CHAPTER VII 



OCEAN SURVEY PROGRAM 

 INTRODUCTION 



GENERAL DESCRIPTION AND MODE OF SELECTION 



The program concept was formulated by an Ocean Survey Program Committee 

 organized by Mr. Harold Goodwin of the Office of Sea Grant. The 

 Committee functioned under the Chairmanship of John Van Derwalker, 

 TEKTITE II Marine Sciences Program Coordinator, Department of Interior. 

 The general objectives of the program were: (1) to provide the 

 necessary logistic support for the underwater habitat program, (2) to 

 conduct a descriptive oceanographic survey of the Virgin Island 

 Platform, (3) to conduct a series of special experiments and studies 

 relating to the marine environment of the Virgin Islands, with emphasis 

 on the operational area of the TEKTITE II habitats, and (4) to provide 

 framework for marine technology training activities as an integral 

 part of the TEKTITE II Program. Sea Grant universities and training 

 institutions were Invited to submit project proposals for the Ocean 

 Survey Program. Projects were selected for inclusion in the program 

 on the basis of their contribution to the above objectives. 



A routine descriptive oceanographic survey was planned which would 

 provide data for a detailed analysis of the physical and chemical 

 properties of the nearshore waters at periodic time Intervals. The 

 survey plan included nineteen transects around the Virgin Island 

 Platform between the ten and one thousand fathom lines. This phase 

 of the project was conducted entirely by the marine technology students 

 from the Cape Fear Technical Institute and the Southern Maine Vocational 

 Technical Institute. Priority was given the special studies, so there 

 was not adequate time to conduct the routine survey as frequently as 

 desired. 



In summary, the Ocean Survey Program consisted of: (1) a composite 

 of geological, geochemlcal, physical, and biological studies, (2) special 

 experiments involving new or Improved instrumentation and sampling 

 techniques, and (3) student training in marine technology. Brief 

 descriptions of the individual Ocean Survey Projects, and available 

 results, are given in the following section. 



VII-1 



