6th Annual
Scientific Diving Symposium
Friday, March 27th,
2015
Hosted by the
North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores
COST: Pay at the Symposium – Cash
Preferred – Receipts available upon request
Morning
Session: $10 (Advanced Registration Required)
Lunch:
$10 (Advanced Registration Required)
Afternoon Session: FREE!! (You may
register for the afternoon on the day of the symposium)
Happy
Hour: 5:45-7:00 at the Aquarium’s U-352 “Living
Shipwreck” exhibit
MORNING SESSION (Dive Safety Officers
only):
8:30-9:00
Late Registration, Hospitality, Meet and Greet
Opening Remarks: Ethan Simmons, DSO NC Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores
9:00-12:00 DSO Discussion Group
9:00-12:00 DSO Discussion Group
- Collaborative Training – Steve Broadhurst (15 minutes)
- PEDRO Rescue Training Collaboration – Glenn Safrit (15 minutes)
- NCDMF projects at AR-315 and AR-330 – Gregg Bodnar (15 minutes)
- 10 Minute Break
- NOAA Dive Unit Safety Assessment – Roger Mays (30 minutes)
- NOAA UDS Conference – Brian Degan (15 minutes)
- 10 Minute Break
- The Past, Present, and Future of the Duke Hyperbaric Chamber – Dr. John Freiberger – Director of Duke Dive Medicine (60 minutes) – See attached Bio/Presentation Description
12:00-1:00
Lunch Buffet sandwich bar with soup and
sides catered by Crab’s Claw, Atlantic Beach, NC
AFTERNOON
SESSION (Open to All): Presentations by Scientific Divers held in
Sound Side Hall at the NC Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores and moderated by Jenny
Vander Pluym – NOAA and Janelle Fleming – UNC Institute of Marine Sciences.
Opening
Remarks: Ethan Simmons, DSO NC Aquarium at
Pine Knoll Shores
1:35-1:55 Jenny Vander Pluym, NOAA: “Conducting Research at Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary”
1:55-2:10
Alex Bogdanoff, NCSU
& NOAA: “Integrated Methodologies for
Controlling Invasive Lionfish”
2:10-2:30
James R. Pruitt, ECU: “Only With all the Clues: a Submerged Aircraft
Archaeological Case Study in Tanapag Lagoon, Saipan”
2:30-3:00
Stefanie Martina, DAN –
Divers Alert Network: “Unraveling the Intricacies
of Immersion Pulmonary Edema”
3:00-3:15
Break
3:15-3:45 Doug Kesling: “Mystery of the Grouper Moon, A REEF Expedition to Little Cayman
Island”
3:45-4:00 Jim Hench, Duke: “Quantifying Small-Scale Bottom Topography Using a 3D Scanning Sonar”
4:00-4:20 Roger Mays, NOAA: “NOAA Dive Unit Safety Assessment: Results of Three Years of
Assessments”
4:20-4:30 Break
4:30-4:45 Laura Bagge, Duke: “Clearly Camouflaged Crustaceans”
4:45-5:00 Jenny Vander Pluym, NOAA: “Investigating Fish Communities of NC Offshore Hardbottom Habitats in a
Potential Wind Energy Area
5:00
Photo Contest – Winner
decided by crowd
Closing
Remarks: CCSDA
5:15-6:00
Photo contest winners
guest dive in the Living Shipwreck exhibit. Photo
contest winners will need to be in good health to dive, complete medical
questionnaire and liability waiver, and provide a dive certification card,
wetsuit, booties, and mask.
5:45-7:00:
HAPPY HOUR at the Aquarium’s U-352 “Living Shipwreck” exhibit
***ALL PROGRAMS PLEASE BRING A POSTER VERSION OF THEIR LOCAL DIVE
PROGRAM FOR DISPLAY IN THE AQUARIUM***
--IMAGE HEAVY,
VERY LIGHT TEXT!!!
If
you have questions, please contact Jenny Vander Pluym (ccsda.info@gmail.com).
 |
Abstracts
Conducting Research at GRNMA, Jenny
Vander Pluym, NOAA
Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary is
one of the largest near-shore live-bottom reefs of the southeastern United
States. Located just 16 miles from the shores of Georgia, Gray’s Reef is
comprised of rocky ledges, limestone rock outcroppings, and diverse soft-bottom
habitats. These extremely varied habitats attract over 200 species of fish,
many of which are commercially and ecologically important yet heavily exploited
outside the boundaries of the sanctuary. Approximately one-third of the
sanctuary is a Research Area that is closed to recreational fishing and diving
providing unique opportunities to design and implement research in which
critical variables can be controlled over long periods of time. Researchers
have the ability to investigate impacts of fishing on exploited and unexploited
species as well as habitat. Researchers can also assess the efficacy of no-take
zones on surrounding areas. Other topics of interest to the sanctuary include
the effects of climate change on benthic communities and associated fish, invasive
species, and connectivity of sanctuary resources with other regional systems.
