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November/December 2015 Sea Hero: Kurt Lieber

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KURT LIEBER

Patrick Strattner

Occupation Founder/executive director, Ocean Defenders Alliance

Diver Since Mid-1970s

Helped Establish California’s MPA network, which protects 16 percent of state waters, nearly 10 percent in no-take zones

Founded in 2000 amongst friends, Ocean Defenders Alliance now connects hundreds of divers and “deck volunteers” in its mission to protect California’s ocean treasures, especially from the deadly effects of ghost nets, equipment lost or abandoned by fishermen. For his efforts, founder and executive director Kurt Lieber is our November/December Sea Hero.

You have been involved in a lot of projects with Ocean Defenders Alliance — which has been the most meaningful to you, and why?

I started this organization in the year 2000, with some friends. Through the years, Ocean Defenders Alliance (ODA) has turned into a dynamic union, and we’ve had over 200 divers and hundreds more deck volunteers go out with us on various projects. In 2013, I contacted the people at the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary (CINMS) to see if they would allow us to go into the sanctuaries and start removing ghost gear there. This area is a national marine sanctuary, national park and marine-protected area. As such, its biological importance — and sensitivity — is without question. After a lengthy qualification process, we were given a scientific collecting permit. We are the only all-volunteer group with this permit that I know of. That means a lot to me.

What is the biggest challenge you have faced in your fight against ghost nets and marine debris in general?

When I first started ODA, I couldn’t find anyone who knew about the damage that was being done by ghost gear. The Internet still wasn’t a tool widely used to gather or share information. So, I had a difficult time convincing the general public that this was a serious issue; marine debris is a good but dismaying example of the old saying “out of sight, out of mind” as far as public consciousness goes. Fast forward 15 years, and the tide is changing. There is now a great source of scientific information available that informs people with a lot of statistics. One that absolutely makes me cringe is that NOAA estimates that 330,000 whales, dolphins, seals, sea lions and turtles die in ghost gear every year. The problem is that every year, the commercial fishing industry loses a staggering amount of gear (i.e., lines, nets, and traps). Consequently, our work is never done.

What’s been your most satisfying moment?

The vast majority of nets we locate and remove are made out of synthetic material, like nylon or mono-filament line. Scientists have estimated that nylon nets will last 650 years in the oceans. A net that is in the water for that long does no one any good. Animals are dying continuously, needlessly, and divers are losing what we all want to see alive, FISH! The fishing community loses as well because of decreased populations. To date we have removed approximately 21,000 pounds of these deadly nets. One of my most satisfying moments was pulling together a fantastic group of volunteers, and together we removed about 1,000 pounds of gill net from just one location. That does not sound like a lot, but think about that for a moment. What would a 1,000-pound pile of fishing line look like? Well, that is what some of these deadly derelict nets are made out of; it can be a huge, and hugely harmful, collection!

Tell us a little bit about what you are working on now?

It is a really exciting time for us right now. Not only are we continuing to clean more of California’s coastal waters, such as in the CINMS, we are also in the midst of establishing a new base in ODA in Hawai’i. As awareness expands through the dive community, we are getting a lot of interest from different areas of the U.S. that are inquiring about creating ODA bases all over the country — and we know that ALL coastal waters need the kind of service we provide. The Seattle/Portland area is looking promising for a future base as well.

How can divers and Scuba Diving‘s readers help further your work?

As anyone who has ever owned or been around a boat knows: Things are always needing maintenance, repair or replacement! We have the manpower and know-how, but we are constantly working to keep our boats running well and fueled up. So, to keep us at sea doing what we do best, donations are very welcomed. Another option is to start a removal project in areas where your readers come across debris. And I don’t mean only ghost gear. Plastics are a huge plague that we have got to address if we want to future generations to enjoy the wide variety of life forms that the oceans historically have supported. Want to know what the oceans looked like before the invention of the steam engine? Read The Unnatural History of the Sea by Callum Roberts for a good dose of reality. In other words: Get educated and get involved! If this problem is going to be solved, we are the ones who are going to have to make it happen.

What’s next for you and Ocean Defenders?

We purchased a new (used) boat late last year, and we’ve been working on upgrades and repairs ever since. It is currently berthed in San Pedro, California. As soon as we are finished with this phase, we’ll be moving the boat up to the Channels Islands Harbor, and resume our removal projects in the Channel Islands.

