What’s the Total Value of the World’s Sunken Treasure?
Via Scoop.it – ScubaDiving
Three historic shipwrecks have been in the spotlight recently, with cargoes of platinum ingots, gold, and silver estimated at $4.5 billion in total. These huge hauls made us wonder: Just how much money is buried at sea?
Via www.popularmechanics.com
Swimmers’ Sunscreen #Killing Off #Coral
Via Scoop.it – Coral Reef Ecology
Common sunscreen ingredients awaken dormant viruses in the algae that keep corals alive, killing the algae and causing reefs to bleach, a new study says. (National Geographic article about chemicals in sunscreen killing off coral reefs.
Via news.nationalgeographic.com
Podcast of Life: #Coral_Reefs | The Ocean Portal | Smithsonian Institution
Via Scoop.it – Coral Reef Ecology
Coral reefs are bustling cities of marine life, until rising ocean temperatures turn them into ghost towns. Can reefs spring back from devastating bleaching events? In this episode of the Podcast of Life, Ari Daniel Shapiro and researcher Dr. Randi Rotjan of the New England Aquarium, journey to the remote Phoenix Islands to find out.
Via ocean.si.edu
Even sharks have social networks – msnbc.com
“Researchers discover reef-associated shark species form stable, long-term social bonds ” Who knew?
Even sharks have social networks – Technology & science – Science – DiscoveryNews.com – msnbc.com.
PADI e-Card Replacement Certification Card Now Available
You now have the option of selecting between a PADI eCard™, a plastic replacement card or both!
Not sure what to choose?
Read more 
Corals inflate to escape being buried alive in sand – BBC News
Via Scoop.it – Coral Reef Ecology
BBC NewsCorals inflate to escape being buried alive in sandBBC NewsBy Victoria Gill Science reporter, BBC Nature Coral might appear solid and inanimate, but surprising new footage of a mushroom coral inflating itself to escape a sandy burial has brought the organism to life…
Via www.bbc.co.uk
Discount Admission for DAN Members at Our World Underwater
Come join your fellow divers at Our World Underwater in Rosemont, Ill., on Feb. 17-19, 2012. As a DAN Member, you even get a discount on admission! Just bring your DAN Member card to the show Ticket Booth and receive $5 off daily general admission or $10 off the weekend pass (not valid with other discounted offers).
DAN has lots to share with you in 2012, so make a plan to stop by the DAN Booth (#502) and:
- Renew your membership
- Check out new products
- Learn about DAN’s enhanced travel insurance program
DAN is also hosting a special Friday evening event where you can meet DAN medical information specialists and trainers. You’ll get answers to your most frequently asked questions as well as learn how DAN training courses can benefit you as a recreational diver.
Finally, have you ever wanted to be a contributor to Alert Diver magazine? A member of the editorial staff will be at the show to hear your ideas and discuss potential opportunities for adding your talents to DAN’s marquee publication. All potential contributors should be prepared to share writing samples and/or a photography portfolio as well as story ideas and pitches. To book an appointment, please email Maureen Halsema or call (919) 684-2948 ext. 626.
It’s all waiting for you at Our World Underwater, so grab your DAN card, get your discount, and come enjoy the show. We’ll see you there!
| Event: | Our World Underwater |
| When: | Feb. 17-19, 2012 |
| Location: | Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, Rosemont, Ill. (Directions) |
| DAN Booth: | 502 |
I just got my PADI Open Water Diver certification…what’s next?
Remember when you first received your PADI Open Water Diver certification card? Think of the sense of accomplishment you felt after achieving a worthwhile goal. I can remember the day I finished my Open Water Diver training dives at the local quarry….cold water, low visibility, and a thick wetsuit. I remember filling out my logbook and having my Instructor sign it. Then I went home and thought…”OK, now what?”
This is a question we receive many times from our Open Water students either during their training or just after their certification dives. Let’s take a few minutes to share some options for continuing your diving education, and help answer the question: “I just got my PADI Open Water Diver certification, now what?”
Here are some options and suggestions for taking the next steps in your diving education.
You have a few options when it comes to the next class to increase your knowledge and experience. The most obvious option is to take the PADI Advanced Open Water Diver course. During the AOW course, you will make five dives in a variety of environments and performing different skills. At this level, we assume you already know the basics of diving, but in the AOW class, you will learn more about navigation, deep diving, improving your buoyancy, searching for lost objects, and maybe even night diving. Each Instructor has their favorite dives to do for Advanced, so be sure to ask what dives are going to be done for the class in which your are interested. We have some additional details on a previous post on 10 Reasons to Become a PADI Advanced Open Water Diver
You can also take a variety of PADI Specialty Diver courses as an Open Water Diver. These can include but aren;t limited to:
- AWARE Fish Identification
- AWARE Coral Reef Conservation
- Boat Diver Specialty
- Digital Underwater Photographer
- Drift Diver
- Drysuit Diver
- Enriched Air Nitrox Diver
- Emergency Oxygen Provider
- Equipment Specialist
- Night Diver Specialty
- Peak Performance Buoyancy
- Underwater Naturalist
- Underwater Navigator Specialty
- Underwater Videographer
So, taking the next step in your diving education can be something to help with buoyancy, learning more about navigation or night diving, or maybe even learning how to take better pictures underwater. The choice is yours, don’t stop learning. For more details on any of the classes listed about be sure to check out our website PADI Specialty Courses Page
140 year old shipwreck piece washes up on stretch of Michigan shoreline
Via Scoop.it – ScubaDiving
MLive.com140-year-old shipwreck piece washes ashore on remote stretch of Sleeping Bear …MLive.comBy Garret Ellison | gellison@mlive.com Courtesy Photo | Mark LindsayThe bilge keelson from a shipwreck that historians believe is the schooner Jennie…
Via www.mlive.com
Why Does My Snorkeling Mask Fog Up?
This is a question we get regularly from both our snorkeling and scuba customers: “Why does my snorkeling mask fog up?”
Well, it comes down to a few basic tips and suggestions to alleviate the issue of mask fogging.
Let’s start at the beginning…..a mask will fog due to condensation of moisture inside the mask. Think of it in terms we can understand here in Wisconsin. If you wear glasses during the winter and you come from the cold air outside into a warm room or building, your glasses fog up, right? Well, it’s the same as your snorkeling mask. Moisture will condense inside the mask if it is taken from a cool, air conditioned hotel room into the warm water.
Your mask can also fog due to a residue on the glass from suntan lotion or skin oils, residue from previous defogging solutions, or the glass may have a residue from the manufacturing process. The easiest way to clean a mask of any of these residues is to use regular toothpaste…not a gel, but regular old fashioned toothpaste. It has just enough abrasive to scour the glass of your mask without scratching it. What we are trying to do with the toothpaste is get the glass as clean as possible. Once the glass is clean and smooth, any type of defog solution will work much better.
Lastly try to refrain from breathing through your nose while snorkeling, as this will cause the warm air from your exhaled breath to condense inside the cooler glass of your mask.
Using a good quality defog can go a long way to helping you keep your mask clear. Remember, though that your defog solution should never dry inside your mask, otherwise it will be worthless. The best way to apply defog solution is to briefly rinse your mask, apply a few drops of defog solution, rub it around the lenses and then briefly rinse it out, then head off on your adventure.