Design Your Own Underwater Habitat

Des|n Des|n Des|n Des|n our Cwn our Cwn our Cwn our Cwn
Underwater Hab|tat Underwater Hab|tat Underwater Hab|tat Underwater Hab|tat

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Introduct|on Introduct|on Introduct|on Introduct|on
NOAAs Aquarius is the only undersea habitat in the world dedicated to marine research. Located
about 19 m (63 ft) under the surface of the water in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary,
Aquarius offers scientists the unique opportunity to live and work underwater. Scuba divers can
usually be underwater for only short periods of time before they need to surface. However, a
technique called saturation diving allows Aquarius scientists, also known as aquanauts, to stay
underwater for days or weeks at a time. Teams of six aquanauts typically live and work aboard
Aquarius for 10-day missions. Aquanauts often spend six to nine hours each day diving around the
habitat, and many teams focus their research on the surrounding coral reefs. During their time inside
the habitat, aquanauts make use of many life support and comfort features such as freshwater, hot
showers, breathable air, food, bunks, communication tools, and laboratory equipment.
In the first part of this activity, students explore the Aquarius habitat through online text, photos, and
videos. They are then challenged to design a new underwater habitat and decide where to deploy it.
After researching and describing the life support features of their habitat, students create a two-
dimensional scale drawing of the habitat. They also explain where they would deploy their habitat
and what aquanauts living aboard their habitat might do during an example 10-day mission. As an
optional extension, students build a three-dimensional model of their habitat.

Act|v|ty Act|v|ty Act|v|ty Act|v|ty Summary Summary Summary Summary: :: : Students explore the Aquarius undersea research habitat and use what they
learn to design their own underwater habitat, create a two-dimensional scale drawing of it, and
explain where they would deploy it.
D|ff|culty: D|ff|culty: D|ff|culty: D|ff|culty: Medium to Hard
Suested Group S|te: Suested Group S|te: Suested Group S|te: Suested Group S|te: 14
T|me: T|me: T|me: T|me: 25 hours
Mater|als Mater|als Mater|als Mater|als
student handouts (Part 1: Explore Aquarius, Part 2: Design Your Own Underwater Habitat,
and Underwater Habitat Poster)
computers connected to the Internet
graph paper
rulers
poster-making materials (poster board, markers, colored pencils, glue, tape, etc.)
optional: model-building supplies (modeling clay, craft foam, balsa wood, tacky glue, paint, etc.)
Goals Goals Goals Goals
Students will be able to:
A. describe the design and summarize the functionality of the Aquarius undersea research laboratory
B. design a new underwater habitat that includes necessary life support features
C. create a two-dimensional scale drawing of the habitat
D. recommend a deployment location for the habitat and explain the recommendation
E. formulate an example 10-day mission plan for an aquanaut aboard the habitat
Set Set Set Set- -- -Up Up Up Up
Before beginning the activity, distribute copies of the three student handouts (Part 1: Explore
Aquarius, Part 2: Design Your Own Underwater Habitat, and Underwater Habitat Poster). If at all
possible, arrange for students to have individual or small-group access to computers connected to
the Internet. If this is not possible, walk through Part 1: Explore Aquarius as a class by projecting
the Web pages and videos onto a large screen. For Part 2: Design Your Own Underwater Habitat,
provide students with printouts of the most relevant background information from the listed online
resources and/or have groups share the available Internet-connected computers.


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Act|v|ty Notes Act|v|ty Notes Act|v|ty Notes Act|v|ty Notes

Part 1: Explore Aquarius
Section A
Go over the Part 1: Explore Aquarius handout with students. Explain to students that they will
explore Aquarius by visiting various Web pages and watching select video clips. Consider watching
the Project SeaCAMEL archived broadcast as a class. Although the show is about 45 minutes long,
the interior tour of the Aquarius habitat lasts only about 10 minutes (start time: 06:45; end time:
16:00). Encourage students to record their answers to the five questions in Section A as they browse
the Web sites and watch the video clips.
Section B
Students who complete Section A early should record their answers to the questions in Section B
and can then begin to brainstorm about their habitat design. When most groups are done with
Section A, have a whole-class discussion about what it might be like to live and work aboard
Aquarius. Ask students to consider what training requirements might be like, what it would be like
to share a small space with several other scientists for more than a week, and how it would feel to
know that a quick return to the surface is not possible for an aquanaut.

