GREAT LAMESHUR BAY, VIRGIN ISLANDS, APRIL 1 (REUTERS) -- THE SEVEN-MONTH-LONG TEKTITE-2 UNDERSEA PROJECT, DESIGNED TO SEE HOW WELL MAN CAN LIVE AND WORK UNDERWATER, FORMALLY OPENED TODAY ALTHOUGH NONE OF THE FIRST FIVE DIVERS ENTERED HABITAT -- THEIR UNDERWATER HOME.

THE ACTUAL DIVE WAS POSTPONED UNTIL FRIDAY BECAUSE SOME IMPORTANT APPARATUS NEEDED FOR THE PROGRAM HAD BEEN DELAYED BY AN AIR CONTROLLER'S STRIKE.

U.S. INTERIOR SECRETARY WALTER HICKEL ARRIVED IN THE VIRGIN ISLANDS TUESDAY AND, WEARING A LIGHT BLUE TEKTITE UNIFORM, TOLD THE EXPERIMENT WORKERS WEDNESDAY:
"IF WE ARE GOING TO DO A BETTER JOB OF USING OUR OCEAN RESOURCES -- BUT WITHOUT ABUSING THEM -- WE MUST UNDERSTAND A GREAT DEAL MORE ABOUT THE SEA AROUND US. THE TEKTITE PROJECT IS DESIGNED TO DO EXACTLY THAT".

THE INTERIOR DEPARTMENT IS ONE OF SEVERAL FEDERAL AGENCIES PARTICIPATING IN TEKTITE, ALONG WITH PRIVATE INDUSTRY AND SEVERAL UNIVERSITIES.

THE FIVE AQUANAUTS WHO WILL DIVE THE 50 FEET TO TEKTITE FRIDAY ARE: WILLIAM L. HIGH AND ALAN J. BEARDSLEY OF THE U.S. BUREAU OF COMMERCIAL FISHERIES, RICHARD W. CURRY AND ROGER JOSEPH DEXTER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI, AND EDWARD F. BATUTIS, AND ENGINEER FROM THE GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, WHICH MADE THE HABITAT.

THEY HAD BEEN SET TO SPEND TWO WEEKS IN HABITAT, BUT THE DELAY WILL CUT BACK THEIR TIME TO UNDER 12 DAYS.

AMONG THE MISSING ITEMS IS THE CONTROL SYSTEM FOR THE DECOMPRESSION CHAMBER IN WHICH THE DIVERS WILL SPEND AS MUCH AS 20 HOURS AFTER COMING UP AT THE END OF THEIR EXPERIMENT. ALSO MISSING IS THE CONTROL PANEL FOR BOTH THE DECOMPRESSION CHAMBER AND THE PERSONNEL TRANSFER CAPSULE, A KIND OF MINI-SUB.

TECHNICALLY, THE MAIN PURPOSE OF THE EXPERIMENT IS TO SEE HOW MEN REACT TO SATURATION DIVING, LIVING AND BREATHING IN A COMPRESSED AIR ENVIRONMENT OVER A LONG PERIOD OF TIME.

THE 62 DIVERS INVOLVED WILL ALSO TAKE SCIENTIFIC MEASUREMENTS OF THE SEAWATER, STUDY COMMERCIAL FISHING TECHNIQUES AND ABSORB THEMSELVES INTO THE ECOLOGY OF THE COVE.

THEY WILL SPEND ABOUT FOUR HOURS EACH DAY OUTSIDE THE HABITAT USING SCUBA GEAR. LATER, THE TEAM WILL EXPERIMENT WITH REBREATHING APPARATUS.

THE ONLY LINK BETWEEN THE HABITAT AND THE COMMAND POST IS A LINE PROVIDING COMMUNICATION, AIR, ELECTRICITY, AND WATER.

TEKTITE COULD BE THE PROTOTYPE OF LARGER, MORE PERMANENT INSTALLATIONS ON THE SEA BED THAT COULD HOSE SCIENTISTS AND AQUATIC FARMERS AND MINERS.

IT HELPS OPEN FRONTIER THAT COULD BE AS IMPORTANT AS OUTER SPACE.