20 November 2025
About this episode
Imagine humans one day living and working on the ocean floor. Aquanauts in subsea habitats, surrounded by ocean creatures, discovering new secrets about our planet. This might sound like science fiction, but DEEP is already making this a reality.
With the recent launch of its subsea habitat Vanguard, DEEP is pushing forward with its promise to make humans aquatic. An engineering company pushing the boundaries of what’s possible, DEEP exists to radically advance how humankind can access, explore and inhabit underwater environments.
In this episode, Sophie Bushwick speaks to DEEP’s Chief Technology Officer, Norman Smith and Director of Habitat Operations, Roger Garcia.
Together they take us on a tour of Vanguard, from its cosy living area with a viewport to the ocean realm, to the “moon pool” which serves as the entryway into the habitat. They discuss the scientific missions a habitat like this enables - like planet-saving coral reef restoration. And they explore the engineering that’s gone into making this possible, the pressures and joys of life as an “aquanaut” and how it feels to have sea creatures as your neighbours.
This is a New Scientist CoLab production, sponsored by DEEP.
Your host is Sophie Bushwick.
Read more about How aquanauts will change our view of the ocean
And The inside story behind humanity's return to the deep
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