Part 2: Design Your Own Underwater Habitat
Section A
In Part 2, issue students the challenge of designing a new underwater habitat and deciding where
to deploy it. Ask students to consider how they would design a new habitat if funding were to
become available for an additional undersea laboratory. It is up to you to decide how much detail
to require for this section. You might want students to just be aware that various life support
systems are necessary for an underwater habitat, or you might want them to learn about the actual
mechanics of such systems. The first two Web sites listed under Online resources have general
information about life support systems on Aquarius. The third and fourth Web sites include
information about life support systems used in two space exploration programs. The NASA Web
site includes particularly extensive details about the systems used aboard NASA space shuttles.
If you want students to gain a deeper understanding of life support systems, but you do not want
them to spend time on every issue listed in Section A, consider having each student thoroughly
research options for a single system and then share what they have learned with the larger group.
Below are some examples of how students might choose to deal with various life support issues:
How to provide freshwater: Desalinate seawater for use aboard the habitat, or store freshwater
at the surface and use tubes and pipes to pump it down to the habitat.
How to provide food: Bring freeze-dried food aboard the habitat for each mission. For extended
missions, grow an algal bed in the habitat or somewhere close to the surface for use as food.
How to provide oxygen: Use a battery to separate the hydrogen and oxygen in water, or install
banks of breathable air on the sea floor.
How to provide electricity: Generate electricity using a bicycle-type generator, or build an
underwater windmill powered by tides or currents.
How to remove excess carbon dioxide that might build up in the habitat: Install a material such
as Sodasorb to absorb the excess gas. An algal bed or a hydroponic plant garden could also
be used to scrub excess carbon dioxide from the air.
How to escape in an emergency: Provide an escape hatch from the habitat and build a
freestanding structure away from the habitat that can be used as an escape pod.
How to deal with any other important life support issues: Encourage students to identify and
research other issues such as keeping the habitat pressurized, providing communication links to
shore, providing oxygen supplies for scuba diving, etc.


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Section B
In this section, students create a two-dimensional scale drawing (floor plan) of their habitat. If
students are not familiar with scale drawings and/or floor plans, discuss these topics at the start of
the section. Explain that floor plans show a flat view of an area from above. If you think it would be
helpful, have students practice sketching a floor plan of their classroom or a room in their home
before sketching their habitats floor plan. Students should first draw the perimeter of the area on a
sheet of graph paper. Then they should add any large features such as tables, sinks, or beds.
Measuring the length and width of these features will help them determine what their relative sizes
should be within the floor plan sketch.
Students might find that creating a scale drawing of their habitat is easier than making a scale
drawing of an actual room because they do not have to measure each feature. However, students
still need to think about realistic sizes for the habitats features (for example, a bunk should be
about 2 m (6.5 ft) long, not 1 m (3 ft) or 5 m (16.4) long). After creating a rough floor plan sketch of
their habitat, students should choose an appropriate scale to use for creating a scale drawing from
the sketch. Choosing a good scale depends in part on the number and size of the squares on the
graph paper being used, but scales of 1 cm = 0.5 m (1:50) and in. = 1 ft (1:48) often work well.
Encourage students to ask questions and use the listed Online resources if they need help.
Section C
In this section, students recommend a deployment location for their underwater habitat. To limit the
number of possibilities, students are asked to select an area from one of the six focus regions of
NOAAs Undersea Research Program (NURP). Students must defend their recommendation by
explaining why having a dedicated undersea habitat would be beneficial in their chosen area.
The second task of this section is for students to formulate an example 10-day mission plan for an
aquanaut aboard their habitat in their chosen deployment location. Encourage students to read
several Mission Summaries available from NOAAs Aquarius Undersea Laboratory: Missions &
Project Info Web page to get an idea of the kind of information that goes into a mission summary.
Wrap-Up and Evaluation
After students have completed Parts 1 and 2 of the activity, they should create a poster that includes
their final scale drawing, a map and description of their chosen deployment location, and an example
mission summary. Students should also include a name for their new habitat, at least two color
illustrations (one each of the habitat and the area surrounding the habitat), and any other important
details. To share their work, groups could take turns presenting their posters to one another or the
whole class could participate in a poster session.
Use the rubric at the end of this activity to evaluate each groups work. Students should reference
the rubric as they create their poster to keep track of how each section will be evaluated.
Extension Ideas
If time allows, consider having students create a three-dimensional model of part or all of their
habitat. If they construct the model in school, supply them with a variety of model building supplies
such as modeling clay, craft foam, balsa wood, glue, and paint.

