One particular standard problem deserves mention. The Navy is 
presently the only organization equipped to certify submersibles. To 
date the Navy has certified only one such vehicle. Since the national 
requirement for developing deep-submergence capability in the next 
decade is clearly a Navy role, the Panel recommends that the Navy be 
the only agent to certifiy submersibles until undersea standardmaking 
organizations can develop the required competence and willingness to 
assume this responsibility. 
The needs of industry for understanding bottom conditions and for 
describing weather within the sea in large measure parallel oppor- 
tunities for scientific research discussed in sections 6.2 and 6.3. 
4.8. SURF ZONE AND BEACH ENGINEERING PROBLEMS 
The Nation needs to improve the technology for constructing coastal 
zone structures, which will make the national expenditure on break- 
waters, harbors, beach erosion, docks, etc., more effective. The Panel 
was distressed to find a high failure rate of construction projects in 
the surf zone and on beaches, the destruction of beaches by break- 
waters designed to extend the beaches, the silting of harbors and 
marinas as a result of construction designed to provide shelter, and 
the enhancement of wave action by the building of jetties supposed to 
lessen wave erosion are but a few examples of the inadequacy of our 
knowledge and practice in coastal construction. The Panel did not 
have sufficient time to draw major conclusions about these efforts but 
does offer the following observations: 
1. The small budget of CERC (Coastal Engineering Research 
Center) cannot possibly underwrite the research and development 
program which is required to devise engineering techniques neces- 
sary for solving the difficult construction problems presented by 
the surf zone and beaches. 
2. Engineering schools have been remiss in not participating in 
this problem through research projects proposed for governmental 
support. 
3. The opportunity exists in many fine graduate departments 
in civil engineering and mechanical engineering to develop courses 
or specialty options which would lead to significantly higher levels 
of understanding and performance in near-shore construction 
projects, most of which are performed using public funds. 
The university community should undertake responsibility for see- 
ing that the best modern, engineering practice is being applied to 
publicly funded and executed surf zones and _ beach-construction 
projects. 
25 
