{"id":8411,"date":"2026-04-02T18:38:07","date_gmt":"2026-04-03T00:38:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/coralmar.org\/?p=8411"},"modified":"2026-04-16T18:39:26","modified_gmt":"2026-04-17T00:39:26","slug":"antes-de-la-luna-estaba-el-oceano","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/coralmar.org\/en\/antes-de-la-luna-estaba-el-oceano\/","title":{"rendered":"Before the Moon, There Was the Ocean"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Photo: Coral Restoration Foundation\u2122 \/ NASA<\/em><\/h6>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n
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Introduction<\/h2>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t
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While NASA prepares to send humans back to the Moon through the program Artemis II<\/a>, we reveal the fascinating ways in which Coral Restoration Foundation\u2122 (CRF) has supported astronaut training in one of the most unexpected environments on Earth: coral reefs.<\/p>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t

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Underwater Training for Space Missions<\/h2>\n

For years, in the Aquarius Reef Base<\/a> in the Florida Keys, astronauts have lived and worked beneath the ocean's surface as part of the NASA's Extreme Environment Mission Operations<\/a> (NEEMO). This program is designed to train astronauts for space missions, simulating spaceflight conditions and preparing crews to work in extreme and hostile environments.<\/p>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

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Aquarius Reef Base in the Florida Keys (NASA\/CRF)<\/em><\/h6>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>
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CRF Science Used by NASA Astronauts<\/h2>\n

In 2021, as NASA prepared for its next phase of human lunar exploration, the agency commissioned CRF to produce a high-resolution three-dimensional photomosaic of the Aquarius habitat and surrounding seafloor. Built from over 60,000 images captured during eight days of diving, the map covers nearly 35,000 square meters with millimeter-scale resolution. At that level of detail, even the bolts holding the habitat structure together can be clearly visualized in 3D.<\/p>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

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\"Fotomosaico<\/p>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t

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3D photomosaic of the Aquarius habitat created by CRF for NASA (CRF)<\/em><\/h6>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>
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The CRF collaboration with NASA has extended beyond mapping. During NEEMO 23 in 2019, CRF scientists trained astronauts to assemble and install Coral Tree structures underwater. Working with full diving equipment, the astronauts performed the tasks step by step, handling tools, securing components and installing structures on the seafloor \u2014 mirroring the type of fine motor skills, coordination and problem-solving required during spacewalks.<\/p>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

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\"Astronautas<\/p>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t

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Astronauts training with Coral Tree structures during the NEEMO 23 mission (NASA)<\/em><\/h6>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>
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The Intersection Between Ocean Science and Space Exploration<\/h2>\n

This work highlights a growing overlap between ocean science and space exploration. Both demand precision, adaptability, and the ability to operate safely in complex, high-risk environments where conditions are unknown and unforgiving.<\/p>\n

\"The same processes we use to understand and restore coral reefs can also support how humans explore other extreme environments\"<\/em>, said Alex Neufeld, Science Program Manager at CRF. \"It is a powerful reminder that solutions developed for the ocean can have applications far beyond it.\"<\/em><\/p>\n

As NASA advances with the Artemis program, the role of terrestrial analog environments, and the science behind them, continues to shape how humans prepare for the next era of exploration beyond our planet.<\/p>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

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Source:<\/strong>
\nPress release link: Before the Moon, There Was the Ocean<\/a>
\nAuthor: CRF
\nPhoto \u00a9: Coral Restoration Foundation\u2122 \/ NASA<\/i>
\nCopyright \u00a9 2026 Coral Restoration Foundation\u2122. Todos los derechos reservados.<\/p>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The man, who is in a stable condition in hospital, has “potentially life-changing injuries” after the overnight attack in Garvagh, County Londonderry. He was shot in the arms and legs.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8413,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8411","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articulos-cientificos"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/coralmar.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8411","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/coralmar.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/coralmar.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coralmar.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coralmar.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8411"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/coralmar.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8411\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8414,"href":"https:\/\/coralmar.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8411\/revisions\/8414"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coralmar.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8413"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/coralmar.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8411"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coralmar.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8411"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coralmar.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8411"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}