1 of 4 Former Marine Joseph Dituri shows his routine in the cabin he lives in, on the seabed — Photo: Reproduction/Instagram Former Marine Joseph Dituri shows his routine in the cabin he lives in, on the seabed Seabed of the sea — Photo: Playback/Instagram
Joseph Dituri, 55, a retired naval officer nicknamed Dr. DeepSea (or deep sea doctor) currently lives 92 meters below the sea surface in a cabin of 100 square meters. There it is testing technologies that NASA could use on Mars, as well as treatments to reverse muscle wasting and slow aging.
The scientist, who also studies how the human body responds to extreme water pressure over the long term, invited the DailyMail team for a virtual tour of his underwater home. Despite the very small area, the cabin has a work area, a kitchen, a bathroom, two bedrooms and a small pool and of course a window with a sea view.
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2 of 4 General view of the scientist’s cabin on the seabed — Photo: Reproduction/Instagram General view of the scientist’s cabin on the seabed — Photo: Reproduction/Instagram
Dituri, who began the mission on March 1, told the DailyMail: “I love it, I even have a coffee maker here. Lord knows there is no science without coffee!”
One of the devices tested resembles the “tricorder” used in fictional Star Trek ships, capable of monitoring a person’s health with just one scan. He’s also testing a way to prevent the muscle wasting that occurs when astronauts are in space, a serious problem for the International Space Station.
3 of 4 The mini pool is actually the entry and exit channel of the cabin — Photo: Reproduction/Instagram The mini pool is actually the entry and exit channel of the cabin — Photo: Reproduction/Instagram
“One day we will fly to Mars, but it will take at least 200 days to get there. Therefore, when the ship touches the surface of the planet, we will have a severe loss of muscle mass, not be able to see very far, with weakened bones and in poor shape to face an inhospitable environment. That doesn’t seem like a good idea to me,” he says, explaining the relevance of the tests he’s conducted.
When doing sports, he wears a special bracelet and resistant bands also to temporarily interrupt the blood flow in his arm. “This increases the synthesis of nitric oxide, which stimulates muscle growth,” says Dituri, confirming that his biceps have already gained weight over the past month.
4 of 4 Equipment used by Dituri in Specialty Dives for the US Navy — Photo: Reproduction/Instagram Equipment used by Dituri in Specialty Dives for the US Navy — Photo: Reproduction/Instagram
The scientist says he has a TV, although he doesn’t know how to turn it on. It also has a small freezer, a microwave and a minipool actually a canal through which you enter and exit the cabin. “I go diving there from time to time,” he says.
He sleeps in a double bed and there is a guest room for visiting scientists. So far, 28 days have passed in your mission which, when completed, will break a record. The longest time a human has ever been underwater is 73 days.
Watch the scientist’s video.
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