Professor sets record after living underwater for 74 days US News
A university professor has broken a world record after living underwater for 74 days without depressurization.
But Joseph Dituri is not there yet, because he is aiming for a three-digit amount.
Prof. Dituri resided at Jules’ Undersea Lodge, located at the bottom of a 30 foot deep lagoon in Key Largo, Florida, USA.
On his 74th day, he ate a high-protein meal of microwaved eggs and salmon, worked out with resistance bands, did his daily push-ups and took a one-hour nap. A routine very similar to his last 73 days.
Unlike a submarine, the lodge does not use technology to adapt to the increased underwater pressure.
The previous record of 73 days, two hours, and 34 minutes was set in 2014 by two Tennessee professors – Bruce Cantrell and Jessica Fain – at the same location.
Prof Dituri’s mission, dubbed Project Neptune 100, is scheduled to end on June 9 after spending 100 days underwater.
It combines medical and marine research with educational outreach and was organized by the Marine Resources Development Foundation, the habitat’s owner.
“The record is a small improvement and I really appreciate it,” said Prof. Dituri, a University of South Florida educator who holds a PhD in biomedical engineering and is a former US Navy officer.
“I’m honored to have it, but we still have scientific progress ahead of us.”
His research involves daily physiological experiments to monitor how the human body responds to long-term exposure to extreme pressure.
“This is about populating the world’s oceans, protecting them by living in them and treating them really well,” said Prof. Dituri, also known as Dr. Deep Sea is known.
The outreach part of Prof. Dituri’s project involves conducting online courses and broadcasting interviews from his digital studio in the underwater hut.
In the past 74 days, he has reached more than 2,500 students through online marine science courses and more with his regular biomedical engineering courses at the University of South Florida.
Although he says he loves living under the sea, there’s one thing he really misses.
“What I miss most on the surface is the sun, literally,” said Prof. Dituri.
“The sun has been an important factor in my life – I usually go to the gym at five and then come out and watch the sunrise.”
Contact our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, Check out our news page.