Our World – Underwater Scholarship Society in Australasia

Catalina Hyperbaric Chamber is run through the University of Southern California. Karl Huggins, a long time supporter of the scholarship, is the Director of the Chamber and invited me to learn more about his work. I arrived in Avalon, one of two towns on the island, after a long day travelling. The beautiful ‘casino’ building sits on a small peninsular that overlooks the dive park, a protected area used often for training. The California coast is renowned for its beautiful kelp forests which are home to an array of temperate fishes. From Avalon we drove North West along the island to the USC Wrigley Marine Science Center.
The chamber has been on the island since the 60’s when it was donated to the university. The chamber offers emergency treatment for diving accidents. Working closely with the Los Angeles County Baywatch Lifeguards and US Coast Guard patients are able to gain the most appropriate care in a short amount of time

The chamber itself has two locks and has space to treat numerous patients at the same time. A volunteer crew allows the chamber to be staffed 24hours a day, every day of the year. Through the Chamber and The Wrigley Marine Science Center, training is provided in Emergency Response Diver, Advanced Decompression Physiology and Hyperbaric Chamber Operations.

During my visit I was able to assist in running a dive by opening and closing valves to increase the pressure, vent air and decrease pressure. It was an exciting process and not as stressful as I imagine it would have been had there actually been anyone in the chamber! I also had the opportunity to go for a dry dive in the chamber. This is something I have always been interested in doing, but have not been willing to get a diving injury just to try it!
So we started up the chamber, I took off my shoes and anything that could spark and stepped inside the room. Max Brummett, a volunteer, and I were taken to 130 feet. The increase in pressure brings with it an increase in temperature, rising to 40°C on the decent. We carried out a few tasks to demonstrate the pressure increase. With a regular Intravenous drip the increased pressure would stop the liquid from dripping through to the patient’s tube so specialised bags are used. We set it up and as the pressure increased we were able to add air so that the fluid would continue to flow. We also used a suction tube which functions due to the outside pressure being lower. These are both important features of the chamber to provide patients appropriate care while being treated for their symptoms. One of the fascinating things about being in the chamber at 130 feet was the change in our voices – the thick air means that our voices sounded as though we were breathing helium.
On the ascent the chamber cools with the decrease in pressure; getting down to 1°C! So we layered up and completed our safety stops at 30ft, 20ft and 10ft. From 10 ft we were on 100% Oxygen from regulators.

The Los Angeles County Baywatch Lifeguards were kind enough to take me out on patrol. Two lifeguards patrol the Western end of the island and another team based out of Avalon patrol the East end of the island. The two men act as the firemen, lifeguards and paramedics and their range is a large area covering 40 square miles of land and the surrounding waters.

Catalina was bought by the Wrigley family in 1919 that went on to invest in preserving the island. Much of the land remains undeveloped and is managed by the Conservancy. Conservancy staff monitor endemic species; both fauna and flora and maintain roads and signs. There is also a program in place to attempt to introduce nursery raised endemic seedlings to the island in an attempt to minimize the spread of introduced plants.

Karl also organised a visit to the Aquarium of the Pacific, in Long Beach, California. Paul Dimeo, the Diving Safety Officer was generous enough to let me dive in the exhibits. First was a dive in the Tropical exhibit. During the dive was a feeding and I was in charge of getting food into the ray’s mouths which is easier said than done. We then went for a tour around the tank, visiting each of the windows. The second dive was in the Blue Cove exhibit which is a local Californian ecosystem. With kelp reaching to the surface, massive Giant Bass with eyes the size of baseballs, moray eels, leopard sharks and cool water.

The Marine Mammal Care Center in Fort MacArthur, LA treats and monitors stranded mammals, namely Pinipeds. I visited the centre to learn more about their work. They treat around 550 animals a year, with the busiest time being during pupping season from February to September. There are 7 rehabilitation centres along the coast of California and the San Pedro center only covers 60miles of beach but is one of the busiest due to the development and large population in the Los Angeles County. They treat a variety of pinnipeds including Elephant Seals, Harbour Seals and Californian Sea Lions, commonly with bacterial infections and malnutrition.

I had a great start to my time in California. Karl was incredibly generous and welcoming. He gave me interesting tours, taught me a lot and was great company. Thanks to Max Brummett and Baywatch for making my time on Catalina even more exciting! Thanks to Paul Dimeo and the staff at the Aquarium of the Pacific for all their support. And a big thank you to Jeff Bozanic and his family for all of their hospitality!

