Oct 2020 #19

The News and Views of the Association of Dive Program Administrators

Hello ADPA members, The colder, shorter days of fall bring operations topics. Please review the flu season and an increased the Symposium and Training Week prevalence of the common updates in the pages that follow. cold. These maladies confound Registration for the Symposium COVID-19 symptom recognition, closed on 20 October; please further increasing uncertainty for contact Halle Minshall at those feeling ill as the pandemic [email protected] if you are drags on. Our teams and not registered yet, but still wish to institutions must continue to follow attend. Also, remember to email and support science-based your thirty-second (max) Organizational Update recommendations and help our communities Video and photos for ADPA Day in the Life wade through this epoch. This charge is slideshow to [email protected] by imperative to maintain our health and that of 1 November. Lastly, please use this link to send our family, friends, and co-workers. Please your organization's statistics to Jake Emmert; continue to ensure that those you affect, this deadline is also 1 November. We compare especially your team members at work, adhere the stats from the past year and share them to the three W’s: wear your mask, watch your during the Symposium. distance, and wash your hands. In closing, I would be remiss if not continuing my As is customary, we dedicate this year’s final unremitting call to get and remain involved with edition of the Bottom Times newsletter to next your Association. The Communications month’s Symposium and Training Week Committee always seeks Bottom Times events. Your Symposium and Training Day contributions, so contact a committee member Committees, with support of the Board, have if you have a technique or process to share in assembled a terrific suite of timely Dive Hacks or wish to showcase your program in offerings. This year’s presentations include Organizational Spotlight. information and discussion around COVID-19, guidance on the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals’ Stay well and dive safe, decision on the Houston Aquarium (Landry’s) case, and a myriad of equipment and dive

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Oct 2020 #19

Register Here for the Symposium! Register Here for Training Week!

Virtual Symposium & Training Week

The last eight months have been unlike anything any of us have ever seen before--the changes in our facilities and operations due to COVID-19 could never have been anticipated, and it’s at this time that we need each other more than ever before. For these reasons, we have opted to continue to host our annual Symposium, a time of collaboration and community. We hope to replicate the experience from an in-person Symposium this year with our virtual Symposium and Training Week. We have been hard at work to bring you interesting and relevant content that is supremely affordable. There will be different and new challenges to work through to make this year’s events a success, but we look forward to presentations on a wide range of topics.

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Oct 2020 #19

Annual Dive Statistics! Great opportunity to support your association, and please remember to only submit one entry per institution. Deadline is November 1st along with Day in the Life and Organizational Update Video! Form to submit annual statistics for the Symposium is now live! https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeiSmseLCxc5wAhaJ9VNRoq9ThbQaPCynpVT- Y6xgH8CuRYiw/viewform

Organizational Update Videos As we introduce our first Virtual Symposium, we are excited to announce a new opportunity for you to share a small piece of your program with us. We will miss seeing everyone in person this year but hope this brings a smile to everyone. In lieu of a traditional ‘Organizational Update’ where we typically go around the room and each attendee shares information about their facility, we are providing the option to send in a 30 second or shorter video clip. In the video, we would like you to creatively say ‘Hello’ while sharing your facility’s 2020 statistics. We encourage you to be imaginative and show us your best! This is a unique opportunity to share your dive program with the ADPA, and make it fun. Anyone who wants to opt out of sending in a video will have their organizational statistics read aloud by a Symposium facilitator after the compilation video has been shown.

Send videos to the following: [email protected] Subject: (your facility name) Message Body: (your name) Attachment: 1- 30 second or shorter video from each facility, where you introduce: 1) Facility Name 2) Dive Officers 3) Total number of diver staff and volunteers 4) Total number of dives Please submit videos no later than November 1st! Videos submitted after might not be included. If you have any issues sending the video due to file size contact [email protected] for a direct upload link.

Holly Bourbon presenting Perry Hampton, one of the ADPA original Founders,

with the 25th Anniversary plaque at Calvert Marine Museum on 10/16/2020.

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Oct 2020 #19

Important Dates: November 1st: “ADPA Day in the Life’” Photos due to: [email protected] “Organizational Update” Videos due to: [email protected] “Annual Dive Statistics Survey” due to: [email protected]

November 7th: ADPA Annual Board Meeting 11:00am – 2:00pm CST: Executive Session (closed).

For GoToWebinar link information, 3:00pm – 5:00pm CST: Open Session. [email protected]

November 9th: Training Week begins (see schedule for full details)

November 10th: Symposium 10:00am - 5:30pm CST

November 11-13th: Training Week Continues

Symposium Presentation Topics Innovation and Evolution: Using Mini Scuba Unit and Lost in the Murk: Using Acoustic Receivers in Low- Developing Extraction Protocols in our Amazon River Visibility Waters to Recover Monitoring Devices Forest Exhibit The Process of Replacing 250 Wetsuits: Box Jellyfish During a Pandemic and What to do with the Old Ones The Final Verdicts, Osha vs Landry’s AAUS Update Zoo and Aquarium Dive Programs: COVID 19 Updates and Discussions Current Trends and Insights Corporate Partner Presentations Round Table Discussions

Requirements – computer with functional webcam and microphone, set of headphones. Good Wi-Fi accessibility is a plus.

