Ocean Outpost: The Future of Humans Living Underwater

Ocean Outpost is an undersea roadmap charting the future of humankind's exploration of Earth's last vast unexplored territory. To realize the goal of an extended human presence underwater a wealth of new technologies will be developed, such as new manned and unmanned submersibles, advanced propulsion systems, underwater rescue systems, decompression methods, and revolutionary physiological intevention strategies ranging from liquid ventilation to artificial gills. Some techonologies will require quantum leaps forward in innovation, while others may appear even more daunting.

Dr. Erik Seedhouse is an aerospace and hyper/hypobaric research scientist specializing in space life sciences and diving physiology. He obtained his Ph.D. in Physiology while working for the European Space Agency between 1996 and 1998. In 2001, he established the Freediving Research Project while working as a co-director of the Extreme Physiology Program at Simon Fraser University. In 2005, he worked as as Astronaut Training Consultant for Bigelow Aerospace, for whom he wrote the Spaceflight Participant's Flight Surgeon's Manual. He also developed astronaut-training protocols for future spaceflight participants and wrote and edited several chapters of Bigelow Aerospace's Astronaut Training Manual. Considered a world authority on the subject of space tourism, the author recently wrote the Encyclopedia Britannica defintion of the subject. In 2009 he was selected as an astronaut candidate in the final group of thirty being considered for selection by the Canadian Space Agency. He has professional scuba-diving certification and has made more than 300 dives over 25 years.