MAN-IN-THE-SEA PROGRAM 



Fig. 1. Sealab II on a barge at Long Beach Naval Shipyard shortly 

 before it was placed in the water and towed to La JoUa, California 



The Sealab II project, a step in the man-in-the-sea program of DSSP, was initiated in 

 January 1965, at which time a goal was set to place the aquanauts on the ocean floor on Aug. 

 20, seven months later. Extreme cooperation by all participating Navy, university, and indus- 

 trial organizations resulted in coming within eight days of this preset goal. During these 

 seven months, the habitat was designed, fabricated, and equipped with specialized atmospheric 

 control, communications, and diver's equipments. During this same period, aquanauts were 

 selected and trained to respond to the equipments, which were to be their primary life support 

 on the ocean floor. The surface-support vessel was modified, and a decompression complex, 

 using a new concept, was designed, built, tested, and installed. The fabrication and testing of 

 a remote maintainable ocean-floor telemetering station (benthic laboratory) was accomplished, 

 as well as the many tasks related to the development of the ocean-floor work programs. Last 

 but not least, Tuffy, the porpoise who proved his capability to find and save lost divers, had to 

 be trained in the special life saving procedures and integrated into the busy, noisy environment 

 surrounding the Sealab II site. 



