World News

Happy New Year to all Northwest Divers! 2017 is fading in the rearview mirror and I want to reflect on what WSA accomplished last year. As most of you know we are now committed to creating nine new artificial reefs in our state as well as now working closely with the Department of Natural Resources in their creosote piling removal program and tire reef removal program. We have created from scratch a protocol for transferring sea life from the pilings and tires and giving them a new home near to their old homes. We have been successful with this effort and have shared our knowledge with the various government agencies and anyone else who finds they have to deal with this kind of project.

Citrus County, Florida is well recognized in the scuba diving world for its strong, driven community, which has fervently promoted good environmental stewardship and...

Launching from Grand Portage, Minnesota is Isle Royale Charters: one of Lake Superior’s most recognized charter operators. Specializing in sharing Lake Superior’s fine diving, Isle Royale Charters has been an established business for decades and offers underwater opportunities for both recreational and technical divers.

Often nicknamed the “rainforest of the sea” coral reefs are some of the most diverse ecosystems on earth. There may be more than one million species inhabiting the coral reefs around the world. In many ways, they are akin to the rainforests, where many of the inhabitants have yet to be discovered. Unfortunately, coral reefs as we know them are dying and sadly their inhabitants are losing their homes. These fragile, yet vital ecosystems are under siege from a vast array of assailants including localized pollutants, global warming, invasive species, human carelessness, ocean acidification, and other aggressors. While many human inhabitants of our planet have been slow to respond to the problem or creating a mechanism of protecting these ecosystems, hope is within site: Grand Cayman.

Although Alabama has one of the smallest coastlines of any coastal state, it enjoys one of the best, most dynamic artificial reef programs in the country. Replacing breadth with depth, the Alabama Gulf Coast Reef and Restoration Foundation (AGCRRF) has made it their mission to sink artificial wrecks along the Alabama coast, particularly off Orange Beach, and is excited to announce its latest upcoming endeavor: the sinking of the New Venture.

Canada’s Department of Fisheries and Ocean’s has finally announced the protection of 8 new protected areas in Howe Sound British Columbia, that...

And now it can be told. An interdisciplinary team of ten US Federal agencies, the military, scientists and academicians collaborated on a two-year study of the wreck of USS San Diego on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of its sinking, to determine definitely what happened that day. The study was undertaken in memory of the six sailors killed in the sinking. New technologies were employed in the study, including finite-element engineering modeling of the flooding and sinking timeline based on loads aboard the ship and interior compartmentalization, high density/definition photogrammetry mapping and side scan sonar analysis of the wreck, and underwater unmanned probes (AUV’s and ROV’s – autonomous underwater vehicle and remote-operated vehicle) equipped with laser beams to measure the structure.

In biblical terms, many scholars believe the Nile river ‘turning into a river of blood’ as described by Exodus is actually a red tide.

Article by Selene Muldowney Shipwrecks, man-made reefs, and natural reefs instill a sense of awe and discovery in...

Originally conceived in 2013, the Divearium “combines a diver training site and an underwater fauna and flora gallery/museum within a partially simulated aquarium environment”. Ultimately, it will serve as a multi-purpose facility where scuba divers will be able to learn and practice their skills while exploring an underwater venue unlike anything else they have experienced