Studying the ocean is critical because it’s Earth’s largest ecosystem. It covers more than 70 percent of the planet’s surface and contains about 220,000 known species. It also helps keep us alive: It’s a food source for fish, animals, and humans. The ocean circulates heat around the planet, helping to regulate the climate. And it’s home to tiny plant-like phytoplankton, organisms that produce most of the oxygen we breathe. “Increasing our understanding of the ocean is how we learn to love and protect it,” says Sean Wolpert, DEEP’s president.
Today scientists explore the ocean through scuba diving, remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), and submersibles, but each has limitations. For example, scuba diving deeper than 66 feet underwater puts divers at risk for decompression sickness, a serious and sometimes deadly medical condition. To prevent it, divers must return to the surface slowly. For example, a diver doing research might spend 15 minutes descending, less than an hour working, and a whopping 6 hours gradually resurfacing. DEEP hopes that by keeping scientists on the seafloor for weeks, these new habitats will help researchers “to accomplish several years’ worth of work in 30 days,” says Wolpert.
