This NRL Review is a review of the major unclassified research and development efforts and accomplishments of the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) during 1980. As such, it is an important source document for other Navy and DoD organizations, academia, and industry, and has been since its inception in 1967. NRL's principal task is the development and orderly flow of research results for Navy applications and technology transfer. The Laboratory interacts strongly with science and technology performers and users both in and outside of the Navy and the Department of Defense. Readership response indicates that the Review plays a significant role in the success of this information exchange. The Review also provides part of the comprehensive record of Laboratory accomplishments for archival purposes. It has been nearly six decades since the Naval Research Laboratory opened its doors of science for the Navy and the nation. In the past 57 years, NRL has grown from a handful of small buildings to a complex of specialized laboratories housed in some 150 buildings along the banks of the Potomac River in Washington, D.C. with field stations located in Maryland, Florida, Virginia, and West Virginia.