The BioSUB Project — Lloyd Gosdon submerges for the first time
In 2005 Lloyd Godon won the "Wildest Adventure Competition" run by the magazine Australian Geographic. With his "Live your Dream" prize of $50,000, he started his BioSUB project in 2007. In eighteen months he independently built an underwater habitat from old steel, lowered it into an Australian lake and lived self-sufficiently inside for twelve days.
Lloyd "lived his dream" in the steel house alone — apart from occasional visits from a turtle and a few helpers. A stay that involved rather special conditions. "I had 100 % air humidity," explains Lloyd. "The water dripped from the ceiling. My clothes just wouldn't dry." However, the humidity was not at all as threatening as the constantly rising CO2 levels in the air. Although he used algae in a bioreactor to lower the amount of carbon dioxide in the air, the CO2 level rose continuously. The result: Lloyd slept more often, his blood pressure rose to unexpectedly high levels and towards the end he was psychologically at breaking point. Instead of being exhilarated at living in the depths he was beginning to crack. In the end it was the CO2 level that could no longer be lowered that forced him to abandon his experiment after twelve days.
However, hardly had Lloyd recovered from the strains of the BioSUB projects, he was already enthusing about how great and exciting it was to be under water. He received thousands of emails during his time in the lake and many curious visitors stopped by at the base station on the bank, and even entire school classes came to have a look. Although his underwater stay had to be stopped prematurely, it was still a complete success for Lloyd — if nothing at all because the studied marine biologist was able to bring so many people closer to this fascinating underwater world and his dream of living there.
Lloyd has learned from the problems he experienced with his BioSUB project. For his attempt in LEGOLAND® ATLANTIS by SEA LIFE he wants to have these issues under control and top his previous record. This time his goal is to spend a full two weeks under water.
