Oceans of Opportunity

Author: oceanopportunity

New Blog in Beta

We invite you to share ideas and feedback regarding our programs. As we get in the field on expeditions, this blog will provide an open forum to share the results of our work in as near real-time as possible. This blog is under development. Stay tuned! Dop a note, and enjoy! ML

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Making Headlines | Diving a Dream

Matthew Johnston partners with Ocean Opportunity Inc., and with the culmination of 3 years of hard work and dedication, he becomes the world’s first ventilator dependent diver. The project is featured on NBC’s Today Show in January 2007. The project was a critical demonstration of advances in adaptive diving, and perhaps more importantly, the ability to…

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Past to Present | first CCR dives on Lee Stocking Island

In 2004, Lombardi fights an uphill battle to gain approval to dive closed-circuit rebreathers under institutional auspices at NOAA’s Caribbean Marine Research Center. The effort results in new standards established for the organization, liability issues mitigated, and the first CCR dives conducted for science at this NURP facility.

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Past to Present | Lusca’s Breath

Lombardi provides cave diving support at several locations in Exumas, Bahamas for Dr. Marc Slattery of the University of Mississippi, and during subsequent field projects for private biotechnology companies. Numerous new sponge species are discovered which reveal potential in natural products discovery. This prompts a keen interest in the field, and an emerging professional interest…

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Past to Present | Antarctica K068

Lombardi provides dive support for Antarctica K068, a cooperative research project between researchers at the University of New Hampshire and the University of Otago. The project investigated the effects of ultraviolet radiation on marine life below the Antarctic sea ice. Again faced with very real limitations in underwater efficiency, Lombardi continued to pursue innovations to…

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Past to Present | Technical Diving for Science

Lombardi and Drs. Marc Slattery of the University of Mississippi and Michael Lesser of the University of New Hampshire make the first mixed-gas dives for science at NOAA’s Caribbean Marine Research Center. This marked a significant milestone in US government supported diving for science programs, where new operational standards were drafted for this NURC center.…

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Breakthrough Discovery | Fluorescent Mantis Shrimp

Lombardi, Albertson and McGauley work with Charlie Mazel on several night dives off of Lee Stocking Island during early experimentation of fluorescence discovery and imaging techniques. A fluorescent mantis shrimp was discovered preying on a small fish, and resulted in among the first descriptions of the functional role of fluorescence in the marine environment.

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Past to Present | Mycobacterium Marinum

Lombardi suffers a deep gash on his right hand while working in a dirty marina. Several months later, a deep tissue infection reveals itself. A lengthy surgery and several months of strong antibiotics are required to fend off the Mycobacterium marinum infection. This results in further questions about career direction and how to improve health…

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Past to Present | Working Dives

In summer 1996, Lombardi literally thumbed through the phonebook and called numerous dive companies looking for summer employment to gain more experience. Coastal Diving Services, recently acquired by Lyle Smith, hired him to do a variety of light tasks such as hullcleanings and mooring work. Lombardi completed in excess of 100 dives that summer, mostly…

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