INTRODUCTION 



The development of modern military undersea tech- 

 nology has led to increasing applications of buoys, equip- 

 ments, and sensors positioned in the deep sea environment. 

 Knowledge of biological fouling and deterioration of struc- 

 tures and materials in this environment is meager, and 

 studies are underway at the U. S. Naval Oceanographic 

 Office, the U. S. Naval Civil Engineering Laboratory,^ 

 and other places. * 



This report describes the type and degree of biologi- 

 cal fouling to be expected on antifouling-treated structures 

 buoyed at several hundred feet of depth in the temperate, 

 pelagic environment for long time periods. 



In November 1959 the U, S. Navy submarine SQUAW 

 was anchored off the coast of Mexico in about 1000 fathoms 

 of water at a hull depth of approximately 2 00 feet. On 3 

 October 1964 part of her hull was reported showing at the 

 surface. The next day the U. S. Navy fleet tug COCOPA 

 (ATF 101) was dispatched to recover SQUAW and tow her 

 to San Diego, where it arrived on 4 October 1964 and was 

 berthed at the Naval Station until 10 November 1964, when 

 it was drydocked. The authors learned of her presence on 

 2 3 November 1964, a few hours before SQUAW was sched- 

 uled for sandblasting, and a hurried inspection was made 

 of the hull and mooring tackle. Photographs were taken 

 and samples of fouling organisms collected for identifica- 

 tion. 



Unfortunately, desiccation of soft-bodied forms had 

 taken place in the long interval the hull had been exposed. 

 Also, many of the hard, calcareous forms had been dis- 

 lodged during towing and mooring activities. Despite these 



*See U. S. Naval Oceanographic Office Informal Manuscript 

 Report 0-1-64, Marine Fouling Research, a State-of-the- 

 Art Report, by J. R. De Palma, p. 33, 1964 (unpublished 

 manuscript) for an annotated bibliography. 



