AAUS 2013 ELECTION
The 2013 AAUS election opens May 01 and closes June 30. This year the academy will elect a
President-Elect, Secretary and Director-at-Large. The term will start on the January 01, 2014.
The President-Elect and Secretary will each serve a two year term and Director-at-Large will
serve a three year term. The election is open to Full Voting Members (individual and OM Reps)
in good standing (dues paid, etc.). Ballots are accessed via the AAUS website, www.aaus.org, by
logging into your individual account and selecting 'Voting and Polling.' To write in a candidate
for any office send an email with the name of the candidate and position for which you are
voting to two of the election committee members (cmcdonald@ucsd.edu, dpence@hawaii.edu,
steven_sellers@nps.gov).
Candidates were required to submit a biographical sketch and answer the following three
questions.
1) In your vision, in what direction should the AAUS be heading in the next decade?
2) Describe your scientific diving experience and indicate its relevance to AAUS governance.
(Maximum 300 words)
3) What relationships/networks/professional contacts/non-profit board experiences do you have
that will benefit AAUS by electing you to the AAUS BOD? (Maximum 300 words)
The Academy thanks the candidates for their willingness to serve the scientific diving
community. Candidate biographies and answers to the election questions follow.
President-Elect:
Rick Riera-Gomez
University of Miami
Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences
Diving Safety Officer
Phone: 305.421.4107
Email: rgomez@rsmas.miami.edu
1. In your vision, in what direction should the AAUS be heading in the next decade?
Before I can answer what my vision for the AAUS is heading into the next decade I
believe first we will have to get the Academy focused on what its role really is in the
science community. Having been involved with AAUS for the past 20+ years, I have
been in discussion after discussion with many of you on the question of what AAUS
really is and whom it should support. Is AAUS an organization of scientists supporting
scientists or is it an organization of diving safety officers (DSOs) that support scientists?
I believe AAUS has evolved into an organization that should be supporting the DSOs of
its member organizations. Today’s DSOs are in a position to first provide a level of risk
management to their respective organizations and second, provide program oversight
such as dive planning guidance, operational and training support, and administrative
support to the divers in their programs. Nowadays DSOs benefit more from the technical
side (i.e. regulator repair, diver training, etc.) of diving and how data was collected and
less about the actual data. The interaction and conversations between active DSO
members is not on the science anymore but on issues relating to training, reciprocity,
and/or how the latest and greatest equipment is working.
My focus as president of the AAUS will be to develop programs that support the DSO
and DSO position. I will start by moving on the AAUS DSO qualification course that was
started several years ago. I believe this is an essential component to the development and
foundation of being an AAUS DSO. Beyond that I will establish new initiatives to
provide the DSO community with the tools to help them manage their programs.
I would also like to see the AAUS continue to develop a formal accreditation process that
will be used to validate the programs we have in the Academy.
2. Describe your scientific diving experience and indicate its relevance to AAUS governance.
My science diving experience is extensive and provides me with a perspective few DSOs
in the AAUS have. I have experience with many types of diving including diving in
aquariums, saturation diving, open and closed circuit mixed gas diving, and overhead
environment diving. But what is more important than how many certification cards I have
is that I have been involved with scientific diving as a NOAA diver and as the DSO at the
University of Miami (an AAUS OM) for the past 23 years. In that time I have had the
opportunity to see just about everything a diver, a DSO and a diving program has to deal
with. I have managed everything from multi-institutional projects and cruises, tricky third
part reciprocity issues, budget cutbacks, and training programs. I have worked with many
of you on projects to make sure we get the science completed while maintaining the
highest level of safety and always addressing our OM’s risk management issues. With
this experience I know what the issues are within AAUS, what works and doesn’t work
with the Academy, and I am very excited at the prospect of leading the AAUS.
3. What relationships/networks/professional contacts/nonprofit board experiences do you have
that will benefit AAUS by electing you to the AAUS BOD?
I have been in the diving community for 20+ years and have developed many of the same
relationships other DSOs have with manufacturers, NGOs and training organizations. But
I have also been an active member of my local community serving on the board of
directors as the vice president of one of my local community centers. In this capacity I
have worked to solicit funds to support scholarships and facilities as well as develop
strategic plans that were presented to our city government. I am very comfortable
working through issues where difficult decisions need to be made. These experiences will
help me lead AAUS.
