SECONN 2020 Webinar Series
The webinars are free to view and share with your dive friends! If you would like to make a donation and help us cover hosting costs, please visit our online store. To view more about each presenter, visit our Webinar Home Page. We are working hard to get the webinars up to date; please check back for more webinars as they are made available!
Jeff Milisen
Follow the Tentacles: Epipelagic Cephalopods and the Animals that Eat Them
Dr. Jason Krumholz
Follow the Artificial Reefs for Diving, Fishing, and Conservation: A Scientific Perspective
Richie Kohler
Shadow Divers
Bio
Richie Kohler’s diving experiences may have began in the waters surrounding his Brooklyn NY, roots, but for over thirty years his passion for diving and exploring shipwrecks has taken him to all corners of the globe.
He has explored and documented well-known shipwrecks such as the Andera Doria, RMS Titanic, and the HMHS Britannic, but it was the identification of the WWII German submarine, U-869, which catapulted his diving career into the world of television and underwater documentary filmmaking. That six-year effort has been the subject of several television documentaries and a best-selling book, Shadow Divers by Robert Kurson. The New York Times bestseller is soon to be a major motion picture by 20th Century Fox. Alongside diving partner John Chatterton, Kohler co-hosted 57 episodes of the History Channel series, Deep Sea Detectives, multiple documentary specials and continues to work on underwater projects for the film and television industry.
Currently residing with his wife Carrie Kohler in Sutton, MA, Kohler has two children, Richie III and Nikki. Currently, Kohler is conducting technical dive training, lecturing and leading expeditions to explore shipwrecks worldwide.
Dan Orr
Does Scuba Diving Have a Retirement Age?
Bio
Dan Orr is President of Dan Orr Consulting providing a variety of services to the diving community. Dan retired from the position of President of Divers Alert Network (DAN) and Chairman of the Board of International DAN, where he helped DAN focus on its worldwide diving safety mission. Prior to coming to DAN, he worked and taught recreational diving in a retail store, developed and implemented course curricula in the academic environment, collected data and supervised research efforts in the field of science diving, tested diving equipment for military contractors and worked for or served on the Boards of various not-for-profit organizations during his career.
He has published and co-authored over 200 articles and a dozen books and manuals including: Scuba Diving Safety, Pocket Guide to First Aid for Scuba Diving Injuries; Pocket Guide for Hazardous Marine Life Injuries; and the DAN Oxygen First Aid for Scuba Diving Injuries Training Manual.
He has also been honored by his peers by being the recipient of many prestigious awards and honors including the NOGI Award in Sports/Education, the Leonard Greenstone Award for Diving Safety, the Our World-Underwater Award, Beneath the Sea’s Diver of the Year, the Wyland Foundation Award for Lifetime Achievement, the DEMA Reaching Out Award and is an inductee into the International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame.
Abstract: Does Scuba Diving Have a Retirement Age?
This presentation is a review of the published diving accident and fatality data identifying risks and discussing ways to reduce accidents through risk mitigation.
Faith Ortins
Exploring the Polar Regions: Above and Below the Water
Bio
Faith has spent most of her adult life in the ocean. Starting as a scientific diver and volunteering for public safety diving operations in the 1980’s, Faith became a technical diver and divemaster and has thousands of dives over her 41 year diving career. She worked with DUI to develop some of the first women’s drysuits while still a dive retailer in MA. She created the DUI DEMOTOUR, which promoted local diving while allowing divers to test dive DUI products, and the DIVEOPS program which promotes education about the risks of diving in contaminated water.
She has led expeditions around the world- many to the most remote places on Earth including multiple expeditions to both poles. Recently, she co-founded Blue Green Expeditions and now runs expeditions full time as she continues to share her passion for diving with divers from around the world. A frequent presenter at dive shows and conferences, she is a 2010 inductee into the Women Divers Hall of Fame and a member of the Boston Sea Rovers.
Presentation Abstract
This year marks the 200th anniversary of the discovery of Antarctica. 200 years later, there are still so much waiting to be discovered in our polar regions. During this presentation, we will take you from the polar ice cap in the north to the frozen continent in the south- giving you a small taste of these unique environments and the ecosystems that depend on them.
