2010 Updates: See the Tektite Exhibit in Second Life at The Abyss Observatory; the Tektite Underwater Habitat Museum; Project Tektite 40th Anniversary Reunion in Lameshur Bay, St. John, Virgin Islands, November 6, 2010. (end date)
2009 Updates: Wikipedia Articles about Tektite I and II and Tektite Gallery Page
Project Tektite 40th Anniversary Reunion at the Virgin Islands Environmental Research Station (VIERS) on February 15, 2009 (begin date)
Project Tektite was an oceanographic research project conducted in 1969-1970 in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The fall and winter of 2007 seem to be dedicated to searching for information about my life and activities 40 years ago. One of the events in my life as a young man that has influenced my professional and personal life, was my participation in 1970 in the Tektite II project. I have reconnected with one of my colleagues in Tektite, Kenny Meyer, and in my cerfing the web for more information, I found this excellent photo on Flickr.com, taken by aquanaut Ed Clifton, whom I have never met. Further research actually found a description of the beginnings of the project in 1969, from a personal view, by the photographer of this photo and aquanaut who was involved in Tektite from the beginning. Tektite Habitat Uploaded by Tom Clifton
An Evening on a Tropical Beach by Ed Clifton (Tektite I & II) (more…)
OK, here’s some ancient history, to mix in with the future history. In the late 60’s a group of UT Student Orientation Advisers put together a ‘multi-media’ show for new students arriving in the summer before their entry into life on the Austin campus. The show was designed to be entertainment after dinner in the dormitory, at the new Academic Center Auditorium (AC 21). AC 21 was a wonderful gallery type lecture hall with 4 giant rear projection screens, a center stage level film screen, and clear walls above the stage for more front projection from the booth. People filed into the darkened room tentatively, wondering what was going on, here?