What would you do with the $5,000 Oris award if selected for Sea Hero of the Year?

If I am selected for this honor, I will put the money directly into our boat in order to launch additional debris-removal expeditions. I have recently received reports of several marine debris sites throughout Southern California that urgently need our removal expertise. This award would allow us to travel further from our home port and get to sites we haven’t been able to reach because of the high costs of fuel, oil and boat maintenance.

Is there anything we did not ask that you would like readers to know about? Tell us what’s important to you!

I’ve been diving since the mid ’70 s, and have seen a drastic decline in biodiversity, water quality and wildlife sightings and interactions. Having witnessed this loss first hand is what drives me to do what I can, in my lifetime, to defend ocean life and habitats. Over the last 15 years or so, I have seen what marine-protected areas (MPAs) can do to help marine species bounce back. I was heavily involved in the state of California’s decision to create MPAs up and down our coast. While the scientists recommended that 30 percent of our waters be set aside as no-fishing zones, when all was said and done, we ended up with 16 percent of our state waters having some kind of protection, and only 9.4 percent of that is no-take. A far cry from what the science dictated for species’ survival. But it is a start. I would love to see our no-take areas expanded, not just in California but throughout the world. The effort we are putting into aquaculture as a “work around” for our diminished fish populations is like putting Band-Aids on a cancer patient. We must attack the root cause, which in this case is the threat to wildlife species and habitats caused by overfishing. Nature has proven time after time that she can heal herself if we leave her alone. MPAs are one of the few real remedies for our dying oceans.

Lastly, I want to leave readers with hope. Each of you reading this can make a difference; you must simply choose to become involved. You can educate yourself and others. You already possess the power to influence things for the better through your votes, your buying decisions, what you eat and where you invest your time and resources. All you have to do is join our alliance and be an Ocean Defender!

Eah Sea Hero receives an Oris Aquis Date watch valued at $1,595. At the end of the year, a panel of judges selects a Sea Hero of the Year, who receives a $5,000 cash award from Oris to further his or her work. Go to scubadiving.com/seaheroes to nominate a Sea Hero today.

November/December 2015 Sea Hero: Kurt Lieber Read More »

10 Things Deadlier Than Sharks

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Ok, we get it — sharks are rather frightening if you don’t know much about them. It all started back in 1975 when the first-ever blockbuster film JAWS debuted; people saw razor-sharp teeth munching on the beach, and the unsure feeling that something was lurking beneath stuck forever in their brains. Sharks quickly became a national symbol of fear. But what if we told you sharks aren’t as harmful as you may think; that we actually do much more harm to them than they do to us?

Here’s the graphic realization, folks: For every human killed by a shark, humans kill 200 million sharks.

Luckily there are conservation efforts out there, such as Project AWARE and Shark Angels that do everything in their power to stop the decreasing shark population and get the message out there: sharks need saving, too. How would you feel if a popular movie portrayed you as a monster killer? In reality, there are only an average of five shark-related deaths per year.

Here’s a gallery of some everyday items that actually kill more people per year than sharks. In fact, we guarantee there’s a good chunk of them in your home. Some of them may shock you, some may scare you, but hopefully they get you thinking. You’ll see: sharks aren’t so deadly after all.

10 Things Deadlier Than Sharks Read More »

Almost All Seabirds to Have Plastic in Gut by 2050

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The study, led by Dr Chris Wilcox with co-authors Dr Denise Hardesty and Dr Erik van Sebille and published today in the journal PNAS, found that nearly 60 per cent of all seabird species have plastic in their gut.

Based on analysis of published studies since the early 1960s, the researchers found that plastic is increasingly common in seabird’s stomachs.

In 1960, plastic was found in the stomach of less than 5 per cent of individual seabirds, rising to 80 per cent by 2010.

The researchers predict that plastic ingestion will affect 99 per cent of the world’s seabird species by 2050, based on current trends.

The scientists estimate that 90 per cent of all seabirds alive today have eaten plastic of some kind.

This includes bags, bottle caps, and plastic fibres from synthetic clothes, which have washed out into the ocean from urban rivers, sewers and waste deposits.

Birds mistake the brightly coloured items for food, or swallow them by accident, and this causes gut impaction, weight loss and sometimes even death.

