ISLAMORADA, Fla. – Fabien Cousteau is preparing to ascend from the bottom of the ocean after spending 31 days underwater in the Florida Keys.
Cousteau and his team of filmmakers and scientists started decompression Tuesday afternoon inside Aquarius Reef Base, 63 feet below the ocean's surface.
Because they've spent so much time underwater, Cousteau and his "Mission 31" crew needed to undergo roughly 16 hours of decompression inside the school bus-sized lab so that they could return to the surface without suffering the bends. They're set to return to the Aquarius command center in Islamorada on Wednesday morning.
The crew dove June 1 to Aquarius to study the effects of climate change and pollution on a nearby coral reef. Cousteau is scheduled to talk with reporters Wednesday afternoon about the expedition's accomplishments.
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Online: Mission 31, http://mission-31.com/
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