Diving into her passion

A love of science and physics drove Adele Luta, MS ’04, into a career in space engineering. A passion for scuba diving gave her the opportunity to explore underwater worlds and expand her skills.

Luta, a physicist and an expert in survival in extreme environments, is never far from her work. The intrepid explorer has dived in such ocean paradises as the Maldives and Mauritius in the Indian Ocean and the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Australia. She has also experienced living in underwater habitats, which helps her to plan life in space.

Luta is the Human Exploration Systems Development Manager at Oceaneering, a NASA contractor near the Johnson Space Center in Houston. She specializes in habitat design in extreme environments. Her projects are aimed at the next generation of underwater explorers, who might live in an extreme environment for a week or more, as astronauts currently do in space.

For years, NASA has used underwater training exercises to help acclimate potential astronauts to weightlessness. As an instructor for NASA, Luta helped to train astronauts for space walks. She learned there are plenty of similarities between deep space and the deep blue sea, including the peril.

“When you’re trying to live there, they’re both trying to kill you,” she said. “That’s kind of the joke, right? Any extreme environment is trying to kill you. So you have to bring your own resources, like breathable air, CO2 scrubbing, and temperature control, in order to survive.”

Her experience at Aquarius Reef Base and Jules Undersea Lodge, both underwater habitats in the Florida Keys, left indelible memories.

“I didn’t want to go to sleep because there was this window and fish were swim-ming by and all kinds of marine animals at night,” she said.

Recently, she joined the effort to save the world’s coral reefs and is spreading the word via YouTube and Instagram.

“It’s something I’m very passionate about, especially being from Florida,” she said.

Coral reefs support marine life, protect coastlines and add beauty to the ocean. They are being eroded by pollution and global warming. Scientists say their loss would be catastrophic.

As a volunteer for the Coral Restoration Foundation, Luta is helping to save the Florida Coral Reef, which stretches nearly 350 miles in the clear waters of the Flori-da Keys. The foundation grows coral in a nursery and Luta assists in harvesting and replanting the living organisms.

“This is my favorite part because of how quickly marine life accepts the new corals,” she said. Meanwhile, as an ambassador for the American Association for the Advancement of Science, she speaks to school and commu-nity groups about the importance of science and coral restoration. She also encourages others to follow her path underwater.

“I tell people, ‘You’re never too old, as long as you’re in good health, it’s never too late to start diving,’” Luta said. “You could dive the same site and you’re going to see different things every time. I think that’s really amazing.”

On a daily basis, Luta is able to inspire future explorers while developing the tools to help them reach the heights and depths of their dreams.

Know an alumnus with an interesting hobby or passion? Bring them to our attention at casealum@casealum.org