A Florida researcher will live 100 days underwater for scientific purposes

University of South Florida (USF) Associate Professor

plans to spend 100 days submerged in Florida waters to conduct marine science and medical research and study how the human body responds to long-term exposure to pressure extreme.

The

, as Dituri has called it, began on March 1 and will end, if all goes according to plan, on June 9.

Dituri, who is

and a retired US Navy commander with a doctorate in biomedical engineering, has been in the underwater shelter of MarineLab, a facility of the Marine Resources Development Foundation, since Wednesday.

During the 100 days below the sea surface, it will live at 9.4 meters in a

located at the Jules Undersea Lodge in Key Largo, Florida, the University of South Florida said in a statement.

The note explains that a

the researcher's health, periodically immersing himself in his habitat to perform a series of tests.

Before, during and after the project, Dituri will undergo a series of

, and a psychologist and psychiatrist will document the mental effects of being in an isolated and confined environment for an extended period, similar to space travel. .

"The human body has never been underwater for this long, so I will be closely monitored," Dituri said in the statement.

The researcher believes that his health will improve in the attempt and mentions that a recent scientific study concluded that cells exposed to greater pressure

This suggests that increased pressure has the potential to allow humans to

associated with aging, the statement explains.

"So, we suspect that I'm going to come out as a super human!" Dituri says.

The former marine also believes that the results of his mission will be

of long-duration space travel, including missions to Mars, as well as for underwater exploration, says a note from the Florida Keys News Bureau. .

CLASSES MORE THAN 9 METERS DEEP

While underwater, the professor will teach regular online classes, including hyperbaric medicine classes he already teaches at the

and college-level biomedical engineering courses for high school students.

The 100-day mission includes testing new technologies, such as an artificial intelligence tool developed by a colleague that can detect diseases in the human body and determine

.

He will also be joined underwater by other scientists to discuss ways to

and rejuvenate the marine environment.

"Everything we need to survive is on the planet," she said.

"I suspect that the cure for many diseases can be found in undiscovered organisms in the ocean. To find out, we need more researchers," he says.

Dituri found his passion for science while serving in the US Navy where

as a saturation diving officer.

After retiring in 2012 as a major, Dituri enrolled at USF to earn his Ph.D. and learn more about

.

"Many of my brothers and sisters in the military had traumatic brain injuries, and

Dituri says.

"I was well aware that

could increase cerebral blood flow and hypothesized that it could be used to treat traumatic brain injuries," he adds.

The record for human experience underwater at ambient pressure is currently

by American teachers

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

Know more

• USA