Message to the Congress Transmitting Annual Report of the National Council on Marine Resources and Engineering Development.

To the Congress of the United States:

The sea holds new promise for the enhancement of men's lives--for economic and social betterment and for world 'peace and understanding.

Since enactment of the Marine Resources and Engineering Development Act three years ago, the United States has embarked on a concerted national enterprise to realize that promise. We engaged the ideas, encouraged the participation and focused the investments of our Federal Government, states, industry and universities on more effective and intelligent use of the marine environment.

We sought to:

--Enhance the many uses of our seashore and coastal waters by directing national attention to the need for skillful management of this Coastal Zone;

--Expand our knowledge of the seas by launching the International Decade of Ocean Exploration;

--Promote world order and understanding by strengthening the framework of international law and cooperation governing ocean activities;

--Foster national security by advancing the Navy's technological capabilities to operate within the ocean;

--Stimulate the economy by encouraging development of marine energy and food resources;

--Combat malnutrition in developing countries by extracting new sources of protein from the sea;

--Protect the life and property by safer maritime practices and measures to prevent pollution;

--Strengthen our base of research and education in marine sciences by supporting Sea Grant and other university programs

While modern science and technology afford powerful means to translate marine potentialities into realities, the economic, social, legal and political considerations are equally decisive in utilizing the seas to achieve the goals and aspirations of our society. To this end, the National Council on Marine Resources and Engineering Development under the chairmanship of the Vice President has illuminated goals, formulated priorities, and coordinated and advanced our Federal marine policies and programs.

The Council's Third Report on Marine Science Affairs relates the sea to our people's diversified endeavors, summarizes progress during the past years and sets forth major recent accomplishments of the eleven Federal agencies engaged in marine sciences. In Fiscal Year 1970, I am requesting that $528 million be provided to build on these achievements.

The report is commended to all who look to the future for ways to reinforce our country's vitality and strength.

As our population crowds along our coast, as many nations extend their interests toward distant seas, as new scientific discoveries reveal more of the world around us, we must take bold and imaginative steps to enable this and future generations to enjoy the full bounty of the sea.

LYNDON B. JOHNSON

The White House

January 17, 1969