A Mobile Undersea Laboratory

In order to allow scientists the opportunity to dive and spend extended periods of time on the seafloor, an undersea research laboratory, using a manned saturation habitat, has been developed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The habitat will serve as a home and a laboratory for up to six scientists who will be able to live on the seafloor for periods from one week to a maximum of 30 days. This unique system design will enable scientists to perform long-term and continuous in situ research. Typical undersea experimental areas will include marine resources, seafloor ecology, pollution, diving physiology, aquanaut training and technology development. Described will be the overall habitat system including a launch/recovery/ transport vehicle, habitat baseplate, life support buoy and the habitat itself. Also described will be the performance criteria, trade-off analyses, certification tests and operational scenarios associated with the various subsystems. Although the habitat is designed for depths to 120 feet of sea-water, trial operations in 50 feet of water are planned in 1987 off St. Croix, USVI. Because of the habitat´s mobility, it is envisioned that the science program eventually will include the entire Caribbean region and involve up to 15 different countries.