Gps Coordinates / 24.9502208,-80.45342
Dive Aquarius Florida Keys Reef Base Gps Ocean Locations
Key Largo, XG2W+3JP Islamorada, Florida, United States
Aquarius is one of three undersea laboratories in the world dedicated to science and education. Two additional undersea facilities, also located in Key Largo, FL are owned and operated by Marine Resources Development Foundation. Aquarius was owned by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and operated by the University of North Carolina–Wilmington until 2013 when Florida International University assumed operational control.
Gps Coordinates / 24.9502211,-80.453486
The Aquarius Reef Base is an underwater habitat located 5.4 miles off Key Largo in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. It is deployed on the ocean floor 62 feet below the surface and next to a deep coral reef named Conch Reef.
Link Location Gps / Link Gps -80.4535112 / Link Gps -80.4535363 / Link Gps -80.4535524
Gps Coordinates / 24.9502315,-80.4535112 / 24.9502436,-80.4535363 / 24.9502327,-80.4535524
Florida International University (FIU) took ownership of Aquarius in October 2014. As part of the FIU Marine Education and Research Initiative, the Medina Aquarius Program is dedicated to the study and preservation of marine ecosystems worldwide and is enhancing the scope and impact of FIU on research, educational outreach, technology development, and professional training. At the heart of the program is the Aquarius Reef Base.
Link Gps Location Gps / Link Gps -80.4535558 / Link Gps -80.4535789 / Link Gps -80.4538372
Gps Coordinates / 24.9502476,-80.4535558 / 24.9502527,-80.4535789 / 24.950363,-80.4538372
Aquarius, designed by Perry Submarine Builders of Florida and constructed by Victoria Machine Works, was built in Victoria, Texas, in 1986. Its original name was "the George F. Bond", after the United States Navy physician who was the father of Sealab in particular and saturation diving in general. Underwater operations were first planned for Catalina Island, California, but were moved to the U.S. Virgin Islands. Following Hurricane Hugo in 1989, Aquarius was taken to Wilmington, North Carolina, for repairs and refurbishment and was redeployed in the Florida Keys in 1993. Aquarius is located under 66 ft of water at the base of a coral reef within the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, an ideal site for studying the health of sensitive coral reefs.
Link Gps Location Gps / Link Gps -80.4538787 / Link Gps -80.4573276 / Link Gps -80.4578585
Gps Coordinates / 24.9502232,-80.4538787 / 24.9484519,-80.4573276 / 24.9480478,-80.4578585
The laboratory is most often used by marine biologists for whom Aquarius acts as home base as they study the coral reef, the fish and aquatic plants that live nearby and the composition of the surrounding seawater. Aquarius houses sophisticated lab equipment and computers, enabling scientists to perform research and process samples without leaving their underwater facilities.
Gps Coordinates / 24.9496899,-80.4525833
The habitat accommodates four scientists and two technicians for missions averaging ten days. Scientists on the Aquarius are often called "Aquanauts" (as they live underwater at depth pressure for a period equal to or greater than 24 continuous hours without returning to the surface). A technique known as saturation diving allows the aquanauts to live and work underwater for days or weeks at a time. After twenty four hours underwater at any depth, the human body becomes saturated with dissolved gas. With saturation diving, divers can accurately predict exactly how much time they need to decompress before returning to the surface. This information limits the risk of decompression sickness. By living in the Aquarius habitat and working at the same depth on the ocean floor, Aquarius aquanauts are able to remain underwater for the duration of their mission.
