Staying in the water for long is no easy feat, yet Joseph Dituri, an associate professor at the University of South Florida and a former naval officer will be doing it for 100 days. In his time underwater, he believes that he had discovered a new species.
Dituri's Discovery
Joseph Dituri's goal is to stay underwater for 100 days, and on his 30th day, he believes that he found a single-cell ciliate, which is a single-celled organism that is new to science. Dr. Dituri says that it has been there all this time, and people just didn't look.
The species found by Dr. Dituri is still to be studied by microbiologists to learn whether or not it is undiscovered yet. If it is, then it will be a big discovery for the associate professor, and it's not even his main goal for living underwater.
He intends to test out a hypothesis wherein increased pressure in certain conditions will result in better health. He expressed that being exposed to half the pressure he is in right now will double the number of circulating stem cells.
Dr. Dituri further said that he will have longer telomeres, potentially reversing aging, as well as gain bone density and muscle when he's underwater, as mentioned in Interesting Engineering. For comparison, the last record for living underwater was 73 consecutive days.
While Dr. Dituri's goal is to get through 100 days, he said that he didn't care about the record. He just wanted to live underwater, and would even do it for 200 days if he could afford it. He then proudly said that it was where they will find the next great cure.
To make sure that the scientist stays in good shape, many medical professionals are monitoring his vitals as well as his mental health. He undergoes psychological and psychosocial testing, ultrasound, electrocardiogram, and stem cell tests.
The Man Behind the Discovery
Joseph Dituri, who also goes by Dr. Deep Sea, is a retired Navy who served for 28 years. He has a Ph.D. in Biochemical Engineering and is the president of the Undersea Oxygen Clinic, which hyperbaric oxygen to heal the body naturally.
He also has a degree in Computer Science from the University of South Carolina, followed by being commissioned into the Special Operations Officer pipeline. He was then transferred to the Engineering Duty Officer Diving Community, according to the Dr. Deep Sea website.
In partnership with the Marine Resources Development Foundation Marine Lab, Dr. Dituri will live underwater for 100 days in Key Largo, Florida. His research will contribute to the knowledge of hyperbaric medicine, life support equipment, and high carbon dioxide environments.
Joseph Dituri is very much involved in many activities. He is the CEO of the Association for Marine Exploration Active membership, as well as consulting for the International Board of Undersea Medicine.
He even authored a full-length novel titled "Secrets in Depth." It follows the life of Joe Camissa, a Naval Commander aboard the USS Kingfish. Camissa is a man who had suffered a brain injury and will be going through strange events at sea.
