Jacques Cousteau's grandson wants to build the world's largest underwater research station in the Caribbean — take a look

Mary MeisenzahlSep 7, 2020, 18:25 IST

Fabien Cousteau's PROTEUS.Concept designs by Yves Béhar and fuseproject.

The Fabian Cousteau Ocean Learning Center is creating an advanced underwater research station.
Proteus will have freezers, microscopes, and a video studio for research and education.
It will be located off the coast of Curacao, an island in the Caribbean.

Fabian Cousteau, grandson of famed oceanographer and documentary maker Jacques Cousteau, has an ambitious new project that will allow him to live underwater for more than a month. Proteus is planned to be the first in a series of underwater research stations where scientists can study the ocean while also living in it.

In explaining the importance of the project and further oceanographic research, Cousteau says that only five percent of the ocean has truly been explored.

"As our life support system, the ocean is indispensable to solving the planet's biggest problems. Challenges created by climate change, rising sea levels, extreme storms and viruses represent a multi-trillion-dollar risk to the global economy," he said in a statement.

The renderings were designed by Yves Behar and his studio fuseproject, with facilities intended to focus on research in ocean conservation, renewable energy sources, and food sustainability. Proteus will also host academics, scientists, NGOs, and private companies.

Take a look at the underwater lab here.

Fabian Cousteau is an oceanographic researcher and environmental advocate, and the grandson of famous documentary film maker Jacques Cousteau.

Plankton tow. Stephen Price

The Fabian Cousteau Ocean Learning Center announced it intends to build Proteus as an underwater research station in partnership with Northeastern and Rutgers universities.

Fabien Cousteau's PROTEUS. Concept designs by Yves Béhar and fuseproject.

The Fabian Cousteau Ocean Learning Center announced it intends to build Proteus as an underwater research station in partnership with Northeastern and Rutgers universities.

It will hold 12 people for 31 days at a time, more than any other underwater research station.

Fabien Cousteau's PROTEUS. Concept designs by Yves Béhar and fuseproject.

It will be located off the coast of Curacao and is planned to be four times the size of the next largest underwater habitat.

Fabien Cousteau's PROTEUS. Concept designs by Yves Béhar and fuseproject.

It will be 60 feet under water in a protected area of the Caribbean Sea.

Fabien Cousteau's PROTEUS. Concept designs by Yves Béhar and fuseproject.

Proteus is a continuation of the work started on Aquarius.

Aquarius. Christopher Marks

Aquarius is an underwater research station, located in the Florida Keys.

Aquarius. Christopher Marks

Fabian Cousteau set the record for the longest time underwater in the 400 square foot Aquarius, with 31 days in 2014.

Giant barrel sponge reef. Jessica Torossian

In those 31 days, Cousteau says he performed the equivalent of three years worth of research, resulting in 12 published studies.

Giant barrel sponge. Jessica Torossian

These research stations allow scientists to do more research than by other traditional methods.

Giant barrel sponge. Jessica Torossian

Doing this work while being underwater all day allows work that isn't possible otherwise. Samples can be collected and studied on-site without dying en route to a lab on land, and more time can safely be spent underwater.

Spotted Eagle Ray. Jessica Torossian

Doing this work while being underwater all day allows work that isn't possible otherwise. Samples can be collected and studied on-site without dying en route to a lab on land, and more time can safely be spent underwater.

Proteus will have microscopes, freezers, and other technology to allow cutting edge research.

Giant barrel sponge. Francis Choi

It will also have WiFi to allow researchers to communicate with scientists on land, and teleconnection with students for experiential ocean education, as Cousteau did with Aquarius.

Giant barrel sponge. Jessica Torossian

It will also have WiFi to allow researchers to communicate with scientists on land, and teleconnection with students for experiential ocean education, as Cousteau did with Aquarius.

A high-tech video production studio will allow researchers to document and share their findings.

Reef. Francis Choi

The Cousteaus have been building underwater research facilities since the first in 1962, which Jacques Cousteau documented in his film "Le Monde sans Soleil (World without Sun)."

Zooplankton traps. Francis Choi

The Cousteaus have been building underwater research facilities since the first in 1962, which Jacques Cousteau documented in his film "Le Monde sans Soleil (World without Sun)."

The group envisions Proteus as the first in a network of underwater habitats.

Aquarius. Francis Cho

It will be powered by a combination of solar, wind, and thermal energy.

Probing corals. Christopher Marks

It will also have the first underwater greenhouse, for both research and sustenance.

Aquarius. Christopher Marks

"The knowledge that will be uncovered underwater will forever change the way generations of humans live up above," Cousteau said in a press release.

Aquarius. Christopher Marks.

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Jacques Cousteau's grandson wants to build the world's largest underwater research station in the Caribbean — take a look

Fabian Cousteau is an oceanographic researcher and environmental advocate, and the grandson of famous documentary film maker Jacques Cousteau.

The Fabian Cousteau Ocean Learning Center announced it intends to build Proteus as an underwater research station in partnership with Northeastern and Rutgers universities.

It will hold 12 people for 31 days at a time, more than any other underwater research station.

It will be located off the coast of Curacao and is planned to be four times the size of the next largest underwater habitat.

It will be 60 feet under water in a protected area of the Caribbean Sea.

Proteus is a continuation of the work started on Aquarius.

Aquarius is an underwater research station, located in the Florida Keys.

Fabian Cousteau set the record for the longest time underwater in the 400 square foot Aquarius, with 31 days in 2014.

In those 31 days, Cousteau says he performed the equivalent of three years worth of research, resulting in 12 published studies.

These research stations allow scientists to do more research than by other traditional methods.

Doing this work while being underwater all day allows work that isn't possible otherwise. Samples can be collected and studied on-site without dying en route to a lab on land, and more time can safely be spent underwater.

Proteus will have microscopes, freezers, and other technology to allow cutting edge research.

It will also have WiFi to allow researchers to communicate with scientists on land, and teleconnection with students for experiential ocean education, as Cousteau did with Aquarius.

A high-tech video production studio will allow researchers to document and share their findings.

The Cousteaus have been building underwater research facilities since the first in 1962, which Jacques Cousteau documented in his film "Le Monde sans Soleil (World without Sun)."

The group envisions Proteus as the first in a network of underwater habitats.

It will be powered by a combination of solar, wind, and thermal energy.

It will also have the first underwater greenhouse, for both research and sustenance.

"The knowledge that will be uncovered underwater will forever change the way generations of humans live up above," Cousteau said in a press release.