“For the first time, we have a global prediction of how wide-reaching plastic impacts may be on marine species – and the results are striking,” senior research scientist at CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere Dr Wilcox said.

“We predict, using historical observations, that 90 per cent of individual seabirds have eaten plastic. This is a huge amount and really points to the ubiquity of plastic pollution.”

Dr Denise Hardesty from CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere said seabirds were excellent indicators of ecosystem health.

“Finding such widespread estimates of plastic in seabirds is borne out by some of the fieldwork we’ve carried out where I’ve found nearly 200 pieces of plastic in a single seabird,” Dr Hardesty said.

The researchers found plastics will have the greatest impact on wildlife where they gather in the Southern Ocean, in a band around the southern edges of Australia, South Africa and South America.

Dr van Sebille, from the Grantham Institute at Imperial College London, said the plastics had the most devastating impact in the areas where there was the greatest diversity of species.

“We are very concerned about species such as penguins and giant albatrosses, which live in these areas,” Erik van Sebille said.

“While the infamous garbage patches in the middle of the oceans have strikingly high densities of plastic, very few animals live here.”

Dr Hardesty said there was still the opportunity to change the impact plastic had on seabirds.

“Improving waste management can reduce the threat plastic is posing to marine wildlife,” she said.

“Even simple measures can make a difference, such as reducing packaging, banning single-use plastic items or charging an extra fee to use them, and introducing deposits for recyclable items like drink containers.

“Efforts to reduce plastics losses into the environment in Europe resulted in measureable changes in plastic in seabird stomachs with less than a decade, which suggests that improvements in basic waste management can reduce plastic in the environment in a really short time.”

Chief Scientist at the US-based Ocean Conservancy Dr George H. Leonard said the study was highly important and demonstrated how pervasive plastics were in oceans.

“Hundreds of thousands of volunteers around the world come face-to-face with this problem during annual Coastal Cleanup events,” Dr Leonard said.

“Scientists, the private sector and global citizens working together against the growing onslaught of plastic pollution can reduce plastic inputs to help protect marine biodiversity.”

The work was carried out as part of a national marine debris project supported by CSIRO and Shell’s Social investment program as well as the marine debris working group at the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, University of California, Santa Barbara, with support from Ocean Conservancy.

Almost All Seabirds to Have Plastic in Gut by 2050 Read More »

Ocean Scientists Create 360-degree Panoramic Images of Hawaiian Coral Reefs

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Reef Scientists Launch Mission to Reveal State of Hawaii’s $33 Billion Reefs

Multi-partner scientific team to record current condition of diverse coral reef habitats in 360º panoramic imagery as impacts of climate change threaten the region’s reefs

Oahu, Hawaii (August 19, 2015) – The XL Catlin Seaview Survey, a pioneering scientific expedition to study and reveal the world’s coral reefs, sponsored by XL Catlin, global insurer and reinsurer, today announced the launch of its scientific survey to explore and study the health of the different coral reefs in Hawaii.

The Survey’s scientists from The University of Queensland in partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS) will capture unique imagery of coral habitats in and around the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary adjacent to the islands of Oahu, Maui, Lanai, Hawaii and Molokai. Mission scientists will collect this imagery using the survey’s advanced SVII camera to gain a comprehensive understanding of the region’s distinctive marine ecosystem and the health of corals found in these waters. Findings from this survey will also help scientists better understand and monitor the potential impact of environmental and human stressors on coral recovery in the future.

Recent news on the impact of climate change and rising sea temperatures in the Pacific make this expedition particularly timely. According to a recent EPA report titled Climate Change in the United States: Benefits of Global Action, coral cover in Hawaii could potentially decline from the current 38 percent to five percent by 2050 if continued warming persists. The most common effect of rising seawater temperatures is coral bleaching. This phenomenon occurs when corals expel their colored algae, causing them to appear white and in extreme cases die off.

In the summer of 2014, Hawaii recorded its first ever mass bleaching event due to an unexplained patch of warm water forming in the Eastern Pacific, known in scientific circles as the “blob.” With the combination of this phenomenon and a strengthening El Niño event this year, the outlook for 2015 is far worse. With Hawaii’s corals only now starting to recover from last year’s blob occurrence, the current increase in ocean temperatures has the potential to stop and possibly reverse the recovery process, causing long-term damage to the state’s reefs.