Answers to Answers to Answers to Answers to uest|ons uest|ons uest|ons uest|ons f ff from rom rom rom Part 1: Explore Part 1: Explore Part 1: Explore Part 1: Explore
1.) What is Aquarius? (Aquarius is an undersea research laboratory. Researchers known as
aquanauts live and work aboard Aquarius for missions that last about 10 days each.)
2.) Where is Aquarius located? (Aquarius is currently located about 14 km (9 mi) southeast of Key
Largo, Florida. The habitat is 5.6 km (3.5 mi) offshore in a sandy area on the sea floor of the
Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Surrounding Aquarius is a coral reef site called Conch
Reef. The baseplate of the Aquarius structure is located 19 m (63 ft) below the surface of the
water. The living and working space of the habitat is about 4 m (13 ft) above the sea floor.)


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3.) What are the three main parts of the Aquarius system, and what is the purpose of each one?
(The three main parts of the Aquarius system are the Life Support Buoy (LSB), the baseplate,
and the habitat. The LSB is an unmanned buoy located directly above the habitat. It contains
many tools such as generators, compressors, computers, and advanced communication
systems for transmitting real-time video, audio, and data from inside Aquarius to shore-based
mission control. The baseplate provides a stable platform onto which the habitat is mounted. The
habitat provides living and working space for the aquanauts.)
4.) What is saturation diving? (Saturation diving is a technique that allows divers nearly unlimited
time to work underwater. After about 24 hours at any working depth, a divers body becomes
saturated with dissolved gas. Once this occurs, decompression time (the period required to bring
the diver gradually back to surface pressure without inflicting serious injury) is the same
regardless of how much additional time is spent underwater. As long as saturated divers stay in
the water at depth or stay inside an appropriately pressurized underwater habitat, they are safe.
The divers must go through a decompression process before surfacing.)
5.) What kinds of research do scientists conduct during Aquarius missions? (Answers will vary.
Much of the research at Aquarius involves coral reefs. Studies in the past have focused on coral
bleaching, water quality, predator-prey relationships, coral fossil records, and other topics.)
Answers to uest|ons Answers to uest|ons Answers to uest|ons Answers to uest|ons from from from from Part 2: Des|n our Cwn Part 2: Des|n our Cwn Part 2: Des|n our Cwn Part 2: Des|n our Cwn Underwater Hab|tat Underwater Hab|tat Underwater Hab|tat Underwater Hab|tat
1.) What are some of the advantages and disadvantages of using a habitat like Aquarius when
conducting underwater research? (Answers will vary. Advantages include the ability for divers to
conduct research on the sea floor without needing to surface every few hours and the ability to
conduct a lot of undersea research in a short amount of time. A key disadvantage is the high
cost of maintaining the Aquarius system.)
2.) What are some of the challenges that aquanauts face? (Answers will vary. Students might
mention that aquanaut training could be physically and mentally demanding. Being away from
family and living in a small space for more than a week might also be hard for some students.)
3.) Would you want to go on an Aquarius mission? Why or why not? (Answers will vary.)


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Standards Correlat|ons Standards Correlat|ons Standards Correlat|ons Standards Correlat|ons

Correlations to National Science Education Standards (Grades 58)*
Content Standard E: Science and Technology
Abilities of technological design
Understandings about science and technology
Content Standard F: Science in Personal and Social Perspectives
Risks and benefits
Science and technology in society
Content Standard G: History and Nature of Science
Science as a human endeavor
Nature of science

Correlations to National Science Education Standards (Grades 912)**
Content Standard E: Science and Technology
Abilities of technological design
Understandings about science and technology
Content Standard F: Science in Personal and Social Perspectives
Personal and community health
Science and technology in local, national, and global challenges
Content Standard G: History and Nature of Science
Science as a human endeavor
Nature of scientific knowledge

Correlations to Ocean Literacy Essential Principles and Fundamental Concepts***
Essential Principle 7: Ocean Exploration
b: Exploration, inquiry, and study of ocean systems and processes
d: Technologies, sensors, and tools used in ocean exploration
f: Interdisciplinary nature of ocean exploration
* For a complete listing of the National Science Education Standards (Grades 58), visit www.nap.edu/readingroom/books/nses/html/6d.html.
** For a complete listing of the National Science Education Standards (Grades 912), visit www.nap.edu/readingroom/books/nses/6e.html.
*** Ocean Literacy Essential Principles and Fundamental Concepts are paraphrased for brevity. For a complete listing of the principles and concepts, visit
www.coexploration.org/oceanliteracy.


