Living underwater has been a dream of humanity for centuries, and perhaps even longer – because water covers more of the planet than land, but it’s an alien and inhospitable environment. Until this point humans have only had a passing presence underwater in short-stay habitats and in submarines, and the dream of living underwater has remained just that: a dream.
Living and working in cities underwater has also been dreamt of for many decades, with many movies and novels written on the subject, such as the 1971 film “City Beneath the Sea” and Arthur C. Clarke’s “The Deep Range” for example.
These dreams will soon begin to come true with Project Atlantica, which will be launched over the next few years off the coast of Florida.
Project Atlantica aims to build the world’s first permanent human colony underwater, a settlement in which families will be able to live and work permanently without ever intending to return to live on land. In the near future there will be schools underwater, and people will be born underwater and will work and live their entire lives in underwater cities.
The first habitation will be set up on May 1st 2009, when two aquanauts will break the record for the longest stay in a fixed habitat underwater by living in the first Project Atlantica module for 80 days.
The next stage of the project will be launched in 2012, when the Challenger Habitat, the largest underwater habitat ever built, will be fixed into position off the coast of Florida. The launching of this habitat will be a historical event because the occupants of the habitat will be the first people ever to decide to live underwater and never return to living on land. (This does not mean they will never return to land. Intially at least, some may commute, working on land and then returning to the habitat after work. But they will live underwater.)
This project will give humanity an entirely new possibility of where to live. Fortunately, the founders are aware of the ecological dangers of ‘invading’ the oceans, and have pledged to make sure their habitats have a very small ecological footprint. Their primary aim is to “monitor and protect this most essential of all the Earth’s living systems”.
You can follow the progress of Project Atlantica via their website at http://underseacolony.com. If you want to be involved, or if you want to be one of the first people in the world ever to live underwater, you can sign up and apply to be a crewmember, a supporter, or even a permanent colonist.
The dream of living underwater will soon become a reality.