Marc Slattery
University of Mississippi
Department of Pharmacognosy
Phone: 662-281-0313
Email: slattery@olemiss.edu
Biography:
Marc Slattery is a marine ecologist at the University of Mississippi; he received his
Master’s in Marine Biology from Moss Landing Marine Laboratories in 1987, and his
Ph.D. in Chemical Ecology from the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 1994. His
interdisciplinary research program is currently focused on adaptations to natural and
anthropogenic stressors, particularly within extreme marine environments, as well as the
biotechnological potential of these adaptations. Slattery’s research has been broadly
supported by NSF, NOAA and NASA, published in several peer-reviewed journals and
textbooks, and reported in the popular press (= print and radio interviews). He has also
advised the US Congress, the United Nations, and NOAA on matters related to marine
science funding priorities, marine genetic resource intellectual property issues,
mesophotic coral reefs, and conservation of marine biodiversity.
Slattery spent his formative years free diving the coral reefs of Jamaica, before becoming
a certified scuba diver in 1976. As a recreational instructor (NAUI 8980), he certified
over 800 divers in central California and the Bahamas. Slattery has logged over 5000
dives in Indo-Pacific and Atlantic coral reefs, temperate kelp forests, and both polar
ecosystems. In 2002, he embraced technical diving procedures (= open and closed circuit
trimix) to facilitate research within marine caves and deep reef communities, and in 2011
he led one of the last Aquarius saturation missions to assess the impact of ocean
acidification on sponge communities. Slattery received his scientific diver certification at
Moss Landing Marine Laboratories in 1983, and he has served as the DSO for the
University of Mississippi since they were granted AAUS organizational member status in
2002. He has also served on the DCBs of NSF’s Polar Programs, NOAA’s Undersea
Research Program, and the Perry Institute for Marine Science. Slattery is currently
serving as Chair of the AAUS Standards Committee.
1. In your vision, in what direction should the AAUS be heading in the next decade?
My vision for AAUS over the next decade is one of increased visibility and outreach
within the marine scientific community, and the broader marine environmental client
groups. I believe the major challenge facing AAUS will be sustainable growth of the
academy, and consequent support for a variety of important activities (e.g., scholarships
and workshops). While this growth should be true to our core values of scientific diving
safety standards, there are clearly opportunities to enhance visibility through targeted
membership and leveraged partnerships. With respect to membership, we need to
actively pursue more international and government affiliates to increase the global reach
of our academy, and to enhance member reciprocity opportunities. We also need to look
at creative ways to provide training opportunities and benefits for individual members
who conduct research at unaffiliated academic programs.
Visibility and outreach can be enhanced by partnerships with the dive industry,
government agencies, and foundations that focus on ocean health issues, amongst others.
Thus, in addition to the organic partnerships that AAUS has fostered through the years
(e.g., DAN and NOAA Diving), we need to examine models of shared
interests/opportunities with specific NGOs and foundations. To this end, AAUS should
be prepared to leverage our credibility/visibility to help its diving scientists advocate
message(s) of marine environmental awareness to the diving public and user groups. For
example, DSOs at member institutions could act as local/regional representatives for
public outreach relative to the scientific mission of their institutions and the AAUS. It
will also be important to proactively engage the marine scientific community to
determine their needs relative to emerging ocean issues of concern and the role of new
diving technologies in facilitating this science. By tracking and anticipating the needs of
our client community, as well as identifying obvious partnerships, the AAUS will
continue to thrive.
2. Describe your scientific diving experience and indicate its relevance to AAUS governance.
I have been a subtidal ecologist for 30 years, and my broad research interests have
provided funded opportunities to conduct scientific diving in diverse marine ecosystems
using a variety of procedures. My initial forays into scientific diving occurred in the kelp
forests of California where I conducted invertebrate/fish/sea otter surveys and anchored
cages/instruments at depths of 10 to 30m using open circuit SCUBA and dry suit
technologies. While much of this research was conducted under the auspices of AAUS, I
was also introduced to dive safety procedures associated with government and private
sector laboratories. I was first exposed to technical diving (= overhead ice environment)
in 1989 when I initiated my dissertation research on soft coral populations in Antarctica.
At that time, I was subjected to remote field operations, blue water dive procedures,
current diving, frozen lakes (tethered with band masks), as well as international diving
operations. For the last 15 years, I have been actively examining coral ecosystems
worldwide relative to the physiological ecology and adaptations of corals and sponges.
This research has become increasingly complex with respect to field logistics and taskloading, but my training to date has facilitated a record of dive safety and research
success.
