Research Diving and Scientific Diving

The world's vast oceans still remain a mystery and though there is no officially appointed body monitoring this source of life's resources, its dynamics have inspired a field of research dedicated toward the advancement of science. Fully qualified researchers, observers and data gatherers are employed to work on sites determining the how various elements of nature interact with each other under these extreme circumstances.

The level of dive training required is highly technical in order to execute the various areas of research fall under the following categories;
• Marine Geology encompasses the study of fascinating topics such as the use of SCUBA in the Study of Explosive Submarine Volcanism.
• Oceanology is a branch of earth sciences covering areas from marine ecosystems to environmental forces (waves, currents) and plate tectonics. A combination of areas have been amalgamated into its study namely meteorology, chemistry and physics.
• Marine Archeology amalgamates diving physics and physiology with wreck and archeological detail.
• Marie Biology studies focuses on the biodiversity of the oceans and thus trends in ecological deterioration such as red tides, wide scale contamination, degradation of coral reefs and the high mortality rate among its inhabitants.

All marine research specialists are trained in management, maintenance, and pragmatic studies on marine sites. Their tasks further encompass documenting and pooling resources with like agencies, protecting research sites and determining their value in terms of history, and socio-economic value. This includes everything from archeological site presentation and managing natural resources to monitoring pollution and contamination.

Underwater Archeology

Underwater Archeology is a bit like Indiana Jones, just under water. Salvagers retrieve objects from the depths that may assist us to gather insight into what was lost to the past, specifically in ship or aircraft wrecks or underwater structures lost due to sea level fluctuations. These phenomenon, combined with the results of seismic and climactic activities have lost entire land sites once occupied by humans.

One such example is the North Sea. Pre-ice age it was a vast open plane where mammoths roamed and the reason we know this is because trawlers continually recover the evidence.

Not only have the artifacts found in these time capsules proven very useful in certain circumstances of understanding the past but wrecks themselves have lead to interesting technological developments. Submarines for example, were developed and perfected through a series of archeological research explorations tracing trends lost to time and the ocean floor.

The rewards of marine archeology often come in exchange for rather hazardous conditions. Tides may even leave sites inaccessible for extended periods. Other elements to contend with include poor visibility, especially during excavation and lack of ample light penetration.

The difficulty of access points compared to the ease of those on land require certain sites to be explored using remotely operated submersibles, submarines and even underwater stations for research and monitoring. In many cases research platforms need to be erected in order to facilitate remote sensing equipment, result analysis, supply and storage. The sites therefore require substantially more financial support to cover equipment and technology than terrestrial ones. Marine Geophysics/Remote sensing employs sonar can be used to scan a potential site. Under this division is a process known as sub-bottom profiling using sonar to detect structures under sediment.

Full environmental assessments are necessary is necessary to determine how the elements of the area interact with one another and topographical surveys determine wreck locations. Research is recorded with special equipment that allows for underwater recording such as laminated paper and pencils that write underwater but the prime method is underwater photography.

Another interesting division of marine science is known as Dendrochronology, a field employed to date and track the origin of ship through its timber. Archaeobotany and archaeozoology allow for the study of underwater organisms due to their natural preservation and Magnetometry is used to locate metal leftovers of wrecks.

Marine Biology

Marine biology on the other hand deals with an area that has a huge impact on our existence, contributing to 90% of the oxygen we breath even shoreline shaping and new land creation. Research organizations deal with education and topics of study involving the impact of pollution on marine life and monitoring marine biodiversity future generations.

Technical fields falling under this division of marine science include multidisciplinary ecotoxicological research, research dissemination, environmental education, and international programs through which various issues are addressed namely pollution, unsustainable coastal development, species and habitat degradation, and environmental emergencies (toxic spills, releases) affecting marine life.

Researchers achieve these aims by collecting various fish, monitoring coral reefs and herbivorous and conducting in-depth studies into the habits of foraging ecology and collections of plankton. Advances have also been made in what is known as Biotelemetry which monitors the animal's vital signs through movement and behavioral patterns.