Aquarius Reef Base
Operating agency | Florida International University |
---|---|
Website | aquarius |
The Aquarius Reef Base is an underwater habitat located 5.4 mi (8.7 km) off Key Largo in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, Florida, United States. It is the world's only undersea research laboratory and it is operated by Florida International University. It is deployed on the ocean floor 62 ft (19 m) below the surface and next to a deep coral reef named Conch Reef.
Aquarius is the only undersea research laboratory currently in operation, although the Marine Resources Development Foundation used to operate two additional undersea facilities, also located in Key Largo, Florida.[
Florida International University (FIU) took ownership of Aquarius in October 2014. As part of the FIU Marine Education and Research Initiative, the Medina Aquarius Program is dedicated to the study and preservation of
Purpose
Aquarius, designed by Perry Submarine Builders of Florida and constructed by Victoria Machine Works, was built in
The laboratory is most often used by marine biologists for whom Aquarius acts as home base as they study the coral reef, the fish and aquatic plants that live nearby and the composition of the surrounding seawater. Aquarius houses sophisticated lab equipment and computers, enabling scientists to perform research and process samples without leaving their underwater facilities.
The habitat accommodates four scientists and two technicians for missions averaging ten days. Scientists on the Aquarius are often called "
Habitat structure
Aquarius consists of three compartments. Access to the water is made via the wet porch, a chamber equipped with a
This design enables personnel to return to the surface without the need for a
Underwater missions and research
Several missions on the Aquarius have been canceled due to
Since 2001,
A diver named Dewey Smith died during a dive from Aquarius in May 2009.[7][15] A subsequent investigation determined that Smith's death was caused by a combination of factors, including the failure of the electronic functions of his Inspiration closed circuit rebreather due to hydrodynamic forces from a hydraulic impact hammer being used nearby.[16]
Due to budget cuts, NOAA ceased funding Aquarius after September 2012, with no further missions scheduled after a July 2012 mission that included pioneering female diver Sylvia Earle in its aquanaut crew. The University of North Carolina Wilmington was also unable to provide funding to continue operations. The Aquarius Foundation was set up in an attempt to keep Aquarius functioning.[17][18] In a two-week series, the daily cartoon strip Sherman's Lagoon featured the potential closing of the Aquarius facility in the week starting September 10, 2012, and continued with a cameo appearance of Earle in the week starting September 17, 2012, to discuss the importance of Aquarius.[19] In January 2013, a proposal to keep Aquarius running under Florida International University administration was accepted.[2]
From June 1 to July 2, 2014, Fabien Cousteau and his crew spent 31 days living and working in Aquarius in tribute to Jacques Cousteau's 30-day underwater expedition in 1963. Cousteau estimated the team collected the equivalent of two years' worth of surface diving data during the mission, enough for ten scientific papers.[20][21]
References
- ^ Shepard, Andrew N.; Dinsmore, David A.; Miller, Steven L.; Cooper, Craig B.; Wicklund, Robert I. (1996). "Aquarius undersea laboratory: The next generation". In: MA Lang, CC Baldwin (Eds.) the Diving for Science…1996, "Methods and Techniques of Underwater Research". Proceedings of the American Academy of Underwater Sciences (Sixteenth annual Scientific Diving Symposium). Archived from the original on September 13, 2009. Retrieved February 26, 2012.
{{cite journal}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ a b Ho, Leonard (January 15, 2013). "It's Official: Aquarius Reef Base still in business". Advanced Aquarist. Pomacanthus Publications. Archived from the original on July 17, 2017. Retrieved January 17, 2013.
- ^ Communications, Florida International University-Digital. "Medina Aquarius Program". environment.fiu.edu. Archived from the original on May 25, 2021. Retrieved May 25, 2021.
- ^ Kesling, D; Berey, R (1989). "Training, equipment, and operational procedures for conducting scientific saturation diving activities". In: Lang, MA; Jaap, WC (Ed). Diving for Science…1989. Proceedings of the American Academy of Underwater Sciences Annual Scientific Diving Symposium 28 September - 1 October 1989 Wood Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts, USA. Archived from the original on July 5, 2013. Retrieved April 16, 2013.
{{cite journal}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - LCCN 2011015725.
- ISBN 978-0-226-67870-2.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-7432-4745-0.
- ^ Stone, Gregory (September 2003). "Deep Science @ National Geographic Magazine - National Geographic Online Extra". National Geographic Society. Archived from the original on October 17, 2007. Retrieved February 29, 2012.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-226-67871-9.
- ^ Helvarg, David (March 20, 2011). "Divers". HealthDay. Archived from the original on March 15, 2012. Retrieved February 25, 2012.
- ^ Public Affairs, UCT2 (January 2006). "Seabee Divers Help NOAA Restore Aquarius Undersea Lab" (PDF). Faceplate. 9 (1): 10, 20. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 17, 2013. Retrieved February 28, 2012.
{{cite journal}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Staletovich, Jenny (September 27, 2017). "Irma battered, but didn't beat, this beloved underwater lab". Miami Herald. Archived from the original on October 2, 2017. Retrieved October 1, 2017.
- ^ Loff, Sarah (June 24, 2015). "About NEEMO (NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations)". NASA. Archived from the original on October 17, 2014. Retrieved October 11, 2014.
- VOA. May 21, 2010. Archived from the originalon July 26, 2021. Retrieved April 29, 2020.
- ^ Silk, Robert (May 9, 2009). "Aquarius diver's death remains a question". Key West Citizen. Cooke Communications. Archived from the original on March 26, 2010. Retrieved January 25, 2012.
- ^ "External Review Board Report of Findings and Recommendations" (PDF). American Academy of Underwater Sciences. August 27, 2009. Retrieved July 16, 2012.[permanent dead link]
- ^ Lam, Brian (July 13, 2012). "Searching for the Ocean's Secrets From the Last Undersea Base". Gawker Media. Archived from the original on August 8, 2012. Retrieved August 13, 2012.
- ^ Hellwarth, Ben (August 3, 2012). "How Humans Learned To Live Under Water". Gawker Media. Archived from the original on August 6, 2012. Retrieved August 13, 2012.
- ^ Support (September 17, 2012). "This Week in Comics: What To Read - DailyINK Blog". King Features Syndicate. Archived from the original on September 19, 2012. Retrieved September 18, 2012.
- ^ Newcomb, Alyssa (July 2, 2014). "Fabien Cousteau Calls the Ocean 'Second Home' After 31-Day Undersea Mission". Good Morning America. ABC News. Archived from the original on February 5, 2019. Retrieved July 2, 2014.
- ^ Kay, Jennifer (July 2, 2014). "5 Things to Know About Cousteau's Undersea Mission". ABC News. AP. Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Retrieved July 2, 2014.
General references
- ENN. Age of Aquarius: Undersea lab immersed in coral reef research, 2000.
- NOAA. Hurricane Charlie cuts short Aquarius undersea mission, 2004
- Plain, C. From the Ocean Depths to Deep Space, 2004
- Deep Science @ National Geographic Magazine