Integrated
Methodologies for Controlling Invasive Lionfish, Alex Bogdanoff, NOAA contract
biologist and doctoral candidate, NCSU
Invasive lionfish have
become one of the greatest
threats to coral reef communities in the
Western Atlantic. To protect natural resources
from these invaders, particularly commercially important species such as
snapper and grouper, immediate action is required
to mitigate lionfish impacts in Marine Protected
Areas (MPAs), national
parks, and refuges.
Localized control
efforts through diver-based removals
have shown to be effective
at reducing impacts.
However, lionfish are distributed across
wide spatial expanses
and marine park resources
are limited. The goal of this research
program is to develop a more efficient large
scale lionfish control
strategy that will expand the capacity
of MPAs and other areas of
conservation to manage
the invasion. This program consists of three research trajectories
including Lionfish Aggregating Devices (LADs), lionfish and ciguatera, and a
lionfish control model/decision making framework. The completion
of this three-pronged
program will completely transform lionfish
control by helping
to optimize catch to
meet demand, clarifying the risk of ciguatera
for
consumers, and providing managers with a
lionfish control decision
making framework.
Only With
all the Clues: A Submerged Aircraft Archaeological Case Study in Tanapag
Lagoon, Saipan, James R. Pruitt, Masters student, ECU
The study of submerged aircraft, while not new,
is a relatively unexplored area of maritime archaeology. Receiving even less
attention is the study of site formation processes as they apply to submerged
aircraft wreck sites—what processes affected the site between the time it
crashed and now? These studies are becoming increasingly important, especially
for cultural resource managers who are responsible for managing submerged
aircraft. This thesis performed a case study of one unidentified PB2Y Coronado
flying boat located in Tanapag Lagoon, Saipan. The primary goal was to examine
how the study of site formation processes contributes to our understanding of
submerged WWII aircraft and their subsequent management. The researchers
performed a systematic archaeological survey of the site, as well as a thorough
historical survey, in order to identify the aircraft and its wrecking cause.
The distribution of wreckage throughout the site indicated what formation
processes may have taken place, and what factors have affected the site since
deposition. These findings, compared to reports from other submerged aircraft
crash sites, will add to our understanding of the depositional and
post-depositional impacts to submerged aircraft crash sites and allow for better
interpretation and management of those sites.
Unraveling the Intricacies of Immersion
Pulmonary Edema, Stefanie Martina, Divers Alert Network
Immersion
pulmonary edema (IPE) is fluid congestion of the lungs that develops during
in-water activity, often in generally healthy individuals. First described in
cold water scuba divers, it has since been reported in a range of conditions
involving swimmers (especially triathletes), snorkelers, Navy BUD/S recruits,
and technical divers. Its multifactorial nature continues to be revealed
through research. This presentation will discuss the pathophysiology and course
of IPE. The aim is to increase awareness to improve both recognition and
management of IPE.
Mystery of
the Grouper Moon, A R.E.E.F Expedition to Little Cayman Island, Doug Kesling
Quantifying
small-scale bottom topography using a 3D scanning sonar, Dr. Jim Hench, Duke
Bottom topography on reefs varies at a wide range
of spatial scales and affects many physical, chemical and biological reef processes.
Reef structure provides habitat and refuge for many fish and invertebrate
species. Rough topography also exerts drag forces on water as it moves across
reefs and the interaction between flow and topography generates turbulence and
mixing. Knowledge of bottom topography is therefore important for predicting
circulation, transport, and dispersion on reefs. Reef structure can change
significantly over time as structure is destroyed and redevelops from
disturbances; it is therefore also important to document reef structure and its
evolution through time.
We conducted a series to field tests to evaluate an ultra-high frequency scanning sonar system (Blueview BV5000) to measure small-scale 3D topography. The sonar was deployed by divers on a bottom-mounted tripod, and cabled back to a small boat. The rotating sonar collected 360 degree, 200 m^2, circular swaths of bottom topography. Our initial tests used arrays of objects with simple geometry and known dimensions. We also tested the system on complex natural coral reef substrates. We are currently analyzing the data to determine the accuracy of the system, and assessing how data quality varies with factors such as distance from sonar head, number of registration points, and topographic complexity.
