DEEP, a company specializing in Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) has completed installation of Vanguard, its pilot subsea human habitat, on the seafloor at Tennessee Reef in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. The habitat’s components were produced using WAAM, following a complex marine operation that anchored the system to the ocean floor.
Why DEEP turned to WAAM
In January 2026, DEEP board member Sean Wolpert explained that this approach was adopted after pandemic-era supply chain disruption pushed the company away from conventional processing methods. That work is now handled by DEEP Manufacturing, a subsidiary that grew out of DEEP’s need to produce habitat components this way and was later spun off as a separate, wholly owned company under CEO Peter Richards.
Deployment at Tennessee Reef
The complete system now rests on the sandy seafloor at 17 meters (56 ft) of depth. The habitat’s liveable section measures 10.7 meters (35 ft) long by 2.5 meters (8 ft) wide and is designed to support crews of up to four aquanauts for research missions of five days or longer. Installation involved placing an ocean floor foundation, fixing the habitat to it, and tethering a surface support buoy nearby. DEEP’s partners on the Vanguard project include Unique Group, Bastion Technologies, Triton Submarines, and Resolve Marine.
Sea acceptance testing and commissioning are now underway as the final steps toward DNV classification. DNV has been engaged throughout the design and build process, providing independent technical assurance that Vanguard meets engineering standards. DEEP says it will then move to crew training ahead of Vanguard’s first research missions.
Norman Smith, Chief Technology Officer at DEEP, said, “Installing Vanguard at Tennessee Reef was a carefully choreographed marine operation with a lot of moving parts, and the culmination of 18 months of intense design, build, and testing efforts”
Next steps
Vanguard is the first phase of a longer-term program. As DEEP’s pilot habitat, Vanguard is intended to provide the real-world experience that informs what comes next: Sentinel, a larger, modular habitat system.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has used subsea habitats for decades to support scientific discoveries that inform the sanctuary’s management. Vanguard is expected to create additional opportunities for marine science research and extend NOAA’s ongoing collaboration with the scientific community.
DEEP Manufacturing’s track record on WAAM
DEEP Manufacturing’s buildout over the past year includes developments in the same category of part used in Vanguard’s living chamber. In October 2025, DEEP Manufacturing secured full DNV Approval of Manufacture for WAAM production of pressure vessels, pressure vessels for human occupancy, hull structures, and equipment, which CEO Peter Richards called proof the company was “ready to deliver large, safety-critical WAAM components to the highest standards.” That was followed by a Houston facility expansion in March 2026, part of a $10 million U.S. investment aimed at bringing large-scale metal AM closer to energy, defense, and maritime customers.
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Featured image shows DEEP Vanguard underwater deployment. Photo via DEEP.
