Oceans of Opportunity

Author: oceanopportunity

diving with ‘style’

Lately, especially now that my R&D program is up and running, I’ve been paying closer attention to equipment refinements that make working underwater more efficient. Sometimes that means developing something from scratch. Other times, it means making a minor modification to existing equipment or simply changing its configuration. In every case, those adjustments respond to…

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Reflections on the Narragansett Bay Bottom

Springtime here in the Ocean State means getting ready for the busy boating season. As a  marine contractor, part of that includes servicing moorings. I’ve been diving on moorings for more than 15 years at this point. It can be a monotonous task, with upwards of twenty ups and downs made every day, though of…

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diving is a pain in the neck

Literally. Two weeks ago I woke up in the morning with that crick in your neck that prevents you from turning your head side to side without a radiating pain. Generally, as most have experienced, a few days rest and its back to business as usual. In my case, my ‘few days rest’ turned into…

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cut throat and cash

The long list of things that truly fascinate me about being a working diver never seems to stop growing, and this is even after some 15+ years at the game. Most importantly to me is being able to find an appreciable ‘art’ in heavy and potentially dangerous tasks. Yesterdays project was a good reminder of…

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new species of fish discovered ‘in Bahama Deep’

A critical component of our work in exploration is the process of discovery. Visiting a unique environment for the first time exposes limitless opportunities for driving science, and purest discovery lies at its roots. The Bahamas has provided our living test bed for experimenting with novel scientific diving techniques within the mesophotic, or ‘middle light’,…

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caught in the act…by satellite!!!

As our world gets smaller and smaller in many ways given the massive wave of (inter)connectivity technology has afforded us (for better or worse), I have often prided myself on having found some peace, solitude, and solemnity on an almost daily basis with my underwater exploits. Apparently those days are nearing an end! A friend…

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metabolic mayhem

While most experience some weight shifting through the seasons, especially here in the Northeast where distinct and sharply contrasted climates cause a sort of hibernation at times, and binge around the holidays to fatten up for the winter cold; this weight change is overwhelmingly apparent when my busy dive season kicks into gear. I can’t help…

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‘bottom feeding’

Every now and again, I feel like I’m in a rut that I appropriately refer to as ‘bottom feeding’. I face the same societal and economic stressors as the rest of our land dwelling population, and these days much of that stress comes from finances. Professional ventures often reach these crossroads where you are either…

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liquid breathing and the miracle of life

A wonderful Thanksgiving suprise was the arrival of my little Olive. It goes without saying that she was carefully inspected by her family for gills and webbed feet to see how much of her Dad was inherited right off. All kidding aside, among the most striking elements of Olive’s grand entrance was the realization that she…

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subaquatic job security – husbandry 101

Yesterday was a good reminder of where to find job security in the subaquatic realm – husbandry. Every device and structure – from instruments to bridges and piers – is severely abused by the natural forces of the ocean environment, and that means they need constant maintenance and upkeep…great news for us commercial divers. My…

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