A decade ago I further cross-trained into open and closed circuit trimix in order to
address my scientific questions across a depth gradient of 100m, and within marine cave
communities. The result has been some of the first ecological studies of these unique
environments, as well as a first-hand appreciation for recent scientific diving technical
procedures (i.e., cave and rebreather diving) and the requisite standards to maintain diver
safety. As AAUS continues to facilitate safe scientific diving procedures under
increasingly technical conditions, the experiences and needs of a working scientist will
provide important guidance and leadership.
3. What relationships/networks/professional contacts/nonprofit board experiences do you have
that will benefit AAUS by electing you to the AAUS BOD?
My professional background includes marine science in academic, government, and
private industry laboratories; to attain my vision for AAUS, I will leverage my contacts
and networks throughout each of these research sectors. Many of my current
relationships are with professional societies that have specific academic agendas (e.g., I
serve as a member of the BOD for PAMBA, and the Science & Technology Committee
for SETAC), while others are more broadly focused on government ocean advocacy
issues (e.g., I am also an elected affiliate member of the Consortium for Ocean
Leadership). In addition, I am a long-standing member of the ASLO, ESA, and ISRS,
where I have chaired topical symposia, as well as raised capital to facilitate these face-toface sessions with scientists from across the globe. These experiences and connections
will be tapped to enhance the visibility of AAUS, to increase membership, and to
leverage joint opportunities in education, funding and advocacy.
I have also worked extensively with government scientists and administrators within the
U.S. (e.g., NOAA, NASA, NSF, and the Smithsonian), and internationally (I have
agreements and collaborations with marine resource managers in 18 Indo-Pacific and
Caribbean island nations, as well as NGOs- PMRI and WCS). Regionally, I have been
active with SeaGrant, NGOs, and State and National wetland parks in monitoring and
remediating the impacts of Hurricane Katrina and the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. These
connections offer opportunities to increase AAUS visibility and memberships, and
potentially to target funds for academy leadership relative to critical ocean health issues.
Finally, I have cultivated important collaborations with fellow DSOs throughout the U.S.,
and overseas, in matters related to dive safety standards, technical diving approaches, and
the facilitation of marine research and education; these relationships will be crucial in
developing a shared vision for the future of AAUS.
Secretary:
Narineh Nazarian
Assistant Diving Safety Officer
University of Hawaii - Diving Safety Program
Phone: 808-956-6617
Email: narinehn@gmail.com
Biography
I started diving as a Marine Biology undergraduate at Humboldt State University. In 2006
I completed the AAUS Scientific Diver course and by 2007 I started to work as a
scientific diver on various projects. By 2008 I was a student representative on our DCB
and completed my Divemaster certification at HSU. After completing my undergraduate
degree I went on to Catalina Island Marine Institute to complete an ITC and work as an
instructor.
Fall 2008 I began work at Dauphin Island Sea Lab as a Marine Technician and Scientific
Diver. It was there that I gained experience serving as a lead diver on multiple projects
and was given the opportunity to assist with teaching the rescue components of the
scientific diver course at DISL. In 2009 I was able to attend my first AAUS Symposium
and complete the DSO workshop.
In 2010 I returned to California to work for Reef Check California and completed
CADFG Scientific Diver training. During my time there I expanded their north coast
volunteer base and collaborated with the UCSC PISCO team to collect baseline data in
the newly implemented MPAs on the north central coast. In 2011 I moved to my current
position as Assistant DSO/Training Coordinator at the University of Hawaii at Manoa
where I run the Scientific Diver training and evaluate new divers entering into the
program. Since I've been here I've also become a DAN Instructor and have started
training in CCR diving. I am also currently serving as a reviewer on the Membership
Committee for AAUS.
I am looking forward to the opportunity to continue to work with AAUS and the
possibility to serve on the BOD. Thank you.
1. In your vision, in what direction should the AAUS be heading in the next decade?
In recent years AAUS has been successful in increasing the number of organizational
members. However, this may pose a in issue when it comes to maintaining quality
training and adherence to standards. I believe AAUS should focus on completing the
standards for DSOs, training materials, and the accreditation process.
2. Describe your scientific diving experience and indicate its relevance to AAUS governance.
I have been an active scientific diver since 2006. Since then I have stayed active by
volunteering with organizations as an undergraduate and working as scientific diver. I
have worked on projects on the California Coast such as kelp forest restoration projects
and subtidal monitoring. On the Gulf Coast I gained experience in collecting sediment
cores, deploying oceanographic instruments on offshore moorings, setting up
experiments in seagrass beds, and work in the coral reefs of the Florida Keys. In my
current position I conduct scientific diver training, evaluate new and transfer divers, and
will supervise dives and serve as a working diver as needed. Currently I am supervising
dives for a project in the Seychelles. Over the years I have worked with,organized, and
trained both volunteer and scientific divers. I have also served as a student representative
on a Diving Control Board.
