Under Sea Adventurers Dive Club Hospitality

Blackwater Creatures * In Person Speaker *

Rick Dayan — Thu, 02 Apr 2026 23:00:00 GMT

*** In Person Speaker and USA Dive Club Member***

Linda Ianniello – “Blackwater Creatures”

Linda has been scuba diving and taking underwater images for over 30 years. Her favorite type of photography has always been macro photography, where half the challenge is finding the small, unusual subjects. When a local dive operator started doing “blackwater” dives she became interested. She was quickly hooked and has done 550 blackwater dives locally, in just under 10 years. These dives involve going approximately five miles off the coast and doing a night drift dive close to the Gulf Stream where the bottom is 700 to 750 feet deep.

It is fascinating to find and photograph the animals that migrate vertically from the deep every night to feed, and those that spend their whole lives in the water column. Linda then strives to identify and learn more about them, with a lot of help from willing scientists. In return, the scientists are interested to see the subjects “in situ” rather than mangled after being collected in a net towed behind a boat. Linda will talk about the evolution of these dives and how much she has learned, and also how much she hopes to have contributed to science and education. These creatures, though small, all have a purpose and are necessary to the health of the ocean.

Dolphin-fisheries interactions in Jamaica * Virtual Speaker *

Rick Dayan — Fri, 06 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

*** Virtual Speaker ***

Christine O’Sullivan is a Senior Lecturer in Environmental Studies at the University of Technology, Jamaica (UTech, Ja.) and is currently pursuing a PhD in Marine Sciences at the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus. She has Masters’ degrees in Natural Resource Management and Marine Mammal Science from the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus and the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, respectively. Before working for UTech, Ja. she worked for governmental, non-governmental and inter-governmental organizations in the Caribbean to support environmental awareness, research and conservation.

Since at least 2001 fishers in Jamaica have been complaining about dolphins extracting fish from their fish traps and nets. This has led to some fishers threatening to harm dolphins associated with the behavior. This presentation will look at the behaviors used by bottlenose dolphins to extract fish from fishers’ traps and the development of possible mitigation measures that will help to reduce conflicts between dolphins and fishers.

Custom Wetsuits That Perform When It Matters Most In Person Speaker

Rick Dayan — Fri, 06 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT

***In Person Speaker***

Connie Sonnabend, Owner of Wetwear, will be talking in person at the meeting site. Wetwear is a family-owned business that has been designing and manufacturing custom wetsuits for over 40 years. We are the authorized vendor for U.S. Rescue Swimmer suits and also produce specialized suits for fire and police divers nationwide. Our focus has always been on durability, comfort, and performance in demanding conditions.

During my talk, I will share how custom wetsuit design improves safety, mobility, and efficiency for professional and recreational divers alike. I’ll discuss the evolution of wetsuit construction, what sets custom suits apart from stock suits, and introduce Wetwear’s unique “Easy-On” design, which allows users to get in and out of their suit in under a minute, along with our specialized collars and back-zipper system.

Underwater Hunting In-Person Speaker

Rick Dayan — Fri, 09 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

***In-Person Speaker***

Jim "Chiefy" Mathie is author of two underwater hunting publications, "Catching the BUG" and "Catching the Spear-it". This presentation is about giving you some valuable tips on how to locally harvest spiny lobsters and fish, including lionfish. As a recreational diver, these tips are part of a three-step program for catching spiny lobsters and the ABCs of spearfishing. Easy and enjoyable, this presentation will increase your underwater hunting skills.

Jim retired in 2007 after serving 30 years with Deerfield Beach Fire Rescue. He advanced through the ranks from 1977 as a Firefighter/Paramedic, Rescue Supervisor, Fire Inspector, Training/EMS Lieutenant, Battalion Chief and retired as a Division Chief. His responsibilities as a Division Chief included Emergency Medical Services and Emergency Management. For over 25 years Jim was also an adjunct faculty member at Broward Community College in the Emergency Medical Services Department. He holds an Associate of Science Degree from Broward Community College in Fire Science, a Bachelor of Science Degree from Nova Southeastern University in Public Administration and has completed numerous courses toward a Master of Science Degree at Florida International University in Adult Education. He received the Fire Chiefs’ Association of Broward County 2010 Lifetime Achievement Award.

Jim’s venture after retirement allowed him to fulfill a life-long passion of diving. Author of two books, Catching the BUG: The Comprehensive Guide to Catching the Spiny Lobster and Catching the Spear-it! The ABC’s of Spearfishing, Jim combined his years as an educator, underwater hunter and storyteller to create these easy-to-read publications.

Jim established CHIEFY, LLC in 2011 and his website can be viewed at www.chiefy.net or visit his Facebook pages at https://www.facebook.com/jim.mathie or https://www.facebook.com/chiefyllc, Instagram and YouTube Channel at Chiefycrew.

Jim also writes a column, Catching the Ocean View at the New Pelican Newspaper, and a contributor in The Weekly Fisherman radio show on WINZ 940AM.

New Caledonia: a fabulous dive destination * In-person speaker *

Rick Dayan — Fri, 07 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMT

*** In-Person Speaker ***

Robert F. Myers spent much of his childhood in southeast Asia where he developed an intense interest in natural history. His diving and passion for marine life took hold during his early high school years in Hong Kong and continued at the University of Hawaii where he earned a BA in zoology, assisted Bishop Museum ichthyologist John E. Randall on field trips to Enewetak Atoll and took up underwater photography. A year after graduating he moved to Guam to pursue graduate studies and underwater photography. There he earned an MS in Biology from the University of Guam Marine Laboratory (UGM), worked as a fisheries biologist for the Government of Guam and founded Coral Graphics as a vehicle to publish his photographs in books that he co-authored with UGM faculty.

Rob “retired” in 1995 to devote more time to photography, writing, research and consulting. Rob has written or co-authored numerous scientific papers and magazine articles on Indo-Pacific fishes and several books including Micronesian Reef Fishes (3 editions: 1989-1999), Coral Reef Fishes (with E. Lieske, 1993: Harper Collins/Princeton), Coral Reef Guide Red Sea (with E. Lieske, 2004: Harper Collins/Princeton) and Dangerous Marine Animals (with M. Bergbauer and M. Kirschner, 2009: Kosmos, A&C Black).

Rob now resides in south Florida with his partner and wife, Patrice Marker, who has been indispensable in assisting him with her technical expertise as well as photography. Since 2006, Rob has served on the coral reef fishes Species Survival Commission (SSC) of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and has collaborated with researchers from around the world on publications ranging from biogeography to conservation, ecology and genetics of Indo-Pacific fishes. Rob also partnered with geologist and malacologist Ed Petuch to produce three books on Marine mollusks: Molluscan Communities of the Florida Keys and Adjacent Areas (2014; CRC Press), The Living and Fossil Busycon Whelks: Iconic Mollusks of Eastern North America (2015) and Jewels of the Everglades: the Fossil Cowries of Southern Florida (2018; the latter two also with David Berschauer) as well as several publications in The Festivus, the journal of the San Diego Shell Club.

Rob is currently preparing a completely new and updated edition of Micronesian Reef Fishes as well as updated versions of some of his other books and a nearly completed field guide to Florida and Caribbean marine life.

The Wild Dolphin Project: Over 40 Years with Atlantic Spotted Dolphins In person Speaker

Rick Dayan — Thu, 02 Oct 2025 23:00:00 GMT

*** In Person Speaker ***

A Lake Worth local, Alexandra Rose earned her B.S. in Biological Sciences from Florida State University (2019) and her graduate certificate in Aquatic Animal Care and Conservation through the University of Florida (2023). Her love for the ocean began in childhood, spending countless hours at the beach and on the water, always curious about the animals that lived there and their connection to us. As an undergraduate, Alexandra worked in a deep-sea shark research lab, assisting with gut content analysis, field surveys, and tagging projects. Her career path soon took her abroad to Ireland, where she rehabilitated seals during the pandemic, before returning home to south Florida to focus on native wildlife rehabilitation. Following an internship with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, she became a manatee biologist, spending three years conducting stranding response, photo identification, and carcass salvage. When the opportunity to join the Wild Dolphin Project arose, Alexandra felt she was moving from one dream job to another. After completing her first full field season aboard Stenella, she is eager to continue diving deeper into dolphin research and all that the upcoming seasons have to offer.

Join us for an updated look at the Wild Dolphin Project and the research we conduct with Atlantic spotted dolphins. We’ll share who we are, what drives our work, and how we study dolphin biology and behavior to better understand and conserve these incredible animals.

Enhancing Florida West Coast Sponge Population Virtual Speaker

Rick Dayan — Thu, 04 Sep 2025 23:00:00 GMT

*** Virtual (Zoom) Speaker ***

Aaron Pilnick is a marine ecologist specializing in restoration aquaculture and the ecology of foundational reef organisms. He received his B.S. in Biology from Tufts University in 2013 and his Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Ecology from the University of Florida in 2022. His professional experience includes positions at the New England Aquarium, the National Aquarium in Baltimore, and close collaboration with The Florida Aquarium, where he worked alongside partners to develop a leading coral restoration program.

He is currently a Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Florida, where his work centers on developing aquaculture and restoration methods for sponges, sea urchins, and other invertebrates. Sponges are vital but often overlooked components of coastal ecosystems, improving water quality through filter feeding, and providing essential habitat for fish and invertebrates. In Florida, large-scale sponge die-offs have highlighted their vulnerability and the urgent need for restoration. Pilnick’s research aims to develop strategies for enhancing sponge populations on Florida’s west coast, advancing both ecosystem recovery and coastal resilience.

He is excited to return to speak with the dive club, following his last presentation on long-spined sea urchins and their role in South Florida coral reef restoration.

Seagrass conservation and restoration in Florida Virtual Speaker

Rick Dayan — Thu, 07 Aug 2025 23:00:00 GMT

***Virtual Speaker***

Joshua Patterson is Associate Professor of restoration aquaculture at the University of Florida. He has been faculty in the Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences Program since 2014. Josh’s academic training started with a B.S. in Biology from George Mason University in Fairfax, VA. He then earned an M.S. in Aquaculture/Aquatic Sciences from Kentucky State University in Frankfort, KY and a Ph.D. in Renewable Natural Resources from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, LA. Josh conducts research and outreach, mentors graduate students, and manages projects. His lab focuses on using aquaculture as a tool to enhance or restore aquatic environments including coral reefs, nearshore hardbottom sponges, oyster reefs, and seagrass beds. In a unique arrangement, Josh and his lab are housed at The Florida Aquarium’s Coral Conservation and Research Center on the eastern shore of Tampa Bay in Apollo Beach. This talk will focus on Florida’s beautiful and important seagrass meadows, including discussion of impacts to these habitats and conservation/restoration strategies.

Project Recover: Keeping America’s Promise * Virtual Speaker *

Rick Dayan — Thu, 05 Jun 2025 23:00:00 GMT

*** Virtual Speaker ***

The presentation will expose the audience to the work and impact of Project Recover. Project Recover is a non-profit organization and Department of Defense partner that has been in existence for three decades. Their mission is to locate and repatriate Americans missing in action (MIA) from our previous wars. There are more than 81,000 American MIAs and five million Gold Star MIA family members waiting for answers to what happened to their loved ones so that they can find healing and some sort of closure. Project Recover is the only fully vertical non-governmental organization (NGO) executing this mission in the world. Project Recover executes the entire mission set from research, to search, to documentation, to recovery in both the terrestrial and underwater environments. The mission will be explored with multiple stories of success and the impact these missions have created around the world.

About Project Recover:

Project Recover is the nation’s leading citizen-led, nonprofit organization dedicated to locating, recovering, and repatriating the more than 81,000 American service members still missing in action. We seek to honor the sacrifice of our brave service members by bringing them home, giving closure to their families, and preserving their legacy.

For over 30 years, Project Recover has been dedicated to this mission, completing over 100 unique missions in 25 countries. These missions have led to the development of a database tracking more than 700 case studies associated with 3,000 MIAs. We are proud to have successfully located 200 MIAs that await further recovery missions for repatriation. In collaboration with the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, we are actively working to identify 26 MIAs to return them home to their families.

Our work is a living memorial and a uniquely American mission driven by humbled gratitude and honor of our nation’s MIAs.

Dr. Derek Abbey spent 23 years in the United States Marine Corps, serving as an enlisted Marine and an officer, both on the ground and in the air. This included serving as an F/A-18 aviator and in the special operations community. He conducted multiple deployments in the Hornet and holds more combat time in the jet than in peaceful skies. Additionally, he is a plank holder (original member) at 1^st Raider Battalion and Marine Special Operations Company Delta.

Since retiring from the Marine Corps in 2014, Derek has remained committed to serving the military populations in several capacities. These not only include Project Recover, but also working extensively with military in higher education at San Diego State University and University of San Diego, as well as with several military-connected nonprofits.

He studied history at Oregon State University for his undergraduate education while he was an active duty Marine. He holds an M.A. in Higher Education Leadership and a Ph.D. in Leadership Studies from the University of San Diego. Additionally, he holds a credential from Stanford University in Non-Profit Executive Leadership and is a 2019 President George W. Bush Scholar.

He has been a member of Project Recover for over 20 years and currently serves as the President and Chief Executive Officer. For more than 30 years, Project Recover has searched for Americans missing in action (MIA) from our nation’s previous conflicts with the intention of providing answers and closure to Gold Star Families and helping to heal the wounds of war. Project Recover. Today, Project Recover is the only non-government organization (NGO) which has the capability of executing all mission sets related to locating and repatriating American service members who remain MIA. This includes research, search missions, documentation missions, and recovery missions in both the underwater and land environments.

Today, Dr. Abbey lives in Bend, Oregon.

Snap, Crackle, Pop: Healthy reef sounds can diagnose health and support restoration (Remote Speaker)

Rick Dayan — Thu, 01 May 2025 23:00:00 GMT

***Remote Speaker***

Aran Mooney is a marine biologist focusing on the sensory biology and bioacoustics of marine organisms. He received his B.S. from the University of New Hampshire (2000; Biology with Spanish minor) and a M.S. (2003) and Ph.D. (2008) from the University of Hawaii (Zoology – Marine Biology emphasis). At UH Mooney conducted research on acoustically reducing dolphin and porpoise bycatch and the effects of noise on marine mammals. After his degree, Dr. Mooney worked at the Marine Biological Laboratory and then the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) as a Postdoctoral Scholar. He is currently an Associate Scientist at WHOI. Dr. Mooney’s research focuses on sensory biology and particularly how marine animals detect, use and are affected by sound. This involves measuring sound sensitivity in a diversity of marine animals, monitoring biological activity and reef health via underwater soundscapes, defining hearing capabilities in organisms not previously known to use sound, such as squid and cuttlefish and developing new sensors to measure sound production, biodiversity and animal behaviors. To achieve these tasks, he works with engineers to develop new sensors and biologging tags.

WHOI

The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) is a leading non-profit research and higher education facility dedicated to ocean science, technology, education, and communication. Founded in 1930, it conducts research across various marine science disciplines and is a major center for oceanographic studies. WHOI's mission is to advance understanding of the ocean and its interaction with the Earth system, and to apply this knowledge to benefit society. WHOI has been a pioneer of bioacoustics research for nearly 100 years.

"A Deep Dive into Restoration Aquaculture: The Long-Spined Sea Urchin and its Significance for Coral Reef Ecology" * In Person Speaker *

Rick Dayan — Thu, 03 Apr 2025 23:00:00 GMT

*** In Person Speaker *** Please join us for dinner at 6 p.m.

Dr. Aaron Pilnick’s dedication to marine ecology and conservation began in his childhood, when he and his brother developed a shared interest in keeping reef aquariums while growing up in the suburbs of New York. This early fascination with aquatic life led him to pursue a career in marine science, gaining his first professional experience at the New England Aquarium while studying at Tufts University. After graduating, he completed multiple research internships studying fisheries ecology in the Northern Gulf and cold-water coral reef ecology in New England. He later worked as a full-time Aquarist at the National Aquarium in Baltimore, where he managed live coral reef exhibits and developed a passion for life support engineering and coral reef conservation.

