A university professor broke the record for the longest stay underwater without decompression at a dive lodge in the Florida Keys this weekend.
Joseph Ditturi’s 74th day at Jules’ Undersea Lodge, located at the bottom of a 30-foot-deep lagoon in Key Largo, was not much different from his previous days there since he submerged on March 1.
Dituri, who is “Dr.” Also known by the nickname. Deep Sea,” he ate a meal of protein-rich microwaved salmon and eggs, worked out with resistance bands, did his daily push-ups, and took one-hour naps. Unlike a submarine, The lodge does not use technology to accommodate the increase in underwater pressure.
The previous record of 73 days, two hours and 34 minutes was set by two Tennessee professors, Bruce Cantrell and Jessica Fain, at the same location in 2014.
But Dituri isn’t just settling for the record and resurfacing: He plans to stay in the shelter until June 9, when he’ll reach 100 days and Complete an underwater mission called Project Neptune 100.
The mission combines ocean and medical research with educational outreach and was organized by the Marine Resources Development Foundation, which owns the habitat.
“The record is a bit bumpy and I really appreciate that,” Ditturi, an educator at the University of South Florida who has a doctorate in biomedical engineering and is a retired US Navy officer. “I’m honored to have them, but we still have more science to do.”
His research includes daily experiments in physiology Monitor how the human body responds to long-term exposure to extreme pressure.
“The idea here is to populate the world’s oceans, live in them, take care of them and treat them well,” Dituri said.
The outreach part of Deturi’s mission includes conducting online classes and streaming interviews from its digital studio under the sea. In the last 74 days, you have reached over 2,500 students through online marine science classes and with his regular Biomedical Engineering courses at the University of South Florida.
Although he says he loves living under the sea, there is one thing he misses the most.
“What I miss most about being on the surface is literally the sun.” Dituri said. “The sun has been an important factor in my life. I usually go to the gym at five and then go out and watch the sunrise.”