3. What relationships/networks/professional contacts/nonprofit board experiences do you have
that will benefit AAUS by electing you to the AAUS BOD?
Most of my contacts/relationships are within AAUS as a result of working with many
organizational members over the years. Over the years in my various positions I have
worked with many other organizational members on the Gulf Coast, West Coast, and
Hawaii and have personal contacts in various other locations. I always strive to maintain
a good working relationship with everyone.
Lora Pride
Lumcon
Phone: 985-688-8562
Email: lpride@lumcon.edu
1. In your vision, in what direction should the AAUS be heading in the next decade?
In the next decade, the AAUS should be meeting and exceeding our current safety
standards through training and education. The AAUS should also be actively recruiting
international science diving institutions in an effort to ensure research divers and dive
safety officers in these institutions are trained up to the AAUS standards. Finally, the
AAUS should engage organizational and individual members more in an effort to create
a better interactive atmosphere through meetings, on line forums, e-slate, etc.
2. Describe your scientific diving experience and indicate its relevance to AAUS governance.
I became a scientific diver in 2000 and have been diving in low visibility high current
water in the Gulf of Mexico for the past 10 years. I am nitrox, contaminated water, full
face mask and dry suit certified. Because I am a research diver as well as the dive safety
officer at my institution, I bring to the table my ability to see both sides of the coin, so to
speak. I understand the researchers desire and need to get the work done as well as the
dive safety officers desire to see that it is done safely by qualified individuals. Both of
these goals can be met by the AAUS.
3. What relationships/networks/professional contacts/nonprofit board experiences do you have
that will benefit AAUS by electing you to the AAUS BOD?
At the AAUS meetings, I have formed many relationships and developed numerous
contacts with several DSO's across the country. These invaluable relationships afford me
the luxury to reach out to numerous individuals for questions, concerns or topics that
come up relating to diving, diving education, safety, etc. In addition, I also serve on the
recreation board in my parish as commissioner, where we discuss budget, donations,
community service, and maintain upkeep of several parks and pools in the parish. I serve
on the community orchestra board as treasurer, where I balance the check book, keep
records of donations, pay bills, and approve spending. These skills combined give me
the well rounded and balanced ability to serve on the AAUS board.
Director-At-Large:
Les W. Burke
Dive Safety Officer
Department of Environmental Safety
University of Maryland
Phone: 202-489-6340
Email: lesburke@umd.edu
les@jrscientistsinthesea.com
Biography
My professional diving experience spans 33 years. I began my diving career as a U.S.
Navy diver in 1980. I became a PADI diver in 1981, a PADI OW instructor in 1983, and
IDC Staff Instructor in 1989. My scientific diving career began in 1990 at Florida State
University. That being said, my love of the sea and what lies beneath, began long before
with the “old shows.” I never missed an episode of “Sea Hunt,” “Voyage to the Bottom
of the Sea,” “Diver Dan” and of course “The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau.” I
had a chance meeting with “The Capt” in 1975 while waiting for a flight at JFK
International. While I knew I was going to be a Navy Diver, that 45 minute conversation
solidified my goal. Since then, I have qualified on almost every diving rig the Navy
owns. I have worked in MkV, Mk1, Mk12, Mk20, MKk21, Jack Brown, and Mk16 CCR.
I am a qualified Hyperbaric inside tender and unlimited topside supervisor in the NDSTC
PVA system. I have completed working dives to 287 fsw using HeO2 and have
completed a dive to 265 fsw on air (Yes, I was narced!). I have been diving closed
circuit since 1984, and was part of an Mk16 CCR evaluation team. I have completed
dives on every continent except Australia and Antarctica. I have taken part in several
high profile salvage operations, as well as scientific studies. I was a part of both Shuttle
recovery teams in 1986 and 2003 as well as the Wakulla Springs experiment in 1990. I
prepared equipment for Dr. Bill Herrnkind’s lobster studies (FSU 1990), as well as Dr.
