AmericanAcademy of Underwater Sciences (AAUS)
EDITOR’S NOTE–February 2008
Welcome to the February issue of the E-Slate, the official monthly news publication of AAUS. The month of February is an exciting one for the scientific dive community.The AAUS Diving Symposium and DSO Orientation are approaching quickly. AAUS presents the 2007 Scientific Diving Lifetime Achievement Award and Our World Underwater prepares for their 2008 February Show.The Divers Alert Network Annual Diving Report and the Proceedings of the 25thAmericanAcademy of Underwater Sciences Symposium join our list of new publications.
Our goal is to keep the scientific diver and AAUS Member informed and up to date.We are always looking for new publications to share with the scientific dive community and appreciate your input to make this a better resource. Please submit news, announcements, or images with captions of underwater work in progress can visit to access current and past issues of the E-Slate.
NEWS/ANNOUNCEMENTS
AAUS Diving for Science Symposium 2008
The 27thAAUS Annual Symposium will be held March 11-15, 2008 at the University of California-San Diego Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla, CA. A block of rooms were reserved at the Sheraton La Jolla (1-800-325-3535)for the AAUS at a special rate of $165. Presentations may addressthe use of diving technologies, diving medicine, physiology, theory, techniques, training orstandards.Visit or contact Christian McDonald ( or 858-534-2002) for more information.
AAUS OM and IM Fees Due
The AAUS Organizational Member (OM) and Individual Member (IM) fees are due for 2008.To pay member fees login to and enter your username and password.Then go to My Profile and click on the Please Pay your Dues button.All members are also encouraged to update theirprofile information.
AAUS Welcomes New OM
AAUS is pleased to welcome a new OM: Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE)Research Station Bonaire.
3rd Annual DSO Orientation
The 3rd Annual Diving Safety Officer (DSO) Orientation is scheduled for March 12, 2008,running in conjunction with the 27th AAUS Symposium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla, CA.This program is designed to provide an orientation for new DSOs and to updateexisting DSOs who would like more information on particulars of running a model AAUS Diving Safety Program at their respective institutions or organizations. The workshop will provide essential training for anyone considering accepting or assuming the role of the DSO and planning on operating aScientific Diving Program.Topics will include; Introduction & History of AAUS, Dive Program Development & Standards, the AAUS Office & the Member Clicks virtual office, BOD structure and Individual Membership, Member Participation, Statistics Reporting & Program Compliance. The cost for the workshop is $50. For more information contact Doug Kesling – Coordinator @ .
Scientific Diving Lifetime Achievement Award - 2007
The AAUS is pleased to present the Annual Scientific Lifetime Achievement Award 2007 to Eugenie Clark, Ph.D.Dr.Clark was a woman pioneer in marine science when most scientists were male and a pioneer in diving science when most scientific divers were macho men.
She was a research assistant at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, the New York Zoological Society and the AmericanMuseum of Natural History in New York. The founding director (1955 to 1967) of the Cape HazeMarine Laboratory in Sarasota, FL., she is still affiliated with this leading center for shark research now called the Mote Marine Laboratory.
She has conducted 71 deep submersible dives. Her latest research projects concern the behavior of tropical sand fishes and deep-sea sharks. These studies have been featured in 12 articles she has written for National Geographic magazine.She is frequently mentioned in educational materials as a pioneering woman scientist.
Dr. Clark’s first underwater dive was with a helmet in 1946 at Scripps Institute of Oceanography in southern California.Her first SCUBA dive was in 1950 in the Red Sea.She has four children; all are divers and frequently accompany her on scientific diving investigations.
The AAUS Scientific Diving Lifetime Achievement Award is presented annually to an individual from the scientific diving community who has made a significant contribution in advancing underwater science and technology. The Award is open to anyone in the scientific diving community nominated by AAUSGeneral Membership andvoted and approved by the past Presidents of AAUS and pastAward recipients.
