the potential risk to human life and the lack of ade- 
quate rescue capabilities. Thus, none of the seven 
(six submersibles without diver lockout and one with 
lockout) uncertified submersibles was considered in 
the national inventory for the purposes of this study. 
Of the first 13 operable and with no lockout, three 
(PC-3, PC-9, and OP-SUB)) are under long-term 
lease overseas. Of the three lockout variety, one 
(SHELF DIVER) is under long-term lease overseas. 
Of the U.S. Navy’s nine submersibles, two 
(DSRV-1I and DSRV-2) are special-purpose rescue 
vehicles and one (DEEP VIEW) is in the process 
of being certified. DEEP VIEW has a design depth 
capability of 1,500 feet, but is currently certified to 
100 feet. The USS DOLPHIN, an antisubmarine 
warfare research submarine, and the NR-/ were not 
listed among Navy submersibles. 
There are also four U.S. submersibles without 
lockout (STAR III, DEEPSTAR 4000, DOWB, and 
ALUMINAUT) in storage or uncertain status. 
STAR III was given to Scripps Institution of Ocean- 
ography and is in storage. It has not been surveyed to 
determine the effort and cost necessary to make it 
operational. DEEPSTAR 4000 is in storage and can 
be reactivated. DOWB (Deep Ocean Work Boat) 
was recently given to the Santa Barbara Community 
College for use in its marine technician program. 
Plans for its use at sea are uncertain. ALUMINAUT 
is in storage and partially disassembled. 
Of the 10 certified, operable U.S. submersibles 
without lockout that are not under long-term lease 
overseas, the Navy-owned and Woods Hole Ocean- 
ographic Institution (WHOI)-operated ALVIN is 
used essentially 100% of its available time; four 
(NEKTON BETA and GAMMA, DEEPSTAR 
2000, and DEEP QUEST) are used an estimated 
one-third of their available time; and no use of five 
remaining could be documented. ALVIN is funded 
by a combination of Navy, National Science Foun- 
dation, WHOI, and charter funds (charter users have 
included NOAA/MUS&T). The four other vehicles 
used were funded by a combination of Federal, pri- 
vate, and commercial charters. Federal leasing was 
primarily by the NOAA/MUS&T program, at times 
in cooperation with other agencies (such as the 
National Science Foundation). The Perry PC-8 was 
leased four times for the NOAA-MUS&T program 
during FY 1972 prior to an overseas lease through 
early 1973. 
Of the operable U.S. lockout submersibles, the 
SEA LINK is used essentially 100% of the time in 
the Smithsonian Institution-Harbour Branch Foun- 
dation Biological and Geological Oceanographic Re- 
search Program. SEA LINK time was made avail- 
12 
able to NOAA/MUS&T for training in support of 
the NOAA Northeast Fisheries Project. BEAVER 
was not used at all, but was sold to International 
Underwater Contractors. SHELF DIVER is on long- 
term lease overseas. Unable to be certified, DEEP 
DIVER will be operated to depths not exceeding 
100 feet in support of the PRINUL habitat. 
NOAA-NAVY AGREEMENT ON SUBMERSIBLES 
NOAA and the Navy are negotiating an agree- 
ment which will provide the MUS&T program with 
periodic access to Navy-owned and -operated sub- 
mersibles for civil programs. A major provision of 
the agreement is that such access will not be in 
direct competition with U.S. civilian-owned and -op- 
erated submersibles. 
In addition to the Navy making available periods 
of time during which NOAA/MUS&T can schedule 
operations, the planned agreement will also include 
provisions for opportunity dives by civilian investi- 
gators that are supported by other Federal agencies. 
Since the facilities were acquired and are operated 
in direct support of Navy missions, it is unlikely that 
large amounts of time will be available. However, 
the agreement is expected to provide civilian investi- 
gators with access to the excellent and unique cap- 
abilities of many Navy submersibles. 
SCUBA SHIP CONCEPT 
The study’s survey of the Federal agencies re- 
vealed many requirements for the use of scuba divers 
in shallow waters, generally less than 100 feet. This 
indicates the possible need for a scuba diver support 
ship. There is no ship designated and operated to ful- 
fill this need. The closest facility to a ship equipped 
specifically to support divers is the R/V MISS 
FREEPORT, which has been used by the Marine 
Bio-Medical Institute of the University of Texas 
Medical Branch at Galveston as the launch ship for 
research submersibles. The scuba ship would be 
equipped specifically te support biologists and geolo- 
gists using scuba techniques. Such a ship could 
support “bounce” diving (diving without decompres- 
sion) and, by including hyperbaric chambers, per- 
sonnel transfer capsules, and similar equipment, sup- 
port saturation diving from the surface. The concept 
requires further investigation, but is raised because 
of its apparent application to a number of programs. 
It could obviate the need for a submersible or habi- 
tat in some research programs. Such a ship could 
also function as the support ship for small research 
submersibles of the PC-8 or NEKTON class and 
provide a complete base of investigations when high 
mobility is required. 
