BAH-2 OFF QUAYSIDE; LABORATORY SUPPLY AND MAINTENANCE VESSEL; ESCAPE UNITS ON QUAYSIDE; MAN WITH WALKIE-TALKIE; LABORATORY WITH SCIENTISTS WORKING; CONTROLS OF LABORATORY; PROFESSOR KINNE SPEAKING (SOF).



TRANSCRIPT: KINNE: "We are trying to introduce the experiments into the sea. The marine biologists cannot just visit the sea sporadically in short-term undertakings. We feel the marine biologists must learn to work and live and research in the ocean itself. This, then, is our primary goal, in this present undertaking, which we will begin in the next few days here near Heligoland."




Initials WW/V/JF/BB



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: An underwater laboratory, known as BAH-2 is to be established on the seabed about two miles (3.2 kilometres) south of Heligoland, at a depth of 60 feet (18.2 metres).

The laboratory is to be lowered into the water on Tuesday (22 July) or Wednesday (23 July), though originally it was planned to do this last Thursday (17 July).

On Wednesday last week (16 July), the Federal Republic of Germany's Minister of Scientific Research, Dr. Gerhard Steltenberg, visited Heligoland and inspected the underwater laboratory. The West German Government has supplied 1,000,000 deutschmarks (about GBP960,000 sterling) for the project.

The laboratory, which was built by the West German firm of Draeger in Lubeck, is the second of its kind. Though larger than the first, which was placed in the Baltic last year, the main difference between BAH-2 and its forerunner is that it is to be sunk by the scientist working in the laboratory themselves, who may raise it to the surface thereafter at any time they wish, and have it towed to another position.

The leader of the underwater project, Professor Kimme, head of the Biological Institute of Heligoland, spoke about it.