Appendix C. Manned Undersea Science 
and Technology Program, FY 1972-73 
The activities of the MUS&T program (see fig. 1) 
during FY 1972 and the first half of FY 1973 can 
be summarized as follows: 
Northeast Fisheries —The New England fishing 
industry and investigators from the National Marine 
Fisheries Service (NMFS) have long been concerned 
with the dwindling herring and lobster stocks in the 
Northeast. A program was begun in September 1971 
to enable scientists from NMFS to obtain firsthand 
observations of herring spawning and the population 
dynamics of lobsters. Because of the lack of experi- 
ence with these techniques, part of the initial effort 
was devoted to training. Preliminary training was 
performed using the SEA LINK lockout submersible. 
In September the Perry submersible PC—S made 33 
dives, and in June 1972 the Perry lockout submersi- 
ble DEEP DIVER was used in the Gulf of Maine. 
In addition to providing new knowledge about the 
herring, significant new data was. obtained on poten- 
tially valuable lobster and shrimp and other shell- 
fish beds. The program continues into FY 1973, and 
operations in the fall of 1972 using ship-supported 
diving are expected to yield significant new in-situ 
data on the spawning of herring. Observers from 
the Environmental Protection Agency, the States of 
Massachusetts and Maine, and Canada have partici- 
pated in the operations. 
Straits of Florida.—This program used the Navy- 
owned, Woods Hole-operated submersible ALVIN 
for 14 dives to study sedimentary processes at six 
specific sites in the Straits. Samples were obtained 
and observations made to determine relationships be- 
tween erosion, sediment transport, and bottom cur- 
rent dynamics. The data collected are significant in 
understanding the origins of geological structures in 
the area, the processes active in the area, and the 
distribution and fate of pollutants. The activities and 
results are reflected significantly in FY 1973 plans. 
The principal investigators were from NOAA’s At- 
lantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory 
and the University of Miami. 
45 
Glovers Reef, British Honduras.—In early Decem- 
ber 1971, a submersible project was conducted jointly 
with the National Science Foundation at Glovers 
Reef, British Honduras. Participants in this mission 
were from the University of Miami, Colorado School 
of Mines, University of Texas, and the University of 
the West Indies. The primary purpose of this project 
was the geological and biological exploration of a 
deep living reef, or carbonate platform, to study its 
composition and origin. Using General Oceano- 
graphics’ submersible NEKTON BETA, 29 dives 
were made in three study areas. Ancient carbonate 
platforms are an important source of offshore fossil 
fuels, and work on carbonate platforms, which con- 
tinued during FY 1973 with operations using the 
NEKTON BETA in October 1972, is expected to 
yield important data for locating new fuel deposits 
and monitoring man’s impact on reef ecosystems. 
New York Bight—The overall objective of this 
program is to study bottom structures and dynamics 
in the New York area and to determine their rela- 
tion to the movement of solid waste. The first two 
phases of the program have been completed. Phase I 
was conducted in September 1971, when 15 dives 
were made by the Perry PC—8 to perform initial sea 
floor reconnaissance to determine the extent and 
thickness of spoils areas and to generally examine 
ridge and swale topography. Phase II was conducted 
to depths of 1,500 feet in July 1972, using Westing- 
house DEEPSTAR 2000. The major goal here was 
to obtain information on sediment distribution and 
chemistry on the shelves. In addition to observing 
and obtaining samples, geological stations will be 
established, consisting of in-situ current meters and 
dyed tiles of sand. The sand tiles dissipate slowly 
and will permit sediment tracing during later phases 
of the program. This program provides data for 
MUSA&T efforts to investigate dump sites and will 
support the NOAA Marine Ecosystems Analysis 
(MESA) program. Operations were conducted with 
scientists from Woods Hole, AOML, Corps of En- 
