Proteus是一个雄心勃勃的水下研究站,可以为期一天的欢迎科学家和研究人员在库拉索索(Curaçao)的海洋下方60英尺。该项目由Aquanaut Fabien Cousteau和工业设计师YvesBéhar带头,并被认为是国际空间站的水下版本。
Fabien Cousteau is the grandson of the famed explorer Jacques-Yves Cousteau who pioneered such habitats in the 1960s. Fabien plans to continue that legacy with the construction of Proteus, an underwater habitat and research station that would be one of the largest ever built.
The underwater research station will advance scientific and oceanic research by making it livable for long periods of time to carry out a variety of research missions. Proteus will be a platform for global collaboration amongst the world’s leading researchers, academics, government agencies, and corporations to advance science to benefit the future of the planet.
At 4,000 square feet, Proteus will be three or four times the size of any previously built submarine habitats, accommodating up to twelve people at once. Attached to the ocean floor by legs designed to adapt to the variable terrain, the design is based on the concept of a spiral.
A series of modular pods are attached to the main body and will accommodate a variety of uses such as laboratories, sleeping quarters, bathrooms, medical bays, life support systems, and storage. The largest pod contains a moon pool allowing submersibles to dock. These pods can be attached or detached to adapt to the specific needs of the users over time.
建立栖息地并在头三年运营它将花费约1.35亿美元,而Fabien正在努力筹集资金。他拒绝透露支持该项目的资助者的名字,但其战略合作伙伴包括东北大学,罗格斯大学和加勒比海生物多样性研究与管理,这是一家位于库拉索州的非营利组织。[Forbes]