Florida Scientist Breaks Record for Time Spent Underwater
The Facts
US Navy veteran Joe Dituri, an associate professor at the University of South Florida self-styled "Dr. Deep Sea," announced on Sunday that he has broken the record for the longest time lived underwater after spending more than 73 days in Jules' Undersea Lodge — 30 feet below the surface of a lagoon in Key Largo, Florida.
He plans to stay at the lodge until June 9, when he reaches 100 days underwater without depressurization and completes the medical and ocean research dubbed "Project Neptune 100," which was organized by the Marine Resources Development Foundation.
The Spin
Narrative A
The undersea world is another alien environment that humans should be considering exploring as mankind seeks to colonize outer space. These habitats require similar engineering technologies to become sustainably manageable. The sea marks a penultimate Final Frontier.
Narrative B
While research about long underwater living remains limited, known side effects include paleness and reduced vitamin D production from lack of exposure to the sun, and damage to circulation systems. A long underwater excursion could possibly show that there are strong negative impacts on human health.
