DEEP launches Vanguard underwater habitat off Florida

Engineering firm DEEP has deployed Vanguard, an experimental underwater habitat anchored at 17 metres depth on the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. The bus‑sized station can accommodate four aquanauts who will live and work at ambient pressure, allowing continuous sampling of marine organisms without the distortion caused by surfacing.

Vanguard is tethered to a surface buoy that supplies air, power, communications and waste handling, and features a moon‑pool opening for direct egress to the seafloor. Director of scientific research Dawn Kernagis said the facility will “preserve samples in their natural pressure, avoiding the molecular changes that occur during decompression.” The project is intended to advance oceanic research and may also support defense and industrial applications, with a larger modular system, Sentinel, planned for 2027.