Past Recipients:
Andreas B. (Andy) Rechnitzer, Ph.D. - 2006 (In Memoriam)
John (Jack) E. Randall, Ph.D. - 2005
Sylvia A. Earle, Ph.D. - 2004
Mark and Diane Littler, Ph.D. - 2003 Co-Recipients
Paul K. Dayton, Ph.D.-2002
Wheeler J. North, Ph.D. - 2001 (In Memoriam)
J. Morgan Wells, Ph.D.- 2000
Turner-Wakulla Springs Dive a Success
On December 15, 2007 Jarrod Jablonski and Casey Mckinlay from the Global Underwater Explorers’ Woodville Karst Plain Project(WKPP)team successfully completed a dive that proved the connection between Wakulla Springs and Leon Sinks. As a result of the connection the two caves have become one system formally known as the Wakulla-LeonSinksCave system. This cave is the longest cave in the United States and the fourth largest cave in the world. In order to prove the connection the divers traveled a distance of nearly seven miles (36,000 ft), spending 22 hours in the water and seven hours in transit at depths to 300 ft and 15 hours for decompression. The SCUBA dive set two world records including the longest cave dive between two entrances and the longest traverse in a deep cave.For more information visit:
Bubble Imaging Laser Development
Kirill Larin, assistant professor of biomedical engineering and mechanical engineering, is using a $400,000 grant from the U.S. Navy to developanoptical non-invasive tool to observe decompression-induced bubbles. Developed with Dr. Bruce Butler of the UT Health Science Center in Houston, TX Larin’s device can locate the presence of nitrogen gas – or microbubbles – in shallowtissues using light waves in the form of lasers that bounce back when they encounter change in resistanceto produce a high-resolution image. For more information visit:
2008 UHMS Scientific Meeting - Call for Abstracts
FROM THE PRESIDENT
AAUS has a Past Presidents Plaque that many of the members may not be aware of. Traditionally, the current president has possession of the plaque until the end of his or her term of office when another name is added. The plaque is then passed to the next president. I do not know who started this tradition but it is a good one. I have hung the plaque in front of my desk where it serves as a reminder of the many people who have donated unselfishly their time and skills in support of the AAUS mission, most of whose names will never end up on a plaque.
AAUS had a very successful 2007. The strategic planning process was completed and the plan posted to the AAUS Website. Most of the board members who worked on the strategic plan will be serving on the board in 2008. This continuity will help as we work to enact parts of the plan during my tenure. The two new members of the AAUS Board of Directors (BOD) that I would like to welcome are Dr. Phillip Lobel from BostonUniversity and Dr. Brenda Konar from the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
By now most will have noticed that the "From the President" column which was traditionally in the Slate is now in the E-Slate. The E-Slate was started as an experiment in 2007 to see if a monthly E-newsletter was a viable way of communicating with our membership. The combination of lower cost and more frequent communications was a powerful draw.
The BOD gave considerable thought to the communication needs of the Academy as part of the strategic planning process. Bolstered by positive comments from the membership, the unanimous decision was made at the Fall 2007 BOD meeting that the monthly E-Slate would replace the quarterly print ready Slate.
Llyn French has done an amazing job over the years at producing the Slate as a professional publication. I thank her for her efforts on behalf of the Academy. Walt Jaap has agreed to continue serving on the ad hoc Symposia, Publications and Workshop Committee and we are happy to retain his expertise.
We will integrate features of the Slate into the E-Slate over time but as with the Slate, the E-slate is your newsletter and we need your articles, links and suggestions to make it valuable. Please send announcements, articles, or other items of interest to . Current and past issues of the E-Slate are available at
I look forward to serving the Academy for the next two years. I hope that all your dives are safe and productive and that you bring your voice to the table.
