Page 242 - NS-2 Textbook

OCEANOGRAPHY 237

The research bathyscaphe Sea Cliff. It is a free-moving underwater research vessel used to take photos, collect samples with mechanical arms,
and stay at great depths for extended periods of time.

recent years have people succeeded in exploring the sea world lighted by powerful waterproof lights. They can
in meaningful ways. New individual diving gear and take photos, collect samples with mechanical arms, and
methods and advanced undersea research vehicles have stay down at great depths for long periods of time.
been developed and successfully operated. It is a whole Another very interesting vessel is the FLIP (floating
ne,v scientific frontier. instrument platform) ship. 111is research platform can
The traditional rubber-canvas suit with metal helmet flip from a horizontal position to a vertical one. The bow,
and lead-filled shoes has been used successfully in carrying a marine laboratory, remains 50 feet in the ail;
depths up to 600 fee!. Movement underwater is slow, and while the stern, containing various measuring and
the diver is tied to a lifeline and air hose to the surface. sounding instruments, is plunged 300 feet below the sur-
More recently, the self-contained underwater breathing face. All of the furniture and equipment in the laboratory
apparatus (SCUBA) has been developed. A qualified section is mounted on gimbals, so it stays upright and
scuba diver can carry his or her own compressed air level during the flip operation.
tanks and swim freely, if extremely careful, into water up Another Navy project has been the development of a
to 200 feet deep. A diver usually uses a wet suit, flippers, deep submergence rescue vessel (DSRV) to be used in
and mask, especially for deeper descents and for ex- case of sublnarine accidents.
tended underwater periods. The Navy has also conducted extensive underv,,rater
For much deeper human exploration, oceanographer living experinlents. 11,ese have included underwater Izabi-
Auguste Piccard developed the bathyscaphe in 1948. The tats-:-living and research quarters-where tmderwater
name comes from two Greek words, batlzy meaning scientists called aquanauts have learned to live for long
"deep" and smph meaning "boa!." The bathyscaphe is a periods at great depths.
free-moving underwater research vessel that is SOlne- In recent years increasing use has been made of re-
V\ 7 hat like a submarine. VVhen wlder the sea, scientists in mote-controlled self-propelled exploration vehicles fitted
bathyscaphes can look through ports at an lmdelwater with TV cameras, lights, and a variety of other sensors and