In 2018, Aaron returned to his home state of Florida to help develop a burgeoning coral restoration program alongside The Florida Aquarium, working on aquaculture critically important reef species at their land-based conservation facility. At the same time, he pursued graduate studies at the University of Florida. He earned his Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Ecology in December 2022, focusing on restoration aquaculturing and coral reef ecology with an emphasis on marine invertebrate biology. Now a Post-Doctoral Researcher at the University of Florida, Aaron continues to develop reef restoration solutions while also researching topics such as coastal sponge enhancement and marine disease ecology.

Aaron’s talk will explore his work developing a restoration aquaculture program for the long-spined sea urchin (Diadema antillarum), a critically important reef herbivore. His research on overcoming production challenges has contributed to new strategies for advancing restoration goals in Florida. Through this work, his talk will provide broader insight into science-based solutions for reef restoration and ecosystem recovery.

Discover the fascinating world of sea cucumbers: a broad overview of their ecology, biology and exploitation. (In Person speaker))

Rick Dayan — Fri, 07 Mar 2025 00:00:00 GMT

** (In Person Speaker, Please join Josephine for dinner at 6:00 p.m. at the Aloft Hotel) **

Josephine Pierrat is passionate about marine biology since she was young. On a trip to Palau more than 10 years ago where her encounters with the fabulous coral reef and the jellyfish lake convinced her to undertake studies in marine biology to devote her career to it.

Josephine holds a doctorate in marine biology, specialist in the ecology of sea cucumbers. She studied tropical species of sea cucumbers during her PhD studies on Reunion Island (a French island located in the Indian Ocean), where she focused her research on their diet, their reproductive modes, their relation with sedimentary factors and their spatio-temporal dynamics over more than two years on two coral reefs. She is now working as a postdoctoral fellow in the Mercier lab, where she mainly study the ecology of cold-water sea cucumbers in the Arctic Canadian in relation to commercial fishing initiatives and the creation of a marine protected area in this region.

Josephine is a member of the Species Survival Commission (SSC) Young Professional group of the IUCN, and also a member of APECS, the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists. In parallel, Josephine enjoys recreational diving. She has a recreational licence up to 60 m depth and her professional licence to 30 m.

The Mercier lab is based at the Ocean Sciences Centre of Memorial University (St. Johns, Newfoundland, Canada). The head of the lab is the Professor Annie Mercier, a world-renowned specialist, particularly for her work on sea cucumbers. The research of the lab covers various fields in marine biology, with a primary focus on fundamental and applied aspects of benthic ecology (e.g. drivers of reproduction, larval ecology, population structure, species interactions, response to stress, aquaculture programs). Echinoderms (sea cucumbers, sea stars, sea urchins, etc.) and cnidarians (corals, sea anemones) are mainly studied in the cold waters of the Canadian Atlantic coasts and deep sea, and the Canadian Arctic with the collaboration of Indigenous organizations.

How to become an Underwater Photographing, World Traveling Fool 101 (In person speaker)

Rick Dayan — Fri, 07 Feb 2025 00:00:00 GMT

***In Person Speaker*** Please join Lureen at the WXYZ bar at the Aloft Hotel at 6:00 p.m.

Do you dream of traveling the world and capturing the most breathtaking
marine life? From vibrant reef-scapes and majestic pelagics to the tiniest, most adorable sea critters, join me on an exhilarating photographic journey. Together, we'll explore the depths of the ocean, uncover hidden gems, and share tips and tricks to help you plan your next aquatic adventure for a fun, productive, and less stressful trip. Please plan to join the club at the February Meeting on Feb 6th.

Lureen Ferretti is a passionate nature photographer and photojournalist, specializing in underwater imagery, who draws her inspiration from the serene beauty of nature and the delightfully humorous behaviors exhibited by animals.

As an ocean enthusiast, she wields her camera as a powerful tool to capture and share the unique personalities and behaviors of marine life, reveals both the delicate beauty and the vulnerability of our environment, and simultaneously document its tragic destruction caused by unwitting or indifferent human actions.

Her mission is to raise awareness, educate, and motivate people worldwide
to take action in safeguarding this precious ecosystem — a lifeline for
countless creatures including humankind.

Tour the Solomon Islands, Underwater (in Person speaker)

Rick Dayan — Fri, 03 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT

In Person speaker

Rick Dayan is a retired Engineer. Rick worked for both IBM and as a Intellectual Property consultant. He joined USA Dive Club in March of 1983. Rick was first certified in 1973 and has been taking underwater photos since a trip to Batangas and Anilao, Philippines back in 1982. Rick has dove extensively throughout the Bahamas, Caribbean and warm water Pacific Dive Sites (except PNG was cold).

Tonight, Rick will be talking about a recent trip through the Solomon Islands on Bilikiki, a liveaboard boat.

Marine Conservation and Adventure Expeditions with Angela Smith and Shark Team One (in Person Speaker)

Rick Dayan — Fri, 08 Nov 2024 00:00:00 GMT

Marine Conservation and Adventure Expeditions with Angela Smith and Shark Team One (in Person Speaker)

Angela Smith, founder of the endangered species conservation and citizen science expedition organization Shark Team One will speak about working with large marine animals and the conservation of endangered species worldwide.

Angela will talk about new projects such as her work to help build a marine protected area in the remote Weddell Sea, Antarctica and what it’s like to snorkel in Antarctica with curious seals and rafts of penguins. You will also see behind the scenes on Shark Team One film productions and research trips in The Bahamas, Mexico and Dominica as you learn about Shark Team One’s endangered species work with whale sharks, tiger sharks and sperm whale family groups. Angela will be discussing upcoming projects in the Canadian and Norwegian Arctic where she will be documenting marine mammal migrations through the ice floes and studying narwhal, bowhead whales and the “carousel feeding” orcas of Northern Norway.

Angela is an award-winning conservationist, photographer, writer and filmmaker specializing in endangered species and is the founder of the nonprofit Shark Team One. She is also a researcher supported by the S.E.E. Initiative (Science, Exploration, Education) with National Geographic and partners, a Microsoft AI for Earth grantee and a member of the Ocean Artists Society. Angela served as NGO Vice-chair for the Southeast Florida Coral Reef Initiative (SEFCRI), a program of United States Coral Reef Task Force (USCRTF). As an award-winning filmmaker, her wildlife documentaries have won accolades at venues such as Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival, Blue Ocean Film Festival, Jackson Wild and Wildlife Conservation Film Festival. She is an Indianapolis Prize for lifetime achievement in conservation nominee for 2020 and has recently led Shark Team One to be a Disney Conservation Fund grantee. Angela has been leading Shark Team One programs and expeditions since 2013.

Visit Angela’s website at: www.sharkteamone.org

Summary Brochure:

Shark Team One_Angela Smith_USA Dive Club 2024.pdf

Plant a Million Corals (Zoom Speaker)

Rick Dayan — Thu, 03 Oct 2024 23:00:00 GMT

Plant a Million Corals Foundation

Plant a Million Corals Foundation (PAMCF) is a non-profit (501(c)3) organization dedicated to restoring coral reefs through innovative science, education, and community engagement. Founded in 2019 by Dr. David Vaughan, a renowned coral reef scientist, known for his groundbreaking discovery of a method to rapidly reproduce resilient, fast-growing corals, PAMCF is committed to large scale application of micro-fragmentation. By cultivating and outplanting millions of corals, PAMCF aims to rebuild thriving coral reef ecosystems for future generations. With already over 40,000 corals on site at their facility in Summerland Key, and counting, PAMCF is on the way to reach 100,000 coral production by the end of 2024, and a 1.1million coral production capacity by the end of 2025. This will allow PAMCF to produce 1 million corals per year to be planted on the Florida Coral Reef Tract.

To accelerate coral restoration efforts, PAMCF has developed the Coral Restoration Units (CRUs) program, providing essential equipment and training to individuals and organizations committed to coral reef restoration. Additionally, the foundation offers Coral Restoration Workshops to educate and empower practitioners and organizations to participate in this critical conservation work.

Dr. David Vaughan
Founder, President, and CEO

Dr. David Vaughan has held positions in aquaculture research and development for over 45 years. He directed the Aquaculture Division at Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution for 17 years, including the design, build and operation of the 60 acre HBOI Aquaculture Development Park, the world’s only completely recirculating center for aquaculture training and demonstration.

Dr. David Vaughan is often cited with creating the R&D and scale up of clam farming technologies in Florida, and directing the training programs and operations of the nation’s largest hatchery to produce clams used for the retraining displaced fisherman.

He founded and developed ORA, Oceans, Reefs and Aquariums Inc., a large marine ornamental production facility and has worked with Philippe Cousteau and Earth Echo International on coral reef restoration initiatives.

As previous Executive Director of the Mote Marine Laboratory in the Florida Keys, he started the coral restoration program, heralded with developing the new technology of “micro-fragmentation”. Dr. Vaughan is presently helping people globally in this process as a scalable tool for reef restoration as Founder of Plant a Million Corals.

* Dr. David E. Vaughan has previously worked for and with many other marine science organizations over the years and has now retired from those entities and is solely representing Plant A Million Corals until he reaches this goal.

Dee Dee Vaughan Smause
Co-Founder, Director, Development and Communications

Dee Dee grew up on and under the water. You could say that saltwater runs through her veins. Being raised by a marine biologist meant that almost all things revolved around the ocean, and that has continued to this day. As one of the co-founders of the Plant a Million Corals Foundation, her main role is to raise awareness and build partnerships for coral restoration.

Dee Dee’s professional career started much earlier and has ranged from the local to the global level. Working with the American Red Cross as the disaster response and volunteer coordinator, she handled volunteer recruitment, training, and deployment. While at the Earth Day Network, an international environmental advocacy based in Washington, D.C., she was the Executive Assistant to the President, assisting with organizational management, campaign development, and working with the media as a content contributor and writer. As the coordinator of the Florida Keys Community College Foundation (now College of the Florida Keys), Dee Dee was the lead administrator and fundraiser for the scholarship program supporting the students and programs of the school. In the aftermath of Hurricane Irma, she coordinated the disaster response for the students and staff, as well as assisting in the fundraising efforts to support those in need in the school. After the hurricane response, she joined the Florida Keys Community Land Trust, raising money and awareness for the lack of affordable housing in the Florida Keys as their Development Officer.

When the opportunity to start the Plant a Million Corals Foundation with her family, and actively support coral restoration around the world, she jumped at the chance to be a part of the founding team. Getting to work with practitioners, scientists, educators, supporters, and the community making coral restoration affordable, accessible, and scalable has been a dream come true!

Dee Dee lives in the Florida Keys with her husband, Jason, and their rescue pup, Isabela.

Your Photos, Your Story: Google Photos Made Simple - in-Person Speakers

Rick Dayan — Thu, 05 Sep 2024 23:00:00 GMT

Your Photos, Your Story: Google Photos Made Simple

Chris and Jim Guld are THE Geeks on Tour. They’ve both been in the technology training and support field since the early 80s - they are Geeks who Teach! The “on tour” part is because they travel. They lived fulltime in an RV, traveling the US for 14 years and presenting seminars to RV rallies, now they travel the world and scuba dive. Their YouTube channel has over 13,000 subscribers. Chris is a Google Photos product expert (Diamond level) and she wrote the book “Learn Google Photos.” They’ve been devoted scuba-diving members of USA Dive Club since the early 90s. To learn more about these Geeks on Tour, just visit their website at GeeksOnTour.com.

Today, they will be presenting a HodgePodge of Google Photos and Smartphone Photography Tips. Starting with an introduction to Google Photos and how it allows you to keep your entire lifetime of photos and find anything with simple searches. Tips about sharing photos like Julie Manhold has done on the USADiveClub website. Tips about making photos look better with simple yet powerful editing tools, including Magic Eraser, Magic Editor, and fixing those green or blue-hued underwater photos with one click of the special Dive+ App. Jim will also show how he takes underwater photos with his smartphone and a $230 underwater housing. Please welcome Jim and Chris - The Geeks on Tour.

Google photos hints and tips.pdf

Explore the Philippines with Atlantis Dive Resorts and Liveaboards (Zoom Speaker)

Rick Dayan — Thu, 01 Aug 2024 23:00:00 GMT

Photography Ambassador Marty Snyderman is going to show you the best way to visit the underwater paradise of the Philippines as he shares some of what you will experience during a trip to land-based Atlantis resorts in Dumaguete and Puerto Galera and on the liveaboard Azores. Gain insights into what to do to maximize your encounters with the amazing diversity of marine creatures inhabiting ecosystems that range from muck sites to stunning walls where excellent visibility, colorful fishes, turtles, and more awaits.

Marty was honored with the 2018 NOGI Award in the Arts by the Underwater Academy of Arts and Sciences, an EMMY Award for cinematography, a Reaching Out Award in 2008 as a photographer presented by the Diving Equipment and Marketing Association (DEMA), and the California Scuba Service Award in 2020, Marty Snyderman is a widely published still photographer, author, and teacher who has worked to conserve and share the magic of the undersea world for more than four decades.

Marty serves as the Photography Ambassador for the Philippines based Atlantis Dive Resorts and Liveaboards. He is also an Ikelite Ambassador. For many years, Marty was the Marine Life Editor of Dive Training Magazine and he serves as the Marine Life/Photography Editor of California Diving News.

His still photography has been used by many major diving and wildlife publications, natural history museums, and aquaria. Representing Nikon Inc., Sea & Sea USA, and through his own courses, Marty taught underwater
photography in person and offered instruction as a magazine columnist for more than four decades.

Wide Angle Shark Photography – Not Just Another Portrait (In Person speaker)

Rick Dayan — Thu, 06 Jun 2024 23:00:00 GMT

Often, when I look at shark photography on social media, in magazines, or at many presentations, I have noticed that although the photos are of interesting sharks, and technically excellent, they lack sizzle – the wow factor! Why is that? Most underwater photographers are so caught up in the capture, that they forget about creating a story or an imaginative and artsy photograph, and just photograph the standard side view portrait. Granted, many underwater photographers have taken a huge step out of their comfort zone, just to dive with and photograph sharks. I will be discussing the next step(s) and will explain how I plan, set up, design, and photograph sharks in the wild.

Gary's pictures are found at garyrosephotos.com

Gary Rose MD has been a certified diver for over 45 years and is a PADI OpenWater Instructor. As a Plastic Surgeon and former Associate Professor of Microbiology and Surgery at the College of Medicine at Florida Atlantic University, he has fulfilled his life passion as a marine biologist with his research on marine microorganisms, as well as large ocean apex predators. Dr. Rose lectures all over the world on “Shark Identification and Behavior” and gives seminars on “Updates On Diving Medicine”. An avid underwater photographer, his articles appear in Alert Diver and X-RAY magazines. Dr. Rose is a member of the Divers Alert Network and The Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society. You can find him on weekends diving our local waters and photographing our plentiful and diverse sharks. You can reach him at garyrosephotos@gmail.com

"Man and Mollusk. The importance of mollusks as Food, Art, History, Medicine, Religion and Currency". In person speaker.

Rick Dayan — Thu, 02 May 2024 23:00:00 GMT

Note: Carole will be joining us for dinner at 6 p.m. in the Aloft Hotel lobby. Carole spoke to us in March of 2023, please plan to attend to welcome Carole back.

