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A habitat the size of a school bus anchored 56 feet underwater in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary is preparing to open its hatch to visitors. Developed by marine engineering company DEEP, the Vanguard system is located about 65 miles away and is the first open-ocean subsea facility deployed in the United States in 40 years. Once cleared for host duties, Vanguard will host up to four aquanauts at a time, as they monitor marine life, restore coral reefs, study the impacts of climate change, and even train for extreme environments.
“The successful deployment brings us closer to enabling a continued human presence in the ocean and is a major step forward in DEEP’s mission to make humans aquatic,” DEEP Chief Technology Officer Norman Smith said in a statement.
Vanguard arrives at Tennessee Reef after 18 months of design, construction and testing. To place it on the sandy seafloor, engineers first had to install a base and then lower the habitat onto the platform with a ship crane. Vanguard is also tethered to a surface buoy, although it is much more complicated than a standard flotation accessory. The bright yellow structure houses multiple vital support services, such as communications systems, breathing air and power.
NOAA designates the Tennessee Reef as a Research Exclusive Area, which features recognizable spur and groove formations that are populated by “unique deep-water, slow-growing sponges and corals.” According to DEEP, the ability of scientists to stay underwater for days increases the volume and continuity of research conducted on the reef. It could potentially boost discoveries about “coral health, ecosystem dynamics and the impacts of climate change.”
DEEP is now awaiting sea acceptance trials and commissioning reviews. Once it receives the green light from Det Norske Veritas (DNV), an internationally recognized accreditation institution used by oceanographic organizations and companies, it will be able to begin hosting scientists. From there, Vanguard’s first visitors will begin receiving habitat support crew training ahead of their inaugural underwater missions.
“For decades, NOAA has supported the use of underwater habitats as a platform to reveal groundbreaking discoveries,” added Eddie Kertis, superintendent of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. “The deployment of new underwater habitat within the sanctuary creates additional opportunities for marine science and builds on research infrastructure, resource management and our long-standing collaboration with the scientific community.”
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