We conducted a series to field tests to evaluate an ultra-high frequency scanning sonar system (Blueview BV5000) to measure small-scale 3D topography. The sonar was deployed by divers on a bottom-mounted tripod, and cabled back to a small boat. The rotating sonar collected 360 degree, 200 m^2, circular swaths of bottom topography. Our initial tests used arrays of objects with simple geometry and known dimensions. We also tested the system on complex natural coral reef substrates. We are currently analyzing the data to determine the accuracy of the system, and assessing how data quality varies with factors such as distance from sonar head, number of registration points, and topographic complexity.
NOAA Dive
Unit Safety Assessments: Results of Three Years of Assessments, Roger Mays, NOAA
This talk explains the current organizational
structure showing the relationship between the Diving Control and Safety Board,
the Dive Safety Officer, and the Diving Program; presents results of the first
3 years of dive unit inspections, some case studies of NOAA diving incidents,
the philosophy behind certain types of diving incidents, and possible next
steps for the NOAA diving program.
Clearly
Camouflaged Crustaceans, Laura Bagge, Duke
Blue-water scuba divers may immediately notice
that transparency is a common camouflage
strategy for small, thin, or gelatinous animals inhabiting this featureless pelagic environment,
and reef divers may notice that transparency is rarer among larger species with more complex
body plans, especially those inhabiting this benthic environment. Can crustaceans (with hard
cuticles, thick muscles, and internal organs) be clear? Many species of pelagic hyperiid
amphipods and many anemone-dwelling shrimp species are extraordinarily transparent despite
having a relatively large (>10mm) body size; they are clear enough to read a newspaper through
their abdomen. Absence of pigment is insufficient for transparency as their tissues also must not
scatter light. Because these crustaceans are not extremely small or flat, and their tissues cannot
be made of one component with one refractive index, other morphological modifications for
transparency are likely present. I am examining the ultrastructure of the cuticle; the first surface
to interact with light, to understand what features may minimize light reflections. I am also
examining their muscle ultrastructure to determine how light scattering may be minimized
internally. Finally, I am investigating how exertion or physiological stress may disrupt
transparency, and what occurs in the tissues to cause this disruption.
strategy for small, thin, or gelatinous animals inhabiting this featureless pelagic environment,
and reef divers may notice that transparency is rarer among larger species with more complex
body plans, especially those inhabiting this benthic environment. Can crustaceans (with hard
cuticles, thick muscles, and internal organs) be clear? Many species of pelagic hyperiid
amphipods and many anemone-dwelling shrimp species are extraordinarily transparent despite
having a relatively large (>10mm) body size; they are clear enough to read a newspaper through
their abdomen. Absence of pigment is insufficient for transparency as their tissues also must not
scatter light. Because these crustaceans are not extremely small or flat, and their tissues cannot
be made of one component with one refractive index, other morphological modifications for
transparency are likely present. I am examining the ultrastructure of the cuticle; the first surface
to interact with light, to understand what features may minimize light reflections. I am also
examining their muscle ultrastructure to determine how light scattering may be minimized
internally. Finally, I am investigating how exertion or physiological stress may disrupt
transparency, and what occurs in the tissues to cause this disruption.
Investigating Fish Communities of NC
Offshore Hardbottom Habitats in a Potential Wind Energy Area, Jenny Vander
Pluym, NOAA, Beaufort, NC
In
an effort to provide a baseline biological assessment of the distribution of
marine fishes and develop a map of seafloor habitats of a potential wind energy
area off of Cape Fear, NC, NOAA and partners conducted an expedition in May,
2014. Using multi-beam and side scan sonar, investigators identified apparent
hardbottom habitats ledge, mixed hardbottom/sand, pavement and two artificial
reefs (wrecks). Using band transects, science divers identified fish to species
and size class along with estimating benthic cover and topographic measurements
at 52 sites. Preliminary analysis suggests that ledge and mixed hardbottom/sand
habitats support the greatest abundance and biomass of fish species within the
call area. Abundance and biomass of large individuals (>50 cm TL) were
greater on ledge habitats and are also positively correlated with hardbottom
height collected in situ and with rugosity derived from multibeam files. Large
fish were also found to be positively correlated with macroalgal cover, which
was greater for ledge habitats. Most of these individuals are members of the
snapper grouper complex and are important to commercial and recreational
fisheries. While more diverse and numerous fish communities were documented
over rugose habitats during dive operations, acoustic sampling conducted during
the evening and night showed high concentrations of fish biomass over sand and
soft bottom habitats as well. This research suggests that the diverse fish
community found offshore is not only dependent on presence of rugose hardbottom
habitats, but that high macroalgal cover and the presence of a variety of
habitats may also be important.
.jpg)
