The polar, under-ice trips have provided an excellent oppor- 

 tunity for good science and good instrumentation. For example, 

 on her recent trip under the polar ice, the Sea Dragon was equipped 

 with television, high resolution sonar, inverted echo-sounders, and 

 an automatic -inultiple -plankton samipler. This trip produced the 

 pleasant and anomalous situation of knowing for the first time how 

 deep the plankton samples were being taken, what the plankton 

 swarms looked like on TV and on sonar, while simultaneously meas- 

 uring temperature and salinity. The fact that this ideal comibina- 

 tion occurred first under the polar ice was simply because scien- 

 tists, instrument designers, and the Navy seriously faced the 

 problem of under-ice work. That so much has been done so quick- 

 ly augers well for further advances. 



There is obviously a great deal of under-ice work yet to be 

 done. We have all heard about the under-ice work in the Arctic, 

 but some of the scientists interested in the Antarctic would like 

 to see submarines used to study oceanographic features tmder the 

 Ross Ice Shelf. The much greater thickness of ice involved and 

 the greater distances represent a serious problem, but there is 

 every reason to think that a second generation of nuclear sub- 

 marines and instruments will see it done. 



A submarine can travel in three dimensions. Where the ocean 

 is streaky, the streaks can be explored in depth as well as in 

 latitude and longitude providing the submarine is properly instru- 

 mented. Such investigations require that gradiometers be install- 

 ed on two axes. 



The Bureau of Commercial Fisheries has done some explora- 

 tory work in the Pacific using subiTiarines for studying fish. 

 They hope to do a great deal more in studying the schooling habits 

 of fish and are seriously discussing the requirements of a sub- 

 mersible for this purpose. 



In the NASCO report (Oceanography I960 - 1970) much atten- 

 tion was given to deep, manned submer sibles. The general con- 

 cept was of a small submarine that could carry three or more 

 people and could dive several miles to expedite the studies of the 

 biologist, the physical oceanographer , and the geologist. 



Although two European-built bathyscaphes have been used 

 for research, to date none of the U. S. -designed craft has been 

 constructed. Many deep submersibles have proceeded through 



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