July Speaker Gabriel Jensen

Gabriel is an underwater photographer, biochemist, and naturalist with a particular passion for connecting audiences with the colorful and charismatic microfauna found in the shallow seas of the Tropical Western Atlantic.

 He  currently serves on the board of directors for the South Florida Underwater Photography Society (SFUPS) where he works to connect all levels of underwater photographers, ocean explorers and marine scientists with the tools and mentorship they need to take their work to the next level. With a particular interest in the exotic sea slugs found right in the densely populated urban jungle of South Florida, Gabriel has contributed his finds to popular publications and scientific journals including the Blue Heron Bridge Guide, Scuba Diver Magazine, Florida United Malacologists, and more. "

He will be doing a variation of a presentation geared for divers that he gives to mollusk scientists and presented this year at Florida United Malacologists "How to Find Sea Slugs on your next South Florida Shore Dive"

June Speaker John Lucka

OFF-THE-RADAR DIVE DESTINATIONS
Our featured speaker on June 7th will be one of our own club members, John Lucka.  John will be sharing personal stories of his dive travel to unusual destinations that he promises are well worth the trip.  Join SFDI as John takes us on a waterspout tour of the dive sites of Bermuda, Dry Tortuga National Park, British Virgin Islands, San Andres, Cartagena, Santa Marta, Colombia, Puerto Vallarta, Cabo San Lucas, La Paz, Mexico, Coco Beach and Tamarindo Beach, Costa Rica.  Hold on to your hats! 
ABOUT JOHN LUCKA
John Lucka has had an interest in photography ever since his mother bought him his first camera for Christmas when he was 10 years old and designated him as the family photographer. He started diving in 1986 and soon after became interested in underwater photography. Since then, John has completed almost 1,300 dives.

May Speaker Dr. Joe Dituri Biomedical engineer and United States Navy veteran.

PROJECT NEPTUNE 100:  PRESSURIZED, ANALYZED, ENERGIZED!

Biomedical engineer and United States Navy veteran Dr. Joe Dituri is doing science experiments in the sea. He is living underwater for 100 days in about 30 feet at the Jules Undersea Lodge in Key Largo.  If  he completes his proposed sojourn, he will have broken the record for time at depth in the ocean.   Please join SFDI on Wednesday, May 3 as we learn about the effects of water pressure on human subject Dr. Joe on Day #64!  Find out more about Dr. Dituri at  https://drdeepsea.com/

ABOUT DR. JOE DITURI 

Dr, Dituri did not slow down when he retired from the Navy after 28 years of active service.  Fueled by his passion for discovery, adventure, and making the greatest possible positive contribution to the world, he is fighting for change in a big way. 

As president of the Undersea Oxygen Clinic, Dr. Dituri has applied his Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering to the development of a breakthrough treatment for healing Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), and the related symptoms of PTSD, depression, and long-term mental and physical impairments.

As a Director of the International Board of Undersea Medicine and in partnership with the Marine Resources Development Foundation Marine Lab, Dr. Dituri is embarking on a 100-day adventure in the Jule's Undersea Lodge in Key Largo, FL. Called the Neptune 100 Day Undersea Mission, the work Dr. Dituri is undertaking will further medical research, ocean conservation, and technical development.

Included among his many other projects and influential activities are

CEO of the Association for Marine Exploration 

Active membership on the American Bureau of Shipping Special Committee on Building and Classing Undersea Vehicles and Hyperbaric Systems

Active membership on the National Offshore Advisor Committee for Commercial Diving Safety

Consulting for the International Board of Undersea Medicine

His research areas of interest include hyperbaric medicine, life support equipment, and high carbon dioxide environments. 

Dr. Dituri is the author of numerous diver-training manuals, a co-author of the book “Tao of Survival Underwater”, a contributing author to Hyperbaric Medical Practice (4th edition) and the Navy Diving Manual. He has been published in several journals including those by the American Society of Naval Engineers and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. 

Always up for a challenge, Dr. Dituri  enjoys writing books, skydiving and pursuing a lifelong goal of being a civilian astronaut. 

April Speaker Colin Foord marine biologist

ABOUT COLIN FOORD

Colin Foord is a marine biologist, coral aquaculturist, artist, and filmmaker educated at the University of Miami and James Cook University in Australia. He is co-founder of marine biological art duo Coral Morphologic, through which he developed the world's first multimedia coral aquaculture studio located in the heart of Miami. It is Colin’s mission to bridge the gap between art and science by exploring corals in a way that people of all ages can relate to the mystery and importance of conserving the world's tropical reefs.

Beyond Miami, Colin has dived the reefs of Indonesia, Jamaica, Australia, Fiji, Cook Islands, Bahamas, Hawaii, Arabian Gulf, Colombia, and the Solomon Islands. His work has been featured by the BBC, Nat Geo Channel, The New Yorker, the Miami Herald, Vice Magazine, NPR, The New York Times, and CBS Morning News.

His most recent project is the Coral City Camera, an underwater live-streaming camera broadcasting 24/7 from an urban coral reef along PortMiami named Best Public Artwork in 2020 by the Miami New Times and featured by the BBC. 

CORAL MORPHOLOGIC IN THE CORAL CITY

 Coral Morphologic is a hybrid art-science endeavor founded in Miami in 2007 to elevate public awareness of the importance of healthy reefs and to crossover corals into pop culture.  Marine biologist and co-founder Colin Foord will take us on a journey through space and time to understand what makes Miami the Coral City it is today, and how corals can illuminate a sustainable path towards an anthropogenic future that is symbiotic with nature.

Key Links:
www.coralmorphologic.com
www.coralcitycamera.com
Social Media:
Coral Morphologic Instagram
Coral City Camera Instagram