OK, so we've all heard of astronauts - they're the folks that go into outer space to check things out. But, have you ever heard of aquanauts? These researchers and scientists study life under water. And, just like astronauts need spaceships and the International Space Station, aquanauts need ships and stations to help them explore their surroundings. Enter the Aquarius - America's "Inner Space Station."
Photo courtesy NOAA Undersea Research Center at University of North Carolina Wilmington
Aquarius
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This underwater ocean lab is owned by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and operated by the National Undersea Research Center at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington (UNC-W). Although the folks at UNC-W run the lab, it's not located off the coast of North Carolina.
Right now, Aquarius is located about 2.5 miles off the coast of Florida in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. It's appointed with just about everything the aquanauts need to conduct their research in home-like comfort. Aquarius has:
- six sleeping bunks
- hot water for cooking and bathing
- a galley (kitchen) with a refrigerator and microwave
- a head (bathroom) with a toilet and shower
- air conditioning
- computer workstations
There are three components to the entire Aquarius system: a baseplate, the Aquarius lab itself and a life support buoy. The baseplate (a sort of docking station - think about your portable phone at home and the docking station it "sits" in) for the underwater laboratory sits 63 feet below the ocean's surface. The baseplate weighs 116 tons. It has four legs, weighing 25 tons each. The legs are adjustable to accommodate the uneven terrain of the ocean floor. Not only does the baseplate give Aquarius a level and stable position, it also acts as an anchor. The added security and weight that the baseplate provides helps Aquarius survive severe weather like hurricanes.
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