Recently, my wife brought to my attention a really amazing project that is happening right now.  When we lived in Tennessee, my wife was part of a honors fraternity call Phi Sigma Pi.  One of the former members of her fraternity named Jessica Fain had since moved on and was teaching at Roan State Community College.  The school had put together an amazing project called Classroom Under the Sea and she was asked to participate.

Aquanauts Jessica Fain and Bruce Cantrell courtesy of http://www.roanestate.edu/classroomunderthesea/

Roan State was given access to an underwater habitat called Jules’ Undersea Lodge located at the floor of the lagoon at the Marine Resources Development Foundation’s facilities on Key Largo in the Florida Keys.  Jessica Fain and Bruce Cantrell, both teachers at Roan State, will live in it for 73 days.  This would break a world recored for the longest continual habitation of a human being under water.  While under living in their habitat, Bruce Cantrell and Jessica Fain conduct classes that are broadcast over the internet.

Not only is this a great learning experience and a chance to break a world record, but it is also a chance to draw attention to the very real need for better understand and conservation of our precious oceans.  Topics they are discussing include human history in ocean exploration, fisheries, and recreational divings impact on the ocean.  You can see all of their videos on Classroom Under the Sea’s YouTube Channel.

Classroom Under the Sea’s final broadcast will be December 11th at 1:00 pm EST.  You can watch the live broadcast from their YouTube Channel.  I have watched several of their broadcasts and have really learned a lot.  Watching Bruce and Jessica’s excitement and enthusiasm for what they are doing is really inspiring.

I am trying to branch out a bit more from just hiking and talking about my trips.  That is why I am wanted to talk this week about someone else and what they are doing.  The hiking has really brought out in me a desire to be more involved with nature and conservation.  I want to see what others are doing.  I also want to participate more deeply and soon I will be doing just that.  We have been given such a beautiful world and we should be fighting like hell to protect it.