tensions as they relate to ocean problems. With regard to both the extractive and the non-extractive uses of the ocean, Decade investigations should result in improved prediction of environ- mental conditions and may lead toward eventual modification or at least limited control of these conditions. Better forecasts can reduce losses of l i fe and property, permit more effective planning, and increase the efficiency and convenience of operations at sea. An understanding of the consequences of intervention in the marine environment should permit abatement of deleter- ious effects or exploitation of potentially beneficial effects. Despite their focus on util ization, the objectives of the Decade are related to exploration and knowledge rather than to the development of tech- niques for the exploitation of ocean resources. From an economic point of view, application of this knowledge should provide a basis for greater out- put, lower costs and improvement in the organization of production and use. Anticipated benefits are of long term nature, and justification of the Decade goes beyond immediate economic returns. It should be recognized that there are legal, economic and social aspects to enhanced utilization of the ocean and that these aspects must also be investigated i f the benefits of the Decade are to be attained. There- fore, appropriate proposals of this sort are included in the report. - 7 -
