A housewarming under the waves.

A housewarming under the waves

A team of oceanographers resurfaced last month after spending two weeks on the seafloor in the first use of the Aquarius habitat, the nation's newest underwater laboratory, which is sponsored by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Located under 50 feet of water near the Caribbean island of St. Croix, Aquarius served as a base for researchers from the University of Maryland, who were studying how algae in the sand contribute nutrients that support other organisms on the seafloor. Christened late last year, Aquarius will this year host five other projects.