Jennifer Idol
Lens of Adventure
Bio
Jennifer Idol is a designer, author, and underwater photographer recognized as a PADI® Ambassadiver (2017 and 2018) and a member of the Ocean Artists Society. Her photography and articles have been published in periodicals such as DIVER, SCUBA Diving, and Alert Diver. She earned more than 29 certifications. She began a quest to document American waters in her book An American Immersion and became the first woman to dive in all 50 states.
Presentation Abstract
What stories do we tell through our images? Where do they lead us? And what isn’t told through our images? Now, more than ever, our lens is changing. Join Jennifer Idol on a journey of exploration through photography as she shares how one journey leads to the next. From helping people connect to our local waters to helping divers engage personally with wildlife on expeditions, Jennifer will share the raw story of getting the shot and how it relates to the world around us.
Erik Rosenstein
Caves and Cave Diving in the Yucatan Peninsula – Past, Present, and Future
Bio
Erik Rosenstein has been a diver for over 30 years, and a professional member of several diving agencies since 1997. He is a TDI technical and cave diving instructor with over3500 cave and/or technical/decompression dives and over 9,000 lifetime dives. Erik has a master’s degree in Environmental Science/Toxicology, a master’s in Environmental Law and a PhD in Environmental Toxicology.
Presentation Abstract
This presentation will go over such topics as cave formation and geomorphology, the biological importance of cenotes and their underwater cave ecosystems, the historical importance of cenotes, cave exploration in the Yucatan Peninsula, and some considerations for cave diving (including training and requirements).
Neal W. Pollock, PhD.
Thoughtful Management of Decompression Stress
Rustin Cassway
The Octavian Project
Presentation Abstract
On July 4th 2018 the RV Explorer crew identified a recently discovered wreck. The Wreck of the D/S Octavian has been positively identified and confirmed through the recovery of the Engine & Boiler builders plaque. This was further confirmed by Jorgan Johannassan of the Maritime Museum on Oslo Norway. The wreck lies 70 miles from Cape May in 227’ of water. The Octavian was owned by Hjalmar Reksten Rederi of Bergen, Norway and was a 250’ Norwegian Freighter carrying Sulfur and Wood Resin.
Octavian left Galveston Texas on January 9, 1942 headed to St. John New Brunswick. The freighter never arrived in St. John and all 17 crewmembers perished without a trace. Due to an error, some history books have the Octavian located off Nova Scotia which is north of New Brunswick but there would be no reason for the ship to be in this location. It’s possible that St. John New Brunswick and St. John Newfoundland were confused and the coincidence of U-203 sinking an unknown vessel in the vicinity credited the 203 with the sinking.
Interestingly there are footnotes in multiple locations including, War Sailors.com, U-Boat War against the Americas and Researcher Edward R. Rumpf, that suggest that U-123 commanded by Hardegen sank the Octavian.
U-123 is also credited with sinking the Cyclops, Norness, Coimbra prior to the Octavian. U 123 then headed to Cape Hatteras to sink 4 more ships and damage a 5th .
The deck logs of the U-123 7th war patrol indicate that Hardegen sunk an unidentified freighter in the location of the now identified Octavian on January 17, 1942. The location given by Hardegen in his deck log is less than 700 yards from the ships current location. The ship sank in a plume of black smoke in less than a minute as Hardegen used his last stern torpedo. The U-123 then departed at maximum speed toward cape Hatteras.
This is exciting news and we hope to bring closure to the families of 16 Norwegian Sailors and 1 Canadian sailor.
Credit to this project and research should go to the RV Explorer team Rustin Cassway, Brian Sullivan, Michael Dudas and Tom Packer. Others who helped in this research effort were Gary Gentile, Hildrun Sommer (our assistant in Oslo and former Evie Dudas Employee) The Maritime Museum in Oslo Norway, Richie Kohler for providing the grid chart and explain how to use it, Bob Cope of Full Ahead Sport Fishing and Bob Duckenfield of Jim’s Bait and Tackle.
Becky Kagan Schott
Stories Behind the Shot
Presentation Abstract
There is always a story behind an image whether it’s a behind the scenes story of an amazing wildlife interaction. Becky specializes in capturing images in extreme environments around the world from underwater caves to ghostly shipwrecks and even under ice in Antarctica! Her passion is bringing shipwrecks back to life through photography and she’ll explain how she captures that feeling in her work and stories that will ignite your imagination.