In the small Puerto Coyote, on the Nicoya Peninsular of Costa Rica, fishermen head out past the breakers each evening. They lay their line which is held by buoys at either end and consists of many hooks that hang down to the sea floor. For the following 5 or so hours they check the line, pull them in during the early hours of the morning, and make their way back to the port to sell their catch to the local buyer. Workers from Pretoma meet the fishermen around 5am and measure the lengths, weights and gonads of as many catches as they can before the summer sun forces the fishermen to put their fish on ice and send them on their way. The data collected is used to assess the stock of the main fishery of the area- the Red Snapper, Lutjanus guttatus. From this information, Pretoma can make management plans for the fishermen and Government control. With many sanctuaries in the area this stock assessment is useful in assessing the success of these semi-protected, limited fishing, areas.

Many mornings the fishermen return from their nights on the water with hardly enough fish to cover the costs of running the expeditions. The cost of hooks, lights, gas, bait and line all adds up to a reasonable amount. During my volunteer work with Pretoma we entered data from the sales log from the port. It was incredible to see how often the men lose money. They go out every night praying for a big catch.

The main buyer for the area provides ice and transport to Jicaral, the main centre for the region. The fish are bought at a low cost in the port and sold on in Jicaral to be taken throughout Costa Rica and exported to the United States. With each transaction the price increases and the fishermen are left with the lion’s share of the takings. Pretoma is working to cut out the middle men and get better prices for the fishermen by putting in place certifications that show that the fish are caught locally and from a sustainable stock.

During my visit to San Francisco de Coyote I was able to join Erick Lopez, of Pretoma Fisheries and his assistant Sharon Hsu to the Southern beaches of the Nicoya Peninsular. Here we interviewed restaurant/hotel owners and chefs to discuss where they buy their fish and if they would be interested in supporting a local market for the Red Snapper. Many of those questioned said that if they were provided a good price and a sustainable certification for the local fish, they would be interested in working further with Pretoma. This is a step in the right direction for sustainable fishing in Costa Rica. Currently many of the protected and semi protected areas are not enforced due to the lack of resources. If the fishermen are able to get a better price for their catch they will be less likely to take desperate measures such as illegally buying bait caught in protected areas. The UN recently recognised Pretoma’s work and they have been awarded a grant to continue their work with sustainable fishing in Costa Rica.

Many thanks to Randall Arauz for his support and Erick Lopez for all his generosity, support and entertainment. Thanks to Sharon Hsu for her help and translations. I found my time with Pretoma very interesting as they are proving to be a very successful non-profit; slowly but surely the beautiful waters of Costa Rica will be better managed.

After a dusty bus ride from the capital of Costa Rica to San Francisco de Coyote, I was picked up by Erick Lopez of Pretoma. Pretoma is a non-profit that was set up in 1997 with the aim to preserve Costa Rica’s marine wildlife through research and conservation. Pretoma also works to promote sustainable fishing in Costa Rica and throughout Central America.

There are four species of sea turtles that nest on the beaches of Costa Rica’s pacific coast; the Olive Ridley, Hawksbill, Pacific Green and Eastern Pacific Leatherback. In 2006 the Costa Rican government introduced the Playa Caletas-Ario National Wildlife Refuge which covers 7km of beach and also spans 12miles offshore at Caletas on the Nicoya Peninsular. The refuge prohibits poaching, trawling and scuba fishing. A camp was built on the beach that is home to volunteers. I spent a few days here during my visit to learn more about the turtles. My first night I went on ‘patrol’ with Nicole White the volunteer coordinator. The patrol shift entails walking either North or South from the camp along the beach looking for female turtle tracks as they come ashore to nest. Within half an hour we stumbled upon the tractor like paths in the sand – following them up the beach we found the neatly patted down nest. The female probably recently returned to the sea but often the volunteers find the female nesting. I was provided the honour of digging into the nest and recovering the eggs; ping-pong sized soft, white, gooey spheres. The eggs are quite tough for the first 12-24hours until the yolk becomes set and they become very fragile. We placed the eggs in a bag and continued the patrol. We returned to the camp with the one nest’s loot and buried them in a quadrant in the hatchery. The hatchery provides protection from natural predators as well as poachers who also patrol the beaches. The eggs we had gathered were Olive Ridley turtle eggs which fetch 4 for $1 on the pet market – a tragic thought for hatchlings of a vulnerable species.

