Frenchman Fabien Cousteau, the grandson of the famous marine explorer Jacques Cousteau, has announced that he plans to build the largest international underwater research station in the world. The goal is to discover new marine animals, medicine, ways of producing food, as well as investigate climate change through oceans.

This kind of research would only be viable if scientists can spend more time at the bottom of the sea. For example, when diving, something Fabien has done since the age of four, you can only stay underwater for three hours, not weeks (or months)as might be possible with this new enterprise.

The station, which has been named Proteus in reference to the Greek god of the sea, will be installed on the coast of Curaçao, in the Caribbean, 18 meters below the surface (the same height as a five-story building). The site, which will be 372 square metres (the size of a large house), will be able to house 12 researchers. Construction will cost 135 million dollars (about 735 million reais) and may take three years to complete.

Fabien had the idea to build Proteus after going on Mission 31, when he spent 31 days underwater. The tour took place in 2014 at the only underwater station that was still active and was built 30 years ago. Aquarius, which is 37 square metres (ten times smaller than Proteus will be), is located in the Florida Keys, the American archipelago. “I saw that more was needed to accommodate aquanauts for longer,” Fabien told the website HowStuffWorks.

Cousteau Family
French explorer Jacques Cousteau (1910-1997) was one of the first to build underwater stations in the 1960s. Fabien accompanied his grandfather on many adventures, spending his early years aboard ships including the Alcyone and Calypso, and plans to continue the tradition by building Proteus.

Questions
1) What is the real alternative?
a) Aquarius is in Curaçao.
b) Proteus will be the size of a five-story building.
c) Fabien learned to dive at the age of four.
d) The construction of the station must take 31 days.

2) Would you spend some time under the sea? Why?

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