Professor and lecturer at the University of South Florida, 55-year-old Joseph DiTuri broke the world record for life expectancy underwater. The man has been living in the underwater house for more than 75 days and does not plan to leave it.

Writes about it The Washington Post.

Every day, Joseph Diethuri wakes up around 5 a.m., goes to his workplace, and basks in the sun shining above him.

But this sun is a yellow pillow with a smiling face in the center. Dituri hung it on his wall to remind him of the real sun, which he had not seen in more than 75 days.

Dituri, a hyperbaric medicine researcher and assistant professor at the University of South Florida, has been living in an underwater container in Key Largo, Florida since March 1. He investigates whether life underwater is possible, daily checking the state of his brain, heart, lungs and blood.

On Saturday, May 13 — the 73rd day at Jules' Undersea Lodge — Dituri believes he has broken the world record for the longest stay underwater. But 55-year-old Dituri still intends to live underwater for 100 days to complete his experiment.

"It's not about the world record," Dituri said. "It's about living underwater and in an isolated, confined, extreme environment. I have to last 100 days, but that's only because I couldn't afford to spend 200 days."

The man believes that everything necessary for life is under water. Photo: Frazier Nivens/Florida Keys News Bureau/AP

Dituri has long been fond of water. He grew up near the Atlantic Ocean in Long Island and served in the U.S. Navy for nearly 28 years before stepping down as commander in December 2012.

Around that time, Dituri was scuba diving near Orange County, California, and said he saw an 11-inch sea louse. He believed that all sea lice are only a few millimeters long. He wondered what other species he might find in the sea.

Dituri knew that life underwater was possible. In 2014, two professors from Tennessee stayed at the Jules' Undersea Lodge in Key Largo for 73 days. Observing how his military colleagues suffered concussions during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Dituri studied treatments for traumatic brain injuries. He wondered if living underwater in high blood pressure could help with brain injuries.

"I said, 'We have to live in the ocean,'" Dituri said. Everyone said, "You're crazy." I was fired from the Navy and then they said, "That's it. You've lost it."

Dituri needed additional degrees to become a researcher, so he received his Ph.D. in biomedical engineering from the University of South Florida in December 2017. In 2019, DiTuri and four friends stayed at Jules' Undersea Lodge for five days to check out underwater life. But DiTuri wanted to stay underwater longer and alone to see how his brain and body would react.

The coronavirus pandemic put his plans to start his experiment in 2020, but Dituri decided he would fund nearly half of the roughly $200,000 project this year. The Marine Resources Development Foundation, a Key Largo-based nonprofit, also helped fund the project, Dituri said.

Dituri misses the sun. Photo: Ben Norton

Before the man plunged under water, doctors recorded his vital signs, including blood pressure, cholesterol, calcium, muscle inflammation and stem cell health. He also underwent an anxiety and depression screening by psychologists.

Dituri booked a capsule similar to a 3-by-3-meter room, which is 9 meters deep underwater. The house receives electricity, oxygen and water from a wire connected to the ground. DiTuri also connected a cable to a terrestrial router for internet access. The capsule has a small kitchen, toilet, shower and bedroom.

Every three days, DiTuri said, fellow researchers swim to his capsule to deliver food, including eggs and salmon, in a pressurized container. But a man can only cook in the microwave due to increased pressure in the sea. He also makes coffee every morning. DiTuri still teaches his hyperbaric medicine and biomedical engineering virtually three days a week to the University of South Florida.

He deals with resistant tapes and takes vitamin D supplements. But his main research comes from tests on his body. He often takes urine samples and undergoes an electrogram, which records brain and heart activity.

When doctors and researchers visit Ditouri, they check his blood and organs. He also meets virtually with psychologists and a psychiatrist to monitor his mental health. A man often leaves his scuba capsule, and he believes he has recently discovered a new single-celled organism.

The man noted that his cholesterol and stress levels had decreased. Photo: Instagram/drdeepsea

DiTuri said his cholesterol and stress levels have decreased, that he spends more time in the REM sleep or hibernation phase, and that he produces stem cells faster. On June 9, when Dituri leaves the band, he will undergo rigorous testing to see how his body will react to the new environment.

Nevertheless, the man missed the human touch. He only sees his girlfriend and three daughters virtually, and recently missed his middle daughter's college graduation. On Saturday, May 13, Ditouri's 80-year-old mother, Mary, will take a scuba diving course so she can visit her son.

The man also misses the sun. He used to watch the sunrise almost every morning after a workout, but lately he had to be content with his pillow. "Everything we need is here," Ditouri said. “... Now I know. I need to let everyone else know."

Earlier we wrote that in an official press release from the University of South Florida, it was confirmed that Dieturi, who also has a doctorate in biomedical engineering and served in the US Navy, is conducting an experiment in the hope of finding new "ways to revive the marine environment."

In addition, the researcher also seeks to "test medical technology that could prevent many diseases in humans."

The former commander of the US Navy will conduct the Neptune 100 mission until the summer in an underwater house.

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