Built to Dive, Moved by Storms
In 1986, a cylindrical habitat named Aquarius was constructed in Texas and later deployed 62 feet underwater near Conch Reef in the Florida Keys. After surviving Hurricane Hugo in 1989 and repairs in North Carolina, it was permanently installed off Key Largo in 1993 as the world’s only operational undersea laboratory.
Living Under Pressure
Aquarius supports missions lasting up to ten days with six occupants using saturation diving. Aquanauts live at depth pressure, allowing extended dive times of up to nine hours. They access the sea through a wet porch, return to an airlock, and spend 17 hours decompressing before surfacing.
Science and Survival
Aquarius has withstood major hurricanes. In 2005, Hurricane Rita moved the structure 12 feet. In 2017, Hurricane Irma tore away its 94,000-pound life support buoy. Despite damage, no aquanauts were injured during these storms.
Simulated Space, Real Research
NASA has used Aquarius since 2001 to simulate deep space missions. In 2014, Fabien Cousteau spent 31 days inside, surpassing his grandfather Jacques Cousteau’s underwater record. Today, Aquarius is operated by Florida International University and remains central to marine and space analog research.
Sixty feet beneath the Florida Keys, an unusual habitat rests on the sea floor.
Aquarius, the only active undersea research lab in the world, has survived violent storms, hosted astronauts, and nearly shut down—until a university revived it just in time… 🧵👇 pic.twitter.com/D0zUUuFacE
— Detective Tiger's Stories (@TigerDetective) May 14, 2025