Scientists living under the ocean invite people to join them by Nina Gotzmannova

Living under the ocean is not a science fiction dream anymore. Team of six scientists, called also "aquanauts", will spent nine days in the only underwater research facility in the world. Starting this Monday, ocean floor 60 foot below the surface will be their home, place to sleep or eat. Thanks to cameras and audio equipment, built into their helmets, for the first time world can join and watch the ocean life and life of scientists under the ocean in the real-time view. Aquanauts will stay in a laboratory called Aquarius Reef Base. This unique facility contains bunk beds, showers, food and kitchen appliances, computers and all necessary stuff the scientists may need. It allows them to dive and spend nine hours in the water researching in compare with surface dives, lasting only one or two hours. After the dive they must spend next seventeen hours inside the Aquarius to slowly decompress. After this time they can continue their work without the need of a decompression chamber, one of the diving requirements. Several schools in USA will be connected straight to the aquanauts. Other schools or individuals interested in marine exploration can join the scientists on their webpage (oceanslive.org). The underwater team will study sponge biology and coral reef changes. Due to pollution and ecosystem changes there is less corals and more algae, soft aquatic organisms. Sponges, other marine animals, are known for filtrating water trough their bodies and producing fertilizers. The scientists in the Aquarium want to investigate how this activity is affecting the worldwide amount of corals.

related story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070917/ap_on_sc/undersea_lab;_ylt=AqHL1rt4mD5bZgiAzzSIQDSs0NUE

by Nina Gotzmannova for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

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