Part 1: Explore Part 1: Explore Part 1: Explore Part 1: Explore

A. Visit the Web sites below to learn more about the Aquarius undersea research laboratory.
Living Oceans Foundations Project SeaCAMEL Web site: www.seacamel.livingoceansfoundation.org
Watch part of the archived broadcast entitled Module 1: Living and Working Underwater for an
interior tour of the Aquarius habitat (from the Project SeaCAMEL home page, click Archived
Webcasts and then click Introduction to Aquarius the tour lasts from 06:45 to 16:00)
NOAAs Aquarius Undersea Laboratory Web site: www.uncw.edu/aquarius
Check out the Frequently Asked Questions: www.uncw.edu/aquarius/about/about_faq.htm
Read the Fact Sheet: www.uncw.edu/aquarius/about/fact_sheet.htm
Go on the Aquarius virtual tour: www.uncw.edu/aquarius/virtual_tour/ipix.html (you will need to
download the IPIX plug-in, available at www.ipix.com/cgi-bin/download.cgi)
NOAA Ocean Explorers The Aquarius Underwater Laboratory: Americas Inner Space Station
Web page: www.oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/technology/diving/aquarius/aquarius.html
Check out the Aquarius Underwater Laboratory Virtual Visit video clip at the top of the page
Click on the images in the article for a larger view
NASAs About Aquarius Web page: www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/NEEMO/facilities.html

As you browse the Web sites and watch the videos, look for answers the following questions:

1.) What is Aquarius?

2.) Where is Aquarius located?

3.) What are the three main parts of the Aquarius system, and what is the purpose of each one?

4.) What is saturation diving?

5.) What kinds of research do scientists conduct during Aquarius missions?

B. As a group, discuss what it would be like to live and work aboard Aquarius. Record your
answers to the questions below to share during the group discussion:
1.) What are some of the advantages and disadvantages of using a habitat like Aquarius when
conducting underwater research?

2.) What are some of the challenges that aquanauts face?

3.) Would you want to go on an Aquarius mission? Why or why not?


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Part 2: Des|n our Cwn Underwater Hab|tat Part 2: Des|n our Cwn Underwater Hab|tat Part 2: Des|n our Cwn Underwater Hab|tat Part 2: Des|n our Cwn Underwater Hab|tat

A. Research the life support features necessary for an underwater habitat and decide how to
incorporate each feature into the design of your habitat.
Be sure to consider the following issues:
How to provide freshwater, food, oxygen, and electricity to aquanauts in the habitat
How to remove excess carbon dioxide that might build up in the habitat
How aquanauts will enter and exit the habitat and where they will go in the event of an
emergency
How to deal with any other important life support issues

Online resources:
NOAAs Aquarius Undersea Laboratory Web site: www.uncw.edu/aquarius (check out the
Frequently Asked Questions at www.uncw.edu/aquarius/about/about_faq.htm)
NOAA Ocean Explorers The Aquarius Underwater Laboratory: Americas Inner Space Station
Web page: www.oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/technology/diving/aquarius/aquarius.html
European Space Agencys Advanced Life Support Web site: ecls.esa.int/ecls
NASAs Shuttle Reference Manual Web site: www.spaceflight.nasa.gov/shuttle/reference/shutref/index.html
(browse the sections Orbiter Flight Crew Escape Systems, Crew Equipment, and Space Shuttle
Orbiter Systems)

B. Create a scale drawing of your habitat.
Use graph paper and a pencil to sketch the floor plan of your habitat. Be sure to include areas
where aquanauts can sleep, eat, go to the bathroom, do research, communicate with the outside
world, and enter/exit the habitat.
Choose an appropriate scale to use for your scale drawing (for example, 1 cm = 0.5 m or in. = 1 ft).
Use the scale, a new piece of graph paper, a pencil, and a ruler to turn your sketch into a two-
dimensional scale drawing. If you need assistance, check out the online resources below or ask
your teacher for help.
Add a key to your drawing that describes the location and functionality of each of the life support
features that you researched in Section A.

Online resources:
NOAAs Aquarius Undersea Laboratory: About Aquarius Web page:
www.uncw.edu/aquarius/about/about.htm
Ryerson Universitys Drawing to Scale Web page:
www.ryerson.ca/rta/handbook/tvpaperwork/drawing_to_scale.htm
Math-Kitectures What is a Floor Plan? Web page: www.math-kitecture.com/what.htm

C. Recommend a deployment location for your habitat and write an example 10-day mission plan.
Explore the six focus regions of NOAAs Undersea Research Program (NURP) and select one of
them as the deployment location for your habitat. Draw a map showing your recommended location
and explain why the location would benefit from having a dedicated underwater habitat.
Write a two- or three-paragraph Mission Summary to explain what an aquanaut might do during
an example 10-day mission aboard your habitat in your chosen deployment location.