Bio
Becky is a 5 time Emmy award winning underwater cameraman and photographer who’s work appears on major networks including National Geographic, Discovery Channel and Red Bull. She specializes in capturing images in extreme underwater environments including caves, under ice and deep shipwrecks. Her projects have taken her all over the world from the Arctic to Antarctic and many exciting locations in between. She’s filmed new wrecks discoveries to cave exploration and even diving cage-less with great white sharks. She’s earned a reputation for being able to bring back quality imagery from harsh conditions. Her biggest passion is shooting haunting images of deep shipwrecks in the Great Lakes. She combines her artistic style with powerful stories of tragedy, mystery and survival to ignite the viewers imagination. She’s constantly pushing the limits and trying new techniques to capture the beauty of the underwater world. She’s a frequent contributor to several Dive Magazines and her photography has been used in books, museums, and advertising. Becky has been actively diving for 26 years and technical diving for 22 of them. She has been an Instructor for 2 decades and is currently an active TDI Mixed Gas CCR Instructor. She leads expeditions all over the world to capture unique images that inspire others to explore our planet!
Weldon Wade
Diving in Bermuda
Bio
Weldon Wade has been extremely active in the Bermuda diving community for over ten years and is unapologetically dedicated to its growth and continues a unique and exciting journey. Wade is the first and only Bermudian certified freediver, SCUBA diver and closed-circult rebreather diver and founder of an ocean conservation organization called Guardians of the Reef.
The mission of Guardians of the Reef includes getting new divers excited to explore and protect the ocean, keep divers diving and to encourage more young Bermudians to put on a pair of fins, mask and snorkel and see for themselves what the healthiest reef in the region looks like. Ocean protection is at the core of Guardians and hunting invasive lionfish and removing plastic pollution from land and the sea floor are two main goals.
Wade hosts clean-up events and works with Project AWARE, 5 Gyres and Ocean Conservancy to remove trash and plastic pollution from beaches and bays locally and overseas. He also hosts invasive lionfish tournaments. Community engagement is key to Wade and he believes hosting events helps give divers purpose and the chance to use skills to help the environment and have fun. These events also open up countless opportunities to collaborate with businesses and other organizations and present information to students in schools and at various kids’ camps.
Wade presently serves on the Board of Directors of the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute, the Bermuda Historic Wrecks Authority, the Bermuda Lionfish Taskforce and the Bermuda Marine Debris Taskforce. He is also a 2020 PADI AmbassaDiver, an ambassador for 5 Gyres, One Ocean, Sea Hive, Pathwater and was a speaker at TEDxBermuda in 2014 sharing his journey on a world stage. If you are ever in Bermuda or planning to visit, be sure to contact him and plan a dive!
Dr. John Littlefield
Underwater Archaeology in Turkey
Presentation Abstract
The first scientific excavation of an ancient shipwreck took place in the summer in 1960 at Cape Gelidonya, Turkey. For the last six decades, Turkey has been a hotbed of archaeological excavations, with three of the world’s oldest excavated shipwrecks coming from Turkish waters. A plethora of other important wrecks have also been excavated giving vital and novel information about the evolution of ship construction, maritime trade, and seafaring cultures of the Mediterranean region.
This talk highlights some of the work done in Turkish waters, with discussion of diving safety methods incorporated to allow work at depths not easily assessable by recreational divers.
Bio
Dr. Littlefield majored in Anthropology and Archaeology at College of Charleston before gaining both a Master’s degree and doctorate from Texas &AM University. He is AAUS trained, a PADI Dive Instructor, a DAN Europe instructor, and the Diving Safety Officer for the Institute of Nautical Archaeology, as well as a member of the Archaeological Diving Control Board of Texas A&M University. He has worked on excavations in the United States, Europe, and Asia for the last decade, and enjoys recreational diving whenever possible.
