(NewsNation) — A Florida man is living in a 100-foot underwater lab for 100 days at 30 feet beneath the water’s surface of a lagoon, all in the name of science.

Joseph Dituri, a biomedical expert and retired diving officer of the Navy, broke the record of 73 days for the most extended time living underwater. His 100-day underwater mission, or “Project NEPTUNE 100,” is in partnership with the International Board of Undersea Medicine and the Marine Resources Development Foundation. 

The project

Dituri, also known as Dr. Deep Sea on Instagram and YouTube, is in the Atlantic Ocean to conduct medical and marine science research, specifically for three reasons:

“One is because I have a Ph.D. in biomedical engineering, and I intend to figure out what goes on in the human body when you leave it in an isolated, confined extreme environment,” Dituri said. “Additionally, I want to do outreach to kids, talk to them about STEM. Finally, I get to talk to all the PhDs and MDs in the undersea realm, all these marine scientists and we talk about preservation, protection and rejuvenation in the marine environment.”

Dituri said 60 to 70% of the world’s oxygen comes from the ocean, and it needs to be protected.

While, he said much of the research is “brand new and before its time,” Ditruri has discovered that he’s “basically extending my life sort of while being down here.”

“I sleep better, and It’s not anecdotal. I sleep between 60 and 66% in REM and deep sleep, which is unheard of for me,” he explained. “My cognitive function way up, that is an anecdotal report. My telomere length has been increased by 20%. That’s how long you can regenerate your cell.”

Dituri also said his cholesterol is down 72 points and he contributes all of these factors to an unknown mechanism of action of hyperbaric medicine which has contributed to these factors.

Dituri is expected to resurface on June 9. For more information about his journey, visit www.drdeepsea.com.