A Florida University professor has set a new world record after living underwater without depressurization for 74 days. Joseph Dituri's 74th day at Jules' Undersea Lodge broke the world record for the longest time a person has lived underwater, according to reports.
The previous world record was set by two other professors, who had both lived underwater for 73 days. Dituri plans to make it to 100 days by staying in the lodge until June 9.
"The curiosity for discovery has led me here. My goal from day 1 has been to inspire generations to come, interview scientists who study life undersea and learn how the human body functions in extreme environments," the professor tweeted on Sunday, May 14.
Look at his tweet below:
"The record is a small bump and I really appreciate it. I’m honoured to have it, but we still have more science to do,” said Dituri, who holds a doctorate in biomedical engineering and is a retired U.S. Naval officer.
His mission, which has been dubbed 'Project Neptune', combines medical and ocean research along with educational outreach. It was organised by the Marine Resources Development Foundation. The day-to-day study includes daily experiments in physiology to monitor how the human body responds to long-term exposure to extreme pressure.
The outreach portion of Dituri’s research includes online classes and broadcast interviews from his digital studio beneath the sea. According to an AP report, he has reached over 2,500 students through online classes in marine science in the past 74 days. He said the thing he misses the most about the surface is the sun.
“The thing that I miss the most about being on the surface is literally the sun. The sun has been a major factor in my life – I usually go to the gym at five and then I come back out and watch the sunrise,” Dituri was quoted as saying by AP.
