162 



heat on the ecology and micrometeorology of 

 the area. 



The project would make it possible to test 

 the economic and technical feasibility of 

 furnishino; large-scale power to metropolitan 

 centers from offshore nuclear generating 

 stations. The intensive development of 

 coastal regions greatly limits the availability 

 of the large land tracts necessary for nuclear 

 power facilities. Reduction of thermal pollu- 

 tion and increased safety would be additional 

 advantages of using offshore sites. The 

 Atomic Energy Commission should supply 

 funds for the prototype development, and 

 NOAA should provide the undersea tech- 

 nology development and the sea operational 

 support. 



The Commission recommends that the 

 National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

 Agency support technology development 

 of power systems necessary for undersea 

 operations and resource development and 

 that an Experimental Continental Shelf 

 Submerged Nuclear Plant be constructed 

 to pilot test and demonstrate the economic 

 and technical feasibility of nuclear power 

 for resource development operations and 

 of the underwater siting of nuclear facili- 

 ties to provide power for coastal regions. 



Continental Shelf Laboratories 



As indicated earlier, Government support 

 of fundamental technology will become in- 

 creasingly important to industry as it moves 

 into the deeper, higher-risk areas of the 

 ocean. In addition, it will be important for 

 Government to make costly test facilities 

 available for leasing by industry. 



To provide the facilities and the focus to 

 improve and expand the Nation's capability 

 to utilize the ocean, tlie Commission has pro- 



posed a National Project encompassing Con- 

 tinental Shelf Laboratories. 



This project is based on the premise that, 

 if man is to conquer the sea, he must go into 

 the sea. The Navy Sealab and French Con- 

 shelf projects have been impressive demon- 

 strations of the ability of man to go into the 

 sea for short periods of time. The next step is 

 to make it possible for man to stay with a de- 

 gree of permanence and to provide liim with 

 facilities for research and development at 

 continental shelf depths. 



The Commission recommends that the 

 National Oceanic and Atmospherii" 

 Agency launch a Continental Shelf Labo- 

 ratories National Project to provide a 

 national capability for research, develop- 

 ment, and operations on the continental 

 shelf. The National Project should be 

 jointly planned and operated in consulta- 

 tion with industry and the scientific 

 community. 



One element of the National Project, as 

 suggested in the Report of the Panel on 

 ^Marine Engineering and Technology, might 

 be, a program of fixed continental shelf lab- 

 oratories. These laboratories, conceived as 

 permanent sti'uctures emjDlaced on the shelf 

 bottom, would include living and working- 

 quarters for 15 to 150 men. 



Some compartments would be maintained 

 at a pressure of 1 atmosphere, and others 

 would be pressurized to support diveis per- 

 forming long-endurance saturation dives. 

 Locks for easy access to undersea work areas 

 and a complex for comfortable decompres- 

 sion would be included. Utilities would be 

 supplied from shore or the surface via uni- 

 bilicals or from submerged power sources. 