Carole Marshall has been collecting shells since she was a young girl. Digging in the mud on the Rock River in Newville, Wisconsin she found snails she now knows are Viviperous georgiana. Her mother introduced her to sea shells after a stay on Fort Myers Beach and though it was not quite love at first sight, it became so, when she found her first shell on the beach. A baby’s ear, lying on the sand. Carole thought her mom had put it there for her to find.

Her quest for knowledge came with a share day at a club meeting in Schaumburg, Illinois. A lady who was a guest at the meeting asked if she knew of the Chicago Shell Club. Her surprised response was “There are clubs for people who collect shells?!!! That was in 1965 and her mom, dad and she all joined that club.

After planning a move to the West Palm Beach area in 1970, Carole wrote a fond goodbye to her Chicago friends and hoped there would be a shell club in Florida.

Within a few weeks, a note came from the Palm Beach County Shell Club letting her know they were there and looking forward to her becoming a member.

Carole would later become President of that club as well as President of two other shell clubs, the Broward Shell Club and the Treasure Coast Shell Club. Two special highlights of shell club participation and service was when she became an honorary member of the Broward Shell Club and when she was a recipient of the Neptunea award from the Conchologists of America in May of 2022.

Her main passion is Worldwide Scallops, having won many awards with her exhibits. Her second passion is collecting money both paper and coins, as well as exonumia, with shells depicted.

Mollusks have been used by man since the beginning of time. This program will explore a few of the ways mollusks are being used.

For the last 15 years, Carole has been writing a book about the seashells of the Lake Worth Lagoon. She complains the scientists keep moving the bar: changing names, genus and species, sometimes families and resurrecting old names and synonymizing others. She really hopes to finish this this year.

Goliaths and Other Groupers Species of Florida (Virtual Speaker)

Rick Dayan — Sat, 09 Mar 2024 04:55:31 GMT

Mike Sipos is a Florida Sea Grant Agent for University of Florida IFAS Extension office in Collier County and a native to Southwest Florida. Michael received his BS in Zoology and MS in Fisheries Aquatic Sciences from the University of Florida. Mike’s previous experience includes being a university fisheries biologist and working with aquaculture operations from FL to around the world. In his current position, Mike educates stakeholders to support his programmatic areas of sustainable fisheries, environmental literacy and stewardship.

Grouper have a special place in Floridian’s hearts whether they appear on a dinner plate, on the end of a fishing line or spotted while diving cruising around a reef. Come to this seminar to learn more about the diverse Serranidae fish family, characteristics genera found in Florida, the significance grouper species to our state and a special aside on the largest of the Atlantic grouper species; the Goliath. We will also discuss the Great Goliath Grouper County Citizen Science Program where volunteer divers can help natural resource managers record the presence, abundance, and size distribution of these impressive fish annually during the first two weeks of June.

The Current State of Sharks and our Oceans (Zoom Speaker)

Rick Dayan — Thu, 07 Mar 2024 05:26:17 GMT

Dr. Antoniou began his shark conservation path in 1994 as the Director of Field Operations for the Shark Research Institute based in Princeton New Jersey. He was the first to tag whale sharks in the Caribbean with satellite transmitters, tracking the sharks thousands of miles and to great depths of the Gulf of Mexico. He is currently working as the volunteer CEO for Fins Attached, which he founded in 2010. He has had a passion for shark research and conservation for over 30 years.

Dr. Antoniou, in his pursuit to protect sharks and has traveled to places such as Honduras and Baja California, the Galapagos, Costa Rica, Malpelo Island, Guadalupe Island and the Revillagegdo Islands to research sharks and convince their governments to protect sharks. After reviewing data provided, the Honduran government decreed the whale shark a protected species their territorial waters with severe penalties for violators.Passage of this law made Honduras the first nation in the Caribbean to protect whale sharks. Alex was featured in a Discovery Channel documentary called ‘Future Shark’ for his work in Honduras.

Fins Attached has also been involved in advocacy work. In March of 2017 a position statement was submitted to NOAA Fisheries to lobby for the Oceanic Whitetip shark to be placed on the US Endangered Species list, which ultimately occurred.

Perhaps Alex’s greatest achievement was the 2017 acquisition of a 134-foot, long range research expedition vessel, to be able to expand the mission of Fins Attached. He did this by reaching out to colleagues and friends, who cared as much about sharks in the marine environment, to invest in this noble cause, to get the project moving, and to accelerate the effort to save sharks, the marine environment, and us. The vessel was acquired in April of 2017. At a dedication in Fort Lauderdale, Florida in July of 2017, the Senshu Maru was renamed to “Sharkwater,” in honor of the work started by the late Rob Stewart, the producer of the original Sharkwater documentary.

Over the past 28 plus years, Dr. Antoniou has established strong partnerships with scientists around the world. In recognition for his dedication towards shark conservation, Alex was awarded the 2017 “Shark Guardian of the Year” award from the Shark Project of Germany. An international award that is voted on by researchers and organizations from around the world. The equation is simple, Save Sharks + Save our Oceans = Save Us.

In 2022, Dr. Antoniou spearheaded the creation of an ocean coalition called, One Ocean Worldwide Coalition, comprising of Fins Attached, The Rob Stewart Sharkwater Foundation, For the Oceans Foundation and United Conservationists.

Public awareness is key to the conservation mission. In 2022 Alex attended CITES and helped lobby for the inclusion of 60 additional shark and ray species on Appendix II. He also rallied the public to lobby the USA government to pass the Shark Fins Sales Elimination Act, which was signed into law in December 2022.

Dr. Antoniou's full Biography: Alex Antoniou bio 2024.pdf

The Dolphins of Biscayne Bay and Their Ecology (in-Person Speaker)

Rick Dayan — Fri, 02 Feb 2024 00:00:00 GMT

Little is known about the long-term effects of environmental changes on coastal dolphin populations. This question is significant in the light of coastal marine habitat loss, pollution, and climate change. During this presentation, we will explore the home range, social structure, habitat use, and diet of a resident population of bottlenose dolphins in Biscayne Bay, a heavily impacted waterway that has experienced significant habitat degradation over the past decades.

Jessica Carde's academic background includes a Bachelor’s in Biology, a Bachelor’s in Psychology, and a Master’s in Marine Conservation & Policy from Stony Brook University, and a Doctorate in Marine Ecology from Florida International University. Her dissertation research focused on coastal dolphin behavior and ecology in response to anthropogenic threats and climate change. In collaboration with The NOAA Southeast Fisheries Science Center, her project investigated the impacts of disturbances and environmental changes on the habitat use, behavior and distribution of resident bottlenose dolphins within Biscayne Bay. Jessica is continuing her research through FIU to further elucidate the behaviors and habitat use of this population and assess exposure to other potential risks, such as boating activity, contaminants, and noise pollution.

Invasive species? The what, how and why of some commonly spotted Florida invaders (Zoom Speaker)

Rick Dayan — Fri, 05 Jan 2024 00:00:00 GMT

Mike Sipos is a Florida Sea Grant Agent for University of Florida IFAS Extension office in Collier County and a native to Southwest Florida. Michael received his BS in Zoology and MS in Fisheries Aquatic Sciences from the University of Florida. Mike’s previous experience includes being a university fisheries biologist and working with aquaculture operations from FL to around the world. In his current position, Mike educates stakeholders to support his programmatic areas of sustainable fisheries, environmental literacy and stewardship.

Invasive, alien, exotic, nonnative? What do they all mean? Come to this seminar to learn the correct terminology used when speaking about invasive organisms, the process of invasion, why Florida is so special and what kind of
environmental and economic damage invasive organisms create. The talk will also have a few species profiles of commonly encountered coastal invaders of the scaled variety with steps you can take to make a difference!

Bermuda Triangle: Into Cursed Waters (In Person Speaker)

Rick Dayan — Wed, 11 Oct 2023 16:30:31 GMT

Underwater Explorer Jimmy Gadomski from History Channel’s Bermuda Triangle: Into Cursed Waters joins us to talk about recent exploration dives coming up on Season 2 and past expeditions that have led to many different shipwreck discoveries. Jimmy is an experienced technical dive instructor and captain based in South Florida and involved in many different projects along the east coast US and the Caribbean. Documenting and capturing history is the main focus of work through photography and cinematography and he will show how photogrammetry is assisting in the discoveries and how this is a useful tool in the industry.

Into Cursed Waters is a History Channel show that focuses on shipwreck discoveries following dive expeditions of Jimmy Gadomski and Mike Barnette with technical diving depths of up to 500' and Submarine/ROV diving of depths to 1000'+. Last year the team discovered a piece of the Challenger Spacecraft tragedy of Jan 28, 1986 while searching for the PBM Martin Mariner which went missing in the Bermuda Triangle searching for the mysterious disappearance of Flight 19.

The Pulaski Steamship is also a Historical shipwreck that has been identified by a candlestick holder with the engraving “Pulaski” on it which Jimmy pulled from the wreckage in 2017, and since then many gold & silver coins as well as artifacts have come off the wreck which is still being worked to this day.

From treasure finds, to exploration and discoveries, to deep technical diving, this will be an exciting talk, maybe even with some new discoveries from the most recent expeditions!

Seeing Spots: A deep dive into whale sharks in Hawaiian waters and the research being done to aid in the conservation of our world's largest fish, Rhincodon typus. (Zoom Speaker)

Rick Dayan — Fri, 08 Sep 2023 18:22:11 GMT

Maria Harvey will be speaking about her research on whale sharks in Hawai'i through her organization Hawai'i Uncharted Research Collective (HURC). HURC was originally formed in 2017 as a citizen science effort to gain valuable insight in the movements of whale sharks seen in the state. Through their current research projects they aim to aid in local and global conservation efforts for an elusive endangered species. Come learn about their research, local threats, and their ongoing projects. Learn more now at: hawaiiuncharted.org

Photo by Jim Ward

Photo by Deron Verbeck

Photo by Ash Wilhem

Photo by Jordan Lerma

"Solar Powered" Sea Slugs - Zoom Speaker

Rick Dayan — Thu, 07 Sep 2023 23:00:00 GMT

Michael Middlebrooks, Ph.D., is an invertebrate zoologist and an advocate for the tiny wonders of the animal kingdom. He is an avid scuba diver and passionate about underwater exploration. His enthusiasm for sharing the world of micro-fauna is evident in his talks about the small but spectacular snails, shrimp, and sea slugs that make up a just a fraction of the underwater animal kingdom. He is an Associate Professor of Biology at the University of Tampa where he teaches hands-on courses in Invertebrate Zoology, Global Sustainability, and Coral Reefs. His classes feature photographs of marine invertebrates that he has taken during his adventures in underwater exploration around the world.

In Dr. Middlebrooks’ academic research, he uncovers the intricate relationships that colorful “lettuce” sea slugs have with the food they eat. Specifically, he focuses on the behaviors of photosynthetic or “solar powered” sea slugs which can steal chloroplasts from the algae they eat and store them inside of their own cells to make energy. Dr. Middlebrooks also conducts research on seagrass restoration and examines the animal communities that live in, and depend on, seagrass beds.

Gumbo Limbo Coastal Stewards Sea Turtle Program: In-person Speaker

Rick Dayan — Wed, 19 Jul 2023 17:20:32 GMT

Kelly McCorry is the Gumbo Limbo Coastal Stewards Sea Turtle Program Manager. She has her Bachelor of Science in Marine Science that she earned from Coastal Carolina University. Born and raised in Pennsylvania, she grew a passion for the ocean and wildlife conservation from a young age. Visiting the Jersey shore in the summertime and fishing trips with her dad inspired her to want to pursue a career in Marine Biology. After moving to South Carolina for college, she worked as an assistant to a Shark Research Grad Student, as well as a Sea Lion Trainer. Kelly learned the concepts of the psychology behind animal care, and shortly after moved to Sarasota, Florida to pursue working with Manatees and Sea Turtles studying their behavior. Kelly moved to the east coast of Florida to continue her work with Manatees, assisting the Florida Fish and Wildlife with Manatee Rescue, and Research efforts. She continued her career working at the Palm Beach Zoo and Conservation Society. Here she led a team as a senior Zoologist working with large carnivores and Florida native species, such as Florida Panthers, and Black Bears. Kelly got involved with a National Geographic Wildlife Photographer, Carlton Ward Jr, to assist with Florida Panther camera trapping and conservation in the Florida Everglades for a recent film Path of the Panther.

With over 10 years of a conservation-based background, Kelly brings her passion for wildlife and conservation to the Gumbo Limbo Coastal Stewards. Responsible for outreach, and educational events supporting the mission of Sea Turtle Rehabilitation, her main goal is to inspire the community to be stewards for the coastal environment here in Florida. Established in 1984, Gumbo Limbo Coastal Stewards is a 501c3 non-profit organization who has funded the mission of Sea Turtle Rehabilitation, in collaboration with the City of Boca Raton and the Gumbo Limbo Nature Center. They continue to fund the rescue, rehabilitation, research, and release of sick and injured sea turtles, and raise awareness about these endangered species and the efforts we are doing to save them.

From Reefs to Open Waters: The Life of a White Shark - Zoom Speaker

Rick Dayan — Wed, 17 May 2023 16:58:22 GMT

Now an Education Ambassador, Tim Barker spent four expeditions aboard the Ocearch M/V Ocearch alongside a diverse international team of scientists in the pursuit of studying North Atlantic Great White Sharks. While traveling the eastern seaboard and visiting varying ocean habitats Tim assisted with a continuing study of 20 sharks ranging from juveniles of five feet in length to adults stretching beyond fifteen feet. As an organization Ocearch has tagged 92 White Sharks in the North Atlantic and provides data for Ocearch over 400 animals around the world.

Octopus Research: Behavior, Bacteria, and Beyond! In-Person Speaker

Rick Dayan — Thu, 20 Apr 2023 21:39:20 GMT

Chelsea Bennice is a marine biologist and science communicator. Her research interests include animal behavior and ecology, with an expertise in octopus biology. She earned a B.S. from The Ohio State University, and a M.S. and Ph.D. from Florida Atlantic University. She is a postdoctoral research fellow at Florida Atlantic University’s Marine Lab and serves as a lead scientific diver and board member for the Scientific Diving and Boating Safety Committee. Chelsea collaborates with scientists around the world on octopus projects to advance basic and applied sciences.

Her “octo-topics” include the octopus skin microbiome, behavior, genetics, and morphology. Chelsea uses innovative science tools such as a 24 hour camera, the octopus monitoring gadget (OMG), and a floating lab to aid in answering research questions. Her research is highlighted in popular articles and scientific publications, on podcasts, and in ocean documentaries. She has been studying and photographing octopuses for over 10 years, and with over 1000 hours of underwater research, she has been dubbed “Octo-Girl” by the local diving community. Chelsea is an advocate for bridging scientists and the community. Her responsibilities at the FAU Marine Lab also include overseeing public education/outreach projects and mentoring students in the Glenn W. and Corneila T. Bailey Marine SEA Scholars (Science, Education and Arts) program. She serves as the lead scientific advisor for the nonprofit, OctoNation®, whose mission is to inspire ocean exploration and conservation by understanding octopuses. In her free time, Chelsea likes to get outside, get in a good workout, SCUBA dive, and practice underwater photography. She is also enjoying her newfound hobby of tropical plant keeping. At the top of her bucket list is swimming with sperm whales!

April Speaker: Goliath Grouper, a face only a mother could love...or a dive community.

Rick Dayan — Thu, 06 Apr 2023 23:00:00 GMT

Shana Phelan, owner/operator of Pura Vida Divers in Riviera Beach, holds degrees in both Marine Biology and Environmental Science from the College of Charleston in South Carolina, and a Masters Degree in Coastal Environmental Management from Duke University. Shana’s passion for protecting marine life extends far beyond diving. She served as a Marine Biologist and Researcher at the Loggerhead Marine Life Center, studying endangered and threatened sea turtles, including the elusive Leatherback. In 2002, Shana was interviewed by The Discovery Channel in regards to her research, and in 2005 she worked with WIDECAST to create a Sea Turtle Trauma Response Field Guide, which is now used throughout the Caribbean.

