General station work: Launching dredges, cores, and instruments requires over-tlne-side 

 frames and plenty of working deck space and clearance. Certain applications, such as 

 bore-hole reentry, will require dynamic positioning. 



D, Biological Oceanography. Biological oceanographic research in the next decade will 

 focus on defining the structure and processes of ecosystems on scales ranging from the 

 microenvironment of an individual to basinwide biogeographic distributions of populations and 

 communities. Emphasis will be on filling major voids in the knowledge of particular ocean 

 regions and of important dynamical processes which, until now, have been difficult to approach 

 because of inadequate ships, equipment, or techniques. 



Among these future study areas are: impact of mesoscale physical processes on biotic structure 

 and dynamics and its seasonal varibility; high resolution, long time-series studies of upper 

 ocean biological dynamics in a given hydrographic province and its interannual variability; 

 deep-sea studies of resident fauna; and nutrient and particulate fluxes into and out of surface 

 waters. 



The current trend of using microprocessor-automated equipment, expendable probes, and 

 remote sensors (satellites, moorings, drifters) will accelerate. There will be an even greater 

 need for clean, dry, stable spaces on ships for sophisticated analytical laboratory equipment. 

 Work on board ships will be increasingly multidisciplinary and labor intensive, giving rise to a 

 need for more laboratory and living accommodations for scientists and technicians. 



E. Ocean Engineering. Academic activities in ocean engineering in the coming decade are 

 expected to fall into three categories: 



• Engineering to enhance ocean science; 



• Environmental studies to guide use of the oceans and to establish factors which control 

 design of systems; and 



• Exploratory development of systems, devices, structures, and vehicles needed to use the 

 ocean effectively. 



Development of engineering understanding requires ability to carry or to tow large devices to 

 sea, deploy moorings and arrays of sensors, and make detailed observations both in the water 

 column and on the seafloor. Some work may require special vehicles (e.g., manned spar buoy 

 laboratories) but much should be done from well-designed large general purpose research 

 ships, presuming they have the necessary handling gear, load carrying, and station keeping 

 capabilities. 



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