Dave Thistle’s deep grouper mating observations (FSU 1991). As an instructor at FSU, I
taught hundreds of students to use SCUBA. In 1991, I taught a team of Florida State
Marine Patrolman to dive Superlight 17A using Nitrox; and then embarked with them, as
the diving supervisor, on an expedition to find the “Pirate’s Lady” in the Gulf of Mexico.
A 100 foot aluminum hulled drug runner, the “Pirates Lady”, was rumored to have sunk
with over a ‘Million Dollars’ in a safe on board. Acting on tips from fishermen, we
located the vessel and using the VIN, positively identified her. This venture became the
nexus for the current underwater crime scene investigations (UCSI) diving program at
FSU.
I hold a B.S. in Operations Management, MPA, and J.D. As an expert on diving
maintenance and instruction, I have taken part in complex litigation involving a diving
accident. I am the founder of Jr Scientists in the Sea, and am the current DSO. I am also
the DSO for the University of Maryland, College Park. The majority of my time is spent
creating new stewards of the sea, while ensuring that the current science divers remember
their responsibility to protect our oceans, bays, river, lakes and estuaries. The rest of my
time has been devoted to the launching of SeaView, an underwater laboratory and
habitat. SeaView, formerly known as BayLab, was given to the Jr Scientists by the
renowned NOAA scientists, Dr. Morgan Wells. The Jr Scientists’ recovered her from
Milford Haven, an estuary of the Chesapeake Bay with the help of the U.S. Navy.
SeaView will be redeployed in the Gulf of Mexico at Panama City Beach, in May/June
2013.
1. In your vision, in what direction should the AAUS be heading in the next decade?
The purpose and mission of the AAUS makes it easy to have a vision for the future. My
vision for AAUS coincides with my vision for exploration and conservation of our seas.
I met ‘The Captain’ in a chance meeting, one on one in 1975. That’s why I’m here! I
hope to inspire others to venture into this realm not just as visitors but as stewards. My
founding of the Jr Scientists in the Sea is testament to that vision. However, before we
can fix or save anything, we must understand it. The complexities of human nature can
be simplified down to a very basic phrase, we protect love, love what we know, know
what we understand, and understand what we are taught. The AAUS began as an
organization “dedicated to the establishment and maintenance of standards of practice for
scientific diving.” The AAUS is concerned with diving safety, state-of-the-art diving
techniques, methodologies, and research diving expeditions. The Academy's goals are to
“promote the safety and welfare of its members who engage in underwater sciences.” I
believe that it is incumbent upon us to not only care for the divers that enter this
environment, but the environment itself, which includes its indigenous population.
Teaching proper aquatic care, morals and etiquette will accomplish this. Whether we are
guided by scripture or by science, it is patently clear that the dominant species on this
planet is mankind. It is our duty to preserve the waters of the world as well as its
inhabitants, and we will thereby preserve ourselves. AAUS should lead the way in this
endeavor. We, as an organization, are the experts in this realm. Most of the work we do,
as organizational members, is in line with my vision for our future. Teaching is how we
make this happen.
2. Describe your scientific diving experience and indicate its relevance to AAUS governance.
My scientific diving career began in 1990 at Florida State University. Because my diving
roots cross military, recreational and science diving, I have a unique perspective on
diving, diving education, and diving safety. Unfortunately, there is an intersection. In
addition to my being a diving instructor, I was a practicing attorney with diving litigation
experience. I understand the complexities of the legal world we live in. I understand the
purpose of standards and the ramifications of violating them. Even the appearance of a
standards violation can be costly. Teaching correctly from the outset, helps prevents
incidents that cost money. To that end, I combined my legal and diving acumen to bring
up the next generation of stewards of the sea. Whether planting Turtle grass in St.
Andrews Bay, or transplanting Stag-horn coral on Molasses Reef; conservation and
protection of our waterways has been a central part of my post military career. Before
these youngsters can enter the water, they must know that they are in a hostile
environment, and how to manage it and its inhabitants. Creating divers at a younger age
does several things for AAUS. First, it creates a pool of qualified, competent divers with
years of experience, versus someone that took the course for a PE grade. Second, as with
any muscle memory exercise when taught properly, the more successful dives that are
completed, with a mindset of preserving as well as surviving, the better these science
divers will be. Thirdly, in addition to divers, we will be creating conservationist that will
pay attention to all things that harm – not only our oceans – our planet.
3. What relationships/networks/professional contacts/nonprofit board experiences do you have
that will benefit AAUS by electing you to the AAUS BOD?
