IX. Commercial and Industrial Ventures in the Sea 



Although oceanic research is currently attracting only the scantiest 

 of non-Governmental support, industrial and commercial interests 

 already maintain a heavy capital investment related to the sea, and 

 private engineering ventures are now undergoing a resurgence of 

 activity. The merchant marine and commercial fishing fleets repre- 

 sent the obvious elements of the maritime industry. Often overlooked 

 in this context, however, is the installation of submarine cables 

 attended by all of the charting, engineering research and development, 

 and operations at sea which those bold ventures require. 



Another relatively recent activity has been the exploration and 

 drilling in off-shore waters. Although mainly confined to the relatively 

 shallow depths near shore, problems of operating from a platform 

 are far more expensive and demanding than when drilling from the 

 stable, predictable surface of dry land. Losses of offshore rigs from 

 the impact of wind and waves have underscored the engineering 

 problems of pushing beyond the beach. 



A new era of engineering activity in and under the sea developed 

 by private funds appears in the offing but, as in the case of commercial 

 fishing, cable laying, etc., these ventures are more to be regarded as 

 engineering developments rather than as projects in either basic or 

 applied research. Several examples are presented in what follows, 

 prmiarily to identify further the contemporary potential of the sea 

 as a factor in our economj^ and areas of fruitful application of research 

 results. 



The industrial outlook has been described b}^ a number of individuals 

 and organizations in optimistic tones and an example is cited in the 

 following : 



As flights into space become routine in the next decade, the Nation may turn 

 in another direction for the next great research frontier — and new multi-billion 

 dollar marketing opportunities. Close at hand, but still largelj' out of reach, the 

 depths of Earth's oceans are in many ways more a mystery than outer space. The 

 coming drive to plumb the ocean's secrets will mean a great new source of profits 

 for industry. As the navies of the world slowly submerge, demand for equipment 

 that can function under water will burgeon. As the industrial nations exhaust 

 many of the natural resources of the land surface, submarine miners will increas- 

 ingly exploit the incredible mineral wealth of the oceans and as the world's pop- 

 ulation expands beyond the capacity of arable land to feed it, the sea will become 

 a critically important source of edible flora and fauna. * * * Although the objec- 

 tive of the oceanographers is more scientific knowledge of the ocean and the ocean 

 floor, commercial benefits are sure to follow. Here is one example: leading 

 oceanographers are convinced that underwater telephone cable breaks are the 

 result of ocean-bottom landslides. If and when oceanographers are able to 

 predict where such displacements of bottom soil will take place, the telephone 

 companies will be able to avoid multi-million dollar repair bills by laying cables 

 elsewhere or by other methods. * * * When all the current activity connected 

 with the oceans is evaluated, the dimensions of present and potential market 

 opportunities look really impressive. ^^ 



""Exploiting the Oceans: Industry's Next Frontier," Dun's Review, February 1960, pp. 55-58. 

 134 



