bound by territorial waters. In this field and in that of marine research,
there is much scope for international work; in the latter field in particu-
lar much progress has been made.

At a meeting of the Special Committee on Oceanographical Research
three long-term problems, which may be critical to the welfare of man
in the future, were discussed. The first concerned the disposal in the
deep ocean basins of the radioactive waste, which will increase in amount
as atomic power is used more for industry. This cannot be done safely
until more is known of the deep-water circulation and the effect of these
waste materials on the life in the sea. The second problem is concerned
with the use of the resources of the sea for the growing population of the
world; its proper and full use depends on a clear knowledge of the
conditions in which marine life can flourish best, and that involves a
special study of the most fertile areas of the sea and their ecology. These
zones depend for their fertility on the upward transport of nutrients
towards the surface. This again requires an understanding of the
circulation of the ocean.

The other vital problem, which is the most complex and probably the
most difficult to solve, is the role which the ocean plays in the processes
of meteorology and climatic change. At the moment the north Atlantic
area is warming up markedly; whether this trend will continue or be
reversed is of very great importance in many ways. Not only does it
affect the potentiality of the land to grow crops and feed stock, but it also
influences the use of the sea for transport in those areas where winter
freezing reduces the time during which some northern routes can be
used. It is also associated with the changes of sea-level which are now in
progress.

It can be seen that a study of the oceans is by no means of academic
interest only; they play a vital role in life on earth, as a result of the
interrelation between them and the atmosphere, through which their
influence is transmitted to the land.

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