A professor from the College of South Florida has damaged the world file for residing in an underwater habitat. Affiliate Professor Joseph Dituri resided inside Jules’ Undersea Lodge in Key Largo for greater than 75 days since March 1, 2023 and intends to stay there till June 9 to finish his 100-day Challenge Neptune 100 mission.
Within the Nineteen Sixties, the primary undersea habitats have been constructed by the likes of Jacques Cousteau and the US Navy as a part of an effort to discover what was then known as ‘internal area’ and develop methods to colonize the seabed and make it simpler to take advantage of the riches of the ocean. Over the subsequent decade, there was a minor growth with metal modules housing aquanauts cropping up throughout the globe.
In fact, it did not final. The undersea-habitat motion turned a sufferer of its personal success as scientists discovered extra in regards to the physiology of deep-sea diving and gasoline chemistry. By the Nineteen Seventies, it was found that it was safer and cheaper to make use of robots, diving bells, submersibles and surface-based divers, slightly than counting on self-sufficient outposts on the ocean ground.
One in every of these habitats was the La Chalupa analysis laboratory, off the coast of Puerto Rico within the early Nineteen Seventies. At this time, it is generally known as Jules’ Undersea Lodge and has been moved to Key Largo, the place it rests in 30 ft (9 m) of water and is used as an underwater lodge for paying visitors.
In the intervening time, nonetheless, it is residence to Dituri, whose nickname is Dr Deep Sea. In accordance with USF, his keep is greater than a matter of file breaking. He is additionally a part of a examine about how the human physique adapts to long-term publicity to increased than sea degree stress. Not like a submarine, which maintains regular stress always, the 100-ft² (9-m²) habitat is full of compressed air that permits Dituri to return and go from his watery dwelling by means of an open moon pool within the ground of the central compartment, which is flanked by sleeping quarters on one facet and a typical room on the opposite.
Earlier than his descent, Dituri was subjected to a battery of medical exams. These will probably be repeated when he returns to the floor to find out the consequences the oxygen-rich surroundings has on his bodily and psychological well being. That is of specific curiosity to Dituri, whose area is hyperbarics. He hopes to study extra about how hyperbaric stress can improve cerebral blood movement to deal with traumatic mind accidents and numerous ailments.
The video beneath reveals Dituri and his undersea habitat.
USF’s Dr. Deep Sea breaks world file for residing underwater
Supply: College of South Florida
