>>12690864There might exist several reason why people would choose to live underwater. Economically ocean mining, research facilities, ocean-energy, aquacultures/farms and underwater industry could offer many jobs but also ideological, national or military interest could found such oceanic habitats. We would need a improved industrial basis via robotics, fusion power and new materials like carbon nanotubes to enable such habitat building. Artifical gills and transhuman adaptations that will enable to live underwater (from genetic/nano-tech based augmentations to fully cybernetic moravec transfers) too will be a necessary component of it.