The Jr Scientists in the Sea depends on the reciprocity relationship afforded by AAUS, to
gain access to the aquarium OMs around the country. This relationship allows the youth
to dive every month, thereby meeting the science diver requirement – even though they
are too young to actually be science divers. The goal is to create competent divers. This
goal coincides with the purpose of AAUS. This network of aquariums creates diving
opportunities for the Jr Scientists as well as the actual science diver. I intend to push
these diving opportunities forward for all science divers.
This concept also provides volunteer and paying opportunities for science divers.
Understanding the complexities of diving with expensive animals is a must. While it is
cool to be able to dive year round regardless of the sea state or weather conditions, it is
not cool to cause harm or the destruction of an exhibit animal because of carelessness or
arrogance.
Other than my two DCBs, I currently do not sit on any boards. My time is spent teaching
and monitoring. The closest thing to a collegial body that I am involved with, is sitting at
the table with the Director of National Marine Sanctuaries, in a monthly “where are we
going” meeting.
My greatest contribution to AAUS will be the Jr Scientists in the Sea. This program is
designed to reach out to under-represented populations and introduce them to the
wonders of the sea. More importantly, the Jr Scientists creates a peer mentoring
environment where junior, post secondary students work closely with secondary students.
Since these folks are usually close in age, the post secondary students can bring the
youngsters into their world. Many of these exciting undergraduates already work with
professors and scientists and will expose the secondary students to the excitement of real
scientific work or exploration. My goal is to have a Jr Scientists in the Sea Chapter
attached to every post secondary institution that is an AAUS OM. Notwithstanding the
social aspect, this program provides a feeder of diverse students into each academic
diving program. Please understand that the Jr Scientists practices inclusion, so the
opportunity and exposure is open to all. Every kid who has sat on a dock or quay wall
and wondered “what’s out there?” is welcomed with open arms.
Jim Hayward
Diving and Small Boat Safety Officer
UC Berkeley / UC Merced
Phone: 510.642.1298
Email: ucbdiver@berkeley.edu
1. In your vision, in what direction should the AAUS be heading in the next decade?
In the early part of the next 10 years AAUS needs to continue its efforts to implement a
quality assurance program. Voluntary site audits for established Organizational Member
institutions should be coupled with a mentor program to support the new OM’s and
DSO’s. To meet the requirements set by potential insurers, we need to partner with a
training organization that will allow us to retain control of our standards and practices,
and begin the process of training, evaluating, and approving / certifying the next
generation of DSO’s.
Program audits should be a tool that AAUS can offer its members. If you want a fresh
set of eyes to come to your institution and look over your records, equipment, and
procedures, there should be a system in place that formalizes that process. A report
generated after a peer audit could be an excellent justification for additional staffing,
equipment, or other upgrades, or simply an acknowledgment that the DSO and DCB are
meeting their responsibilities. Should every program be required to submit to an audit?
Maybe not. But I believe there are enough programs out there that would welcome the
process, and we owe it to them to provide the option.
The New DSO workshop has been a great success. I believe it opens the eyes of new
DSO’s, and shows them what it is that they don’t know. But once they see the intricacies
of program management, where to they go when they have questions? I was fortunate
enough to have worked with several research diving programs before coming to Cal. I
had offers of assistance from day one, and took advantage of those offers as often as
possible. Giving a new DSO or OM two or three contacts with well-established
programs would help them with compliance questions, training opportunities, and maybe
even logistical support. Increased interaction between OM’s can lead to a stronger
reciprocity system, better trained divers, and maybe even more / better underwater
science.
In order to really move forward in a responsible fashion we need to protect the Academy,
its board, and its members. Liability insurance is a necessity if AAUS is going to take a
more active role in vetting the membership and certifying dive leaders and DSO’s.
Training and certifying divers is a big part of what we do. I believe it is time that we take
the next step and certify those who are certifying the divers. I see a three-tiered system.
Experienced DSO’s could participate in a 2-3 day workshop and earn the AAUS stamp of
approval. Dive instructors with little or no scientific diving experience would need
approximately 5 days of training (one day for the New DSO workshop, 2-3 days to verify
diving and teaching skills, and 1-2 days of scientific techniques instruction). Experienced
scientific divers with some supervisory experience would attend an 8 - 12 day DSO
certification course, similar to an Instructor Training Course (ITC), plus the AAUS and
science diving portions described above. The first DSO certification workshop was a
great success. The participants actually enjoyed the experience and I’m pretty sure
everyone learned something. If AAUS starts with the new OM’s and new DSO’s, and
offers it on a voluntary basis to acting DSO’s, within 5-10 years you would have certified
DSO’s at approximately 60-70% of the OM’s. I think that would strengthen our
organization.
