BATIUSP, Research submarine at University of São Paulo, Brazil

BATIUSP is a research submarine at the Oceanographic Institute of the University of São Paulo in Brazil. It features thick glass portholes, mechanical arms for sampling, and a reinforced hull that once allowed descents to considerable depths.

The Oceanographic Institute built the submarine in 1979 as the first Brazilian project of its kind. It explored the seafloor off the São Paulo coast and contributed decades of research on underwater life and rock formations.

The name BATIUSP joins "batiscafo", the Portuguese word for bathyscaphe, with the initials of the University of São Paulo, marking the project as an academic one. The vessel is kept on the university grounds, where it serves as a teaching object for students learning how samples and observations are gathered underwater.

Most visitors view the submarine from outside and read the information panels on the university grounds. Tours or explanations by institute staff happen occasionally but usually require advance contact.

The steel pressure sphere can fit a small research team while withstanding enormous water pressure. Though no longer diving, the vessel shows the engineering needed to explore the dark and cold environment of deep waters.