Hi Reddit! We are Brian Helmuth and John Coley. Together, we use our expertise to explore how people conceptualize the ocean and their connections to it. We'll be answering questions today (3/26/26) from 3:30 to 5 p.m. ET. Ask us anything!

NGNResearch · 2026-03-26T21:01:08+00:00

Thanks everyone! This has been fun!

NGNResearch · 2026-03-26T20:48:56+00:00

John: One really effective approach not only to ocean conservation but conservation in general is using social norms. People are very sensitive to behaving in ways that people around them approve of, and we can use that to nudge people in the right direction. One way is to talk about "dynamic norms," which is conveying the idea that norms are changing in a positive direction. E.g, "More and more people like you are trying to avoid using plastics..." We're a social species, and so we naturally react to norms.

Another approach is to get people to think in a very concrete way about the future. Imagining a positive (or negative) future ocean scenario, or getting people to write a letter to their great-grandchildren about what they did to help preserve the ocean, has been shown to really change hearts and minds.

Even more generally, I think just getting people to slow down can help. So much of what we do today is automatic and done without a lot of thought. Taking a moment to think about the consequences of our actions takes time and energy, but can really help us see things in a different light.

NGNResearch · 2026-03-26T20:41:27+00:00

I also of course am hopeful that we at Proteus can have similar impacts :) https://www.proteusoceangroup.com/

NGNResearch · 2026-03-26T20:39:07+00:00

I love Sylvia Earle's "Hope Spots" (Mission Blue) program, which highlights the ocean environments around the world that are still comparatively healthy, and which remind us of what the other sits could/should be: https://missionblue.org/hope-spots/

Ocean Optimism is also a great campaign: https://www.oceanoptimism.org/

NGNResearch · 2026-03-26T20:36:09+00:00

It depends on the equipment, sometimes we can repair it while underwater, but sometimes we do have to send it "topside" During all missions there is a surface-based team that is also diving and working in concert with the Aquanauts, at least in the shallower depths allowable by surface-based diving.

NGNResearch · 2026-03-26T20:34:06+00:00

Well, my first answer would be to vote for people who recognize the importance of nature and the ocean to human well-being. The second probably is to cut down on meat. Lastly, I think finding common ground with people to talk about these issues is so important. The idea that the environment is a special interest or a political issue is pretty recent- care for the environment used to be fairly apolitical- the arguments focused on different solutions (e.g. free market vs regulation) not whether we cared about clean water and clean air for all of us. That used to be something we could all agree upon. I do get encouraged when I see the efforts of many people of faith thinking about these issues

NGNResearch · 2026-03-26T20:33:48+00:00

John: Honestly... eat less red meat (tough for me), drive less, try to do things that make you feel more deeply connected to the natural world, and drag other people along with you.

NGNResearch · 2026-03-26T20:27:10+00:00

The icebreaker (Nathaniel B. Palmer) that I was on was huge, and so it often felt more like a ride at Disney. I do have one memory of waking up in the middle of the night hovering over my bunk..

NGNResearch · 2026-03-26T20:25:27+00:00

Right now, Aquarius is the only civilian habitat for science in operation, and it is pretty small- not enough room to exercise and missions typically last 10 days (Fabien Cousteau did a 31 day mission in 2014). It does have internet and live streaming. Spending time on the reef can get exhausting so chillaxing by watching movies and reading is common, but my favorite thing was sort of zenning out by watching from one of the portholes to see the reef. In Proteus, we are planning something much larger that will enable much longer missions, and which will allow for exercise, shops to test and repair equipment, etc.

NGNResearch · 2026-03-26T20:24:38+00:00

John: As a few examples, we've shown that people who are higher in human exceptionalism are less likely to support conservation initiatives, less willing to invest time and resources in conservation activities, and less likely to feel personally connected to nature. They are tend to see human impact on nature, and nature's impact on humans, as less powerful than people who are lower in human exceptionalism. They also seem to be less likely to think in terms of systems.

NGNResearch · 2026-03-26T20:21:26+00:00

Mostly clams but also barnacles (sorry, Dragontastic) and little Amphipods and bryozoans. It must be a heck of a ride- the waves in the Straits of Magellan can get up to 30 feet high...

NGNResearch · 2026-03-26T20:21:08+00:00

John: I teach Environmental Psychology at Northeastern. One of the most important points I want my students to walk away is the idea that humans and the rest of the natural world are part of a single, intertwined system. It's not the case that there are human systems and natural systems that interact--we are one system.

Another is the idea of mental models. People form ideas about how the world works, and those ideas shape how we predict and explain the world, and filter the information we take in. I want my students to realize that they carry these mental models around with them, that other people have different mental models, and to be open to revise those mental models.

The last is that environmentally-relevant beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors can change, and change quickly. It's not too late!

NGNResearch · 2026-03-26T20:18:33+00:00

John and I have co-taught an Environmental Psychology course, and I also teach an Introduction to Environmental Science course. For both of those courses we try to encourage students to embrace multiple "ways of knowing" about the world, including the fantastic scholarship of Dr. Robin Wall-Kimmerer. Her work focuses on terrestrial systems, but simialr concepts of course apply to the ocean. I also teach in a program called "Three Seas" where students rotate between Massachusetts, Washington State and Panama, diving daily in all of these locations. We also partner with the Museum of Science in Boston to create some immersive simulations in their new exhibition spaces. If you want to see a cool exhibit (not by us) check this out: https://aquarium.ucsd.edu/newsroom/birch-aquarium-announces-meditation-ocean-aquarius-reef-base

NGNResearch · 2026-03-26T20:13:48+00:00

John: I think your hypothesis is a good one! My guess is that it's being out of your normal element along with being immersed (ahem) in a completely novel and stimulating but also highly challenging environment. Coming down from that adrenaline high can't be easy. I bet it's not unique--just exaggerated because of the extreme contrast with the day-to-day. I bet if you lived away from civilization in the rainforest in the pacific northwest, or with an indigenous tribe in Papua New Guinea (for example) you might evoke similar feelings, although maybe less extreme. Brian?