2. Describe your scientific diving experience and indicate its relevance to AAUS governance.
I’ve been a research diver in California for over 20 years. I hold degrees in
Anthropology (UCSC) and Marine Diving Technology (SBCC). Most of my experience
came from being a volunteer diver on a number of kelp forest ecology projects in
California. As DSO I have participated in coral reef monitoring in French Polynesia and
Mexico, invertebrate collections in Florida and California, and numerous other studies
and locations. Most recently I spent two weeks in the Haida Gwai region of British
Columbia, Canada, doing kelp forest monitoring.
I have been the DSO at UC Berkeley and UC Merced for ~15 and ~10 years respectively.
While small in number, the majority of diving for both of these programs is done
internationally. As the DSO for the Gump Biological Research Station in Mo’orea,
French Polynesia we host over 100 divers from 20+ institutions, logging approximately
4000 dives annually. While many of these divers come from AAUS member institutions,
I also work with divers from around the world including England, Australia, France,
Mexico, New Caledonia, and Taiwan.
During my time at UC Berkeley I’ve been fortunate enough to expand my diving
experience to include cave diving, decompression and mixed gas diving, small boat
instruction (DOI MOCC) and some rebreather training. I think my wide knowledge base,
experience in a variety of environments and techniques, and my exposure to so many
divers from so many institutions makes me an excellent candidate for a director-at-large
position.
3. What relationships/networks/professional contacts/nonprofit board experiences do you have
that will benefit AAUS by electing you to the AAUS BOD?
I have never served on a BOD for any other organizations. I enjoy working with my
colleagues and organized the last meeting held for the Diving Officers of California
(DOCAL). As DSO’s we often work on our own, and isolation can lead to stagnation.
Coming together as a group to discuss common problems and finding solutions has
always proven to be of great benefit to me. Serving on the AAUS BOD would allow me
to help guide the Academy through the next, hopefully very exciting and dynamic,
chapter.
In my free time I have volunteered with Baykeepers of San Francisco, and provided
guidance on how they might handle researchers wanting to dive from their boat for
collection dives around the Bay.
One relationship I believe AAUS should work harder at developing is a presence at
annual science symposiums like the Western Society of Naturalists (WSN). Promoting
our standards and expertise to new scientists and students who may not come from an
OM institution would benefit our organization with new members and benefit the
individual by highlighting the modes and procedures that AAUS can offer to scientific
divers and budding diving programs.
Thank you for your consideration.
Chris Ledford
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
Coastal Fisheries Division
Artificial Reef Program Specialist, Diving Safety Officer
Phone: 512-281-6447
Email: chris.ledford@tpwd.state.tx.us
Biography
I was introduced to AAUS during my undergraduate studies at Humboldt State
University in northern California during the early 1990s. The scientific diving program
was run by Phillip Buttolph at that time, and he did an excellent job of convincing me
that shore diving in rough, cold water with two handfuls of sampling gear was a fun way
to spend the weekend. In fact I had to earn the privilege to do so! While I thoroughly
enjoyed the diving and associated challenges of diving in northern California, as soon as I
had my B.S. degree and NAUI Instructor rating, I ran off to the warm, clear waters of the
Turks and Caicos Islands to work as an intern at the School for Field Studies. This
position made me responsible for teaching fish, coral and marine plant identification and
basic scientific diving methods, as well as spoiling me on the easy life of boat diving, two
pound weight belts and good visibility where I could actually see all of the divers at once.
From there, my career took a recreational turn, while I spent several years teaching scuba,
guiding dives, captaining boats and taking a lot of underwater pictures in the Turks and
Caicos, Bahamas, and Hawaii.
I eventually returned to my scientific roots and earned my Masters Degree from Texas
A&M University-Corpus Christi in 2003, where I completed my thesis on the comparison
and assessment of coral reef communities in the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve in
Quintana Roo, Mexico.
For the past three years, I have had the position of Diving Safety Officer for the Texas
Parks and Wildlife Department Artificial Reef Program where I oversee the dive training
and protocols for our small in-house dive team and work closely with other AAUS
Organizational Members, including Texas A&M University at Galveston (TAMUG) and
Moody Gardens Aquarium, to support our diving needs. The Artificial Reef Program is
composed of three individuals who are responsible for 66 reef sites that span the entirety
of the 367 miles of Texas shoreline, with some sites as far as 90 miles offshore. The
majority of the artificial reef sites are donated oil and gas platforms that have been cut off
at -85 ft and range in depth from 140-300+ ft. As a result of these conditions, I have put a
greater emphasis on extended range diving, including decompression and mixed gas, to
allow for us to sample a greater portion of these offshore reefs.
