Oak Ridge Today

Roane State educators complete record-breaking 73-day underwater stay

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Bruce Cantrell and Jessica Fain Surface

Roane State professors Jessica Fain and Bruce Cantrell enjoy their first moments of sunlight after living underwater for 73 days. (Photos by Roane State Community College) 

 

KEY LARGO, Florida—After a record-breaking 73 days living underwater, two local college professors surfaced Monday and enjoyed the feel of sunlight for the first time in more than two months.

They also celebrated the end of their mission to educate the public about ocean conservation, to inspire young people’s interest in science, and to make history.

Biology professor Bruce Cantrell and adjunct professor Jessica Fain from Roane State Community College in East Tennessee spent the fall living and working in Jules’ Undersea Lodge, an underwater habitat on Key Largo in Florida. Their underwater stay lasted 73 days, two hours, and 34 minutes, breaking the world record for longest time spent living underwater.

The two educators submerged October 3 at 12:08 p.m. EDT and surfaced on Monday, December 15, at 1:42 p.m. EST.

“There is a sun,” Cantrell said with a laugh as he and Fain broke the surface of the water. [Read more…]

Final episode of ‘Classroom Under the Sea’ on Thursday

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Bruce Cantrell and Jessica Fain Diving

During the final episode of Classroom Under the Sea on Thursday, December 11, aquanauts Bruce Cantrell and Jessica Fain will put their experience in perspective. (Photo courtesy Roane State Community College)

 

In their last “Classroom Under the Sea” episode before resurfacing, Roane State Community College professors Bruce Cantrell and Jessica Fain will reflect on their record-breaking 73-day underwater mission and discuss the future of ocean preservation.

The live program starts at 1 p.m. Eastern on Thursday, December 11. Viewers can watch at roanestate.edu/classroomunderthesea and on youtube.com/classroomunderthesea.

Cantrell and Fain have lived and worked in an underwater habitat—Jules’ Undersea Lodge on Key Largo in the Florida Keys—since October 3. While living in the habitat, they have hosted “Classroom Under the Sea,” an online lecture series presented by Roane State and the Marine Resources Development Foundation on Key Largo. [Read more…]

Conserving coral reefs: Learn more in ‘Classroom Under the Sea’ on Thursday

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Coral Restoration

The decline of coral formations will be the topic of the Dec. 4 episode of “Classroom Under the Sea.” The photo shows coral polyps on Molasses Reef in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. (Photo by Brent Deuel, courtesy of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration/Department of Commerce)

 

The devastation of coral reefs will be the topic of the next episode of “Classroom Under the Sea,” an online lecture series hosted by two local college educators living underwater for more than two months.

The live program starts at 1 p.m. Eastern on Thursday, December 4. Viewers can watch live at roanestate.edu/classroomunderthesea and on youtube.com/classroomunderthesea.

Roane State Community College biology professor Bruce Cantrell and adjunct professor Jessica Fain are living and working in an underwater habitat for 73 days. While they stay in the habitat, where the living space is about the size of a dorm room, Fain and Cantrell host “Classroom Under the Sea,” an educational program about marine science. [Read more…]

Public invited to speak live with Roane State educators living underwater

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Aquanaut Chat

Roane State professor Bruce Cantrell, right, interviews astronauts Buzz Aldrin and Mike Gernhardt during a live episode of Classroom Under the Sea. Cantrell and Roane State adjunct professor Jessica Fain, who are living underwater for 73 days, will be available to speak live with community members on Tuesday, Dec. 2, at the college’s Oak Ridge campus. (Photo courtesy RSCC)

 

Two Roane State Community College educators living underwater for 73 days will share their experiences and answer questions during a live video chat session on Tuesday, December 2, at the college’s Oak Ridge campus.

The session will begin at 1:30 p.m. in Room 107 in the Goff Health Sciences and Technology Building at 701 Briarcliff Avenue.

The public is invited to talk with biology professor Bruce Cantrell and adjunct professor Jessica Fain, who will be chatting from the underwater habitat where they have lived since October 3.

Cantrell and Fain are staying in Jules’ Undersea Lodge on Key Largo in the Florida Keys. They have faced the psychological challenge of living 25 feet underwater in a space that’s 300 square feet and the physical challenge of living without sunlight. They will resurface December 15. [Read more…]

Recreational diving’s impact on conservation will be topic of ‘Classroom Under Sea’ today

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Undersea Preview

“Classroom Under the Sea” host Bruce Cantrell surveys a reef, one of many ways recreational divers can contribute to conservation. The November 20 episode of “Classroom Under the Sea” will address how recreational divers can help preserve ocean ecosystems.

 

Highly trained marine scientists are not the only people who can help conserve the oceans.

Recreational divers play an important role in protecting underwater resources. Learn how to become a certified diver and contribute to ocean conservation during the next episode of “Classroom Under the Sea,” an online lecture series hosted by two educators living underwater for 73 days.

The live program starts at 1 p.m. Eastern on Thursday, November 20. Viewers can watch at roanestate.edu/classroomunderthesea and on youtube.com/classroomunderthesea.

Biology professor Bruce Cantrell and adjunct professor Jessica Fain from Roane State Community College in East Tennessee are living and working in an underwater habitat—Jules’ Undersea Lodge on Key Largo in the Florida Keys—for 73 days. While in the habitat, Fain and Cantrell are hosting “Classroom Under the Sea,” presented by Roane State and the Marine Resources Development Foundation on Key Largo. [Read more…]

Thursday episode of ‘Classroom Under Sea’ to address exploration, climate change

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Underwater Exploration

Remotely Operated Vehicles, or ROVS, are one of the tools used by ocean explorers. In this 2005 image, the (ROV) Hercules searches for deep sea fauna. (Photograph courtesy National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration/Department of Commerce)

 

Ocean exploration and climate change will be the topics of the next episode of “Classroom Under the Sea,” an online lecture series hosted by two educators living underwater for 73 days.

The live program starts at 1 p.m. Eastern on Thursday, November 13. Viewers can watch at roanestate.edu/classroomunderthesea and on youtube.com/classroomunderthesea.

Biology professor Bruce Cantrell and adjunct professor Jessica Fain from Roane State Community College in East Tennessee are living and working in an underwater habitat—Jules’ Undersea Lodge on Key Largo in the Florida Keys—for 73 days. While in the habitat, Fain and Cantrell are hosting “Classroom Under the Sea,” presented by Roane State and the Marine Resources Development Foundation on Key Largo.

Guests visiting the habitat for the November 13 episode are best-selling author Richard Hyman and filmmaker Andy Pruna Sr. Hyman’s book “Frogmen” describes his journeys with Jacques Cousteau and the crew of the Calypso, a minesweeper that Cousteau converted into a research vessel. [Read more…]

Roane State’s Fain sets record for female living underwater

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Jessica Fain

Jessica Fain

As Roane State Community College educators Jessica Fain and Bruce Cantrell pursue a world record for longest time spent living underwater, Fain has already made her mark.

Cantrell, a biology professor, and Fain, an adjunct professor, are living and working in an underwater habitat—Jules’ Undersea Lodge on Key Largo in the Florida Keys—for 73 days.

Cantrell, an expert in the history of underwater habitats, noted that Fain has set the record for a female living underwater. The previous mark was 14 days, set in 1970 by renowned scientist Sylvia Earle and her team during their stay in the Tektite habitat. The Tektite program was the first nationally sponsored effort to place scientists in the sea to live.

As of Saturday, October 18, Fain and Cantrell had lived continuously underwater for 15 days. [Read more…]