“Due to location at a relatively high latitude and exposure to variable ocean conditions, Hawaii is a remarkable place for the study of coral reefs and adds a vital element to our global picture of coral health,” said Professor Ove Hoegh-Guldberg, the survey’s chief scientist from the Global Change Institute at The University of Queensland. “Despite the increasing global threat to coral reefs from climate change, Hawaiian reefs have remained relatively intact, although future conditions pose a very real threat. Surveying this region is likely to reveal important information on the resilience of coral reefs under the rapid and unprecedented changes in ocean temperature and acidity that are projected.”

Scaling Ocean Study in Hawaii

As one of the world’s most isolated archipelagos, Hawaii features approximately 410,000 acres of living coral reefs and is known for its abundance of endemic species and large diversity of subtropical coral reef habitats. Unlike other coral regions, the isolated corals reefs of Hawaii offer researchers the potential opportunity to uncover unique reef formations that have never been explored before and expand on scientists’ existing knowledge of the area’s marine ecosystem.

Hawaii contains more than 60 percent of the coral reefs in U.S. waters. A peer-reviewed study commissioned by NOAA in 2011 estimates that the total economic value of the Hawaiian coral reefs is $33.57 billion. Hawaiians rely on coral reefs as important sources of food, income, shoreline protection, and recreation. Reef-related tourism and recreation account for an estimated $364 million in added value to Hawaii’s annual economy and its near shore reefs contribute nearly $1 billion to the state’s annual gross revenue. Furthermore, Hawaii’s reefs are not only important to support marine life and local economies, but are also considered an integral part of the state’s cultural heritage and identity.

“Working with XL Catlin Seaview Survey will not only allow us to further the scientific research around the region’s corals reefs but also highlight how ocean stewardship is deeply rooted in the native Hawaiian culture and identity,” said Malia Chow, superintendent of the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary. “XL Catlin Seaview Survey’s mission and use of camera technology resonates with the sanctuary’s strategy of employing a unique ecosystem-based management approach that combines science with the traditional Hawaiian approach to protecting natural and cultural resources.”

Technological Approach

Technology plays a fundamental role in both the teams’ surveying work and subsequent data analysis. The SVII is a revolutionary camera system attached to an underwater scooter that takes about 1,000 high-resolution 360-degree underwater images across distances of up to 1.2 miles in a single dive – increasing the data-gathering efficiency 30-fold compared to previous methods. The spectacular 360-degree images are accurately GPS-located so researchers can re-visit the same locations in later years and show changes happening on the reef.

These images are added to the XL Catlin Global Reef Record, an online research tool that allows scientists and researchers to better analyze and monitor changes in the global reef ecosystems on a local, regional, and global level. XL Catlin Seaview Survey’s ongoing partnership with Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego enables access to advanced computer-based processing methods that is similar to facial recognition technology and has the potential to increase analysis by 10 to 30 times faster than manual methods. What can now be achieved in 12 months would have taken 30 years using traditional methods.

As a leading insurer/reinsurer and sponsor of this expansive research survey, XL Catlin recognizes the value of understanding the impact of climate change on our ocean environments and what this change means in coastal regions. It is essential to gather factual research into the changes, so that the insurance industry can continue to help clients manage risks in the years to come.

Video of Seaview Science Video: The SVII

Community Awareness

This expedition will take place in and around the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary, which is administered by a partnership between NOAA’s ONMS and the state of Hawaii through the Department of Land and Natural Resources. The sanctuary plays a crucial role in supporting humpback whales and strives to improve upon existing marine conservation by providing inter-agency coordination and comprehensive protection through education, science, and outreach support.

During the mission, team members from XL Catlin Seaview Survey, The University of Queensland, and NOAA’s ONMS will promote awareness around their ongoing scientific research of reefs and marine sanctuaries by hosting a series of community events on Oahu, Maui, Lanai, Molokai, and Hawaii.

The events will be held at local schools, dive shops and visitor centers in an effort to engage both students (grades 4-12) and the general public, focusing on XL Catlin Seaview Survey’s use of technology and science to support reef and ocean conservation, as well as the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale Sanctuary’s efforts in marine resource management. Participants will learn about the mission and the organizations participating in the survey, the science being conducted, as well as see the technology used and imagery being captured from around the islands.

