If they worked from the surface, they could only spend about an hour at a time. During its first deployment in the Florida Keys, from 1994 to 1996, experiments looked at everything from sewage pollution to fossils to potential drugs, even underwater vision. Tethered above Aquarius is a buoy that supplies life support and communications. About 33 feet in diameter, it contains compressors and generators needed to supply air and power. Data from sea-floor experiments can be transmitted in real time, including voice and images, to anywhere in the world via the Internet.
Scientists can keep monitoring their work after they return home.
With links to the Internet, the center will work next year with the Jason Foundation for Education and NASA as part of an interactive educational program called Going to Extremes. Aquarius is owned by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and operated by the National Undersea Research Center at the University of North Carolina, Wilmington. ABC News Internet Ventures. Click here for Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and Internet Safety Information applicable to this site.