Josie Iselin
The Curious World of Seaweed
Presentation Description
The Curious World of Seaweed is Josie’s newly released book. Marine algae are the supreme eco-engineers of life: they oxygenate the oceans, create habitat for countless other organisms, and form the base of a food chain that keeps our planet unique in the universe as we know it. In this visually stunning presentation Josie Iselin explores both the artistic and the biological presence of some of the seaweeds and kelps that live in the thin region along our Pacific Coast and beyond. Historical botanical illustrations and Iselin’s signature portraits of each specimen reveal their vibrant colors—whether rosy, “olivaceous,” or grass-green—and whimsical shapes. Iselin posits that we can learn not only about the seaweeds but also from them: their resilience, their resourcefulness, their poetry and magic. Josie will describe her path as an artist into the science of seaweed and share a few seaweed stories, introducing a few women scientists who were crucial in broadening our understanding of the oceans. Projections of Josie’s spectacular imagery of seaweeds—collected from her constant wanderings along our California coastline and beaches—will help explain the science and impart the wonder of this ocean universe.
Jill Heinerth
The Explorer’s Mindset
Bio
Jill Heinerth is a Canadian cave diver, underwater explorer, writer, photographer, and filmmaker. More people have walked on the moon than have been to some of the places Jill Heinerth has explored right here on Earth. She has made TV series for the CBC, the National Geographic Channel, and the BBC, consulted on movies for directors including James Cameron, and produced documentary films. Jill’s accolades include receiving Canada’s prestigious Polar Medal and the diving world’s highest award from the Academy of Underwater Arts and Sciences. She is the inaugural Explorer-in-Residence for The Royal Canadian Geographic Society, and will be inducted into the International Scuba Divers Hall of Fame in 2020.
Jill’s book INTO THE PLANET – My Life as a Cave Diver has drawn wide acclaim from the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, LA Times, NPR, and Oprah Magazine. The adventure memoir describes Heinerth’s personal journey into the extreme world of underwater cave exploration, where she has had to acknowledge and overcome her fears, and the prejudices of the male-dominated sport, in order to go where no one has gone before.
Andrew Martinez
New England Fish ID and the Marine Life App
Presentation Abstract
Tonights presentation will be in two parts. The first will be about the our app Marine Life – North Atlantic. This will show some simple tips to make the app quick an easy to use. You will learn how to set up and personalize your app and how to identify, record, and share what you have seen on your dives. The second part will be about 10 common fish in our waters and what to look for in order to identify them easily
Bio
For more than 50 years, Andrew Martinez has been diving in New England waters. His work has been published in most nature, travel, and dive magazines in this country and in many other countries. He has led Marine Biology or travel groups to the Galapagos Islands, Indonesia, Philippines, and many Caribbean islands. His photos are used in books or displays in the New England Aquarium and many other aquaria and science centers. His app Marine Life – North Atlantic is considered the best guide to this region. Recently he has published two books for young readers. Pier at the End of the World is about marine life in New England and Don’t Mess with Me – The Strange Lives of Venomous Creatures
Matt Meier
The Solomon Islands: World War II History and Pristine Reefs
Presentation Abstract
A photographic journey through the Solomon Islands on the 75th Anniversary of the Battle of Guadalcanal. The site of the first major offensive in the Pacific by allied forces against the Japanese during WWII. We will explore shipwrecks, plane wrecks and equipment dumping grounds, as well as abandoned anti aircraft guns, museums, memorials and even take a ride in a restored 1942 Jeep Willy. Along the way we will explore remote reefs and spectacular coral formations while traversing this vast island nation.
Bio
Matthew Meier is an award winning commercial photographer specializing in underwater and nature, as well as architectural and product photography. His images have been published in books, magazines, and ad campaigns as well as displayed in art galleries, museums and private collections. For the past ten years Matthew has served as a contributing editor, photographer and travel writer for X-Ray International Dive Magazine. Based in San Diego, he is available for assignment work and his photographs may be purchased as fine art prints and licensed for commercial and editorial usage.
Susannah Snowden-Smith
Insiders Guide to Cayman: Everything you ever wanted to know about photography in the Cayman Islands, but didn’t know to ask.
Presentation Abstract
“Insiders Guide To Cayman: Everything you ever wanted to know about diving and photographing in the Cayman Islands but didn’t know who to ask”
Through her underwater photography, Susannah will present on diving in the Cayman Islands. She’ll give tips on the best boat dives, where to shore dive, suggestions of places to stay, and great water activities to do when you’re off-gassing.