Later that night I worked a Hatchery shift. The hatchlings emerge under the cover of night to gain some refuge from daytime predators such as birds and also protection for the sensitive animals from the harsh sunlight. In the hatchery the expecting nests are monitored throughout the night and as the small hatchlings emerge they are counted and taken down to the waterfront 30m away. They are placed on the stony beach and crawl their way into the breakers. This ‘imprint’ on the beach is crucial for the turtles to get the hang of their flippers and set their internal GPS so they know where to return when the females come back to nest. It was an incredible experience to watch the tiny turtles flipping their way into the waves at sunrise.

During my last night at Caletas, a group of us left the camp to patrol. Nicole recognised hatchling tracks in the sand and we had arrived just after Leatherback hatchlings had entered the ocean! She exhumed the nest to check for any stragglers and to assess the remaining eggs. There were 80 viable eggs in the clutch and many infertile eggs that are possibly used for temperature control and decoys for predators. Of the 80 fertile eggs; 13 tracks showed that they made it to the water and we found two hatchlings still in the nest. Leatherbacks nest at Caletas but this season only two clutches were found and relocated to the hatchery. It was incredible luck to find the natural nest on the beach!

Volunteers work night shifts at the sanctuary throughout the nesting season from July to March. With the protection from the Caletas volunteers the hatchlings have an increased chance of survival before they make it to the ocean, but once they are in the big Pacific their chances completely change. All sea turtles have an estimated 1 in 1,000 chance of survival!

A big thank you to Erick Lopez and Nicole White from Pretoma for making my visit an experience to remember!

Arriving in Durham, North Carolina, I was welcomed into the Diver’s Alert Network family – Patty Seery organised my entire visit; coordinating all the departments and made North American Scholar, Christian, and I feel incredibly welcome. Dan and Betty Orr, fantastic long-term supporters of the scholarship, were more generous than I could ever imagine.

Divers Alert Network (DAN) was set up in 1980 with the mission to help divers in need of medical emergency assistance and to encourage dive safety through research, education and services. The DAN 24 hour emergency hotline provides assistance to divers around the world by giving advice on symptoms and suggestions for treatment. In 1987 DAN pioneered the first dive accident insurance program which provides cover for evacuations and treatment for diving injuries. This insurance is important as often diving holidays are in remote areas with limited medical care. By calling the DAN hotline, divers can talk to medical professionals and get the ball rolling for the appropriate care.

During my visit to the DAN national office in Durham, North Carolina, I was able to gain an insight into the incredible work that the organisation does to improve diving safety and provide assistance to injured divers all over the world. The main departments of DAN include education, communication, research and medicine. Through the education office Christian, the North American Rolex scholar, and I were able to complete training in the DAN Instructor Qualifying Course including AEDs, Oxygen First Aid, Advanced Oxygen First aid, First Aid for Hazardous Marine Life and On-Site Neurological Assessment. These courses are definitely very valuable; I hope I never have to put them into practice in an emergency situation but I hope to use my instructor training to pass on these important skills to divers in the future.

During a day with the research department we learnt about the current work that is being carried out by Dr Petar Denoble, Senior Research Director, including the Project Dive Exploration which is an ongoing research project that gains dive profiles from divers and then assesses the risk/symptoms if present and tries to find ways to minimize dive accidents. For an interesting read the DAN Annual Diving Report 2008 is available for members and online PDF’s of research are avaliable at http://www.danasiapacific.org/main/accident.php.
We also spent time with Dr Pollock who is the research director at DAN and a research associate in the Center for Hyperbaric Medicine and Environmental Physiology at Duke University Medical Center. He took us through some diving accident statistics, the common symptoms of Decompression Sickness and then showed the use of Ultrasound to check divers for bubbles after surfacing from dives. With this practical I was able to watch my heart beating on the monitor!

We also received a tour of the Hyperbaric Chambers at Duke University Medical Centre which was set up in 1963 and is used for research, treatment and teaching. The 5chamber set up is capable of both increased pressure as well as decreased so is used for diving research and increased altitude such as NASA research.

One of the most interesting parts of the week was learning about the Harvesting Divers from Dr Matias Nochetto. Around the world there are many communities that take risks with diving in order to make a living. Many of them, through lack of training and improvised equipment ascend with severe injuries, namely Decompression Sickness. DAN has been involved with Harvesting Divers communities in Mexico, Honduras/Nicaragua and NE Brazil and provides support by teaching basic Oxygen Administration training, teaching safer diving protocols and through the Recompression Chamber Assistance Program (RCAP). RCAP provides support for hyperbaric chambers with equipment and training to help ensure injured divers have access to the appropriate medical care.