Online resources:
NOAAs NURP Centers & Institutes Web page: www.nurp.noaa.gov/Centers.htm (click the colored
areas on the map to learn more about each region)
NOAAs Aquarius Undersea Laboratory: Missions & Project Info Web page (go to
www.uncw.edu/aquarius, mouse over Missions and Project Info, click a project year from the
drop-down list (for example, 2007 projects), and then click a mission (for example, Mission 1) to
read the summary for that mission)


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Underwater Hab|tat Poster Underwater Hab|tat Poster Underwater Hab|tat Poster Underwater Hab|tat Poster

After you complete Part 1 and Part 2 of this activity, put together a poster that showcases your new
underwater habitat. Refer to the following rubric as you create the poster. Stay within the guidelines of
Excellent to earn the maximum number of points!

Poster Evaluation Rubric
5 = Poor 10 = Good 15 = Great 20 = Excellent
Scale
Drawing:
Habitat Areas
Drawing includes areas for
only a few of the following:
sleeping, eating, going to
the bathroom, doing
research, communicating
with the outside world, and
entering/exiting the habitat.
The areas are not clearly
labeled and/or are not drawn
with an appropriate scale.
some of the following:
the bathroom, doing
entering/exiting the
habitat. Most areas are
clearly labeled and drawn
most of the following:
the bathroom, doing
habitat. All areas are
all of the following:
the bathroom, doing
habitat. All areas are
Scale
Drawing: Life
Support Key
Drawing includes a key that
describes the location and
functionality of one or two
life support features
Drawing includes a key
that describes the location
and functionality of three
life support features.
that clearly describes the
location and functionality
of four life support
features.
that clearly describes the
location and functionality
of at least five life support
features.
Deployment
Location
Poster does not include a
map showing the chosen
deployment location nor a
clear explanation of why the
location would benefit from
having a dedicated
underwater habitat.
Poster includes either a
map showing the chosen
deployment location or a
detailed explanation of
why the location would
benefit from having a
dedicated underwater
habitat.
Poster includes a map
showing the chosen
deployment location, but
the explanation of why the
location would benefit
from having a dedicated
underwater habitat is not
clear.
Poster includes a map
showing the chosen
deployment location and a
detailed explanation of
why the location would
benefit from having a
dedicated underwater
habitat.
Example
Mission
Summary
Poster includes a one-
paragraph Mission
Summary, but it does not
explain what an aquanaut
might do during an example
10-day mission aboard the
habitat. The summary does
not include a description of
science research goals.
Poster includes a one-
paragraph Mission
Summary that explains
what an aquanaut might
do during an example 10-
day mission aboard the
habitat. The summary
includes a description of
science research goals,
but they might not be
clearly related to the
deployment location.
Poster includes a two- or
three-paragraph Mission
science research goals,
but they are not clearly
related to the deployment
location.
Poster includes a two- or
three-paragraph Mission
science research goals
that are clearly related to
the deployment location.
Illustrations
The poster includes only one
illustration. The illustration is
either not colorful or not
detailed. It shows either a
view of the habitat or a view
of the area surrounding the
habitat.
The poster includes one
colorful and detailed
illustration. The illustration
shows either a view of the
habitat or a view of the
area surrounding the
habitat.
The poster includes at
least two neat and colorful
illustrations. The
illustrations show either a
view of the habitat or a
view the area surrounding
the habitat.
The poster includes at
least two colorful and
detailed illustrations. It is
clear that one illustration is
a view of the habitat and
the other is a view of the
area surrounding the
habitat.
Neatness
Most sections of the poster
are messy and difficult to
read.
Some sections of the
poster are neat and easy
to read.
Most sections of the
poster are neat and easy
to read.
All sections of the poster
are neat and easy to read.
Optional:
Presentation
Skills

Some group members
mumbled or used
inappropriate volume and
some group members had a
slouching posture or made
infrequent eye contact.
Most group members
used a clear voice and
appropriate volume
throughout. Some group
members had a slouching
posture or made
infrequent eye contact.
Most group members
used a clear voice,
appropriate volume,
upright posture, and
frequent eye contact
throughout.
All group members used a
clear voice, appropriate
volume, upright posture,
and frequent eye contact
throughout.

Design Your Own Underwater Habitat

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Design Your Own Underwater Habitat

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