In 1964, the Oscar winning documentary World Without Sun was released. The movie documented famed oceanaut Jacques Cousteau as he and 5 other men lived for an entire month under the Red Sea at a depth of 33 feet. They lived in a tiny underwater village appropriately called Starfish House. It was an unparalleled feat in its day and it gave many people a glimpse at something they’d probably never get to witness in real life: life under the sea.
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Fast forward nearly 5 decades, and Jacques Cousteau’s grandson is getting ready to follow in his grandfather’sUnder The Sea
Next year, in 2014, Fabien Cousteau along with 2 men and 3 women will live 63 feet under the sea at the Aquarius Reef Base at the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. They will live underwater for a total of 31 days – 1 day longer than his grandfather and his crew in 1963. And at a 63 feet depth, they will also be almost double the depth of the 1963 expedition. The lab where they will live is approximately the size of a school bus.
They won’t just be having fun down there enjoying the views, either. While under the sea, part of their main mission is to investigate how pollution and climate change are affecting the ocean in the long run. To help them with this task, they will be equipped with robots and underwater motorcycles to help them cover distances quickly. Who even knew underwater motorcycles existed?
An added benefit to this expedition is that most all of it will be filmed and will also be live for viewers to watch over the internet. They will also participate in several Skype calls with the Weather Channel.
Cousteau is currently collecting funding for his expedition through Indiegogo. As of this writing, they still have approximately $75,000 left to raise of their $100,000 goal and only 36 hours left to meet it. However, the site also says that the mission will be a go whether all the funds are raised or not.
SOURCE: Cnet
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