Bio
Susannah H. Snowden-Smith is an award-winning underwater photographer who brings her unique eye to the underwater world. Her fine art photography is available on her website for purchase as metal prints, matted prints, photo cards, canvases and more.
Susannah’s accomplishments include placing in the Underwater Photographer Of The Year competition three times; winning the Wrecks Of The World Photo competition; regularly placing in the British Society of Underwater Photography competitions; and being awarded the title of Grand Master by UnderwaterPhotography.com.
Susannah’s work has been featured by publications including National Geographic, Outside Magazine, Diver Magazine, Scuba Diving Magazine, Sport Diver Magazine and Archaeology Magazine.
She started as the shooter on underwater archaeology excavations and has photographed ancient shipwrecks all over the world. Susannah has been diving since she was 16-years-old and is a PADI Divemaster. Prior to growing fins and transitioning into full-time underwater work, she was an award-winning photojournalist.
Susannah is based out of Grand Cayman, where she is able to experiment with underwater photography techniques year-round.
Dr. Anjani Ganase
Bringing Tobago’s Coral Reefs Online: The Maritime Ocean Collection
Presentation Abstract
The Maritime Ocean Collection integrates state-of-the-art 360º photography, Google Street View, smartphone technology, and videography, to allow anyone – adult or child, Trinbagonian or visitor – to view Trinidad and Tobago’s remarkable underwater world. We have built an underwater collection of Tobago’s coral reefs and marine environments to increase awareness, engagement and education, and to instill a sense of stewardship for these fragile marine ecosystems. This imagery will form the basis of Trinidad and Tobago’s first online coral-reef collection and will provide a baseline record for scientific comparison and management.
Bio
Anjani is a Marine Biologist with a special interest in coral reef ecology and understanding drivers of marine spatial patterns and the impacts on livelihoods. During her time at the University of Queensland, Australia, she mapped coral reefs around the world using 360-degree imagery technology for the purpose of online engagement and outreach as well as scientific research. Through the Maritime Ocean Collection Project, she aims to create novel opportunities to engage with people on critical coral reef issues by meshing state-of the art 360-degree photography and Google street view to strengthen the connection between people and coral reefs and to showcase their importance and how we impact them. Anjani also writes a weekly column for the Tobago Newsday collected in the blog, Wild Tobago.
Tyler Phelps
Exploration and Ecology of Twilight Zone Fishes
Presentation Abstract
Fifteen minutes. That’s all the time they have to collect their data at 500 feet. Dressed like “aquanauts,” they’re the first divers to ever visit these deep coral reefs. After documenting the habitat, conducting fish surveys, and collecting potential new species, they begin their ascent. It will take six hours of decompression before being able to surface. Diving to these depths took years of preparation for Ichthyology Graduate Student, Tyler Phelps. Each dive takes hours of preparation and extensive safety precautions to mitigate the risks in conducting their research. Take a “dive” with Tyler as he shares what it’s like to explore the Twilight Zone, and the latest discoveries their team has found from these remarkable communities.
Bio
When his parents took him for stroller walks along the Long Beach peninsula (in California), they had no idea someday he would be diving deep below the surface. Inspired by family trips to the aquarium and his elementary school teachers, he has dreamed of becoming a marine biologist since he was eight years old.
In high school, Tyler captained the Marine Decathlon team and volunteered at the Aquarium of the Pacific. After attending Soka University of America (Aliso Viejo, CA) for two years for Environmental Studies and a swimming scholarship, he transferred to the University of Hawaii at Hilo to earn his Bachelor of Science in Marine Science.
During Tyler’s college career, he has balanced his love for diving and love of science. This harmony inspired the formation of his training company, Balanced Divers, to offer private instruction as a NAUI Course Director, Technical Diving/Rebreather Instructor, and has won several awards serving on NAUI’s Training Committee. As an undergrad, he learned about the research his idols were conducting at the California Academy of Sciences and the new species they were finding in this “twilight zone” of coral reefs. Tyler realized this would be a perfect avenue for his research and spent the next six years advancing towards that goal.
