You might recall the hyperbaric chamber designed by scientists at the California Academy of Sciences Steinhart Aquarium. A recent story done by KQED-TV, the local PBS station in San Francisco, showcases the engineering needed to bring fish to the surface from deep water environments. When exploring reefs in the Twilight Zone in depth between 200 to 500 ft. where light is scarce and feels like twilight on shallower reefs, the team was finding either new species of fish or discovering known fish actually lived in those depths.
Since diving is so dangerous at these depths, the team needed a way to bring the newly discovered back fish alive to study on the surface. After hearing about the upcoming expeditions Matt Wandell recommended exploring technology that was used by other aquariums like the Monterey Bay Aquarium Institute to bring larger fish up from the depths of the ocean. With reef fish being smaller and divers needing something a bit more compact and manageable, he started testing designs before coming up with the particular units they use today.
Make sure to check out the video below to see the whole story.
[via KQED]
