The Great Whites of Guadaloupe By Dr. Gary Rose
SFDI looks forward to the return of Dr. Gary Rose, who will address us in person at the VFW! (Those who cannot meet in person can join the meeting on Zoom.) We enjoyed Dr. Gary’s presentations in 2015 and 2016 when he talked about the sharks of the Florida coast and the Caribbean, as well as the venomous stings and bites of marine microorganisms.
This Wednesday, July 7, Dr. Gary will take us on a journey to Guadaloupe Island with the great white sharks. Through his anecdotes and animated style of speaking, you are bound to have a great time. Looking forward to seeing you in person or on Zoom!
About Gary Rose:
Gary Rose MD has been a certified diver for over 45 years and is a PADI Open Water Instructor. As a Plastic Surgeon and Associate Professor of Microbiology and Surgery at the College of Medicine at Florida Atlantic University, he has fulfilled his life passion as a marine biologist with his research on marine microorganisms, as well as large ocean apex predators.Dr. Rose lectures all over the world on “Shark Identification and Behavior” and gives seminars on “Updates On Diving Medicine”. An avid underwater photographer, his articles appear in Alert Diver and X-RAY magazine. Dr. Rose is a member of the Divers Alert Network and The Undersea And Hyperbaric Medical Society. You can find him on weekends diving our local waters and photographing our plentiful and diverse sharks. You can reach him at garyrosephotos@gmail.com
The Ecology of the Twilight Zone By Tyler Phelps
Fifteen minutes. That’s all the time they have to collect their data at 500 feet. Dressed like “aquanauts,” they are the first divers to ever visit these deep coral reefs. After documenting the habitat, conducting fish surveys, and collecting potential new species, they begin their ascent. It will take six hours of decompression before being able to surface. Diving to these depths took years of preparation for Ichthyology Graduate Researcher, Tyler Phelps and his team. Each dive takes hours of preparation and extensive safety precautions to mitigate the risks in conducting their research. Join SFDI on Wednesday, June 2, at 7:30, as we take a “dive” with Tyler and hear what it’s like to explore the Twilight Zone, and learn the latest discoveries that he and his team have made in these remarkable communities.
Photo Credit: Luiz Rocha 2016 California Academy of Sciences
About Tyler Phelps
When Tyler Phelps’ parents took him for stroller walks along the Long Beach, CA peninsula, they had no idea that someday he would be diving deep below the surface. Inspired by family trips to the aquarium and his elementary school teachers, he has dreamed of becoming a marine biologist since the age of eight.
During Tyler’s college career, he balanced his love of science and scuba diving while earning a Bachelor of Science in Marine Science from the University of Hawai'i at Hilo. He created his training company, Balanced Divers, to offer private instruction as a NAUI Course Director, Technical Diving Instructor, Rebreather Instructor and DAN Instructor Trainer. Tyler has won several awards from NAUI and is a co-author of the current NAUI Master Scuba Diver and NAUI Leadership and Instruction textbooks.
While still an undergraduate student at UH Hilo, Tyler joined the Academy's dive team in 2016 and has researched coral reef fish ecology in 15 countries across 25 scientific expeditions. For his Master of Science in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology from San Francisco State University, he investigated how community structure and ecology of fishes change across depth gradients in Micronesian coral reefs.
Today, Tyler is an Ichthyology Graduate Researcher with Cal Academy (based in San Francisco, CA), co-author of seven scientific peer-reviewed publications (including five new species descriptions) and On-Call Dive Officer for Steinhart Aquarium. Tyler's research focuses on how fish communities change and have evolved across depth gradients. He plans to pursue a Ph.D.
Tyler remains active in the diving community by co-chairing the NAUI Citizen Science Diver and NAUI Technical Rebreather training committees. He is happy to be a mentor and resource for early career marine biologists and divers. He can be contacted at tphelps@calacademy.org.
Cylinder Safety Awareness
Please join us this coming Wednesday, May 5, when we will learn all about SCUBA cylinders and cylinder safety. This presentation is for all divers - renters of tanks, as well as owners. Come and increase your knowledge and be a safer, smarter diver!
NASA's Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory, located near the Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas
About Mark Gresham
Mark Gresham is the current owner and CEO of Professional SCUBA Inspectors, Inc. He is widely regarded as the authority on cylinder safety and inspection around the world. He is an outstanding instructor for cylinder inspectors, eddy current technicians and SCUBA valve service personnel, and the head Instructor Trainer for PSC-PCI (Professional Cylinder Inspectors). Mark is an ongoing consultant to NASA's Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory, cylinder manufacturers and many other PSI-PCI inspectors and customers. He is a trained cylinder hydrostatic requalifier. Mark has over 30 years experience in highly skilled technical diving.
Explorations in Excellence by Jill Heinerth
Join SFDI on Wednesday, April 7th, as we are privileged to welcome worldwide underwater explorer Jill Heinerth. More people have walked on the moon than have been to the places Jill has explored right here on earth. Instead of following maps, she has blazed a trail into the planet exploring lava tubes beneath the ocean floor, submerged caves inside icebergs, and the deepest vistas of the world’s oceans.
Jill’s dynamic multimedia presentation inspires audiences to reach beyond their limitations, challenge the unknown, and overcome their fears. She shares remarkable experiences and lessons learned in the deadly arena of extreme underwater exploration and adventure filmmaking, applying her practical knowledge to share lessons on risk management, discovery learning, failure, and collaboration strategies.
You won’t want to miss this exciting presentation!
About Jill Heinerth
Jill Heinerth is an underwater explorer, writer, photographer, speaker, and filmmaker. A pioneer of technical rebreather diving, she has led expeditions into icebergs in Antarctica, volcanic lava tubes, and submerged caves worldwide. Jill is the first Explorer-in-Residence of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society. Her memoir, INTO THE PLANET, has been lauded by the Wall Street Journal, Oprah Magazine, and the New York Times. Her children’s book THE AQUANAUT is a Blue Ribbon Selection for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. Jill is a Fellow of the International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame, Underwater Academy of Arts and Sciences, Women Divers Hall of Fame, and the Explorers Club, which awarded her with the William Beebe Award for ocean exploration.
