"We have operated in Antarctica a few times previously ... but these surveys barely scratched the surface, " William Krabill of NASA's Wallops Flight Facility told reporters on a conference call Thursday.

CNN: NASA flights will study Antarctic ice changes

Built on the seabed 10 m below the surface in Key Largo, Florida, the inn (formerly a research facility) caters to deep-sea divers and scuba novices prepared to take a three-hour crash course.

CNN: ASIANOW - TIME Asia | Travel Watch

Meanwhile, a U.S. official said reports that Israel had struck a Syrian research facility were wrong, instead saying warplanes hit only one target: a convoy carrying surface-to-air missiles.

CNN: Iran, Syria warn of retribution for Israeli airstrike