Hawaii Scuba Diving

America’s public lakes, rivers, and seashores offer some of the best water for recreation on our continent. Enjoy scuba diving an underwater nature trail at a National Marine Sanctuary or body surfing at a national seashore. ... [Read More]

NOAA Ocean Explorer: Northwestern Hawaiian Islands
Now, counting fish can be a bit of a challenge. Everyone I've met always asks me how I make sense of schools of fish. Basically, you start at one end, and count really quickly. If they're moving, I pick a spot in the water column. It's sort of like counting sheep jumping over a fence. Our surveys are done in what is called a "belt transect." While diving, we run out a 50-m tape, and count fish along it, within a certain width from it. You get pretty good at estimating distance from the tape, so you know that your strip width is good. But that is not where it ends. We also estimate the size of a fish on a belt transect. Mostly, it's giving an estimate on the length of the fish. You get pretty good at it after a while, and you can most certainly tell the difference between a fish that's 5 cm long fish and one that's 7 cm long. I've done many belt transects counting fish and estimating their size while scuba diving. This has led to two excellent skills: I've become a pretty go ... [Read More]

NURP Advanced Diving
Several scientific diving programs operated by NURP's university partners have successfully used innovative deep diving techniques, most notably in conjunction with NOAA's scientific oversight of the recovery of the USS Monitor shipwreck. Based on this success, NURP is working with the NOAA Diving Program and the AAUS (American Academy of Underwater Sciences) to establish advanced diving procedures for NOAA for scientific dives to 300 feet. ...

The HADC will provide a regional multi-agency advanced diving forum where members may share expertise and equipment to support advanced scientific diving operations. Proposed participants include NOAA (NURP's Hawaii Undersea Research Laboratory, the NOAA Diving Program, Office of Ocean Exploration, National Marine Fisheries Service, and the National Marine Sanctuaries Program), the University of Hawaii, the Bishop Museum, and possibly, the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Coast Guard. ... [Read More]

Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary: Council Members
Terry has been actively involved with the ocean in Hawai`i for 25 years - as the focal point of his professional life and for personal recreation. He began scuba diving in South Dakota in 1965 and later founded what is now the oldest scuba diving business on Kaua`i. Terry was with Atlantis Adventures for over 12 years in a senior management positions and has served with numerous marine related organizations. He was the founding president of The Ocean Recreation Council of Hawai`i and Ocean and Marine Resources Council that developed the state’s first comprehensive ocean policy plan. He is currently a member of the University of Hawai`i Sea Grant Advisory Council. Most recently Terry has been invited to serve on the newly created Marine Protected Area Federal Advisory Committee, which will provide recommendations to the department of Commerce and Interior on marine protected areas with in the United States jurisdiction. Terry is a strong advocate of the sustainable marine environm ... [Read More]

The NOAA Diving Program
NOAA diving supervisors originate requested from non-NOAA organizations for reciprocity to the Director, NOAA Diving Program (DNDP). Reciprocity is granted to organizations based on NOAA Diving Program regulations, operational procedures and training standards. A checklist was developed to assist NOAA diving supervisors when reviewing request for reciprocity. NOAA diving standards are listed for comparison with non-NOAA organizations. Reciprocity request should only be forwarded to the DNDP when all NOAA criteria are meet by the requesting organization. ... [Read More]

About French Frigate Shoals
More than 150 species of algae live among the reefs, including red, green and brown algae. Especially diverse and lush algal communities are found immediately adjacent to La Perouse Pinnacle, leading phycologists (algae scientists) to speculate that influx of additional nutrients in the form of guano are responsible for the high algal productivity in this habitat.The outer reef waters support gray reef sharks, butterfly fish, and large schools of jacks and groupers. Endemic masked angelfish ( Genicanthus personatus ) are occasionally seen here at scuba diving depths. In the Main Hawaiian Islands, they are rarely seen shallower than 300 feet. ... [Read More]