Currently, Shana is the Administrator of the Palm Beach County Diving Association. As part of her efforts to promote marine conservation, Shana volunteers as the Diving Vice Chair for the Southeast Florida Coral Reef Initiative, and previously served as an appointee to Palm Beach County’s Artificial Reef and Environmental Enhancement Committee. In 2022, Shana was awarded the Marine Conservationist of the Year by the Florida Wildlife Federation and the November Seiko Sea Hero of the month for her efforts in Goliath Grouper conservation.

Growing to more than 8ft and 800lbs, the Goliath Grouper is the largest grouper species in the Atlantic ocean. Historically overfished, the Goliath Grouper fishery was closed for harvest in 1990 in an effort to let stock levels rebuild. For more than a decade, Shana and other diving community members have worked to keep the FWC from reopening the Goliath Grouper fishery to harvest. Tune in to learn more about this ocean giant, its history and management in Florida waters, where conservation efforts are today, and how you can be involved.

March Speaker: Probably more than you ever wanted to know about Mollusks. In-Person speaker

Rick Dayan — Fri, 03 Mar 2023 00:00:00 GMT

After planning a move to the West Palm Beach area in 1970, Carole wrote a fond goodbye to her Chicago friends and hoped there would be a shell club in Florida.

Within a few weeks, a note came from the Palm Beach County Shell Club letting her know they were there and looking forward to her becoming a member.

Her main passion is Worldwide Scallops, having won many awards with her exhibits. Her second passion is collecting money both paper and coins, as well as exonumia, with shells depicted.

Today, Carole will talk about mollusks, habitats, lifecycles and some interesting finds at the Lagoon.

Carole will also bring two posters. Both are from poster sessions for the Lake Worth Lagoon Symposium. One was from 2012 and the other from 2022. There is additional information included in the posters.

Unraveling the mysteries of mobulid rays in the Mexican Caribbean: a community-based research project (Zoom Speaker)

Rick Dayan — Fri, 03 Feb 2023 00:00:00 GMT

Karen Fuentes is the founder and director of the Manta Caribbean Project (MCP), established as a non-profit in 2015 in Isla Mujeres, México. Our collaborative work focuses on studying the devil and manta rays in the Mexican Caribbean through research, conservation, and awareness we aim to contribute to the health of mobulid species in our region.

The MCP work with local communities, and regional government on different projects related to management, fisheries, marine debris, and environmental education in the northern tip of the Yucatan peninsula.

The MCP is an affiliate project for The Manta Trust, Karen is also a member of the Global Ghost Gear Initiative an initiative to address ghost fishing in the oceans furthermore MCP contributed to the microplastic research projects back in 2017 with the 5Gyres Trawl share program and other management projects.

Active Projects:
Monitoring mobulid rays
Fisheries: Bycatch
Tourism Management

PROJECT OVERVIEW

Located in the northern region of the Yucatan Peninsula, within the Mexican Caribbean Biosphere Reserve, lies the transitional area between the Gulf of Mexico and the Mexican Caribbean where every year from May to September, upwellings of nutrient and plankton rich waters attract many hungry filter feeders, including manta rays, West Atlantic pygmy devil rays and one of the largest known aggregations of whale sharks in the world!

Current legislation forbids the landing of manta and devil rays in this region, however there are not sufficient management measures in place to enforce this ban across such a large area. Unfortunately, this manta population is under threat from fisheries that are targeting them primarily to use as bait for shark fishing. Additionally, it is feared that many manta and devil rays are also caught and killed incidentally as bycatch by fisheries targeting other species in the region.

The MCP is a Mexican-registered non-profit organization, based in Isla Mujeres. Founded in 2013 by Karen Fuentes, to conduct research on and describe the local manta ray species, promote awareness in the local communities through educational programs, and to attain knowledge and data that can be used to develop sustainable models for the conservation of this species.

Why is this manta population so important?

MCP believes the manta population seen in the Mexico Caribbean to be a third, putative (yet undescribed) species of manta ray that is sympatric to the oceanic manta ray in this region. This ‘Caribbean’ manta ray appears to occupy a similar niche to the reef manta ray and is similar in size, but its dorsal colouration is a cross between oceanic and reef manta rays.

January Speaker: Ocean Rescue Alliance (In Person Speaker)

Rick Dayan — Tue, 20 Dec 2022 16:58:56 GMT

January's speaker is Shelby Thomas. Shelby is the Founder and CEO of the Ocean Rescue Alliance, a marine conservation and restoration nonprofit organization, that implements innovative techniques to restore marine environments. She is an expert in marine restoration and conservation, receiving her master’s in Marine Ecology and currently completing her PhD in Marine Biology with the University of Florida. She is an environmentalist and marine conservation advocate who hopes to inspire others to protect our environments. She has worked with various restoration projects including coral, seagrass, oyster, sea-urchin, and scallop restoration.

Shelby is passionate about preserving our natural ecosystems and creating a foundation for their appreciation. Her nonprofit combines art to aid in communicating science to the public in impactful ways. The Ocean Rescue Alliance artificial reefs create complex habitat space, enable species specific restoration and serve as ecotourism destinations that combines art and culture to connect the communities they serve. She now has worked with over 25 different restoration projects and continues to conduct research in this field. Through her research and outreach, she plans to assist in conserving, restoring, and better managing our ecosystems. She would like to make a lasting impact, conserving our environments while also improving peoples lives around the world.

November Speaker: Coral Diseases (Virtual Speaker)

Rick Dayan — Mon, 17 Oct 2022 23:50:48 GMT

Stephanie Schopmeyer has a Bachelors and Master’s degree in Biology from Georgia Southern University where her interest in studying the ocean and coral reefs began and she’s been a diver since 1998. Currently, she is an Associate Research Scientist with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FWC) Research Institute’s (FWRI) Coral Program in St Petersburg, FL. Her main roles at FWC are monitoring coral reef resources and coral health in the state of Florida, impact assessment, disease, and disturbance response monitoring, and coordinating genetic banking of Florida coral species in response to stony coral tissue loss disease. Previously, Stephanie has managed and conducted coral propagation and restoration activities at the University of Miami, assessed coral reef health in Hawaii and US Pacific territories with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and investigated the impacts of environmental stressors on seagrass species in Florida Bay while working at Florida Atlantic University.

Coral diseases are poorly understood on coral reefs as they often include multiple pathogens and vectors. In addition, the prevalence and severity of coral diseases interact with other stressors on reefs such as climate change, water quality and biological interactions. The Caribbean is a hot spot for coral diseases and in 2014 an unprecedented disease called stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD) was identified near Government Cut in Miami.

SCTLD has spread through the entire Florida Reef Tract, affects over 20 species of Caribbean coral and has species specific rates of progression and mortality. Efforts to slow the progression of the of SCTLD include extensive research, communication and education, forms of antibiotic and probiotic treatments, and genetic rescue. Coral rescue has removed over 2500 colonies of susceptible corals and placed them under expert care in zoos, aquariums, and research facilities around the country where they will be bred to increase genetic diversity and offspring will be used for future restoration of the Florida Reef Tract.

October Speaker: Shark Behavior and Identification (on site Speaker)

Rick Dayan — Fri, 16 Sep 2022 19:46:51 GMT

Shark Behavior and Identification

Sharks have survived on Planet Earth for 400 million years. What makes them such successful survivors? Dr. Gary Rose will discuss the basic facts about sharks in our waters. He will teach you a simple technique to easily distinguish the different species of sharks from each other – in clear or murky water. As a shark diver and photographer, he will also give you an entertaining overview, with plenty of personal anecdotes, about what makes sharks such great survivors and how their multiple senses are so different than our own.

Bio

Gary Rose MD has been a certified diver for over 45 years and is a PADI Open Water Instructor. As a Plastic Surgeon and former Associate Professor of Microbiology and Surgery at the College of Medicine at Florida Atlantic University, he has fulfilled his life passion as a marine biologist with his research on marine microorganisms, as well as large ocean apex predators. Dr. Rose lectures all over the world on “Shark Identification and Behavior” and gives seminars on “Updates On Diving Medicine”. An avid underwater photographer, his articles appear in Alert Diver and X-RAY magazine. Dr. Rose is a member of the Divers Alert Network and The Undersea And Hyperbaric Medical Society. You can find him on weekends diving our local waters and photographing our plentiful and diverse sharks. You can reach him at garyrosephotos@gmail.com

August Speaker: Seacology (Virtual talk via Zoom)

Rick Dayan — Sat, 23 Jul 2022 02:13:34 GMT

Since 1999, Duane Silverstein has been the executive director of Seacology, an international non-governmental organization with the sole focus of preserving islands—their fragile habitats, vanishing species and historic cultures—throughout the globe

Before heading Seacology, he was the executive director of the Goldman Fund, one of California’s largest philanthropic foundations, for 18 years. Duane was instrumental in creating and heading the Goldman Environmental Prize, which has been dubbed the “Nobel Prize of the Environment” by National Geographic and news media around the globe. Over his career he has visited more than 200 islands in 86 nations.

Widely considered one of the world’s foremost experts on islands, he is a National Fellow of The Explorers Club and a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society. In 2018, he accepted the United Nations Momentum for Change climate action award on behalf of Seacology. In 2019, Duane was named a Go Blue Award Lifetime Achievement Honoree. Under his leadership, Seacology was nominated for the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize. In 2021, he was named an Ocean Hero by The Salty Hands, a Canadian marine conservation organization.

About Seacology

While islands take up only five percent of Earth’s land, they are home to an estimated 20 percent of the world’s bird, reptile, and plant species—and almost 40 percent of critically endangered animals around the globe. Many of the world’s most vulnerable islands are small, remote, and often overlooked. All Seacology projects help protect island species, which include some of the world’s rarest plants and animals.

Seacology’s mission is to protect threatened island ecosystems all over the world by working directly with communities, helping them to preserve their culture and improve their lives while saving precious island habitats. Island communities are under constant pressure to boost economic development, even at the cost of environmental damage. Seacology’s win-win approach recognizes the efforts of indigenous communities and gives them an economic incentive to preserve their natural resources. It also recognizes that local communities—who are often ignored by decisionmakers—can be the best stewards of the environment.

June Speaker: Pacific Northwest Diving

Rick Dayan — Sat, 07 May 2022 03:28:57 GMT

Will Schrier has been a recreational diver for about 14 years, approaching 500 dives. Being a native of Pittsburgh, PA, his early dive experience was limited to a dive trip or two per year to various Caribbean locations (we won't really count the training/certification dives in a lake in West Virginia - and no, there really isn't any diving in the three rivers of Pittsburgh!). Prior to the pandemic, Will took some time away from his career in the Information Technology sector to simply travel and spent extended stays in Madagascar and Timor Leste doing voluntourism expeditions with a conservation group called Blue Ventures, as well as a couple stints in Bali exploring the Amed and Tulumben dive areas. When the pandemic squashed his plans to return to Bali for an another six months to work as a dive master, Will returned to his tech career but decided to become a digital nomad and continue exploring domestically while working. Many of you may have met Will during his stay in Florida where he joined USA Dive Club and participated in a number of local dives as well as plenty of dives at the Blue Heron Bridge.

Eventually, Will decided it was time to move on and circuitouslyy made his way up to Washington state to check cold water diving off his bucket list. He had completed his drysuit certification in the summer of 2019 - though an ill-fitting rental drysuit for his course meant he did not stay dry for a single dive during the course. The certification was intended to facilitate a couple dives with a friend in Plymouth in the United Kingdom, but after arriving there again found rental drysuits a complication and was eventually given a 7mm "semi-dry" wetsuit which he spent the weekend shivering in to explore the waters off Plymouth.

One might question why a self-professed "easily chilled" diver would head to the waters of Puget Sound in the autumn of 2021, but after 60+ dives over the course of a few months, Will is convinced that the Pacific Northwest does indeed offer some world class diving and he'll be sharing the experience of a warm water diver going through a conversion to cold water and an overview of the highlights of PNW diving... oh, and he'll explain why he headed there to dive through the coldest months of the year!

May Speaker: Sponge Restoration (virtual talk via Zoom)

Rick Dayan — Thu, 21 Apr 2022 03:07:22 GMT

Shelly Krueger is the Florida Sea Grant agent for the University of Florida IFAS Extension, Monroe County since 2013. Shelly is part of the UoF Extension faculty. Florida Sea Grant is a UF-based program that supports research, education and extension to conserve coastal resources and enhance economic opportunities for the people of Florida. In 2019, Shelly wrote the Sponge Restoration module for the new UF/IFAS Florida Master Naturalist Program Marine Habitat Restoration and she is the outreach and education lead for the Florida Keys Community Sponge Restoration program, a multi-agency collaboration led by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to restore sponge communities.

Sponges are essential for healthy ecosystems because they continuously filter large volumes of water while feeding on phytoplankton, viruses, and bacteria. Sponges also transform water chemistry by cycling nutrients and provide essential nursery habitat for important fisheries species such as spiny lobster, stone crab, and bonefish. The loss of such an important component of nearshore habitats has prompted calls for sponge restoration. By transplanting sponges onto experimental sites, researchers are evaluating how to ensure sponge transplants become self-sustaining and help restore the health of Florida Bay and Biscayne Bay. With Florida Sea Grant and EPA-funding, researchers are now testing transplant techniques to see if they can accelerate the restoration process.

Plan to attend and welcome back Shelly after she spoke to the club in March on Sargassum.

April Speaker: All About Manatees (Virtual speaker on Zoom)

Rick Dayan — Sat, 19 Mar 2022 15:08:53 GMT

Cora Berchem is Save the Manatee Club’s Director of Multimedia and Manatee Research Associate. She has a bachelor degree in Communications and a Master’s in Film/Media, as well as a graduate certificate degree in Aquatic Animal Health and Conservation. Born and raised in Germany, Cora moved to the United States in 2002 and started out working in film and television in New York before moving to Florida in 2014 to join the Save the Manatee Club team. She oversees the club’s live webcams and social media and produces educational videos and public service announcements for the club in addition to assisting with outreach efforts. During the winter months, Cora assists Manatee Specialist Wayne Hartley with the photo-ID research at Blue Spring State Park. She also volunteers with FWC assisting with manatee rescues, releases and recoveries. In her free time Cora enjoys scuba diving, traveling and the outdoors.

Save the Manatee Club was established in 1981 by singer/songwriter Jimmy Buffett and governor Graham. Our mission is to protect manatees and their aquatic habitat for future generations.

March Speaker: Sargassum (virtual talk via Zoom)

Rick Dayan — Thu, 10 Feb 2022 22:07:29 GMT

Shelly Krueger is the Florida Sea Grant agent for the University of Florida IFAS Extension, Monroe County. Shelly has a bachelor’s degree from Georgia Tech and a master’s degree from Savannah State University in marine science. Shelly will talk about sargassum and a pilot sargassum composting experiment that Shelly has been working on with Michelle Leonard-Mularz at the Key West Botanical Garden.

This summer, you may have noticed tons of brown organic material washed up on beaches and decaying all over beaches on the Atlantic Ocean. But what is it, really? And why is it appearing on our beaches? It’s called sargassum, and it is brown algae, or seaweed, that floats in massive mats out on the open ocean. The area sargassum comes from is called the Sargasso Sea, which is not a true sea at all, but an area far offshore in the Atlantic Ocean between the eastern coast of Florida and Bermuda.