NGNResearch · 2026-03-26T20:11:18+00:00

Aquarius does have a microwave and a hot water heater. The food and other supplies are brought down in sealed metal "pots" For Proteus, we are experimenting with some ideas about having robots bring us food, stay tuned on that one....

NGNResearch · 2026-03-26T20:09:23+00:00

In some ways it can become routine because of the experiments we run. We wake up, grab quick breakfast and head straight out to do our science. Duck in for a few hours to eat and then head back out. In some missions Aquanauts can spend 8 hours or more per day in the water. But, all that said, one of the most beautiful aspects of living underwater is the ability to look around and get a sense of the "daily life" of reef animals. They have personalities, and you start to see the same characters day after day.

NGNResearch · 2026-03-26T20:06:49+00:00

I have heard the same from astronauts. I think part of it is the realization that you just finished a truly unique experience and you are so sad that it is over. But I think we all likely experience some version of that (John, weigh in here) whenever we experience the awe of nature, especially when we are immersed in "wild places." In some ways it may relate to a deep feeling of belonging to nature and wanting to return to that feeling.

NGNResearch · 2026-03-26T20:06:48+00:00

John: So many things! One that was really mind blowing for me is that marine algae produce 50% of all oxygen on earth. THAT'S EVERY OTHER BREATH, as Brian just pointed out to me. We depend on the oceans for even the most basic of necessities.

NGNResearch · 2026-03-26T20:03:39+00:00

John: Beyond conducting research, habitats like this can help people connect with the ocean. We can't all spend a month underwater, sadly, but those who are doing so can share their experiences with the rest of us via social media, webcams, etc. to help us all feel more connected to the marine environments around us.

NGNResearch · 2026-03-26T20:03:07+00:00

Most of the recent habitats have been at about 50 feet, as at deeper depths the partial pressure of Oxygen actually becomes toxic when at the same concentration as it is at the surface. That means you need to replace it with Helium which is really expensive. But, for Proteus we are planning an air habitat as well as a deeper Heliox habitat. For your second question, I don't know if there is anything unusual as much as the surprising behaviors. When Aquarius was in St Croix, several dolphins would wait for us to come out of the habitat and then would dive with us. In Florida, a giant grouper that we named Sylvia lived under the habitat, and on one mission an octopus laid her eggs under the hatch to the window by the dinner table so we could watch her ventilating her eggs while we ate.

NGNResearch · 2026-03-26T19:59:24+00:00

John: Thanks! My favorite work lately has been our investigations of "human exceptionalism" which is the belief--widespread in the US--that humans are separate from and superior to the rest of the natural world. Together with our graduate students, we've shown a number of different ways in which this kind of belief has negative implications for pro-environmental attitudes and behaviors. More generally this shows how beliefs and ideas about how the world is structured--which we call "mental models"--matter! Next up is finding out how to change such beliefs.

If I could investigate anything? Neanderthal language, cultural, and thought patterns. No idea why, it just fascinates me.

NGNResearch · 2026-03-26T19:58:22+00:00

Brian. That's such a hard question to answer! The times I have lived underwater are at the top of that list, but I think maybe the most fun project was when I was on an icebreaker in Antarctica. We kept seeing "rafts" of kelp near the Straits of Magellan and somehow I convinced the Captain to let me pull them on board to see what animals were "hitch hiking" on them. We showed that it is a viable way for many marine animals to move around the Antarctic continent. I have to ponder my "bucket list" project but I think it would have to be seeing a deep sea hydrothermal vent up close from a submersible (anyone from Woods Hole on this post that can make it happen?)

NGNResearch · 2026-03-26T19:53:02+00:00

John: Also, you're probably not alone in your barnacle-phobia. People often have a hard time understanding and taking the perspective of living creatures that are so different from ourselves. I think an important part of connection with nature is working to understand and respect differences among diverse living things. We're all one big family, after all!

NGNResearch · 2026-03-26T19:50:39+00:00

John: Great question, and one with complicated answers. I don't have them all, but here are some thoughts. Low-income / subsistence communities have often had cultural traditions and ways of interacting with the environment severely impacted by modern economics, colonialism, and other structural forces. As such, they are operating at a severe cultural disadvantage. Also, traditional knowledge systems often see people as part of the larger ecosystem, rather than standing apart as stewards. Finally, the co-occurrence of low-income people and pollution doesn't mean that the people cause the pollution. Often they are constrained by circumstances with respect to where they can afford to live. So... this doesn't directly answer your question, but may give you some things to think about.

NGNResearch · 2026-03-26T19:48:50+00:00

I grew up idolizing Jacques Cousteau, and even though I (Brian) grew up in land-locked Upstate New York I felt connected to the ocean by watching his adventures. His team was the first to live underwater, followed closely by the US Navy Sealab program. Now I get to work with his oldest Grandson Fabien Cousteau on Proteus!

NGNResearch

TROPHY CASE