Dituri, a retired US Naval officer with a doctorate in biomedical engineering, was recognized as the new record holder on the Guinness World Records website after completing his 74th day underwater last month.
Digital Desk: Dr.
Joseph Dituri or "Dr Deep" reappeared on Friday after spending an
astounding 100 days underwater, eventually raising his face to the sun for the
first time since March 1. The University of South Florida professor set a
record for the longest period of time spent underwater without the use of
depressurization.
Taking a nap among the fishes
During this incredible
journey, Dr Deep lived at Jules' Undersea facility, a scuba diving facility in
the Florida Keys.
The resort
is sunken 30 feet (9.14 metres) beneath the surface of the water in a Key Largo
lagoon.
Dituri, a
diving explorer and medical researcher, broke the previous record of 73 days,
two hours, and 34 minutes set in 2014 by two professors from Tennessee who
remained at the same lodge.
What compelled Dr. Deep to remain underwater for 100 days?
For Dituri,
the major reason for his underwater stay, which gave him the moniker "Dr
Deep Sea," was to test the limits of human endurance in an underwater
environment typified by confinement and isolation.
"It
was never about the record," the professor added, according to ABC News.
"It
was about extending human tolerance for the underwater world and an isolated,
confined, extreme environment," he continued.
Dituri, a
retired US Naval officer with a doctorate in biomedical engineering, was
recognized as the new record holder on the Guinness World Records website after
completing his 74th day underwater last month.
The Marine
Resources Development Foundation, which owns the resort, is now intending to
submit a request to Guinness to officially recognise Dituri's remarkable
100-day achievement.
Project Neptune 100 and underwater pressure
Dr. Deep took on the risky task as part of
Project Neptune 100. The Marine Resources Development Foundation organized the
project.
A submarine uses technology to maintain
surface pressure so that its inhabitants can survive underwater. The interior
of the lodge, on the other hand, was constructed to fit the increased pressure
encountered underwater.
The
goal of Project Neptune 100 was to learn more about how the human body and mind
react to prolonged exposure to high pressure and isolation.
Why is the project important?
According to ABC News, the findings of this investigation have
the potential to aid ocean researchers and astronauts embarking on long-term
journeys in the future.
Dituri conducted daily experiments and measurements throughout
his 100-day underwater expedition to track his body's response to increasing
pressure over time.
He also participated in online dialogues with hundreds of
students from 12 countries, taught a course at the University of South Florida,
and received over 60 visitors to the underwater habitat. The results of Project
Neptune 100 will be presented at the World Extreme Medicine Conference in
Scotland in November.