The Sargasso Sea and the mats of sargassum that float within it are defined by the dominant ocean currents – the Gulf Stream on the west, North Atlantic Current to the north, Canary Current on the east, and the North Atlantic Equatorial Current to the south, which creates a swirling gyre that contains the sargassum floating out at sea. Frequently, the sargassum gets caught up in one of the currents and escapes the Sargasso Sea.

If you like to fish, you may have heard these floating algae mats called the “weed line,” and they are fantastic spots to sportfish. Sargassum is actually a very important habitat type out in the open ocean as it provides one of the only places for some species of fish, crabs, and juvenile loggerhead sea turtles to forage and hide from predators. A thick clump of sargassum provides a feast for many species, including birds, and also attracts the larger gamefish who prey upon these species, like mahi and tuna. NOAA Fisheries considers sargassum essential fish habitat for snapper, grouper, gray triggerfish and coastal pelagic migratory species like mackerel.

In the Florida Keys, when we experience prevailing winds from the south and southeast, these massive floating mats of sargassum that have broken free from the circling gyre of the Sargasso Sea are washed onto shore with the wind and waves. Tons and tons! Unfortunately, the dead and decaying sargassum can remove oxygen from the water and lead to fish kills, smother seagrasses and turtle nests, and can become packed so thick inside the residential canals it can become difficult to get your boat out.

Historically, washed-up sargassum is one of the ways beaches were created in the Florida Keys, as the accumulation of seaweed along the shoreline helps to keep the sand from eroding and provides nutrients to help enrich the soil. But when the sargassum encounters a seawall or a canal instead of the beach there is little benefit for it decays, sinks, and stinks! Unfortunately, this is a major cause for fish kills because the decomposition of organic matter literally removes the oxygen from the water column.

February Speaker: Wetwear Inc. (in person speaker, please plan to attend)

Rick Dayan — Wed, 19 Jan 2022 18:10:03 GMT

Connie Sonnabend is the CEO/owner of Wetwear Inc. and the club's guest speaker for February.

Wetwear has been manufacturing custom-made to measurement wetsuits for over 40 years and is located on the west side of I-95 just south of Hallandale Beach Boulevard. Connie has measured and made over 20,000 custom wetsuits since becoming the owner of Wetwear in 2001. Wetwear has created a very unique wetsuit called the Easy on Wetsuit. Long expansion zippers in the arms and legs along with a slanted back entry zipper allows divers to don their wet suits in less than two minutes. Wetwear also offers an array of options you can add to your wetsuit such as seal sets at the wrist, ankle and neck to make your suit semi dry. Also, options such as hoods, spine pads, pockets, butt pads, elbow pads, relieve zipper and more.

Connie will guide you to make the proper choices with wetsuit thickness needed to keep you warm and comfortable in various water temperatures. Wetwear also has a military contract for the air rescue swimmer suits and supply numerous police and fire departments with specialized wetsuits for search and recovery. Wetwear produces wetsuits for movies, plays, commercials such as River Wild, Cape Fear and Mamma Mia to mention a few. Wetwear has a neoprene proto-typing department helping inventors bring their product to market.

You can visit the Wetwear website www.wetwear.com or stop by Wetwear located at 2930 SW. 30th Ave., Suite A in Hallandale, FL.

January Speaker: Wahoo Bay Project (in person speaker)

Rick Dayan — Sat, 25 Dec 2021 02:25:54 GMT

Shipwreck Park was established in 2014 for the purpose of creating an artificial reef system off the coast of Broward County, Florida. It was incorporated and received 501 (c) (3) status in 2015. The organization has acquired and deployed two vessels since then off the coast of Broward County. The first was the 324ft Newtown Creek rechristened the Lady Luck in July of 2016 and the second a 103ft tugboat Okinawa in August of 2017. Since inception Shipwreck Park has raised $979,000 in donations and spent $956,000 on the deployment of the two vessels and the exploration of new projects. Shipwreck Park is all volunteer organization.

Jay Underkofler will be talking on the current Wahoo Bay project, taking place at the Hillsboro inlet.

November Talk: The Spice Islands and Beyond (in person speaker)

Rick Dayan — Thu, 21 Oct 2021 15:37:09 GMT

ABOUT ROBERT MYERS

As a teen, Rob started studying marine life in 1967 and did his first scuba dive in 1969 while living in Hong Kong. Graduated from U. Hawaii with a BA in zoology in 1975. Rob also surveyed Oahu fish populations, collected fish for ciguatera research at Johnston and Enewetak Atolls as an assistant to John E. Randall.

Moved to Guam in 1977 to pursue graduate studies at U. Guam Marine Lab. Divided time between studies, u/w photography, and employment; earned MS in Biology in 1984. In 1981, founded Coral Graphics and from 1982 to 1995 worked as a fisheries biologist for government of Guam. From 1993 to 2000, served as a consultant with Sumeria for Ocean Life CD-roms.

Retired in 1995 to pursue photography, writing, research, and consulting. In 2002, moved to s. Florida. Since 2006 has been voluntarily serving with the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN aka World Conservation Union, Bern, Switzerland) as a member of the Global Marine Species Assessment (GMSA) specialist group of the Species Survival Commission for coral reef fishes. Aug-Nov 2011, conducted fish surveys on Guam for CSA International. Aug 2013, surveyed fishes in Palau marine lakes; Sep-Oct 2016, visiting Professor, Univ. of Montpellier, France for initial work on Atlas and database of coral reef fish distributions. Participated in New Caledonia deep reef and seamount surveys (2019-2023 study), but was locked out after initial trip due to covid restrictions. Has written or collaborated on numerous scientific papers and technical reports on the Micronesian and Red Sea ichthyofaunas, and authored or co-authored several books including Micronesian Reef Fishes (1989-1999), Coral Reef Fishes (with E. Lieske; 1993), Coral Reef Guide Red Sea (with E. Lieske; 2004), Dangerous Marine Animals (with M. Bergbauer and M. Kirschner) and three books on Florida shells (with E. Petuch and/or D. Berschauer). Maintains comprehensive spreadsheets of Indo-Pacific and W. Atlantic fish distributions.

Rob is currently dividing time between continued faunal studies of Indo-Pacific fishes and books (with co-authors), specifically a Caribbean field guide, and new edition of Micronesian Reef Fishes and continues volunteer work with the IUCN and related consulting work.

Ambon, the southern gateway to the Maluku Islands has an often brutal history almost as fascinating as the region’s fauna and flora. Our stay there was not originally on our itinerary which was to get to the Damai II for a fabulous 12 day journey that would take us through the tiny volcanic islands of the Banda Sea, the eastern end of the Maluku Islands and on to Misool and West Papua. Once I found out our flights had been rerouted via Ambon, I contacted the newly opened Spice Island Divers to arrange a short stay. Conveniently located less than 10 minutes from the airport, the resort sits on the northwestern shore of Ambon Bay, a 3,000 ft deep bay between two mountain ranges. It is not only a fabulous muck dive site but also dotted with species-rich coral reefs and is an ideal site for blackwater diving, pioneered there by USA’s own Linda Ianniello and Bob Weybrecht. Although we managed only 10 dives in 4 days, we found a treasure trove of critters new to us. Our last day included a special tour of the island with a visit to historical Fort Amsterdam. Of more recent historical interest is the wreck of the Aquila, a Panamanian merchant ship sunk in 1958 by a covert CIA operation with huge cold war implications.

The morning after our tour we flew to Saumlaki, Tanimbar to board the Damai Dua, our base for the next 12 days. Running at night, diving by day, we visited small islands from three distinct arcs, each with its own distinctive geology and reef development as we crossed the Banda Sea. The Forgotten Islands of Dawera and Dai rise abruptly from deep mountain ranges and are capped with ancient uplifted reefs and presently surrounded by fringing reefs with sheer walls and steep slopes. We then moved on to the volcanically active islands of Nil Desperado, Serua, Manuk and Banda Neira, the only inhabited island cluster. Some of these uninhabited islands are home to huge populations of the highly venomous but completely docile Black banded sea krait (Laticauda semifasciata). These recently emerged islands have volcanic boulder slopes variably coated with corals and other marine life. Sea kraits may be found from the surface to the bottom where they are either sleeping or hunting, often accomapnied by predatory fishes, always ready to snap up prey escaping the snakes. Banda Neira, the home of nutmeg and mace has a fascinating history more brutal than Ambon’s that is well-documented in a wonderful local museum.

Our next stop, Koon, is a coral atoll at the eastern tip of the long island of Ceram. Its reefs are more reminescent of those of Wakatobe or Micronesia, with coral slopes bisected by chutes of white coral sand. After an over night transit across the last deep water gap, we arrived at Misool, the southernmost and largest of the Raja Ampat Islands, all on the relatively shallow West Papuan shelf. These islands are the uplifted remnants of ancient coral reefs, much like the rock islands of Palau. Most are surrounded by narrow fringing reefs and shallow shelves bordered by steep coral walls and slopes that end on a sandy sponge and coral shelf at depths of below 100 ft to about 200 ft. As if the coral reef fauna isn’t diverse enough, by being connected to the continental shelves of New Guinea and Australia, the shelf is a bridge to their unique faunas. The most iconic fo these among fishes are the Epaulete and Carpet sharks, always high on my list of photographic subjects. These coastal shelf waters are a bit more turbid than the deep open sea over abyssal depths but make up for it by hosting the richest reef fauna in the world. The added nutrients nourish vast shoals of slivery baitfish and juvenile reef fishes, which attract feeding mantas that may suddenly appear out of the blue. Our trip ended after a 2-day transit punctuated by a final dive at the Fam Islands. The morning we disembarked I counted 21 live-aboards anchored within sight, in the bay at Sorong. Another shock was the large modern steel and glass terminal complete with jetways and several waiting aircraft, a far cry from the open shack and unfenced runway of 2004, when over the course of 2 weeks,
only one live-aboard was encountered.

Changing Seas, a South Florida PBS Series

Rick Dayan — Mon, 20 Sep 2021 18:54:23 GMT

Alexa Elliott is the creator of Changing Seas, a marine science series produced at South Florida PBS in Miami, Florida. Now in production of its 14th Season, Changing Seas episode topics have ranged from the plight of Peru’s penguins to American Samoa’s resilient coral reefs. The series has aired on 95 percent of PBS stations and in more than 39 countries.

Alexa has worked in public broadcasting since 1996, both in public radio as well as television production. She has produced television programs of various genres, but nature, science and environmental programming have always been her favorite. Alexa has received numerous awards for her work, including the prestigious Communication Award presented by the National Academy of Sciences, eleven Emmy Awards, and others.

In addition to her day job, Alexa is on the board of the Ocean Media Institute, a creative hub that works with various stakeholders to openly create and distribute media that promotes public understanding of ocean science and conservation. She has two degrees in Broadcast Journalism – a BA from Morehead State University and a MA from the University of Florida.

September 2021 Talk

Rick Dayan — Thu, 19 Aug 2021 17:40:25 GMT

Black Water Diving in Southeast Florida

Linda Ianniello has been diving and doing underwater photography for over 30 years. For the past six years Linda has been focusing on black water dives, up to four times a week locally. A black water dive consists of going six to seven miles off the coast and performing a drift dive in the edge of the Gulf Stream, at night. The bottom is approximately 700 feet deep, but we generally stay in the top 40 feet. It is fascinating to find and photograph the pelagic animals who spend their whole lives in this environment, the various larvae that spend the early part of their lives here, and the deep water animals that migrate vertically at night to feed.

Linda will be talking about the mechanics of a black water dive and the variety of creatures that can be found on these dives. Also, how she is using her images for several “citizen science” projects. Linda along with Susan Mears have co-authored and published a book on the subject of the talk titled
“BLACKWATER Creatures – A Guide to Southeast Florida Blackwater Creatures."

August 2021 Speaker

Rick Dayan — Wed, 21 Jul 2021 16:26:36 GMT

Greetings Fellow Under Sea Adventurers!

Many of you know me, but for new members I would like to introduce myself.

My name is Clare Anthon. I joined the USA Dive Club in May 2004 and always had the desire to dive, but raising my family came first. After my girls were grown, it was time to get certified. As an active club member, I’ve held positions as USA’s Co-VP of Social, Social Butterfly and for the past 12 years Hospitality Coordinator.

Overseas diving has been a yearly activity for me. My very first trip in 2005, was aboard the Cayman Aggressor IV. In 2009, I was trip leader for 24 divers on a wonderful adventure to Curacao. The next trip as trip leader was in 2012 with Explorer Ventures Liveaboard to the Turks & Caicos. Curacao was so beautiful the club decided to repeat the trip in 2013, and I volunteered to be trip leader. Along came 2017 and once again, I was trip leader for 18 divers to gorgeous Cozumel. My most recent trip lead was in 2018 with a cozy group of 8 to Boni Bonaire.

Looking forward to being your Cayman Aggressor V 2022 trip leader. Please join me!

Sunny regards,
Clare Anthon

June Program

Rick Dayan — Mon, 24 May 2021 18:12:32 GMT

June 2021 Program

Under Sea Adventurers Overseas Diving - Nils Jacobsen

For most of you a detailed introduction of Nils should not be required – anyway, if you are a relatively new member – or you are an older member – that might have missed some of the earlier details – here is a “short” recap:

Nils had a dormant subconscious desire for diving – just like many other kids at that time having watched years of Jacques Cousteau on black and white TV in Europe. Nils was on a corporate work trip – a 9 ½ weeks world tour in 1992 – doing worldwide software training – back in the heights of the industrial production and design outsourcing. Key stops: S Florida: where HR sent him to Pennekamp Park to snorkel; Singapore: Penang Malaysia, where HR invited him to join a trip to a marine sanctuary – Pulau Payar (in those days – you needed a permit from Malaysia Ministry of Interior to be allowed to go there). The local company went there to certify scuba divers that had worked 6 months towards their certification. Nils snorkeled in Azure blue water close to 3 feet potato cods and soft coral – and he was sold - committed to get a scuba certification. (Only one small negative – he slept on the beach – with no formal camping gear – and the hotel towels were 4-6” short of protecting his feet from mosquitos); He took a PADI class in Sept 1992 (he was the only one – changing from shirt and tie – to speedos… before jumping in the pool – a professional travel agent – nailed it – “you are either gay or European” [#2=TRUE]; back in 1993 Denmark he pursued a CMAS certification – (incomplete due to excessive travel in 1993).

During 1993 Nils got to dive Indonesia, Malaysia, Red Sea, Bahamas and S Florida. Nils got his second PADI certification – Advanced - in Johnson State Park in Hollywood. Nils got an offer to move to US late in 1993 on a corporate relocation – the choices were Arizona :-(, Chicago :-( or S Florida -:) – and the rest is history.

Nils met USA dive club in the spring of 1994 during a reef clean-up dive on “Lady Go Diver” (the first boat) - joined USA dive club for lunch – and was invited to a club meeting. Nils joined the club later in 1994 – was Newsletter editor for a few years (PageMaker on a PC – in slow motion – real stamps – and delivered by US Postal Service) before becoming VP of overseas diving late 2002 – and his first assignment was to go to DEMA in Miami, Nov 2002 and book the Ocean Rover for the Thailand trip.

More Recently

On land Nils is always easy to find/easy to follow – as he is “always under the hat” – so he is never lost!

In non-diving settings – he shows a wide range of formality levels and dress-codes:

Underwater Nils is most often dressed Ninja-black, looks like he is carrying a small dive shop and most of the time hidden behind a large camera:

The presentation will cover pictures from our past 3 Fiji trips:

2008:
- Nai’a
- Kadavu
2015:
- Aggressor
- Waidroka
2020:
- Nai’a –only; truncated by Covid-19 evacuation

The rescheduled trip to Volivoli: Now: May 10-17, 2022 - We still have spots available.

May 2021 Program

Rick Dayan — Wed, 14 Apr 2021 23:54:25 GMT

The Turtle Hospital

Hello My name is Christine Watt.