About the XL Catlin Seaview Survey

The XL Catlin Seaview Survey is a pioneering scientific expedition revealing the impact of environmental changes on the world’s coral reefs. The Survey aims to significantly expand the data available to scientists about global coral reef systems. The XL Catlin Seaview Survey is currently focusing on the Indian and Pacific Oceans, having previously completed pioneering scientific studies of the Coral Triangle, the Great Barrier Reef and the Caribbean. The images are captured in order to provide a vital scientific baseline study of the world’s coral reefs. These images monitor change, reveal it to the world through Street View in Google Maps – in partnership with Google. More information about the XL Catlin Seaview Survey can be found here: http://www.xlcatlinseaviewsurvey.com.

You can also engage with the XL Catlin Seaview Survey and its 4 million followers on Google+ here: https://plus.google.com/+CatlinSeaviewSurvey/posts

About the Global Change Institute, University of Queensland

The Global Change Institute at The University of Queensland (UQ), Australia, was established in 2010 as an independent source of game-changing research, ideas and advice for addressing the challenges of global change. GCI advances discovery, develops solutions and advocates responses that meet the challenges presented by climate change, technological innovation and population change. UQ is one of the world’s premier teaching and research institutions. It is consistently ranked in the top 100 in four independent global rankings. With more than 48,000 students and 6,500 staff, UQ’s teaching is informed by research, and spans six faculties and eight research institutes. www.gci.uq.edu.au

About NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries

NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries serves as trustee for a system of 14 marine protected areas, encompassing more than 170,000 square miles of America’s ocean and Great Lakes waters. Through active research, management, and public engagement, national marine sanctuaries sustain healthy environments that are the foundation for thriving communities and stable economies.

NOAA’s mission is to understand and predict changes in the Earth’s environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and to conserve and manage our coastal and marine resources.

About the Hawaiian Island Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary

The Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary was created by Congress in 1992 to protect humpback whales and their habitat in Hawai’i. The sanctuary, which lies within the shallow (less than 600 feet), warm waters surrounding the main Hawaiian Islands, constitutes one of the world’s most important humpback whale habitats. Through education, outreach, research and resource protection activities, the sanctuary strives to protect humpback whales and their habitat in Hawai’i and currently is nearing the end of a extensive public engagement process that has the potential to expand boundaries and resources for the sanctuary.

Related Scubadiving.com Articles: Explore The Ocean Underwater With Google Maps Street View

Ocean Scientists Create 360-degree Panoramic Images of Hawaiian Coral Reefs Read More »

August 2015 Sea Hero: Laura James

John Keatley

LAURA JAMES

Occupation Explorer and videographer

Diving Since 1990: Now a technical mixed-gas-diving instructor and certified rebreather instructor

Director Tox-ick.org, which focuses on seven simple solutions to reduce polluted runoff

This two-time Emmy-winning filmmaker has devoted her life to the health of her beloved Puget Sound, and to teaching others to cherish our most precious resource: water.

You have been involved in a LOT of projects involving Puget Sound and the health of the overall marine environment — which has been the most meaningful to you?

That is a really hard question to answer. I am incredibly grateful to have had the opportunity to be a part of so many projects. The most meaningful to me personally has been the discarded battery removal, where we removed over 1,200 pounds of discarded marine batteries from the most popular dive site in Seattle. It was something I’d turned a blind eye to just like everyone else for so long; I’d basically taken those batteries being there for granted. When I go out to that site for a dive now it fills my heart with joy to no longer see dead batteries laying about, and know that WE DID IT! What meant the most to me was how the community came together. We were joined by divers from British Columbia and Oregon who journey hundreds of miles to help out. A friend who owns a recycling facility gave us double the going rate on lead so we could afford more lift bags, and dive shops filled our tanks for the dives. It really was the work of a village. Seeing the sense of accomplishment on people’s faces and how engaged the whole community got with the removal gave me hope for the future of our oceans.

Topping it off was getting nominated for and then winning the 2012 Cox Conserves Heroes Award. It wasn’t a slam-dunk because the battery removal was up against some other amazing conservation projects. I think we only won by 40-something votes. This was quite special because it meant that the general public was able to connect with a project that went on beneath the surface of Puget Sound, something they couldn’t see personally unless they became a diver. The $10,000 prize was donated to Sustainable West Seattle where it helped support a grassroots Stormwater Education program (www.tox-ick.org) that teaches the general public simple ways that we can all help stop the flow of polluted runoff into Puget Sound.

