Page 47 - FON Spring Issue

FON MEMBER FEATURE
Proteus, the largest and most technologically advanced marine sta- tion ever built, which will grant scientists and aquanauts the time to conduct continuous night and day diving and data collection.
The Proteus marine research platform, amongst its many func- tions, will enable the discovery of new species of marine life, cre- ate a better understanding of how climate change affects the Ocean, and allow for the testing of advanced new technologies for green power, aquaculture, diagnostics, and robotic exploration.
Proteus allows divers to spend an entire day conducting re- search on the Ocean floor because they are saturated (when the bloodstream is equalized with suitable gasses at the pres- sure of the surrounding water). Saturation enables humans to live, work and explore underwater. Proteus will be, in effect, a ‘time acceleration platform’, it will allow researchers to max- imize the time they continuously spend on the ocean floor, thus increasing available research hours on any given day.
“Proteus is a hopeful step forward in spreading the message that we must protect the Ocean as if our lives depend on it. Living un- derwater gives us the gift of time and the incredible perspective of being a resident on the reef. You’re not just a visitor anymore,” stated Dr. Sylvia Earle, Ocean Ambassador of the FCOLC and American marine biologist, explorer, and National Geograph- ic explorer-in-residence, and fondly known as “Her Deepness”. The first Proteus will be installed in the waters of Curacao within a rich biodiverse marine protected area with pristine coral. It is envisioned as being modular, upgradable, multi-pur- pose, and capable of keeping up with future demands. Prote- us will be built sustainably and will have both state-of-the-art wet and dry labs, a moon-pool that will accommodate a sub- mersible, accommodate approximately 12 people for longer extended stays, a hydroponic garden, and a broadcast pro- duction studio to communicate and share rich content. Pro- teus itself will be a technological innovation that will in turn test and facilitate the innovation of many new technologies.
Proteus is the first in a network of underwater research labs and habitats, essential to driving meaningful solutions that protect the future of our planet. The knowledge that will be uncovered un- derwater will forever change the way generations of humans live up above.
A guiding principle underlying the vision for PROTEUSTM is building toward a more hopeful future, it will not only allow scientists and observers from around the world to live under the sea for weeks or potentially months on end, but it will also be a vehicle to inspire, engage and educate the world.
As Fabien’s grandfather, Jacques Cousteau often said, “People protect what they love, they love what they understand, and they understand what they are taught.” Until more people feel they have access to the ocean and can understand what it can provide and how they are connected to it, change cannot be enacted. The more we learn about our human connection to the ocean, the more we can grapple with what we need to know, make better decisions to secure a sustainable future to pass on to the next generation.
PROTEUSTM is operationalized and run by Proteus Ocean Group, Ltd. (POG), a private sector social enterprise, a sustain- able for-profit business that will scale and have global impact. POG manages the coordination of and partnerships with strate- gic collaborators such as Northeastern, Rutgers, Gov’t bodies (in- cluding Curacao), quasi-governmental bodies (CARMABI) and private sector partners. Fabien Cousteau Ocean Learning Center (a 501(c)(3)) (FCOLC) is a major stakeholder in POG and leads the educational programming.
For information, please contact
Lisa Marrocchino, CEO, Proteus Ocean Group, Ltd. at
lisam@proteusoceangroup.com
FON MAGAZINE / SPRING ISSUE 2021 / FONMagazine.com 47