My love of turtles began at the early age of 14 in NY, when I found painted turtles in my back yard.

In my twenties, I moved to Florida where I saw an advertisement in the local paper, ‘make a reservation to watch a female loggerhead nest at night!’ Interested, I called to reserve a spot; but the guy in the office was a newbie, it was his first day working and so he serendipitously registered me for a turtle nesting educational guide training by mistake! Ever since that pivotal moment, I’ve served as an active member of the Sea turtle Preservation Society as a permitted guide for night time turtle nesting watch and was on the stranding team. That was for almost 16 years, and since then I’ve continued to work in the Sea Turtle world as an educator, a permitted guide, and turtle nest surveyor.

While attending a Sea Turtle Symposium in 2002 I met Richie Moratti, the founder of The Turtle Hospital in Marathon, FL one of the largest and first Sea Turtle Hospitals in the world. I would also see him regularly at FWC permit holders meeting. 7 seven years ago, I asked him if I could volunteer at the Turtle Hospital during the summers as I was working in a school and had summers free. Richie said “we couldn’t have volunteers at this time, but we are looking for someone to work in our educational department.”

The rest is history, I left the school systems after 14 years to become an educator here at The Turtle Hospital and I’ve never looked back.

I currently hold a nesting position here in the Keys as a nesting Surveyor in Marathon. 2021 Nesting season will be my 6^th year.

April 2021 Program

Rick Dayan — Sat, 13 Mar 2021 02:33:35 GMT

Marine Conservation Costa Rica

Katharine Evans is one of the founders of Marine Conservation Costa Rica, a non-profit located on the cental Pacific coast of Costa Rica. Katharine is the lead biologist on MCCR's coral restoration project and also the intern and education co-ordinator.

Katharine is originally from the UK, but has been living in Central America for almost 20 years, she has been diving for over 20 years and is an active dive instructor. Katharine will share about Marine Conservation Costa Rica's work.

March 2021 Program

Rick Dayan — Sat, 13 Feb 2021 01:58:46 GMT

Jewels on the Reef: Florida's Hawksbill Turtles

Dr. Larry Wood has been working with sea turtles in Florida for over 25 years. His lifelong interest in biology, particularly reptiles, brought him to Juno Beach Florida, where he undertook sea turtle nesting beach surveys, helped develop a sea turtle rehabilitation facility, and created numerous public awareness and marine education programs. In 2004, he established the Comprehensive Florida Hawksbill Research and Conservation Program, which is the first and only long-term study of hawksbill turtles in Florida. Dr. Wood has contributed to sea turtle conservation in many ways in Florida and elsewhere through his publications, contributions to symposia, and student/volunteer mentorships. He is currently pursuing his research and public education interests with the National Save The Sea Turtle Foundation located in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.

February 2021 Program

Rick Dayan — Tue, 19 Jan 2021 16:38:58 GMT

Coral Restoration Foundation

By Jeremy Goodsnyder

Jeremy Goodsnyder is a Coral Restoration and Reef Conservation Lead Intern at the Coral Restoration Foundation (CRF). He has been working for the CRF since September, 2020 and loves every second of the time has spent above and below the surface during his time at CRF. Jeremy graduated from Brandeis University in May, 2020 with honors, majoring in Environmental Studies as well as Anthropology. He has been scuba diving since he was 12 years old and has been fortunate enough to dive all over the world from the Florida Keys, to the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, the Red Sea, the Caribbean, and even balmy Lake Michigan! When it came to working for CRF, Jeremy knew he had to give back to the coral reefs, the one thing that has given him so much joy in his life, he decided to join CRF to fulfill that dream so that future generations can enjoy what he has been fortunate enough to see in life so far was an obvious choice. Jeremy has dabbled here and there in regards to dive experience from recreational, to commercial diving, and even underwater archaeology as well. With experience working at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, as well as diving in the states as well as abroad, his path naturally led to his dream position here with the Coral Restoration Foundation. He is extremely excited to share his knowledge, experiences, and time with the Under Sea Adventurers Dive Club, this February 4th!

January 2021 Program

Chris Hardham — Tue, 29 Dec 2020 02:35:12 GMT

An overview of the Wild Dolphin Project, who we are and what we do.

By Cassie Rusche

Bio: Cassie Rusche received her B.S. (2013) in biology from Northern Kentucky University and her M.S. (2016) in biological sciences from Florida Atlantic University. Cassie is originally from Cincinnati, OH where she grew up loving animals of all kinds. She has always been interested in their behavior and why they do what they do. During her undergrad she was involved in undergraduate research examining parental care behavior in the Carolina Chickadee, a small songbird. After being involved in this research, Cassie knew she wanted to pursue her graduate degree, and so she found Dr. Denise Herzing and the Wild Dolphin Project. She was working on her master’s thesis, investigating spotted dolphin aggressive behavior, and helping out on the boat from 2014-2016. She moved back to Cincinnati, OH briefly but decided she missed the dolphins, Florida’s beaches, and the warmer weather! Cassie is now back working with us as our Research Assistant and will be out in the field on the boat a lot during the summer field season!

December 2020 Program

Roger Cooper — Wed, 18 Nov 2020 01:34:58 GMT

Fish Health
Overview and Case Study of a Porcupinefish

By Keith Herman

Keith was born and raised in Delaware, Ohio about 45 minutes north of Columbus, very near the Columbus Zoo and aquarium. He spent his formative years playing soccer, fishing, and generally being outdoors. He attended Miami University 2001 – 2005 and received degrees in Zoology and Psychology. Miami University (Oxford, OH) is not to be confused with University of Miami (Florida). Miami University was founded in 1809, while Florida did not even become a state until 1845.

Keith started his career caring for fish, in the fall of 2005, at Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies in Gatlinburg, TN. After three and a half years, he took a promotion and left for warmer weather, landing at SeaWorld Orlando in early 2009. He then spent over eight years maintaining aquariums there for millions of guests each year. In January of 2017 he started at Gumbo Limbo Nature Center in Boca Raton, Fl., where he has been for just a few weeks shy of four years now. Gumbo Limbo is by far the smallest facility he has worked at, but he has been enjoying the challenge of caring for fish endemic to South Florida.

November 2020 Program

Roger Cooper — Sun, 18 Oct 2020 16:57:03 GMT

Gulf Stream in a Martini Glass

By Andy Dehart

Few aquariums are able to house pelagic fishes. The Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science has pioneered a novel exhibit design to house these exciting aquatic ambassadors and recreate the open ocean feel of the Gulf Stream. Andy Dehart, VP of Animal Husbandry and Marine Conservation will provide details on the construction and activation of this unique exhibit and offer insight into the animals that are featured in this exhibit.

With more than 25 years of experience in animal husbandry at several major public aquariums throughout North America, Andy Dehart oversees all animal husbandry operations and aquatic life support operations at Frost Science. Dehart also oversees the museum’s marine conservation initiatives, including restoration efforts, the marine exotic species response program and species-specific conservation efforts.

Prior to joining Frost Science, Dehart helped build and open Toronto’s Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada as the Director of Husbandry, and had previously spent 19 years at the National Aquarium in both Baltimore, Maryland and Washington, D.C. Additionally, Dehart was part of the opening team at the Kingdom of the Seas Aquarium at Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium in Omaha, Nebraska. Dehart’s extensive knowledge of sharks has led him to serve as Shark Advisor for the Discovery Channel, and he has appeared on the “Today Show,” “The Early Show,” “NBC Nightly News,” “Larry King Live,” “Fox News,” “USA Today,” “The O’Reilly Factor” and “The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer.” He has been featured in seven Shark Week productions for the Discovery Channel.

Dehart earned a Bachelor of Science in biology from the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

October 2020 Program

Roger Cooper — Mon, 14 Sep 2020 19:32:59 GMT

Loggerhead Marinelife Center

By Casey Palmer

The presentation will be about the work done at Loggerhead Marinelife Center, Florida’s sea turtles, sea turtle biology, sea turtle nesting, and ways that everyone can aid in sea turtle conservation. Loggerhead Marinelife Center (LMC) is a nonprofit sea turtle research, rehabilitation and educational institution that promotes conservation of ocean ecosystems with a focus on threatened and endangered sea turtles. The Center features an on-site hospital, research laboratory, educational exhibits and aquariums, and also operates the Juno Beach Pier, which hosts world-class angling and sightseeing. Situated on one of the world’s most important sea turtle nesting beaches, Loggerhead Marinelife Center (https://marinelife.org/) is open daily and hosts over 350,000 guests free-of-charge each year. The Center’s conservation team works with 90 local and international organizations across six continents to form partnerships and share conservation initiatives and best practices that are core to its mission of ocean conservation. The Center is expanding and has launched its Waves of Progress capital expansion campaign, designed to accelerate and amplify LMC’s conservation and education impact. When complete, the facility will offer one of the world’s most advanced and unique experiences for guests and scientific partners.

Casey Palmer is the Community Outreach Coordinator at Loggerhead Marinelife Center. She is originally from Bowie, Maryland and studied Biological Sciences at Towson University. In her career, her primary focus has been conservation and education in both inland, coastal, and marine environments. Before her current position, Casey worked with The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore, National Park Service, and the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center. She shares her passion for marine conservation and sea turtles through the summer camp and outreach programs she facilitates at the center.

September 2020 Program

Roger Cooper — Thu, 20 Aug 2020 20:36:47 GMT

The Great White Sharks of Guadelupe Island

By Gary Rose, MD

We all grew up watching Jaws and if you are a scuba diver you have realized that diving with Great Whites is nothing like we see in the movies. Gary Rose,MD will bring you, virtually, to Guadelupe, Mexico, to dive with him and the Great White Sharks. You will learn about their behavior and what makes them tick. As you view his photo presentation you will feel like you are right there with him ........ and the Great White Sharks.

Gary Rose MD has been a certified diver for over 45 years and is a PADI Open Water Instructor. As a Plastic Surgeon and Associate Professor of Microbiology and Surgery at the College of Medicine at Florida Atlantic University, he has fulfilled his life passion as a marine biologist with his research on marine microorganisms, as well as large ocean apex predators. Dr. Rose lectures all over the world in an interactive and entertaining style. His years of experience are evident in the many stories and anecdotes he relates. Dr. Rose is a member of the Divers Alert Network and The Undersea And Hyperbaric Medical Society. You can find him on weekends diving our local waters and photographing our plentiful and diverse sharks.

August 2020 Program

Roger Cooper — Thu, 30 Jul 2020 18:23:44 GMT

Manta Rays

By Jessica Pate

Jessica is the Founder and Lead Scientist of the Florida Manta Project in the Marine Megafauna Foundation (https://marinemegafaunafoundation.org/).

Jessica has an undergraduate degree from UNC-Chapel Hill and a graduate degree from Florida Atlantic University. She has studied sea turtles in Florida, Central America, and West Africa. She has also taught marine biology on traditionally rigged schooners and has crossed the Atlantic Ocean by sail. In 2016, Jessica started the Florida Manta Project to study the biology and ecology of manta rays in South Florida.

Jessica will be talking about manta ray biology and global manta ray conservation, as well what discoveries that she has made about Florida’s manta rays. You will also find out how to become a citizen scientist and contribute to important manta ray research!

July 2020 Program

Roger Cooper — Thu, 25 Jun 2020 20:54:42 GMT

How to Improve Club Bylaws

by William Dilley

Will Dilley is one of the attorneys who participated in the review of our Club's Bylaws. He will be speaking to us to answer questions about the problems he sees in our Bylaws, to give us more details about how those problems affect an organization like ours, and to suggest ways the Bylaws could be improved.

He was born and raised in Miami, Florida. In 2013, after graduating from Florida Atlantic University with a Bachelor's of Business Administration, double majoring in Management and Marketing, he earned his Juris Doctor cum laude from Nova Southeastern University, Shepard Broad College of Law.

Prior to joining The Law For All, P.A., Will represented multi-national retail giants, global logistics companies, and some of the largest insurance companies in the world. As lead Trial Attorney and head of the Litigation Department, Will currently focuses on representing individuals, professionals and small businesses alike in claims involving fraud, deceptive trade practices, trade secret disputes, intellectual property rights, breach of contract, property disputes, construction disputes, will and trust disputes and general commercial litigation matters throughout the State of Florida.

Will is admitted to practice law in the State of Florida and in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida, and possesses diverse litigation experience in both the state and federal trial courts. Becoming a member of the team at The Law For All, P.A. has allowed Will to combine his extensive litigation experience with his passion for all things business related.

Will splits his time between Fort Lauderdale, Florida and the Florida Keys, where his family has resided for nearly thirty years. Having represented numerous corporate and insurance giants, it is his professional mission to take everything he has learned and bring effective and efficient resolutions to all of his clients' disputes with a level of creativity, outside-the-box thinking and highly personalized service that you just won't find with "big firm" representation.

June 2020 Program

Roger Cooper — Sat, 23 May 2020 19:08:04 GMT

Marine Conservation and Research Expeditions

With Angela Smith and Shark Team One

Angela Smith, founder of the endangered species conservation and citizen science expedition organization Shark Team One will speak about working with large marine animals and the conservation of endangered species worldwide.

Her program will highlight how photographers, nonprofit organizations, conservationists, students and divers can bring awareness to dwindling shark populations and the issues that face our oceans today.

Angela will talk about The Endangered Whale Shark Conservation Program, Shark Team One’s longest running project and what it’s like to work with these gentle giants. Angela’s presentation will also take you to a remote island off the coast of Western Mexico for a photographic essay about endangered great white sharks and to the Bahamas and Dominica where we will see behind the scenes on Shark Team One film productions. Shark Team One’s endangered species work also extends to marine mammal research expeditions, so we’ll discuss and view endangered sperm whale families of the Caribbean.

Angela is also the NGO Vice-Chair for the Southeast Florida Coral Reef Initiative (SEFCRI) where she is working to help develop federal and state management strategies to help save coral reefs along the Southeast Florida reef tract and has led Shark Team One to be a member of the Sylvia Earle Alliance spearheading the creation of the Coastal Southeast Florida Hope Spot in conjunction with Mission Blue and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Angela is a researcher supported by the S.E.E. Initiative (Science, Exploration, Education) with National Geographic and partners, is a Microsoft AI for Earth grantee, a member of Ocean Artists Society and a writer for National Geographic Open Explorer. Her wildlife documentary films have won accolades at venues such as Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival, Blue Ocean Film Festival, Jackson Wild and Wildlife Conservation Film Festival.

Visit Angela’s website at: www.sharkteamone.org

May 2020 Program

Roger Cooper — Sat, 02 May 2020 22:11:35 GMT

STAY HOME, STAY SAFE
JOIN US FOR A ZOOM MEETING

We will not have a meeting at the Courtyard hotel for the month of May. Instead, you can expect to receive an invitation to a Zoom meeting, which will be scheduled for Thursday, May 7, at 7:00 PM. The invitation will include a link for you to click when it is time to join the meeting. Please click the link five or ten minutes before the start of the meeting. You will be directed to a waiting room and asked to provide your name. Provide the name we have in the membership directory because only members or their registered guests will be allowed into the meeting. Members can register a guest by sending the guest's name in an email to president@usadiveclub.org by noon on May 7. We will not have an outside speaker for this meeting. Nils will discuss the status of our planned overseas dive trips and we can find out how our friends have been getting along in lockdown. Please join us.

April 2020 Program

Roger Cooper — Thu, 26 Mar 2020 18:59:49 GMT

Stay at Home

In order to help keep members safe from the COVID-19 virus, all April Club events have been canceled. As I write this on March 26, 2020, all non-essential businesses, including dive charters and dive stores have been shut down by government decree. It is possible that these conditions may extend into May, or even longer. We will let you know if this affects future Club events.