My background in both tropical and temperate regions provides me with a knowledge
base to understand the regional challenges faced by many OMs. From limited visibility,
cold water and rough conditions on the west coast, to bad weather, vessel logistics and
long travel distances in the Gulf, to simple supply problems on remote islands, I have had
to find inventive ways just to get to the water and develop extensive networks to
overcome problems so we could start the dive. I would be honored to serve as Director-
at-Large for the AAUS Board of Directors and would apply my varied background,
ingenuity, professional network and technical skills to perform the tasks required of the
position.
1. In your vision, in what direction should the AAUS be heading in the next decade?
In ten years, I would like to see AAUS more broadly recognized in the scientific
community and in the general diving population. If the AAUS-ITI initiative is to be
successful, with regards to diver certifications, it should be seen not only as a scientific
organization, but also as a premier, specialized training agency. If the certifications are
going to be recognized globally, AAUS need a marketing campaign to promote the brand
and the level of excellence attached to it. This plan could range from grass roots efforts
on existing social media sites to co-sponsored events like Rebreather Forum 3.
I am in full support of a Scientific Diver certification and am relieved at the chance to
obtain liability insurance that actually covers what we do. The certifications will allow us
to maintain sufficiently rigorous training protocols that are adaptable to regionallyspecific challenges, without depending on a variety of recreational certifications to get
there. Moving forward, I would like to see the training more fleshed out to include
minimum training standards for both DSOs and lead divers. However, I do not want to
follow the trend in the recreational diving community and end up with a wide variety of
specialty certifications.
I would also like to see the progression of Organizational Member accreditation. I think
this method is the best way to maintain a high level of standards and would also be an
excellent mechanism for mentoring new DSOs and OMs.
2. Describe your scientific diving experience and indicate its relevance to AAUS governance.
My current scientific diving emphasis is on long-term biological monitoring of the
artificial reef sites in the Gulf of Mexico that make up the Texas AR program.
Methodology includes visual and photographic surveys, stereo laser video transects,
water quality monitoring, and vertical long-line fishing. My personal preference leans
toward photographic and video sampling due to the limited underwater time at the
required depths. A good portion of the program’s monitoring is contracted out to
universities and this process is becoming complicated and data rich. This situation has
prompted us to begin development of statewide SOPs to ensure that data is comparable
from one source to another.
Previous scientific diving experience includes abalone and urchin surveys and freshwater
game fish work in northern California; bluewater sampling, water quality and bottom
type investigations for open ocean fish pens on open and closed circuit systems in
Hawaii; conch and lobster habitat assessment studies in the Turks and Caicos; and coral
reef community composition surveys in Mexico.
3. What relationships/networks/professional contacts/nonprofit board experiences do you have
that will benefit AAUS by electing you to the AAUS BOD?
My professional relationships are diverse and my network includes universities, federal
and state governmental agencies, the petroleum industry and state and local outdoor
organizations. Due to the nature of the Artificial Reef Program’s small size and the large
area for which we are responsible, we contract out much of the monitoring work, and
fund several independent research objectives for students seeking advanced degrees.
Through those contracts, I have made contacts with Texas A&M University at Galveston,
Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi, the Harte Research Institute, and University of
Texas at Brownsville. I have professional contacts within NOAA, Flower Garden Banks
National Marine Sanctuary, US Geological Survey, US Army Corps of Engineers,
Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, Texas General Land Office, and
Texas Historical Commission.
The Artificial Reef Program is primarily funded though oil and gas structure donations
and as a result, I have numerous professional contacts within the petroleum industry.
Through the Gulf of Mexico Foundation, I have participated in a collaborative
Industry/Agency cruise, of which the primary purpose is to build connections and
relationships between members of the petroleum industry (i.e. Shell, BP, Anadarko) and
the state and federal agencies that are related to oil and gas production in the Gulf of
Mexico.
The Program is also widely supported by recreational fishing groups with significant
lobbying and fundraising power. Through this cooperation, I have relationships with
organizations such as the Coastal Conservation Association and Saltwater Fisheries
Enhancement Association.
My connections to industry, academia and the recreational community give me a unique
perspective that would be a highly beneficial to the AAUS BOD.