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The Federal Republic of Futrellia.
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"Aquaria One" Deep Sea Research Facility
The Aquaria One DSR Facility is an underwater habitat located 12.3 miles off the Point Arthur Peninsula in the Capulus Coastal Marine Sanctuary. It is deployed on the ocean floor 110 feet below the surface and next to a deep coral reef named Torrent Reef
Aquaria One is Futrellia's only undersea laboratory dedicated to science, education, and exploring the depths of the Vestila Ocean. Aquaria One was owned by the Karro Undersea Solutions Group and operated by staff from both Karro and the University of Southern Capulus until 2016 when the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research assumed operational control after Karro went bankrupt.
The OOAR took ownership of Aquaria One in December 2016. As part of the OOAR Marine Education and Research Initiative, the Novum Aquarius Program is dedicated to the discovery, study, and preservation of marine ecosystems worldwide and is enhancing the scope and impact of OOAR on research, educational outreach, technology development, and professional training. At the heart of the program is the Aquaria One Deep Sea Research Facility.
Purpose
Aquaria One, designed by Karro USG and constructed by Altara Machine Works and Butler Construction, began construction in New Calica, Tydari in 1986. Underwater operations were first planned for Emily Island, Tydari, but were moved to the Capulus Aquatic Outskirts. Following Hurricane David in 1990, The first pod of Aquaria One was evacuated and taken to Eminence, Vaskon for repairs and refurbishment and was redeployed in 1993. Aquaria One's second pod was finished in 1997 and connected to the first pod, giving scientists a second more room to work and additional living space for more scientists. The third and final pod of Aquaria One was completed in 2013 and connected in 2015.
The A1 is most often used by marine biologists for whom A1 acts as home base as they study the coral reef, the fish and aquatic plants that live nearby and the composition of the surrounding seawater. A1 also sports two
Aquaria One houses sophisticated lab equipment and computers, enabling scientists to perform research and process samples without leaving their underwater facilities.
The habitat accommodates 12 OOARS-FAXA scientists and 4 Equipment Technicians for missions averaging 6 months. Scientists on the A1 are often called "Aquanauts" (as they live underwater at depth pressure for a period equal to or greater than 24 continuous hours without returning to the surface). A technique known as saturation diving allows the aquanauts to live and work underwater for 6 months or a year at most. By living in the Aquaria One habitat and working at the same depth on the ocean floor, A1 aquanauts are able to remain underwater for the duration of their mission. In addition, because Aquaria One allows saturation diving, dives from the habitat can last for up to nine hours at a time; by comparison, surface dives usually last between one and two hours. These long dive times allow for observation that would not otherwise be possible. 12 Way stations on the reef and farther outside Aquaria One allow aquanauts to refill their scuba tanks during dives and conduct off-site research.
One of the 12 waystations located beyond the Torrent Reef
Habitat
Aquaria One consists of three Pods: Lower Research Station, Middle Crew Station, and Upper Hydroponics and Gateway Stations. Access to the water is made via the 'wet porch', a chamber inside Gateway Station in a small square compartment equipped with a moon pool, which keeps the air pressure inside the wet porch the same as the water pressure at that depth ('ambient pressure'). The main compartment is strong enough, like a submarine, to maintain normal atmospheric pressure, and can also be pressurized to ambient pressure, and is usually held at a pressure in between. The smallest compartment, the Entry Lock, is located between the Gateway and Upper Hydroponics Station and functions as an airlock in which personnel wait while pressure is adjusted to match either the wet porch or the main compartment.
Each Pod is connected via two tempered glass tubes reinforced with a steel cover with portholes every five feet, with just enough room for ladders. Aquaria One also possesses 20 Emergency Single Passenger Escape Pods that when detached from the emergency airlocks, use buoyancy to float to the surface.
Access to the Aquaria One is accomplished by the OOARS Oceanographic Research Ship Vestilan Paragon stationed above at all times, which carry four submarines capable of carrying three occupants down to Gateway Station. The Vestilan Paragon also conducts above-sea research and is manned by 24. During Hurricane Kaitlen, the Vestilan Paragon was forced to abandon it's station and head for port, leaving the 16 man crew behind. Damage to Aquaria One was substantial but interior pressure and bulkheads remained intact. Repairs have begun in full by eight crews of five around the clock. Repairs are expected to be completed by February 2019.
On March 16, 2018, OOARS opened the Aquaria One facility to the Elvaryan Commonwealth, allowing one aquanaut per member-nation.