March 2020 Program

Roger Cooper — Wed, 26 Feb 2020 22:40:49 GMT

The Solomon Islands

By Daniela Tombion

First, the night's guest speaker, Daniela Tombion, will tell us about the Solomon Islands, its people, its culture, and the diving - especially the Diving from Bilikiki where she was a captain for four years. This should be of interest even if you are not considering signing up for the Solomon Islands trip. Later in the evening, Nils Jacobsen will give us the practical details of the planned trip to the Solomon Islands and the Bilikiki liveaboard.

Daniela was born in Caracas Venezuela. From the early days, she developed a passion for the underwater world from being able to snorkel from a young age in the crystal clear waters of the Caribbean Sea. This same passion made her travel to Egypt to keep exploring and developing her scuba diving skills. That's when she made the decision to dedicate the next years of her life to teach, explore and serve as many divers as possible. She became a Dive Instructor in the Red Sea area. Daniela and her husband signed up as dive crew for Emperor Divers – a well renowned fleet in the Red Sea. Daniela recognized liveaboards as the best way to see most of the marine life and dive as much as possible. The couple became part of the Emperor Divers Fleet and guided 800 divers or more per year for the next four years. Covering most part of the Egyptian Red Sea including the fantastic wrecks, colorful reefs, and the adventures of the Brothers Islands.

From the Red Sea, the couple took a jump to the South Pacific and she and her husband became the Onboard Managers of the great Bilikiki Cruises located in the Solomon Islands. They ran that operation for four years in one of the most beautiful places they have been. “The waters, marine life and the people of the Solomon Islands is one of those experiences that will stay in our hearts forever. It is one of those kinds of things you can't explain with words; it takes an experience to be able to express the quality of the dives and operation.”

February 2020 Program

Roger Cooper — Mon, 27 Jan 2020 20:42:13 GMT

Gear Safety & How does the scuba biz really work?
By Geoffrey May

Geoffrey May has been scuba diving since the age of 11 years old when he was certified by Norine Rouse in West Palm Beach in 1982. An experienced cave and technical diver, Geoffrey is a dynamic, top-performing, ethical and disciplined professional. He is a Gainesville, Florida native that graduated from the University of Florida. His work and adventure has led him to over 40 countries on 6 continents. Geoffrey has created tremendous success in the global watersports industry over the past 20 years designing, sourcing and selling products. From 2011 until 2019 he spearheaded and managed an industry leading online retail fulfillment center based in Pompano Beach. This high volume activity allowed him to acquire an extensive network of manufacturers in Asia, Europe and the USA and establish himself as a premier international buyer. Combining his decades of knowledge with his multi-national team, Geoffrey founded May Lion Group (a specialty product procurement and consulting company) in January 2020. (mayliongroup.com)

His presentation will give us a brief review of annual gear safety and service as the dive season kicks in gear soon. But he will also give a "Behind the scenes" look into the world of scuba gear and manufacturers. Come ready to ask the questions you always wanted to know about the scuba business but could never get the answer.

Why is one regulator 3 times the cost of the other?
Why does my BC not sell replacement parts?
What does lifetime warranty REALLY mean?
Do I need the expensive dive computer to be safe?

Geoffrey Tells it like it is and holds no punches.

January 2020 Program

Roger Cooper — Wed, 18 Dec 2019 22:50:33 GMT

Upcoming Overseas Dive Trips
by Nils Jacobsen

Please come to the meeting to get details about the trips being advertised for signups in 2020. You will be able to signup at this meeting.

Little Cayman Beach Resort, June 27 - July 4, 2020
Belize Aggressor, August 15 - 22, 2020

At the time of this writing, there is still a single male spot available for Fiji on the Nai'a liveaboard, March 14 - 21, 2020.

Keep these future trips in your mind and your calendar for planning purposes. Nils expects the Solomons trip to be opened for signups in March of 2020. He expects the Cayman Aggressor trip to be opened for signups in August of 2020.

Solomons: Bilikiki liveaboard, May 22 - June 1
Cayman Aggressor, July 10 - 17
Raja Ampat/Triton Bay: Damai liveaboard, approx. March 13 - 24, 2023 (exact date to be determined later)

November 2019 Program

Roger Cooper — Wed, 30 Oct 2019 15:34:45 GMT

My Most Memorable Dives Around the World

By Bill Watts

Long time USA Dive Club member Bill Watts will be presenting a program talking about his most memorable dives around the world. Bill has been diving for 60 years. He came to Pompano Beach Florida in 1959 at age 12 and purchased his first set of dive equipment by age 13. Bill estimates he has made over 3000 dives around the world. From the shores of Florida to places like Cocos Island off Costa Rica and the Galapagos Islands off Ecuador or the Lembeh Straights of Indonesia, Bill has seen it all. He will be talking about some of his most memorable dives and why they were so memorable. Should be an action packed fun adventure with photos and memories.

October 2019 Program

Roger Cooper — Sun, 15 Sep 2019 20:10:42 GMT

Our speaker is Susana Ramirez, Founder of Save The Sharks

Susana Ramirez (Navajas) grew up around the water, and always had a deep passion for the ocean and its' inhabitants. While doing her undergraduate studies, Susana helped graduate students with shark research in the everglades. It was during that time that she fell in love with sharks, and she vowed to do all that she could to help the animals out. She has since volunteered for many non-profit organizations and has gained valuable knowledge about grassroots campaigning. In 2014, she officially ran Save The Sharks full time, and has had a great deal of success. Susana has been a part of CITES implementations, she has led local and international rallies, school presentations, she has written for magazines and much more. Her hope is that Save The Sharks can inspire anyone to do something; because together, we can make a difference. [http://www.savethesharksorg.com/]

September 2019 Program

Roger Cooper — Fri, 23 Aug 2019 15:02:20 GMT

Importance of Coral-Algal Symbiosis to the Reef Community

By Rivah Winter, PhD

Dr. Rivah Winter runs the Inventors in Residence Coral Reef Restoration Research Laboratory at the Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science in Miami, FL, where she is also a Curator of Marine Science. In partnership with Dr. Andrew Baker at the University of Miami, she works to improve the heat resistance of threatened corals used for reef restoration. She earned her PhD from UM in 2017 and her B.S. from UCSD in 2010, where she studied Ecology, Behavior, and Evolution. Rivah fell in love with the sea when she first visited an aquarium at seven years old, and she is excited to be able to work with the stellar team at Frost Science to advance the Museum's conservation program.

August 2019 Program

Roger Cooper — Thu, 25 Jul 2019 22:31:12 GMT

Bylaws and Pictures

A two-part program

Bylaws Changes - We have Bylaws changes to discuss and, hopefully, approve by a vote of the members present. The reasons for making the changes are outlined briefly in the President's Waves. Members can help speed up discussions by reading the proposed changes here.
Pictures - Nils Jacobsen is putting together a presentation of photos from past trips. He is working on the presentation while I write this, so I am not sure what the final result will be. It will probably include his pictures from our recent Little Cayman trip. It may include pictures from Fiji, especially if we can get another Fiji trip scheduled for 2020. If we are lucky and he can find the time, we may get to see pictures from Cuba. And he has pictures from his African safari that may also make it into the presentation.

June 2019 Program

Roger Cooper — Wed, 29 May 2019 17:10:23 GMT

Making Friends With Sharks Without Feeding Them
By Jim Abernethy

Jim Abernethy, an award-winning underwater photographer, author, filmmaker and conservationist. He is a pioneer in large predatory cageless shark encounters with some of the world's most notorious sharks. Scuba diving since his youth inspired his life's mission to spread the word about the importance of worldwide ocean conservation.

For decades, Abernethy has been running photography/video expeditions to guide encounters with the world's largest predatory sharks. He pioneered shark encounters without a cage (day and night) with tiger sharks, great hammerheads, oceanic white tips, bulls, and lemon sharks. Jim’s tireless efforts to help save sharks around the world were part of the reason why the Bahamian waters were recognized as a shark sanctuary, in July 2011. This was a huge victory for sharks around the world.

His award-winning marine life images are represented in galleries, nature & photography magazines, as well as his stock agent, National Geographic. Raising awareness about the need for conservation remains Abernethy’s primary focus when aiming his camera at wildlife subjects. Additionally, he has launched two separate series of books, in collaboration with award-winning author Jennifer R. Nolan, that seek to educate and empower others to join in key conservation efforts.

Abernethy has hosted and been featured in many of the world's top nature filmmakers shows, such as Imax, National Geographic, BBC Wildlife, Animal Planet, and the Discovery Channel. His images are available at National Geographic Image Library. He owns the "Marine Life Art Gallery" in West Palm Beach, FL, where his captivating images and unique and educational books are available as well. When he's not below sea level, Jim is often seen piloting his flying inflatable boat (ultra-light), "Oversear," in order to capture nature at sea with his lens from an aerial perspective.

While Abernethy is well known as a world-class photographer and passionate conservationist, it's his unique ability to bring divers up close to some of the largest predatory sharks safely, in turn inspiring them to become vocal and passionate ambassadors to save the sharks, that separates him from the rest.

Abernethy is best known for the relentless pursuit of his life's mission: to save the planet's ocean creatures, starting with sharks, through his photography, books, films, and presentations. His colleagues have recognized Abernethy with four lifetime achievement awards for his relentless dedication to ocean conservation and the protection of sharks. He was the recipient of the Eleanor Fletcher Lifetime Conservation Achievement Award at the Go Blue Event in 2011, the Crest Award from Gumbo Limbo in 2013 and was honored with The Wyland Icon award in 2011. Last year he received the Shark-Con 2018 Conservation award for his relentless efforts saving sharks!

Jim is the founder of three ocean conservation-based non-profits Operation Blue Pride, WildlifeVOICE and Project Seahorse for Kids. Operation Blue Pride helps veterans learn to scuba dive, while forming an army of advocates to take on ocean issues. WildlifeVOICE works with many entities, giving a voice for those who cannot speak. Presently, WildlifeVOICE is working to protect wildlife in the state of Florida from the Red Tide issues. WildlifeVOICE was the driving force in the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FWCC) April 2018 decision to continue protecting the critically endangered goliath grouper.

Believing that science is critical to saving our wildlife, Jim works with a number of scientists by providing them with the resources necessary for the collection of marine science data. To date, the fields of research to which Jim’s company has been able to assist include formal and informal studies of: sharks, sea turtles, dolphins, cephalopods, reef ecosystems and coral reefs just to name a few.

Jim lives primarily at sea, in the Bahamas, running shark expeditions and wild dolphin encounters year-round on his boat, "Shear Water." He can also be found in Mexico running eco-tourism expeditions for whale sharks and manta rays. His dive business, Jim Abernethy's Scuba Adventures Inc., is based in West Palm Beach, FL. For more information you are invited to visit: www.scuba-adventures.com.

May 2019 Program

Roger Cooper — Fri, 26 Apr 2019 21:34:08 GMT

Dive into History with Lisa Mongelia, Executive Director at the History of Diving Museum, as she presents on the strong south Florida connection to recreational diving, marine biology, underwater photography and salvage diving long before scuba was invented!

Lisa has been an active diver and instructor for over 40 years, enjoying all that Florida and the Caribbean has to offer, as well as exploring Lake Superior and Bonne Terre Mines. She became an instructor in 1978 and moved to Miami to work for Underwater Unlimited as their first female dive instructor. Over the course of the next several decades she taught part time while raising two sons and working as a Billing Coordinator and Records Supervisor in the law firm industry. In her spare time, Lisa wrote for DiveNewswire which later introduced her to the History of Diving Museum to cover an event. After years of volunteering, Lisa left the corporate world to come on board as the History of Diving Museum director. She leads a fantastic team that has developed new exciting community outreach events, specialized presentations, fun scavenger hunts and guided tours. The Museum also offers Museum in Motion educational outreach programs to locals schools and universities.

Find out more about the History of Diving Museum on the website or when you dive in on your next visit to the Florida Keys, its a great way to spend a surface interval. Check the calendar and join other participants for special events. (become a member to get special discounts and help support the 501 (c)(3) non-profit)

April 2019 Program

Roger Cooper — Tue, 26 Mar 2019 22:12:51 GMT

We are very pleased to announce that Craig Jenni will be speaking to us again at our April meeting. He received formal scuba training at age 12, he started working at a dive shop at 14, became a scuba instructor at 18 and ever since has been a career dive professional. During his 30 years as a dive instructor he has certified thousands of divers and hundreds of instructors. He trained as a Navy SEAL and taught commercial diving at The Ocean Corporation. He has vast experience in recreational, technical, military, commercial, scientific and public safety diving.

Craig is currently an instructor or instructor trainer with every major scuba certification agency in the U.S. He was formally the Executive Director of the YMCA Scuba Program, responsible for thousands of scuba instructors along with the administration of this diver training agency. He was a representative of the Recreational Scuba Training Counsel (RSTC) and authored training standards for diver education program ranging from recreational, technical, scientific, public safety and commercial diving. He has specialized qualifications including; dive medical technician, life support technician, equipment repair instructor, and forensic medical investigator. He is actively involved in teaching dive specialties such as cave, decompression, mixed gasses, semi-closed and closed-circuit rebreathers and public safety diving.

Craig is the owner and President of Dive & Marine Consultants International (DMCI), Inc., which specializes in conducting forensic investigations of dive accidents. Since starting DMCI Craig has investigated over 600 diver fatalities and over 3600 diving and boating accidents. He conducts training seminars for PSD, law enforcement, medical examiners and emergency response personnel as to how to conduct proper dive accident investigations and autopsies. He is often called to consult domestic and foreign governments regarding diving and frequently serves as an expert witness for dive accident litigation. Craig is commonly hired to consult diver training agencies and insurance Underwriters to assess and advise them on matters pertaining to risk management.

As a lawyer, he is of counsel with the law firm of Donna E. Albert & Associates which practices exclusively in defending dive accident lawsuits. As a diver he can be found pursuing underwater interests that most divers only read about. As a dive leader Craig is a strong proponent of maintaining fitness, currency of dive skills and utilizing proper equipment to make diving as safe as possible.

March 2019 Program

Fri, 22 Feb 2019 23:11:45 GMT

Dr. Stephen Kajiura is returning to give us more information about “Snowbird Sharks: Seasonal Abundance and Spatial Distribution of Blacktip Sharks (Carcharhinus limbatus) in Southeast Florida”

He is a Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Florida Atlantic University. His area of expertise is the sensory biology of sharks and rays with an emphasis on the electrosensory system. In addition to his sensory physiology research, Dr Kajiura studies the massive seasonal aggregation of blacktip sharks in southeast Florida. He incorporates aerial surveys with tagging and acoustic telemetry to document the migration of these sharks along the US eastern seaboard.

Dr Kajiura has conducted research for various agencies including the National Science Foundation, the Department of Defense, and the National Marine Fisheries Service. He has published over 50 papers in peer-reviewed journals and has presented numerous talks at scientific conferences. He has supervised a dozen graduate students and post-doctoral researchers, and has served on numerous thesis committees for students from around the world. Dr Kajiura maintains a strong public outreach service, primarily through television documentary appearances, and has served as an elected member of the American Elasmobranch Society Board of Directors.

Dr Kajiura received his PhD in Zoology from the University of Hawaii, a MS in Marine Biology from the Florida Institute of Technology, and a BSc (Hons) in Marine Biology from the University of Guelph (Canada).