The citizen-science work with Sea Star wasting syndrome was also exceptionally rewarding. My dive buddy helped build a website so that the general public (beach walkers and divers) could be a part of documenting the spread of the wasting disease by utilizing social media via a hashtag on an Instagram photo (#sickstarfish), and in doing so contribute to the work that scientists were doing. Watching reports come in on the real time map www.sickstarfish.com from numerous people and in some cases ahead of the researchers was exhilarating. It was proof of the potential power in crowdsourcing for science when it comes to both fast and slow response: Fast-response science because we were able to mobilize a large number of eyes to watch the beach for immediate changes in sea star population, and slow-response science because many of those same citizen scientists have continued to report and we are seeing how the population (hopefully) rebounds over time.

What is the biggest challenge you have faced in your advocacy for marine health?

The biggest challenge we all face in the realm of marine advocacy is learning how to reach the “non-choir” and make the problem real to them. It is so easy to speak to a bunch of people at an outreach event who are nodding in agreement — it affirms your belief and gives you a proverbial pat on the back. I think it is more important when looking at threats such as polluted storm-water runoff to build a connection with a broader audience. One way to do that is to actually stop talking for moment and listen to the people who disagree or are on the fence, and enter a dialogue that allows both parties to find some middle ground, and in doing so allow the overarching health of Puget Sound to trump politics.

The challenge is also finding a way past the compassion fatigue, which is generated by ongoing bad news about the environment. With the www.tox-ick.org program we focus on seven simple solutions to reduce the flow of polluted runoff (storm water) into Puget Sound. These simple daily actions are ways that each and every one of us can help make a difference. The non-profits, government agencies and municipalities are working hard on problems such as storm-water runoff and shoreline armoring, but they need our help. The solution to the threats facing our oceans begins in our hearts, in our homes, in our own backyard.

What’s been your most satisfying moment?

It was an incredibly satisfying moment hearing that Congressman Denny Heck saw our story on Sea Star Wasting Syndrome and it inspired him to craft a bill, the Marine Disease Emergency Act. The proposed legislation would establish a framework for declaring and responding to a marine disease emergency, and to provide the science community with the resources to proactively protect marine ecosystems from being irreparably damaged by cascading epidemics. The idea that footage that I shot might be instrumental in such a legislative process is incredibly rewarding.

Beyond that, I think its kind of a tie between watching our Sea Star Wasting Disease story reach No. 6 on the PBS news hour Youtube page of most watched videos (ahead of Kate and Williams wedding!) and winning regional Emmy Awards for both “Solving the mystery of dying starfish” and “Sea Otters v. Climate Change.”

They are both stories about marine ecology, the food web and climate change. Making the decision to leap from a stable, secure career in the hospital and become a filmmaker with an underwater focus was a tough choice and I’ve made some sacrifices. I did not go to film or journalism school, and got my start shooting underwater — not just any underwater but in our cold, dark green emerald sea. I sometimes find myself worrying if I’m good enough to tell the stories that need telling, and if people really want to hear about the underwater environment (and not just about pretty fish and coral reefs).

Winning these awards makes me feel like the time is now, that the general public is ready for real stories about our underwater world.

I’ve been very lucky to connect with an amazing husband/wife team of environmental photo-journalist/producers (Katie Campbell and Michael Werner), along with several other brilliant filmmakers who have helped mentor me along the way, so a quick shout out, because without them none of this would have been possible.

Tell us a little bit about what you are working on now?

BtLG Project: “Know What’s Below”

With the help of volunteers both divers and non-divers we are building a multimedia website to help kids of all ages connect with the underwater world. The primary vehicle of this education will be a library of 100+ narrated one-minute videos featuring the amazing marine life that calls Puget Sound home, and the diverse marine habitats that lead to such bountiful life. As we continue to develop the site, we hope to include videos that discuss the issues faced by our local waters in “real English,” which parents and educators can use to share and communicate, and offer simple solutions that everyone can do in their everyday life to help save our Ocean Planet. It is my dream to be able to offer live dives via the Internet to enhance the material already available on the site. It is a slow process, all the equipment needed to make that happen (underwater communication systems, etc.) cost money and the videos take time and resources to produce. www.btlgproject.com

OpenROV Builds and OpenExplorer micro-expeditions with local after-school programs: Thanks to the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and OpenROV (www.openrov.com) I’ve been able to build small ROV’s (Underwater Robots) with students. We will be using the robots to explore local underwater habitats, follow the students curiosity and hopefully make a connection for kids who had previously given minimal though to exploring a career in the filed of marine science.