Jeff Godfrey
AAUS President
FUNDING/SCHOLARSHIPS
Mel Fisher Maritime Museum Award
The MelFisherMaritimeMuseum will once again give an award in honor of Dolores E. Fisher to a young woman 35 and under who has a passion for the oceans and has strong, refined ocean-related career goals. The deadline is March 15, 2008. The award honorarium is $1000 for first place. The individual does not need to be a U.S. Citizen. For more information visit:
UPCOMING EVENTS
Our World Underwater Show2008
The 38th annual Our World Underwater Show is scheduled for February 15-17, 2008 at the DonaldE.StevensConvention Center in Rosemont, IL. The show will feature hundreds of booths on dive travel, equipment, environmental agencies, training, and retailers.A variety of workshops will be heldduring the show.For more information visit:
BostonSea Rovers Clinic and Film Festival
The Boston Sea Rovers will host the54th Annual Underwater Clinic March 7-9, 2008 at the Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel, St. James Avenue, Boston, MA.Featuresincludea wide array of clinics andseminars, a world class film festival, and more than 60 booths. The Sea Rovers are a not-for-profit, volunteer organization dedicated to increasing the awareness and appreciation of the marine environment.A portion of the proceeds benefits scholarships, and SeaMark, an organization dedicated to helping children with disabilities.For tickets and information, contact 617-424-9899, or visit
37th Annual Benthic Ecology Meeting
The 100th Annual National Shellfisheries Association (NSA) and 37th Annual Benthic Ecology (BE) meetings are being held back-to-back at the Westin Providence Hotel in Providence,RI,April 9-13, 2008. AAUS has been invited to host a session on scientific diving for the Benthic Ecology Meeting onThursday afternoon, April 10, 2008. For further information, contact Ted Maney ral NSA and BE meeting information may be obtained fromDr. Sandra Shumwayat or phone 860-405-9282.
UHMS Medical Assessment Fitness to Dive Course
The next Medical Assessment Fitness course is set for April 29-May 2, 2008 at the Westin New Orleans at Canal Place hotel.New candidates can be certified and those who attended the course three or more years ago can be recertified as an “Approved Medical Examiner of Divers” by the Undersea Hyperbaric and Medical Society (UHMS) for three years beginning with the conclusion of the course. While this course is taught by physicians for physicians, UHMS has invited both Physician Assistants and Nurse Practitioners, whose practice includes giving diving physical examinations, to attend the course.For more information visit:
SPUMSAnnual Scientific Meeting2008
The South Pacific Underwater Medicine Society (SPUMS) Annual Scientific Meeting will be held May 24-31, 2008 at the Liamo Resort, Kimbe West New Britain, Papua New Guinea. Themes include treatment tables, tropical medicine update and resuscitation update.The resuscitation update will includeuse ofautomated external defibrillator airway devices in field settings.Contact Dr. Chris Acott at or visit for more information.
NEW PUBLICATIONS
Godfrey JM, Pollock NW, eds. Diving for Science 2006. Proceedings of the 25th AmericanAcademy of Underwater Sciences Symposium. ISBN #978-0-9800423-0-6. Dauphin Island, AL: AAUS; 2007; 104 pp.
Pollock NW. Aerobic fitness and underwater diving. Diving Hyperb Med. 2007; 37(3): 118-24.
Pollock NW. Scientific diving in Antarctica : history and current practice. Diving Hyperb Med. 2007; 37(4): 204-211.
Pollock NW, ed. Annual Diving Report - 2007 Edition. Durham , NC: Divers Alert Network, 2007; 118 pp.
Note: PDF versions of DAN Annual Diving Reports and special topics proceedings are now available for download at no cost to both members and non-members. A link to the current report can be found on the DAN homepage:
The mission of the AmericanAcademy of Underwater Sciences is to facilitate the development of safe and productive scientific divers through education, research, advocacy, and the advancement of standards for scientific diving practices, certifications, and operations.
AmericanAcademy of Underwater Sciences
101 Bienville Boulevard, Dauphin Island, AL36528
Tel 251-861-7504 Fax 251-861-7540
Editor: Roxanne Robertson -
Editorial Board: Michael Dardeau, Walter Jaap, Neal Pollock,
Alma Wagner
AAUS BOARD OF DIRECTORS
PresidentJeff Godfrey
President-Elect /Symposium ChairChristian McDonald
Secretary/MembershipCo-ChairNathan Schwarck
Treasurer/Statistics Co-ChairMichael Dardeau
Meetings Publications ChairNeal Pollock
Meetings Publications Co-ChairChristian McDonald
Scholarship ChairBob Hicks
Scholarship Co-ChairBrenda Konar
Standards Co-ChairCasey Coy
Standards Co-ChairLiz Kintzing
Statistics Co-ChairPhilip Lobel
Membership Co-ChairChristopher Rigaud
2008, volume 2, issue 2, page 1
AmericanAcademy of Underwater Sciences (AAUS)
2008, volume 2, issue 2, page 1