Richard: Articial Reef Research Team visit and sediment test

   It was very enjoyable to meet with the Artificial Research Team of Volusia County. Being a newcomer to the meeting I wanted to get a feel for their procedure before taking pictures. The group was receptive to my interest in artificial reefs and they had high hopes that more students from Daytona State would become interested. I met a gentleman who is 82 years old and scuba dived until he was 80. Now he is  in charge of updating their website. What an encouragement it was to meet him. I shared the website address on a previous posting, if you haven't checked it out, take a look at it. The county will reimburse qualified divers to retrieve data from the reefs and then post it for tourism and local anglers. This also provides valuble information to commercial fisherman. I did take a picture of a  waterproof double view case.

Double-View Waterproof camera case

  One of the research team members is a lifeguard and he uses it to record his rescues. He is in the process of adapting it to record his dives. What I really enjoyed was the openness of these  researchers sharing their experiences and help. I also enjoyed the sediment lab. It appears to be basic but it was very interesting. It turned out to be an opportunity to contact my nephew who graduated from Cornell University Environmental Program and get some information and encouragement. Unfortunately he is not working in an environmental related field but as an engineer for a consultanting firm in NYC. He shared with me a partical sediment report that he was recently given and now he is in charge of calculating what is nescessary for the buildings      fondation.
     I am also looking forward to the results of the  (B.O.B.) that were   deployed. Always something great to experience. The famous explorer Scott said on his quest to the South Pole, it is good to be surrounded by positive people, but inevitalbility we will encounter difficulties.