MarineLab Undersea Park has announced that it will host an exploratory program called the “Veterans Decompression Project.”
The program aims to support US veterans with PTSD through an undersea wellness stay at Jules’ Lab. The program is the brainchild of US Army combat veteran and Purple Heart recipient Eddie Bryant.
Bryant conceived the idea after visiting Jules’ Lab and recognizing its potential to help veterans managing PTSD, anxiety, sleep disturbances and other service-related conditions. The project draws on findings from Dr. Joseph Dituri’s Project NEPTUNE 100, where stays at 22 feet/6.7 meters produced rapid improvements in PTSD symptoms, sleep quality, and stress markers.
MarineLab will host and co-develop the pilot, with a planned schedule that accommodates multiple participation lengths. Initially, two veterans will remain for a week, two will join for four days, and two will join for three days.
This approach increases access and allows comparison of outcomes across immersion durations. If results are promising, the pilot could inform recurring programs.
Wellness outcomes will be measured using validated self-report instruments employed in NEPTUNE 100, including the PCL-5, GAD-7, PHQ-9, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and Epworth Sleepiness Scale. Data will be collected before, during and after immersion and shared in de-identified form with advisors and research partners
Commenting on the new program, MarineLab CEO Ginette Hughes stated:
“As an organization with deep roots in undersea research and education, we recognize the unique potential of this project. We’re pleased to support the development of this pilot concept and to provide a setting that may help advance what is known about wellness and human performance in an undersea habitat.”
While Ian Koblick, founder and chairman of the Marine Resources Development Foundation, the parent organization of MarineLab, added:
“We are excited to offer our wounded warriors potential respite from the effects of PTSD and other conditions. Staying in Jules’ Undersea Lab, with its higher oxygen concentration and the soothing ambient sounds, is restful and can be restorative.”
You can find out more information here.
