Diving in Graduate Education: The Past and the Future

Thirty years ago, to pursue a dissertation that required SCUBA diving required only basic SCUBA training, gear, and possibly a boat. Even buddies were often considered optional. Today, to do exactly the same type of field work requires a team of at least three divers who are trained not only in SCUBA but also in medic first aid, emergency oxygen administration, and tank handling. Scientists 30 years ago logged their samples and maybe their dives. Today, the dive team must file a dive plan, log each dive in detail, and submit post-dive, monthly, and annual diving-activity reports. The obvious advantages today are that scientific divers are better trained to cope with emergencies and they are accountable for their diving activity. Less obvious benefits are training in planning, accountability, teamwork, and often proposal-writing. The obvious disadvantages are monetary costs and time. The intangible cost to science is the virtual elimination of small, low-cost individual projects, particularly in relatively remote locations.