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Underwater habitats are research facilites that are fixed underwater and are able to support human life. Underwater habitats have been, and are used to research the physiological mechanisms which serve as a barrier to deep-diving, for astronaut training and for research on marine ecosystems.
Conshelf I, II and III
Conshelf I (Continental Shelf Station), constructed in 1962 was the first inhabited underwater habitat. Developed by Jacques Cousteau to record basic observations of life underwater, Conshelf I was submerged in 10 metres of water near Marseilles, and the first experiment involved a team of two spending seven days in the habitat.
Conshelf II was launched in the Red Sea in 1963, five divers lived at at a depth of 33 feet for a month, with two divers in a separate dwelling at 90 feet for a week. Conshelf III was tested in 1965, 6 divers lived in the habitat at 100 m in the Mediterranean near the Ile de Levant.
SEALAB I, II and III
- See main artile SEALAB
SEALAB was seveloped by the United States Navy, primarily to research the physiological aspects of saturation diving.
Tektite I and II
Model of the Tektite I habitat The Tektite underwater habitat was constructed by General Electric and were funded by NASA, the Office of Naval Research and the Department of Interior.
On February 15, 1969, four U. S. Department of Interior scientists descended to the ocean floor in Great Lameshur Bay in the U. S. Virgin Islands and occupied the Tektite I. By March 18, 1969, the four aquanauts had established a new world's record for saturated diving by a single team. On April 15, 1969, the aquanaut team returned to the surface with over 58 days of marine scientific studies.
The Tektite II missions were carreid out in 1970. Tektite II comprised ten missions lasting 10-20 days with four scientists and an engineer on each mission. The Tektite II missions were the first to undertake indepth ecological studies.
Hydrolab
Hydrolab was constructed in 1966 and used as a research station from 1970, the project was in part funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Hydrolab could house 4 people. Approximately 180 Hydrolab missions were conducted; 100 missions in the Bahamas during the early to mid 1970s, and 80 missions in St. Croix, United States Virgin Islands, from 1977 to 1985.
The habitat was decommissioned in 1985 and placed on display at the Smithsonian Institutions National History Museum in Washington, D.C..
Aquarius
- See main article Aquarius.
Aquarius is presently the world's only operational underwater laboratory. It is located adjacent to a coral reef in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.
La Chalupa research laboratory
La Chalupa research laboratory, now known as Jules' Undersea Lodge La Chalupa research laboratory was built in in 1972, it now operates as an undersea hotel off Key Largo, Florida.
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