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November 1, 2002
A:FROM MENTEES ALEXIS K. IN VA, ASHLEY S. IN TN, JESSICA D.
IN VT, KATHRYN T. IN VA, KELLY B. IN PA, LAUREN P. IN CT,
LISA R. IN PA, MAGGIE K. IN CT, RUTH O. IN NH.
Aquarius is located in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary,
60 feet underwater, and 3.5 miles offshore, near Key Largo.
Owned by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA) and operated by the University of North Carolina at
Wilmington (UNCW), Aquarius is the only undersea
research platform of its kind in the world.
Aquarius is typically used by marine scientists to study coral
reefs and our coastal ocean. Its unique design allows "aquanauts"
to live and work on the seafloor for extended periods using
a special technique called saturation diving. This dramatically
increases the time divers can spend working in the ocean depths
and provides more convenient, on-site access to science equipment,
and computers - the lab even has Internet connections. The
system has also proven to be extremely safe, with no serious
injuries reported in Aquarius’ 14 year history.
You can find the rest of the information about Aquarius at
this website-http://www.uncwil.edu/nurc/aquarius/press_room/press_releases/prel102201.htm
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