page_title: Aquarius Reef Base
hierarchical_section_title: Aquarius Reef Base
caption_attribution_description: English: JSC2007-E-21796 - NEEMO 12 crewmembers make their way to their undersea habitat during a training session for the NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations (NEEMO) project. The crew is spending 12 days, May 7-18, on an undersea mission aboard the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Aquarius Underwater Laboratory, which is operated by the University of North Carolina at Wilmington and located off the coast of Key Largo, Florida.
context_page_description: The Aquarius Reef Base is an underwater habitat located 5.4 miles off Key Largo in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. It is deployed on the ocean floor 62 feet below the surface and next to a deep coral reef named Conch Reef.
  Aquarius is one of three undersea laboratories in the world dedicated to science and education. Two additional undersea facilities, also located in Key Largo, FL are owned and operated by Marine Resources Development Foundation. Aquarius was owned by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and operated by the University of North Carolina–Wilmington until 2013 when Florida International University assumed operational control.
  Florida International University took ownership of Aquarius in October 2014. As part of the FIU Marine Education and Research Initiative, the Medina Aquarius Program is dedicated to the study and preservation of marine ecosystems worldwide and is enhancing the scope and impact of FIU on research, educational outreach, technology development, and professional training. At the heart of the program is the Aquarius Reef Base.
context_section_description: The Aquarius Reef Base is an underwater habitat located 5.4 miles (9 kilometers) off Key Largo in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. It is deployed on the ocean floor 62 feet (19 meters) below the surface and next to a deep coral reef named Conch Reef.
  Aquarius is one of three undersea laboratories in the world dedicated to science and education. Two additional undersea facilities, also located in Key Largo, FL are owned and operated by Marine Resources Development Foundation. Aquarius was owned by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and operated by the University of North Carolina–Wilmington until 2013 when Florida International University assumed operational control.
  Florida International University (FIU) took ownership of Aquarius in October 2014. As part of the FIU Marine Education and Research Initiative, the Medina Aquarius Program is dedicated to the study and preservation of marine ecosystems worldwide and is enhancing the scope and impact of FIU on research, educational outreach, technology development, and professional training. At the heart of the program is the Aquarius Reef Base.
caption: Aquarius on Conch Reef, off the Florida Keys
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