A huge thank you to everyone at DAN; Patty Seery, Fran, Dr Nick and Kim Bird, Dr Matias Nochetto, Dr Neal Pollock, Dr Petar Denoble, Marty McCafferty, Scott Smith, Jenna Whiley, Shabbar Ranapurwala and of course Dan and Betty Orr. I had a fantastic week and gained a valuable insight into fitness for diving, diving accidents and treatments.

Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota, Florida is a non profit marine research institute that was founded in 1955. There are 7 research centres and a strong focus on public outreach and education.

I visited Mote to learn more about their current marine research. There are many areas that are covered by Mote scientists; including Gulf Oil Response, animal rehabilitation programs, immunological research of marine animals, ranging from fishes (sharks, skates, and rays) to marine mammals, a Shark Biology Program and much more.

In an effort to conserve local seahorse species Mote’s Seahorse Conservation Laboratory breeds seahorses to provide for aquariums around the country, reducing the removal from wild populations. The day old creatures are so small they are indistinguishable, fluttering around with the slight current in the tank. With 50- 75% survival rate (compared to the 1/1000 in the wild) the programme is a success.

Mote Marine has the nation’s only congressionally designated Centre for Shark Research. The Shark Biology program covers population dynamics, movement patterns, feeding mechanisms, sensory biology and fisheries science. Recently, with the help of Mote scientists, the state of Florida declared a ban on the catching of Tiger Sharks and three species of Hammerhead. Hopefully this the first of many similar bans around the country.

With a strong focus on education and public outreach the Mote Marine Aquarium offers opportunities for children to learn about their local marine species through education and interaction.  With touch pools, tagged shark trackers and turtle training sessions kids are able to have hands on experience with Florida’s wildlife. Mote also has a mobile exhibit that displays touch tank, 1200-gallon tropical fish tank and informational posters on sharks, sea turtles and shells.

Thanks to Dr King for his support during my visit.

On April 20, 2010 the explosion of the Deep Water Horizon well head in the North Eastern Gulf of Mexico was followed by the release of around 200 million gallons of oil over 86 days before the well head was plugged. Chemical dispersants were used in an attempt to control the disaster.

The Gulf Restoration Network (GRN) was set up in 1994 and has worked toward a healthy gulf since then. After the oil disaster in 2010 The GRN put a large focus on monitoring the official assessment and recovery plans as well as informing the public about the status of the Gulf. Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) Process is currently being carried out by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and is made up of three steps; 1) preliminary assessment, 2) injury assessment/restoration planning and 3) restoration implementation. More than a year after the disaster NOAA is currently in the second stage; injury assessment and restoration planning. This just shows how big the process is, because with such a large area effected and many different ecosystems needing recovery plans, the process is a long one.

After the spill, BP donated $1billion upfront towards the restoration of the Gulf. There is a Federal Oil Spill Liability Trust fund that was set up 1986 to provide economic relieve if such a disaster occurred. This fund is capped at $3million. Through the lawsuit process, BP will be liable to pay fines under the Clean Water Act; these fines could exceed $3.5billion – (this estimate is based on the maximum fine of $1,100 per barrel of oil released into the environment. BP’s total spill was estimated at 3.2 Million barrels). With the $3million cap on the Oil Spill Liability Trust fund, it has been proposed that the money from the fines goes straight back to the Gulf coast communities to assist with the restoration efforts.

The Gulf Future Campaign was organised by the Gulf Restoration Network and set up the Weeks Bay Principles. These principles cover the expectations from BP, ensure local participation in decision-making and conduct short and long-term monitoring.

I volunteered at the Gulf Restoration Network office in New Orleans. My main goal was to learn as much as I could about the Deep Water Horizon oil spill especially the current status of the Gulf. I was helping with blog reports on marine areas within the Gulf with biological importance, and summarising the areas that have been suggested for marine protected areas. I also learn about current scientific research studying where the oil has ended up. A recent study carried out by Dr Samantha Joye from the University of Georgia, Department of Marine Science has found that there are large quantities of oil on the sea floor surrounding the Deep Water Horizon well head. The radius of the ‘zone of devastation’ is unknown but her fieldwork has found tube worms filled with oil 40 miles (65km) from the well head.

In February of this year Kenneth Feinberg, the government-appointed administrator of the BP Deepwater Horizon Disaster Victim Compensation Fund, stated that the Gulf of Mexico will fully recover by 2012. This is unfortunately an unrealistic prediction.

Thank you to Ayn and Scott from the Gulf Restoration Network for all their support.

For more information visit;
On Wings of Care – http://onwingsofcare.org/,
For real time updates on environmental accidents – http://alerts.skytruth.org/