Medina Aquarius Program

School of Environment, Arts and Society

Infographic courtesy of One World One Ocean

Aquarius is the world’s only operating undersea research lab. The habitat allows scientists to live and work underwater 24 hours per day for days and weeks at a time. Provides power,

air compressors, communications and other support equipment.

Hundreds of peer-reviewed scientific papers

Astronauts and advanced divers simulating extreme environments

Live broadcasts reach students worldwide every year

AQUANAUTS LIVING IN AQUARIUS HAVE 6 TO 9 HOURS OF DIVING DOWN TO ABOUT 95 FEET EACH DAY.

Infographic courtesy of One World One OceanInfographic courtesy of One World One Ocean

Aquarius is the world’s only operating undersea research lab. The habitat allows scientists to live and work underwater 24 hours per day for days and weeks at a time. Provides power,

air compressors, communications and other support equipment.

Hundreds of peer-reviewed scientific papers

Astronauts and advanced divers simulating extreme environments

Live broadcasts reach students worldwide every year

AQUANAUTS LIVING IN AQUARIUS HAVE 6 TO 9 HOURS OF DIVING DOWN TO ABOUT 95 FEET EACH DAY.

Live broadcasts reach students worldwide every year

Infographic courtesy of One World One Ocean

1993 Deployed near Key Largo, Fla.

1994 Long-term coral reef monitoring begins

2001 NASA begins using Aquarius for its Extreme Environment Mission Operations

2013 FIU assumes stewardship of the Aquarius Reef Base in January; First FIU student research mission takes place in November

2014 Medina Family Foundation gives $1.25 million to establish the Medina Aquarius Program at FIU

Aquarius is located within a special research-only zone of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary off the coast of Key Largo. The research lab resides along the Conch Reef, which is part of the Great Florida Reef, the world’s third largest barrier reef.

Atlantic Giant Grouper: A massive fish that can reach 8 feet long and weigh almost 800 pounds. Aquarius Reef Base has its own resident groupers.

Live broadcasts reach students worldwide every year

Development of various technologies for ocean exploration

More than 20 years of in-depth research and real-time analysis

Barrel Sponge: Sponges are now the dominant habitat-forming animals on Caribbean coral reefs. Among them, the giant barrel sponge, Xestospongia muta, has the greatest biomass on Florida coral reefs.

Corals: Not just pretty rock-like animals, corals are voracious predators. Using tentacles, they capture small creatures which swim by.

Medina Aquarius Program School of Environment, Arts and Society

“At Aquarius, you can do research that can’t be done anywhere else in the

world. You can really start to look at things with 24/7 data. In my research on

coral reefs, Aquarius provides all these additional tools and resources that

take the work to a whole new level. It’s phenomenal.”

— Andrew Shantz

FIU Student, Marine Sciences

Aquanaut, FIU Mission 1

About the Medina Aquarius ProgramThe Medina Aquarius Program is dedicated to the study and preservation of marine

ecosystems worldwide. As part of the FIU Marine Education and Research Initiative, the Medina

Aquarius Program is enhancing the scope and impact of FIU on teaching, research, educational

outreach, technology development, and professional training. At the heart of the program is the

one-of-a-kind Aquarius Reef Base, the world’s only undersea research laboratory.

Deployed 60 feet beneath the surface in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, Aquarius

is a globally significant asset that provides unparalleled means to study the ocean, test and

develop state-of-the-art undersea technology, train specialized divers and astronauts, and

engage the imaginations of people all across the world. At Aquarius, scientists are at the cutting

edge of research on coral reefs, ocean acidification, climate change, fisheries, and the overall

health of the oceans.

Since its deployment in 1993, aquanauts and their support teams have used Aquarius to

answer critical challenges facing scientists and policy makers. Universities, government

agencies and private industry have conducted more than 120 missions to discover, preserve,

train and innovate. More than 600 scientific research papers have been published based on

Aquarius science.

Aquarius is a complex diving system that consists of the lab below the ocean; a life support

buoy on the surface that houses power generators, air compressors and data connections; and

a mission control center in Islamorada, Florida. Using a technique known as saturation diving,

Aquarius residents can spend days to weeks underwater conducting research that cannot be

accomplished anywhere else on the planet. Aquanauts diving from Aquarius can spend nine

hours per day to depths of 99 feet with a reduced risk of decompression sickness, making

Aquarius safe, efficient and cost-effective.

At Aquarius Reef Base, Florida International University is pushing the capabilities of what can be achieved underwater, putting students at the forefront of marine research, and inspiring the next generation of scientists and explorers.

Mission OpportunitiesSaturation diving gives aquanauts 10 times more bottom time than what traditional divers

have to conduct studies and training operations. Continual power and telecommunications

capabilities make Aquarius an ideal platform for advanced sensor development and long-

term monitoring of coastal oceans and coral reefs. Visiting Aquarius for up to an hour is

possible using standard scuba diving protocols. For projects and events requiring more time

in the habitat — hours to overnight stays — but with limited time outside, Aquarius offers

1-Atmosphere Operations, which can accommodate up to six certified divers. Full saturation

missions are available for educational institutions, research programs, government agencies

and private industry. Standard saturation missions range from three to 10 days after a multiday

training program. Longer missions are possible.

