An opening ceremony on June 30 celebrated the legacy of Ian Koblick, an accomplished scientist and aquanaut whose achievements are honored at a new exhibit at MarineLab Undersea Park.
“The Legacy of Ian Koblick” exhibit details decades of Koblick’s work, including the founding of the Marine Resources Development Foundation (MRDF), which hosts the MarineLab environmental education program; his research in the La Chalupa undersea habitat off of Puerto Rico; and his role in establishing Jules’ Undersea Lodge.
In 1985, Koblick and his partner Neil Monney purchased the La Chalupa vessel, which was refurbished with the goal of creating the first undersea hotel. Jules’ Lab, the only undersea research station open to the public, was stationed in the MRDF lagoon in 1986.
As part of the Puerto Rico International Undersea Laboratory (PRINUL) program, beginning in 1971, Koblick’s work at La Chalupa on the edge of a continental shelf was largely funded by NOAA and the Puerto Rican government. With more than 40 other scientists, Koblick studied and contributed to major breakthroughs in diving physiology, coral reef ecology and light visibility for the Navy.
Several years after the PRINUL research, Koblick pursued the lodge project with the goal of creating “a recreational habitat that will get people to experience what we experienced.”
“He realized that he needed to reach more people. So he created something to attract the general public,” said Ginette Hughes, the current CEO of MRDF. One of Koblick’s goals has been to promote research for and opportunities in the field of undersea living.
Jules’ Lodge now presents a unique educational institution. The lodge receives frequent visitors, including local high schoolers. It also has hosted several significant research projects. In 2023, Joseph Dituri spent 100 consecutive days at the lodge, breaking a record in underwater living, to study the physiological effects of pressure on the human body.
As MRDF’s vision grew to promote education, Koblick oversaw the founding of the MarineLab Undersea Classroom. On the impact of MarineLab programs as a whole, Koblick noted, “7% of the kids that come here become ambassadors for the ocean. It changes their lives drastically.” Koblick continues to work as the chairman of MRDF’s board.
The exhibit outlines many examples of Koblick’s wide-ranging achievements, from his invention of a small, portable rebreather unit, to his diving work with Mel Fisher at the Nuestra Senora de Atocha wreck and his role in founding the Aurora Trust Foundation, a group dedicated to furthering the world’s understanding of the marine cultural heritage.
The exhibit, open to the public, expands MarineLab’s museum area.