Today, Tyler is earning his Master of Science from San Francisco State University while serving as their Assistant Diving Safety Officer. He is a Graduate Student in the Ichthyology Department at Cal Academy and serves as one of their On-Call Dive Officers. Tyler researches how fish assemblages change across depth gradients, mechanisms that drive community structure of fish communities, and understanding the role deep reef ecosystems could play in the conservation of threatened shallow coral reefs.
Dr. David Charash
Diving in the Time of COVID-19 and Updates to the Medical Guidelines
Presentation Abstract
Topics:
1)Understand what Dive Medical Fitness means to the diver
2)Update on the newest World Recreational Scuba training Council Medical Fitness Guidelines
3)Medical Fitness and Diving in the era of Covid-19
4)Update on Newest Dive Medical Fitness Guidelines
Bio
Dr Charash is Board Certified In Emergency Medicine, Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine. He has cared for injured Divers since 1992.
He is a NOAA Certified Dive Medicine Physician and a Certified Dive Fitness Medical Examiner. He has lectured at the United States Coast Guard Academy and the Naval Undersea Medical Institute on a variety of dive medicine topics. He speaks locally, nationally and internationally on Dive Safety, Dive Technology, and Dive Medicine.
Dr Charash works with recreational, scientific, public safety, commercial and military diving communities.He is a PADI Rescue Diver
Karl Huggins
Dive Computers and Decompression
Presentation Abstract
What is programmed into Dive Computers and how do they work? These are some of the questions addressed in this presentation. Starting some general concepts of decompression theory, this presentation looks at how those theories are translated into models which can be used to generate decompression tables and ultimately be programmed into Dive Computers. Since there are different models, this talk looks at the response to the same profile by various tables and computers. The advantages and disadvantages of dive computers will be examined, as well as factors that can influence susceptibility to decompression sickness which tables and computers do not incorporate, and activities divers can incorporate to reduce their risk for decompression sickness.
Bio
Karl Huggins has been the Director of the Catalina Hyperbaric Chamber Facility at the USC Wrigley Marine Science Center since 1992 and has been involved with the treatment of hundreds of divers during that time. He is noted for his work in decompression theory and models, which resulted in the Michigan Sea Grant (HUGI) tables and his participation in the development of the EDGE dive computer. Karl enjoys educating divers in the area of decompression (making divers more aware of the limitations of dive tables and computers) and diving safety. To that end he has given hundreds of lectures, seminars, and workshops as a featured speaker at conferences around the world. In 2011 he co-moderated the Validation of Dive Computers Workshop at the annual meeting of the European Underwater and Baromedical Society in Gdansk. Karl is the 1990 recipient of the Leonard Greenstone Diving Safety Award, the DAN/Rolex Diver of the Year for 1993, the 2004 Conrad Limbaugh Memorial Award for Scientific Diving Leadership and the 2008 California Scuba Service Award.
Gary Lefebvre
Diving Lake Champlain – From Recreational to Technical
Presentation Abstract
Having grown up on Lake Champlain in Malletts Bay, it was only a matter of time before scuba diving became more than a hobby. First started diving in 1978, my wife Ellen and I built our first Dive/Research vessel (R/V Amazon) in 2011 for the purpose of located new places and structure to dive on. Since then, that vessel has been modified several times to provide improvements to safely dive on unknown sonar targets while ensuring minimal impact and damage to sensitive sites. To date we have logged over 3000 sonar targets which only a small fraction of have been identified. Our season typically runs from April to December in which we try to identify as many targets as possible while enjoying the beautiful scenery of the Champlain Valley. When the weather cooperates this usually means 50-100 dives and ROV surveillance when diving is not practical. Our hope is that someday we can help establish a unified database of targets so those interested can assist in their identification to add to the well preserved underwater Museum of Lake Champlain.
Jeff Bozanic
Rebreathers: For Tech…but also photographers, recreational divers,…and you?!
Presentation Abstract
Rebreathers have traditionally been considered equipment for technical divers. The reality is that rebreathers provide significant advantages for the advanced recreational diver as well. We will look at types of rebreathers, how they function, training programs, and how the average recreational diver can enjoy their diving more with this fascinating technology.
