On March 1, Dr. Dituri began a project to stay for 100 days at a special hotel called Jules's Undersea Lodge 30 feet under the ocean surface in a conservation area in Key Largo.
The farther you go below the ocean's surface, the greater the pressure. Dr. Dituri wanted to learn how this pressure would affect the human body over time. He believes that high pressure could help people live longer and stay healthier as they get older. It could also help doctors treat different medical problems, including brain injuries.
While he was living underwater, Dr. Dituri still stayed busy daily according to his schedule. He often exercised in the morning. He kept teaching his college classes virtually and had online chats with over 5,500 students from 15 different countries. He also worked with ocean experts to figure out ways to preserve the ocean. He even had a number of visitors who dove down to spend a little time with him.
On June 9, De. Dituri returned to the surface with a new world record, beating the old record of 73 days. Many friends, family and other supporters were there to greet him and celebrate his success. Doctors quickly checked him out to make sure he was okay. Actually, Dr. Dturi went through several big changes. For one thing, he became 1.3 centimeters shorter during his time in the higher undersea pressure. Sleeping much better, his health greatly improved in a couple of ways. Dr. Dituri and his team plan to study the information they collected during the project. In November, Dr. Dituri will speak at an important medical meeting in Scotland about the discoveries the scientists made during the project.
Dr. Dituri says his favorite part of the project was talking with young people. "Who knows?" he said. "Maybe one day, one of them will come back and break the record we just set. My greatest hope is that I have inspired a new generation of explorers and researchers to push past all boundaries."
