British startup DEEP launches underwater research habitat Vanguard off Florida Keys

UK marine‑engineering startup DEEP has placed its experimental underwater habitat “Vanguard” on the seafloor near the Florida Keys, about 17 m deep at Tennessee Reef. The tube‑shaped module is 10.7 m long and 2.4 m in diameter and includes four beds, a sofa, a small kitchen, a combined bathroom‑lab space, a moon‑pool for diver access and a surface‑support buoy that supplies oxygen, power and communications.

The habitat is intended for long‑duration scientific missions, allowing teams of up to two researchers to live underwater for up to five days after completing a two‑week training program. DEEP is targeting coral‑reef restoration and human‑machine collaboration projects, offering up to US$50,000 in research funding per team. “It’s been more than 40 years since the last inhabited underwater habitat was built and used,” said DEEP scientific director Dawn Cnagy. The deployment marks the first permanent underwater research station of its kind in decades, opening new possibilities for deep‑sea biology, geology and climate studies.