Southeast Florida experiences an enormous seasonal influx of upper trophic level marine predators each year as blacktip sharks (Carcharhinus limbatus) migrate south to overwinter in nearshore waters. These sharks form aggregations ranging from a few individuals to thousands. The sharks are often found in very shallow water, only a few meters from popular swimming beaches which raises concerns about potential negative interactions. To quantify shark abundance and distribution, an aerial survey was conducted during peak season (December - April) from 2011-2017. A low altitude (150m) survey flight was flown from Government Cut (South Beach, Miami) to Jupiter Inlet at approximately biweekly (2011-2014) or weekly (2015-2017) intervals. A high definition video camera recorded a transect from the beach to approximately 200m offshore. Segments of the survey transect were demarcated by inlets, and the number of sharks found within each segment was counted to calculate shark density. During the seven year study, the greatest shark density was consistently found in February and March. Although sharks were seen throughout the entire 132km length of the survey transect, significantly greater numbers of sharks were found at the northernmost third of the transect in Palm Beach County (Boynton Beach Inlet to Jupiter Inlet) where densities exceeded 1,000 sharks km-2. The habitat throughout the transect is largely consistent, so it remains unclear why the sharks are not distributed farther south. Southward migrating sharks might simply stop once they reach appropriate conditions and warming oceans might eventually restrict their migration to increasingly higher latitudes.

February 2019 Program

Roger Cooper — Fri, 18 Jan 2019 17:00:37 GMT

A Trip to Guadalupe Island – Diving With The Great White Sharks

Dr. Gary Rose will take you to Guadalupe Island on his dive with the Great White Sharks. The journey will also review logistics, the do’s and don’ts, and survival tips. He will also give you an entertaining overview of what makes sharks such great survivors – how their multiple senses are so different than our own.

Gary Rose MD has been a diver for over 45 years and is a PADI Open Water Instructor. As a Plastic Surgeon and Associate Professor of Microbiology at the College of Medicine at Florida Atlantic University he has fulfilled his life passion as a marine biologist with his research, including marine microorganisms, as well as large ocean apex predators. Dr. Rose lectures all over the world in an interactive and entertaining style. His years of experience are evident in the many stories and anecdotes he relates. Dr. Rose is a member of the Divers Alert Network and The Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society. You can find him on weekends diving with the sharks and pursuing his love of underwater photography.

January 2019 Program

Roger Cooper — Sun, 23 Dec 2018 00:11:24 GMT

Presentation by Bonnie Barnes

Bonnie Barnes currently serves as Development Manager at Reef Environmental Education Foundation, an International Marine Conservation organization headquartered in the Florida Keys. Bonnie’s heart is in conservation, whether scuba diving, traipsing through a forest, or swooshing down a mountain, she loves and cares about our environment. Having started her first business at 17 in her hometown of Las Vegas, she eventually found her way to Florida where she owned a marketing company for another 14 years in Jacksonville, FL. After earning her MBA in 2006, she jumped head-first into the nonprofit world, as Executive Director of a land conservation organization, North Florida Land Trust. Through this relationship, she was instrumental in the donation of a critical oceanfront property to the Archie Carr Center for Sea Turtle Research at UF, to preserve this land in perpetuity as a prime turtle nesting site.

As an avid diver, she volunteered regularly to monitor the offshore environment with the Jacksonville Reef Research Team. For her environmental work, Bonnie was awarded Florida’s Sea Grant Volunteer of the Year Award in 1991. With over 10 years in nonprofit management and cultivation of donors, Bonnie has found her way to the Florida Keys, where she can combine her love of diving with protection of our ocean life by actively engaging and inspiring the public in its care.

Bonnie will provide an overview of the 30-year-old organization, updates on special projects and a preview of upcoming work underway regarding Lionfish, Nassau Grouper, Exotic and Invasive Species, Diadema and other marine-related projects.

December 2018 Program

Roger Cooper — Wed, 28 Nov 2018 01:46:18 GMT

John Chatterton

Speaking about his search for a Spanish treasure ship

John Chatterton is one of the world’s most accomplished and well known wreck divers. He was one of the co-hosts for 57 episodes of the History Channel’s Deep Sea Detectives television series, and has worked as a consultant to 20^th Century Fox, Paramount Pictures, Universal Studios, and CBS. Prior to his career in television, John spent twenty years working as a commercial diver in and around New York City, and on September 11, 2001, was actually working on a project in the water underneath the World Financial Center, across the street from the Tower #1.

His passion has always been researching, locating, and diving the world’s shipwrecks. In 1991, the discovery and subsequent identification of the German submarine U-869, off the coast of New Jersey, was the subject of a television documentary, Hitler’s Lost Sub, a two hour special for the popular NOVA series on PBS. This same story was the subject of a Random House bestselling book by Rob Kurson, Shadow Divers. It has been published in more than 23 languages, as well as an audio book The movie rights to the international bestseller have been purchased by a major studio.

There is much more to his biography here.
https://www.johnchatterton.com/john-chatterton-biography/

November 2018 Program

Roger Cooper — Wed, 17 Oct 2018 17:36:16 GMT

Hammerheads and Shore-Based Shark Fishing

Presentation by Hannah Medd

Hannah Medd, founder of the American Shark Conservancy and marine biologist, has more than 10 years’ experience conducting applied research and conservation outreach for global and local shark and ray initiatives. She earned her Bachelors of Science in Marine Biology and Ecology at Florida Tech in Melbourne, Florida. She traveled to South Africa to complete her Masters of Science in Marine Biodiversity from the University of Cape Town, where she learned about many aspects of marine resource management, including research and academia, government and policy, socioeconomics and ecotourism.

Endangered great hammerheads are popular species among divers and fishermen alike. This species is prohibited from landing in Florida waters and yet seem to be facing a poorly-understood threat, shore-based shark fishing. As part of American Shark Conservancy's research program, this project will describe the impact of this activity on the species and use these data to help inform policy.

October 2018 Program

Roger Cooper — Tue, 25 Sep 2018 19:47:39 GMT

The diversity of shark body shape, function, and habitat use

Presentation by Sarah Hoffmann

Sarah is a fifth (and final!) year PhD student at Florida Atlantic University. She is interested the diversity of body and fin shape among shark species and how these may relate to habitat use. To study these questions, she has adapted a technique to capture 3D video with underwater cameras. Her research on movement in different environments will hopefully one day inspire ocean monitoring vehicle design to be customized for different parts of the ocean. She also regularly collaborates with the Apex Predators Tagging Program (National Marine Fisheries Service), the Florida Fish Kill Hotline (FWC), the Florida Manta Project (Marine Megafauna Foundation), and Loggerhead Marinelife Center. In addition to her research, Sarah is an avid outdoor enthusiast and spends as much time on or in the water as possible. She has spent time living and diving in the Florida Keys, the San Juan Islands (WA), and 250 miles off the Eastern coast of Nova Scotia (the Grand Banks, Canada).

September 2018 Program

Wed, 15 Aug 2018 16:24:38 GMT

Madeline Kaufman Speaking about Coral Reefs

Coral reefs have been on the decline for the past couple decades, yet millions of people depend on these ecosystems for food, jobs, tourism, recreation, medicinal compounds and coastline protection. With recent global bleaching events, severe disease outbreaks and increasing anthropogenic pressures, reefs have suffered to the point that active human intervention has become necessary. About ten years ago, the Lirman Benthic Ecology Lab at the University of Miami began to actively propagate corals in offshore nurseries and plant them onto the reef. They have planted over 10,000 corals onto the Florida Reef Tract to date. About 3 years ago, they expanded their restoration efforts to a citizen science program, known as Rescue a Reef. As a part of this program, they bring recreational divers out on coral gardening excursions in which divers help maintain the nurseries, collect corals and plant them onto the reef. To date, citizen scientists have helped plant about 3,000 corals. During her presentation, she will talk about the importance of coral reefs, the threats they are facing and what we can do to help.

She is originally from Baltimore, Maryland but came to Miami 6 years ago to pursue a Bachelor of Science in marine science and biology. After graduating in 2016, she took a gap year and became a divemaster with South Beach Divers, began volunteering as outreach coordinator for the nonprofit Debris Free Oceans and worked as a research assistant in two coral research labs at UM. She just returned to school this past January and is pursuing a Master of Science in marine biology, focusing on coral conservation genetics and restoration ecology.

August 2018 Program

Mon, 30 Jul 2018 20:41:20 GMT

Presentation by Ben Hicks - Wildlife Photographer

South-Florida based photographer Ben Hicks has journeyed across the Americas and ventured to exotic locales spanning the globe to compose a profoundly diverse collection of fine-art photography that truly captures the majectic beauty of the natural world. This self-proclaimed "adventure-boy" not only strives to portray the familiar in extraordinarily original ways, but also takes big risks to capture the most complex, often dangerous situations including big waves and precarious animal encounters all to share his admiration for Mother Nature's creations. Whether shooting tropical beachscapes in the South Pacific, vast sandstone buttes in the American Southwest or the first few open water strides of a leatherback sea turtle hatchling, Ben's distinctive vision and inimitable approach to photography renders intricately detailed images that captivate viewers and server as a testament to his enjoyment and reverence of nature.

Environmental Mission

Through his photography, Ben aspires to raise environmental awareness by depicting the natural world in a relevant and endearing manner that everyone can connect with. Ben is particularly focused on using his photography to communicate the importance of conserving the world's oceans and follows key species, such as see turtle, that serve as important indicators of the health of the world's marine and coastal ecosystems. Ben shares the Sea Turtle Conservancy's belief that "whether sea turtles ultimately vanish from the planet or whether they remain a wild and thriving part of the natural world, will speak volumes about both the general health of the planet and the ability of humans to sustainably coexist with the diversity of life on Earth." Ben strives to serve the global community by using his art to inspire others to value conservation and preservation so that we can work towards a more sustainable future.

July 2018 Program

Fri, 29 Jun 2018 13:56:39 GMT

History of the Hillsboro Lighthouse

by Ralph Krugler

Mr. Krugler is the Historian and on the Board of Directors of the Hillsboro Lighthouse Preservation Society. He is also on the Board of the Florida Keys Reef Lights Foundation, which is trying to save offshore lighthouses and restore them. He is also a member of the United States Lighthouse Society and a member of the Florida Lighthouse Association.

Mr. Krugler assists with tours of the Hillsboro lighthouse. He is also part of the Fresnel lens cleaning crew, and assists with some tower maintenance. His book, titled "The (Almost) Complete History of the Hillsboro Inlet Lighthouse," is nearing publication.

May 2018 Program

Sun, 29 Apr 2018 18:48:58 GMT

Last Minute Change of Speakers -

Craig Jenni was called away due to a diving accident and had to reschedule. Perhaps we can hear what happened at a meeting later this year.

Our speaker will be David Kaplan, Director of the South Florida Reef Research Team, Inc. (SFRRT) He will be talking about the organization and the equipment they use to collect data at three sites off Broward County they visit four times each year. The next dive is May 27th and he is looking for volunteers to fill four spots for advanced divers.

Click here for a link to a video that shows the kinds of things they do.

David Kaplan as been a diver since 1998. He is a NAUI, PADI Divemaster, commercial hard hat diver, tug boat captain, founding member of the South Florida Reef Research Team, and Director of SFRRT for the last 16 years. He presently works for an engineering firm for FDOT on I-95 road and bridge projects.

April 2018 Program

Fri, 23 Mar 2018 01:48:33 GMT

Google Photos:

How to store, edit, organize and share the memories of your life

You’ve taken hundreds of pictures with your smartphone. Now what?! The geeks at GeeksOnTour recommend Google Photos. It works automatically, and it’s FREE.

Gathers pictures from all your digital devices
Provides unlimited online storage
Frees up space on your phone
Searches and sorts by date
Lets you create albums, edit and enhance pictures
Makes it easy to create collages, animations, and movies with music

Longtime USA Dive Club members Jim and Chris Guld are professional technology trainers. As ‘Geeks on Tour’, they present many fun and educational seminars at computer clubs, RV Rallies, senior centers, and even people’s homes all over the country. Chris is recognized by Google as a Platinum Level Top Contributor to the Google Photos Forum.

March 2018 Program

Sat, 17 Feb 2018 16:06:00 GMT

BugFest-By-The-Sea

The speaker for our March meeting is Steve d'Oliveira. He will give a presentation about BugFest-By-The-Sea.

Steve is the Public Information Officer for Lauderdale-By-The-Sea. He runs the town's annual BugFest-By-The-Sea mini-season Lobster Festival. He is a certified scuba diver and has lived in Florida since 1980. Prior to working for the town, he was a staff writer for the Fort Lauderdale News & Sun-Sentinel, where he covered diving and marine environmental issues.

November 2017 Program

Sat, 28 Oct 2017 20:33:45 GMT

Speaker: Connie Versteeg - National Save the Sea Turtle Foundation

Since 1987, the National Save the Sea Turtle Foundation has worked tirelessly to provide educational programs, promote public awareness, and support sea turtle research. The foundation is dedicated to assisting those who devote endless hours in the battle to understand and preserve the marine environment.

Marine Biologist, Connie Versteeg, has worked in education for the organization for 10+ years, giving presentations to groups of all sizes and ages. She began working with turtles while completing her Master's degree at Nova Southeastern University with the Broward County Sea Turtle Conservation Program.

Here are links to some of the articles describing what is being done by the National Save the Sea Turtle Foundation.

October 2017 Program

Tue, 15 Aug 2017 16:54:59 GMT

Craig Jenni received formal scuba training at age 12, he started working at a dive shop at 14, became a scuba instructor at 18 and ever since has been a career dive professional. During his 30 years as a dive instructor he has certified thousands of divers and hundreds of instructors. He trained as a Navy SEAL and taught commercial diving at The Ocean Corporation. He has vast experience in recreational, technical, military, commercial, scientific and public safety diving.

Craig is currently an instructor or instructor trainer with every major scuba certification agency in the U.S. He was formally the Executive Director of the YMCA Scuba Program, responsible for thousands of scuba instructors along with the administration of this diver training agency. He was a representative of the Recreational Scuba Training Counsel (RSTC) and authored training standards for diver education program ranging from recreational, technical, scientific, public safety and commercial diving. He has specialized qualifications including; dive medical technician, life support technician, equipment repair instructor, and forensic medical investigator. He is actively involved in teaching dive specialties such as cave, decompression, mixed gasses, semi-closed and closed-circuit rebreathers and public safety diving.

Craig is the owner and President of Dive & Marine Consultants International (DMCI), Inc., which specializes in conducting forensic investigations of dive accidents. Since starting DMCI Craig has investigated over 600 diver fatalities and over 3600 diving and boating accidents. He conducts training seminars for PSD, law enforcement, medical examiners and emergency response personnel as to how to conduct proper dive accident investigations and autopsies. He is often called to consult domestic and foreign governments regarding diving and frequently serves as an expert witness for dive accident litigation. Craig is commonly hired to consult diver training agencies and insurance Underwriters to assess and advise them on matters pertaining to risk management.

As a lawyer, he is of counsel with the law firm of Donna E. Albert & Associates which practices exclusively in defending dive accident lawsuits. As a diver he can be found pursuing underwater interests that most divers only read about. As a dive leader Craig is a strong proponent of maintaining fitness, currency of dive skills and utilizing proper equipment to make diving as safe as possible.

September 2017 Program

Tue, 15 Aug 2017 16:52:39 GMT

Gary Rose MD has been a diver for over 40 years and is a PADI Open Water Instructor. As a Plastic Surgeon and Associate Professor of Microbiology at the College of Medicine at Florida Atlantic University he has fulfilled his life passion as a marine biologist with his research, including marine microorganisms, as well as large ocean apex predators. Dr. Rose is a member of the Divers Alert Network and The Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society. You can find him on weekends diving our local waters, shipwrecks and ledges.

August 2017 Program

Tue, 15 Aug 2017 16:48:59 GMT

Dr. Stephen Kajiura's talk is entitled “Snowbird Sharks: Seasonal Abundance and Spatial Distribution of Blacktip Sharks (Carcharhinus limbatus) in Southeast Florida”