News By Lee Mathews Jun. 2, 2014 4:44 pm
Searching for a new live camera to spy on in your downtime? Why not check out Mission 31, a month-long undersea reef study being led by Fabien Cousteau?
The action’s taking place just off the Florida coast, about eight miles from Key Largo. Cousteau and his team are utilizing Aquarius, an 81-ton underwater facility operated by Florida International University’s Medina Aquarium Program in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.
Aquarius measures just 43 x 20 x 15 feet, but it’s equipped with everything aquanauts need to enjoy a comfortable stay: hot and cold running water, a full (albeit small) kitchen, air conditioning, computer network, phone, and six bunk beds. It’s connected to the University via a wireless link, and that’s what allows the team to live stream the mission.
Aquarius is a pressurized environment, which allows the team to dive extensively without repeatedly decompressing. They’ll be able to dive for up to nine hours a day while carrying out Mission 31 studies, only decompressing on the final day when they surface.
Cousteau was inspired by the work of his grandfather, Jacques, who led a similar mission aboard Conshelf Two in the early 1960s. Jacques and his team of six spent a full month in the Red Sea at a depth of 10 meters. The goal was a bit different, however. Cousteau was funded by French oil companies, who hoped that Conshelf Two would prove a viable design for future undersea exploration efforts. That turned out not to be the case, and ultimately led Cousteau to crusade for ocean conservation.
More...
The action’s taking place just off the Florida coast, about eight miles from Key Largo. Cousteau and his team are utilizing Aquarius, an 81-ton underwater facility operated by Florida International University’s Medina Aquarium Program in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.
Aquarius measures just 43 x 20 x 15 feet, but it’s equipped with everything aquanauts need to enjoy a comfortable stay: hot and cold running water, a full (albeit small) kitchen, air conditioning, computer network, phone, and six bunk beds. It’s connected to the University via a wireless link, and that’s what allows the team to live stream the mission.
Aquarius is a pressurized environment, which allows the team to dive extensively without repeatedly decompressing. They’ll be able to dive for up to nine hours a day while carrying out Mission 31 studies, only decompressing on the final day when they surface.
Cousteau was inspired by the work of his grandfather, Jacques, who led a similar mission aboard Conshelf Two in the early 1960s. Jacques and his team of six spent a full month in the Red Sea at a depth of 10 meters. The goal was a bit different, however. Cousteau was funded by French oil companies, who hoped that Conshelf Two would prove a viable design for future undersea exploration efforts. That turned out not to be the case, and ultimately led Cousteau to crusade for ocean conservation.
More...