How can divers and Scuba Diving’s readers help further your work?

One of the most important things that divers can do is help encourage non-divers to take an interest in what lies beneath the surface. Be an ambassador for the underwater world. You can do this by taking photos or videos and sharing them with anyone and everyone, or sharing the videos and photos shot by your friends. Photography and video equipment has come so far in recent years, it is much easier to show and share what you love about diving, and one of the reasons people get into diving is because someone they know is an enthusiastic diver.

Get involved in local underwater and beach clean-up efforts. Divers — both scuba and breath hold — are the last stand against underwater marine debris. Make a pledge to pick up two pieces of trash or marine debris on every dive. Help encourage others to get involved!

Get involved in your local issues. Never ever take water for granted. Please feel free to contact me if you want to be a part of any of the projects described here, or would like help setting something up in your area. Reach out to your local advocacy groups and elected officials. Don’t just sit by and wonder, ask questions, ask tough questions, ask what you can do.

The most powerful agent for change is an activated, involved public, so… get involved!

What’s next for you?

The next environmental story I’m working on is about underwater marine debris, the stuff that sinks. People are aware of the plastic gyres floating around the oceans, and microplastics that are being consumed by marine life. Those are both very important issues, but are being well documented and covered. I would like to shed some light on the massive problem surrounding the heavy marine debris, the stuff that doesn’t wash up on a beach, the trash that vanishes, out of sight out of mind. As a scuba diver who has visited sites around the world, I can confidently say that I have see human made items at every dive site I’ve visited in over 5,000 dives. There is no place underwater that I have visited that remains untouched. I realize prevention is a huge part of what will prevent the problem from getting any larger, but that prevention will only come with awareness. The general public needs to be aware of the fact that directly off shore from their favorite swimming beach, if there is a storm water outfall, then there is very likely a giant underwater garbage patch growing. That garbage patch is full of anything that doesn’t float, cigarette butts, heavy plastics, cans and bottles, toys, Christmas ornaments, I can actually tell what season it is or if a house is being built or remodeled by the contents of the storm drain debris trail.

I would like to see the narrated video series from www.btlgproject.com made into a web series where we bring the viewer with us on weekly adventures, complete with guest scientists historical narratives and local explorers who can help build a broader understanding of our undersea world and the people and creatures who make their lives in and on it.

In collaboration with the Environmental Science Center in Burien, I hope to help build an early outreach marine awareness program for young children. Based on Tidepools for Tots and inspired by the Best Starts for Kids initiative in King County in which emerging neuroscience shows that the first five years of a child’s life are particularly critical for brain development. It would then hold true that if we want to inspire the ocean stewards of the future, we need to start young.

We are also in the beginning stages of a campaign to make the site Seacrest Park, Cove 2, the most popular dive site in Seattle (where we removed the discarded batteries), into a Marine Reserve and divers park.

What would you do with the $5,000 Oris award if selected for Sea Hero of the Year?

I would use the funds to help continue to build our outreach and curriculum extension program. We are in need of a communications system so that we can share the underwater world in real time with viewers. We already have a video system capable of streaming video to the surface, but the next step is full-face masks and underwater comms so that we could have two-way communications, therefore creating a more immersive experience for the viewer.

Is there anything we did not ask that you would like readers to know about? Tell us what’s important to you!

People protect what they love, but they must know it to love it. I remind myself of this when the weather is cold and the visibility is low. All the creatures, great and small are worth filming and sharing, and that next bit of video I shoot may make the difference for one elected official, or inspire one little kid.

**Each Sea Hero receives an Oris Aquis Date watch valued at $1,595. At the end of the year, a panel of judges selects a Sea Hero of the Year, who receives a $5,000 cash award from Oris to further his or her work. Go to scubadiving.com/seaheroes to nominate a Sea Hero today.

August 2015 Sea Hero: Laura James Read More »