This floating research center would be used to collect and analyze marine data.

French architect Jacques Rougerie has drawn up plans for a floating research center that mimics the appearance of a massive manta ray. Dubbed the City of Meriens, Rougerie’s creation would house an international oceanographic university that would drift the seven seas, accommodating thousands of researchers, teachers, and students over extended periods of time. Measuring slightly less than 3,000 feet long and over 1,600 feet wide, the structure would include lecture halls, classrooms, labs, and sports facilities. The immense mobile research center would also include an interior lagoon meant to hold smaller research vessels.