116 
39. Jahresber. Dt. Hydrogr. Inst. 1984 
pieces of equipment under the environmental conditions which prevail on 
board ship (e.g. vibration, heat, cold, humidity) was installed in a 
laboratory arranged for those tests. 
In accordance with the Bundesberggesetz (Federal Mining Law), the DHI 
approved 9 applications for the carrying out of research actions in the 
region of the continental shelf of the Federal Republic of Germany. 
In accordance with the Hohe-See-Einbringungsgesetz (High Seas Dumping 
Law), 8 permits were issued for the incineration of wastes at sea and 2 
permits for the dumping of wastes in the High Seas. Permission was re 
fused for wastes which could be disposed of on land. The coastal motor 
tank vessel "Vesta" received a formal licence for the incineration 
plant. 
The efforts towards a step-wise reduction of the quantities of wastes - 
with the aim of completely ceasing the disposal at sea - are functioning 
with success and according to plan. Thus, the dumping of initially 
230,000 t of green salt per year has now been brought to an end. The to 
tal quantity of the impure sulphuric acid is being systematically re 
duced and its dumping will cease by 1989 at the latest. 
The DHI in collaboration with the Netherlands marine environmental pro 
tection authority - Rijkswaterstaat - has arranged for regular monitor 
ing flights over the continental shelf of the Federal Republic of 
Germany. Thereby, circa 250 oil pollutions were ascertained and 9 cul 
prits were identified. 
The task of the prosecution and punishment of infringements against the 
obligation to keep Oil Record Books, which has been assigned to the DHI 
since 1st January, receives even greater significance with regard to the 
large number of oil pollutions ascertained. 39 preliminary legal pro 
ceedings were instituted and 38 fines were issued. Circa 90 cases of 
punishable acts or illegal offences, which were committed by vessels un 
der foreign flags were reported to the respective flag state for further 
prosecution at their end. 
The Time-Service participated in the international investigation project 
MERIT (Monitoring Earth-Rotation and Intercomparison of Techniques of 
Observation and Analysis). This had the aim of compiling the fundamen 
tals for the setting-up of an improved reference system of the longi 
tudes and latitudes with the utilization of modern methods of time and 
latitudinal determination. Herewith, the introduction of these methods 
are to be prepared for the international determination of astronomical 
time and polar motion. 
The Research Vessel "Meteor" managed by the DHI and used jointly with 
the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (German Research Association), 
undertook the research cruises 67 to 69. The 67th voyage concentrated 
upon geophysical investigations in the sea area off Morocco. On the 68th 
voyage (NOAMP II) investigations were carried out for the improvement of 
oceanographic knowledge with regard to the exchange and the entrainment 
of water masses in the West European deep sea basin. The 69th voyage, in 
the 1st and 3rd legs, served investigations concerning the water mass 
transport, the hydrography, and biology in the sea area of the Canary 
Basin and the adjoining continental slope, whereas - in the 2nd leg -