Section IV. Analysis of Platform 
Requirements 
HABITAT UTILIZATION 
In the discussion of undersea platforms, the 
equivalent of six accessible U.S. habitats were identi- 
fied. On the average, approximately one-third of the 
total capability is being utilized. Full utilization was 
assumed to be 150 useful bottom-working days per 
year. Time for setup, preparations, training, de- 
compression, cleaning, maintenance, and the like is 
not included in these 150 days; nor is the time re- 
quired to transport the habitat from site to site. 
Because investigations are frequently tied to en- 
vironmental conditions or the life cycle of organisms 
being studied, 12 months per year scheduling is 
unlikely. 
Based on the reported programs, as given in ap- 
pendix B, the Department of Commerce, Corps of 
Engineers, Department of Health, Education, and 
Welfare, Department of the Interior, Atomic Energy 
Commission, Environmental Protection Agency, and 
Smithsonian Institution are potential users of three 
transportable habitats and one mobile habitat, as are 
academia and industry. The academia users whose 
basic research is generally supported by the Na- 
tional Science Foundation are believed to be reflected 
by the University of New Hampshire’s finding of a 
need for three transportable habitats. 
A requirement for a mobile habitat was especially 
indicated by Department of Commerce, Atomic 
Energy Commission, and the Environmental Pro- 
tection Agency. This habitat would require the 
capability of repositioning itself in a limited area 
around the initial deployment site. 
The present six habitats operate at an approxi- 
mately one-third utilization rate. The program po- 
tential for full utilization exists, provided adequate 
support is made available. Thus, a trend from ex- 
cess capability to a shortage situation could develop. 
However, it must be noted that the data obtained 
in this study with respect to the match between the 
capability of existing assets and user requirements 
27 
for habitat capability is incomplete. Furthermore, 
there is no mobile habitat available, and the require- 
ments for such a facility must also be analyzed 
further. 
SUBMERSIBLE UTILIZATION 
In the discussion of submersibles without lock- 
out, 13 operable and acceptable U.S. civilian sub- 
mersibles were identified. Without engineering and 
cost analysis beyond the scope of this report it is 
impossible to state how many of the three uncerti- 
fied and four inactive submersibles can eventually 
become part of the national inventory. With the full 
utilization of ALVIN and three leased civilian- 
owned and -operated submersibles, and the ap- 
proximately one-third utilization of four other sub- 
mersibles, the average utilization of the 13 without 
lockout is now 40%. 
There are available three submersibles with lock- 
out (SEA LINK, SHELF DIVER, and BEAVER 
MARK IV. SHELF DIVER is on lease overseas. 
SEA LINK is fully utilized, and BEAVER has not 
been used for several years and is undergoing a 
refit. Average utilization is therefore about two- 
thirds. For this analysis it was assumed, for both 
lockout and nonlockout systems, that the full-year 
utilization of a platform was approximately 100 
working dive days exclusive of mobilization and 
demobilization, training, maintenance, refurbishment, 
and transportation. 
Based on the reported programs, the Department 
of Commerce, Corps of Engineers, Department of 
the Interior, Department of Transportation, Atomic 
Energy Commission, Environmental Protection 
Agency, and National Science Foundation are po- 
tential users of as many as six leased submersibles 
without lockout and three submersibles with lock- 
out in addition to SEA LINK. Included in this esti- 
mate is the UNOLS recommendation of a shallow 
and deep submersible on each coast. The use of 