Bio
Jeff is the President of Next Generation Services, where he provides consulting and training services in the diving market. Clients include rebreather manufacturers, training agencies, and legal agencies. Jeff has participated or lead over 70 diving expeditions during the past 30 years, to places like Palau, Canary Islands, and Antarctica. Jeff has edited/reviewed many diving textbooks, and is the author of Mastering Rebreathers. He has received the NAUI Lifetime Achievement Award, was honored as the DAN/Rolex Diver of the Year, and was recognized with the American Academy of Underwater Sciences Conrad Limbaugh Award for Scientific Diving Leadership .
Bill Simpson
Assessing and Treating Diving Injuries in the Field…It Isn’t Always DCS
Monty Fitzpatrick + Matt Cinciripino
Tobermory: Cold and Deep
Presentation Abstract
This is a video of a 2019 trip to Tobermory Ontario. Tobermory is a harbor village on the Bruce Peninsula in the province of Ontario. The video documents several of the popular wrecks off the northern Bruce peninsula in Lake Huron and Georgian Bay including the Arabia, Forest City, Caroline Rose, Philo Scoville, James C. King, W.L. Wetmore, & Niagara II.
Phil Hartmeyer
Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary: Shipwreck Alley
Presentation Abstract
Since the middle 19th century, over 200 shipwrecks have occurred in this special region of Northern Lake Huron. Fire, storm, ice and human error wrecked havoc during this period as industries flourished, populations expanded, and new frontiers were created in unlikely places. You will learn the histories that promoted the rich maritime heritage of the Great Lakes that ultimately created one richest collections of shipwrecks on the planet. Come learn why Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary has earned its nickname: shipwreck alley.
Bio
Phil Hartmeyer is a maritime archaeologist with Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary contracted by Cardinal Point Points, joining the research team in 2014. Phil conducts archaeological and historical research to characterize, interpret, and protect sanctuary cultural resources using advanced digital imaging techniques, marine remote sensing, and scientific diving. He is also Thunder Bay’s Unit Diving Supervisor coordinating a regional team of scientists using scientific diving to support NOAA’s mission at Thunder Bay, and beyond. He has a bachelors of arts in archaeology from Saint Mary’s College of California, a masters in maritime studies from East Carolina University and is a Registered Professional Archaeologist.
Janna Nichols
Citizen Science for the Submerged (aka: We’ll Make a Fish Geek Out of You Yet!)
Presentation Abstract
Want to give more purpose and fun to your diving? Janna Nichols (REEF’s Citizen Science Project Manager) will show you how to monitor marine life and submit your data to the largest online marine life sightings database in the world, used by scientists, researchers, students, policy-makers, etc. Participating in REEF’s Volunteer Fish Survey Project is easy, fun, and can be done anytime, anywhere, year-round.
Many divers are looking for a purpose to their diving after the “Oh wow” factor wears off. Contributing your observations of marine life to the REEF database will increase your knowledge of what you’re seeing as well as giving you the satisfaction of knowing you are making a difference in the health of our oceans, locally and elsewhere.
Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF) is an international marine conservation organization that implements hands-on programs to involve local communities in conservation-focused activities. REEF was founded in 1990 and is based in Key Largo, Florida, with remote staff in Illinois, California, and Washington. Its mission is to protect biodiversity and ocean life by actively engaging and inspiring the public through citizen science, education, and partnerships with the scientific community.
John Edmonds
Welcome to Diving in SouthEast Florida
Presentation Abstract
Diving from Jupiter to Key West and everywhere in between.
South Florida is a unique area for divers to explore with many different options available to suit everyone’s diving preferences.
The area attracts divers from all around the world who venture out seeking large wrecks, shark encounters, Lionfish & Lobster gathering, black water diving, treasure hunting and spectacular photographic and video opportunities. In addition there are some rare annual events that draw divers & dive photographers like the Goliath Grouper Aggregation and summer time Coral Spawning.
Depending on the type of diving you enjoy, South Florida has something for you.
Bio
John Edmonds has been the “Calendar Events Coordinator” for South Florida Divers Inc for the last 6-Years. He is also a member of the South Florida Underwater Photography Society, and the South Florida Reef Research Team. An avid sailor and world traveler, most weekends you will find him on or in the water.