Marine Ecosystem Science and Long-Term Monitoring

Aquarius provides scientists with the opportunity to conduct crucial research covering a variety

of areas including water quality, coral reef biology, ecology and physiology, long-term ocean

monitoring, restoration science, ocean acidification, and global climate change.

Undersea Equipment Testing

Aquarius provides extended presence in a real underwater environment, which exceeds the

capabilities of no-decompression scuba diving or most ship-based facilities for equipment

testing. In this capacity, Aquarius can evaluate the latest technologies in ocean observing,

forecasting and modeling, reef monitoring, and extreme environment equipment.

Training and Procedure Development

Through partnerships with NASA, the United States Navy, and others, Aquarius serves as a

space analog, training platform, and remote telemedicine testing facility. Studies include human

physiological responses to extreme environments, spacewalk and lunar excursion procedures.

Robotic geological sample retrieval and remote tele-robotic surgical procedures have also been

tested during Aquarius saturation missions.

Impact of AquariusThe Medina Aquarius Program enables an ideal combination of research, education and

outreach that is both vital and timely given the state of our global ecosystem and societal

needs. Situated within a marine sanctuary in the Florida reef tract, the most extensive living

coral barrier reef system in contiguous U.S. waters and the third largest system in the world,

Aquarius provides invaluable access to one of the most biologically diverse and economically

valuable ecosystems on Earth. Coral reefs are precious facets of our oceans, offering coastal

protection from storms, wave action and floods, and supporting a rich biodiversity of marine

organisms, which provide myriad resources for food, medicines, recreation and tourism. With

estimated values of tens of billions of dollars worldwide, coral reef ecosystems also carry

limitless intrinsic and cultural value. Yet, they represent one of the most at-risk ecosystems on

the planet.

Facing global climate change, ocean acidification, overfishing and species extinctions, we are

at a critical time in history to understand, restore and protect coral reefs. Aquarius is the only

facility of its kind and offers maximum efficiency and access for the study and exploration of a

region particularly susceptible to global environmental threats. Its unique capabilities also make

it one of few sites ideal for undersea equipment testing and training for study and exploration in

extreme environments such as space.

Most importantly, Aquarius is a platform for everyone. In keeping with the mission of FIU’s

School of Environment, Arts and Society to, in part, ensure a sustainable future, the Medina

Aquarius Program includes extensive educational outreach programming to give access to its

marine ecosystem, share its science, and inspire countless minds young

and old. Its potential is boundless.

Photo Courtesy of DJ Roller/Liquid Pictures 3D

Outreach and EngagementWith each mission, Aquarius is inspiring the next generation of researchers and explorers

through innovative education and outreach programs that reach millions of kids globally.

Leveraging onboard video conferencing capabilities, scientists inside Aquarius and on the

adjacent reefs are able to engage audiences worldwide through interactive classes and other

live programming. At FIU, researchers are able to teach classes from the depths of the ocean

and visit with schoolchildren by offering virtual fieldtrips of the undersea lab and their coral reef

study sites. Aquarius also features the Teacher Under the Sea program, which provides unique

experiential learning opportunities to engage today’s explorers and tomorrow’s problem-solvers.

About Florida International University

Florida International University (FIU) is Miami-Dade County’s first public, four-year research

university. With more than 52,000 students, 1,000+ full-time faculty members, and nearly

200,000 alumni, FIU is one of South Florida’s anchor institutions. FIU offers more than 180

bachelor, master and doctoral degree programs in its colleges and schools and is first in the

nation in awarding bachelor’s and master’s degrees to Hispanics. Recently, the university has

achieved several notable milestones, including the establishment of South Florida’s only public

College of Medicine, and the accreditation of its College of Law.

About the College of Arts & Sciences

As the heart of a leading public research university, the College of Arts & Sciences plays a vital

role in the intellectual, cultural and civic life of local, national and international communities. The

college provides an educational foundation that prepares FIU students to be successful and

engaged citizens in a global society.

About School of Environment, Arts and Society

By bringing together the natural sciences, social sciences and humanities, the School of

Environment, Arts and Society (SEAS) is transforming the way we conduct research, educate

students and engage the community. Because the world’s environmental challenges are

multi-dimensional, the school’s revolutionary approach to a full spectrum education will ensure

our students become innovative leaders of the 21st century. SEAS includes three signature

departments: Biological Sciences, Earth and Environment, and English. The school also houses

many of FIU’s prominent centers and programs.

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Medina Aquarius ProgramSchool of Environment, Arts and SocietyCollege of Arts & SciencesFlorida International University11200 SW 8th StreetMiami, FL 33199

Phone: 305-348-4084Fax: 305-348-4096E-mail: aquarius@fiu.edu

http://aquarius.fiu.edu

For more information about online programs offered by the College of Arts & Sciences, visit http://cas.fiu.edu.

For general information, visit www.fiu.eduFlorida International University is an Equal Opportunity/Access Employer and Institution.

Printed using certified paper from well-managed forests and vegetable-based inks.

Cover photo by Liquid Pictures © DJ Roller Liquid Pictures 3D 2013