32 days ago was probably a sleepless night for Fabien Cousteau, the grandson of famed underwater explorer, Jacques-Yves Cousteau. The very next morning he would begin his record-breaking 31-day underwater mission near Key Largo, Florida. He and his team returned to the surface on Wednesday.
Cousteau and his crew of over 30 professionals and experts conducted research for 31-days in a 400-square-foot laboratory 63 feet beneath the ocean's surface. For six to eight hours a day, the team scuba-dived and collected data to study how climate change and pollution affect marine life. Cousteau believes at least ten scientific papers will be written based on the amount of research compiled.
Dubbed "Mission 31," Cousteau's experiment was conducted in honor of his grandfather's 50th anniversary for creating the first ocean floor habitats for humans and leading the first attempt to live and work underwater. The goal of Mission 31 was to increase support for ocean conservation, and 31 days of conducting research underwater is likely to do just that.
"I personally would have loved to have continued beyond 31 days," said Cousteau, in this ABC News article. "I didn't know how I was going to react -- physically, psychologically. It was amazing how much it felt like home. It was such a unique experience and something I wish, hope in some way we were able to gift to the world -- so they could peek into this unusual thing we did and feel like they were part of the mission."
The entire mission was broadcasted online and Cousteau communicated with classrooms across the world. He felt the month-long research was necessary since less than 5% of the world's oceans have been explored, leaving much territory that needs attention due to changes in the environment. Cousteau previously worked for National Geographic, Discovery, PBS, and CBS from 1998-2006 producing ocean exploration documentaries. He will finally have his own to create from his perspective.
Cousteau's crew consisted of filmmakers as well, armed with cameras, GoPros, computers, and other forms of technology essential for recording the team's daily underwater activities. Hopefully they documented important information on the declining number of coral reefs, after the International Union for Conservation of Nature released a report yesterday about their status (a Florida International University scientist participated in the mission to study the reefs).
The scientific world will be on their toes over the next year to see what will come out of Cousteau's extensive research. You can read more about the mission in this Guardian news article.