Deep Plans an Underwater Habitat for Humans

Ocean exploration company Deep is starting tests on a habitat where research divers can live and work at depths of 100 meters (over 300 feet) for up to a week at a time — a stepping stone for an even larger enclosure that could keep people underwater for years. 

Why It Hits: The success of Deep’s habitats represents a major milestone in humanity’s ability to exist underwater for an extended period, which could supercharge our understanding of oceanic ecology and climate regulation.

Beyond the Surface: Deep is piloting its first enclosure in an abandoned quarry near the border of England and Wales.

• That habitat, dubbed “Vanguard,” is a moveable, shipping-container-sized module that can house three divers at a time for up to three weeks, complete with proper pressurization, air mix, energy, and food.
• The goal is to soon level up to the even-larger “Sentinel” habitat by 2027, which will be more permanent and consist of several modules. It’ll house six people, include several labs and submarine docking stations, and sit at depths of 200 meters.

Last Breath: The deep sea is not a hospitable place for humans. Current diving methods only allow people to get to 200 meters underwater for about 10 minutes of work before having to decompress for six hours before returning to the surface. It also requires a very specific type of diving approach called “saturation diving,” so that humans can properly acclimate to the pressure and chemical changes at those depths. Otherwise, you could die. Oil companies are really the only firms that employ these methods for workers on offshore rigs.

But Deep has pioneered novel manufacturing technology and cutting-edge systems to bring these skills to the scientific community. Kirk Krack, Deep’s human diver performance lead, says the habitats will allow scientists to get seven years of work done in just 30 days. Whoa.