Any Symposium attendee who would like to practice logging in and accessing the platform to confirm that their system meets requirements and ensure flawless entrance to the Symposium and Training Week can pop into a practice session for 15 minutes at any of the following times:

• Monday, November 2nd from 2:30 - 4:00 EST

• Wednesday, November 4th from 10:30 - 12:00 EST 4 Page

Oct 2020 #19

• Friday, November 6th from 12:30 – 2:00 EST Virtual Training Week Schedule and Options

Central Tue - Nov Time Mon - Nov 9 10 Wed - Nov 11 Thu - Nov 12 Fri - Nov 13 AM PSI/PCI "How To" Sci Diving 10:00 AM Refresher* Exemption Q&A: DPiC

Vol Motivation and Admin/DSO Staff Level 11:30 AM Rescue X Symposium Retention Safety Drills Staff Development All Day PM Q&A: FFM and Q&A: DSO Communication 1:00 PM Workshop Panel Q&A: BOD Systems

Q&A: Zoo and Aquarium Programmatic Level 2:30 PM Gear Configuration Changes Due to COVID

*PSI/PCI Refresher participants will be contacted by instructor Paul Boissinot on registration instructions (will require additional payment).

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Oct 2020 #19

Organizational Spotlight: By Chad Burtrum, Allison Shafer and Lauren Larese Audubon Aquarium of the Americas, , LA

About the Aquarium Audubon Aquarium of the Americas is located on the banks of the , right on the edge of New Orleans’ historic . The Aquarium of the Americas is a part of the , a nonprofit organization overseeing ten New Orleans museums and parks dedicated to nature. The Institute also includes the , Audubon Insectarium, and the expansive Audubon Park among its member attractions. The Aquarium opened its doors on Labor Day in not survived. Returning stronger than before, 1990 and has been ranked as a must-see New the Aquarium was able to reopen on May 26th, Orleans destination ever since. As its name 2006, and has since revamped its implies, the Aquarium specializes in showcasing exhibit to highlight life below an oil rig platform. aquatic life from regions throughout North and On April 20th, 2010, the Deepwater Horizon South America with over 3,600 animals from 250 drilling rig exploded in the Gulf and created one species represented. Noteworthy exhibits of the largest environmental disasters in include the freshwater Amazon Rainforest and American history. The Aquarium was heavily Mississippi River galleries, a 132,000-gallon involved in rehabilitating affected animals during Caribbean reef tank, a 400,000-gallon Gulf of this tragic event. Mexico exhibit, and sea otters. Although not technically an American species, the Aquarium is Dive Program also home to a very popular colony of Before the pandemic, the Aquarium of the endangered African penguins. Americas had 95 active divers (with some staff divers located at other Audubon Nature Institute The Aquarium of the Americas has seen its share facilities), but COVID-19 has reduced the current of natural and manmade disasters from its number of divers. Since reopening, the location on the dynamic Gulf Coast. On August Aquarium is down to just 15 dedicated volunteer 29th, 2005, struck New and 13 staff divers across three campuses. Prior Orleans causing massive flooding throughout to COVID-19, Audubon divers averaged about most of the city. While the Aquarium sits on high 1,400 dives per year. This year the Aquarium has ground and survived the initial hurricane, the had to switch to a reduced dive schedule of only ensuing power outages left staff members essential commercial dives and is on track to unable to fully operate its life support systems conduct about half of its pre-pandemic dive

on backup generators alone. When staff were numbers. The dive program looks forward to

able to return to the building after four days of rebuilding its scientific program in the future. 6

evacuation, they found that most of the fish had Page

Oct 2020 #19

Fieldwork and Collaborations The Audubon Nature Institute has a long history of dive participation in open water research, including spiny lobster tagging in the Bahamas, fish surveys on the Flower Garden Banks, and artificial reef surveys with the University Consortium (LUMCON). Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the Institute was taking steps to rekindle collaboration with the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary along with Moody Gardens of Galveston, Texas. Although this has been put on hold, they look forward to pursuing these endeavors soon.

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Oct 2020 #19

About the DSO

Diving Safety Officer Chad Burtrum started his diving career while at Humboldt State University in Northern California by minoring in scientific SCUBA diving. After completing his minor, Chad was accepted into Humboldt’s yearlong Dive Master program. This is how he discovered being a DSO was the coolest job in the world.

Looking back, Chad remembers his first open water dive fondly, even if the conditions were not ideal. He recalls it raining sideways, 50-degree air temperature with 48-degree water temperature, and only 3-5 feet of visibility (just a typical California dive if you were wondering). Rental gear is never pretty, but Chad’s rental suit was the ugliest of them all and ill- fitting as well! After completing some skills on a bottom line and getting a closer look at a Gumboot Chiton, Chad knew diving for a living was now his focus.

Chad began his professional diving career on Catalina Island as a Dive Master, and soon after completed his Instructor certification in San Diego. A friendship formed on Catalina Island led Chad to a position with USC Wrigley as a waterfront assistant, where his NAUI Instructor and scientific diver skills were put to use. During this time with USC, Chad also began volunteer diving with the Aquarium of the Pacific, opening the world of aquarium diving for him. Chad’s next step was to work at the California Science Center for a year and a half. This journey eventually led him back to USC Wrigley, working as a staff instructor and deckhand under the leadership of Eric Castillo for five years. All these experiences collectively brought Chad to Audubon Aquarium at the beginning of this year.

Volunteer divers play a vital role in any aquarium dive operation, and the volunteers at Audubon Aquarium are one of the things Chad likes best about his job. Chad had 11 original volunteer divers before the Covid-19 shutdown, who had been diving nearly every week for the past 30 years! Chad loves getting to work with these dedicated volunteers and finds them to be an incredible group.

As for hobbies outside of diving, Chad enjoys a good round of

disc golf but wishes he were able to play more often. 8

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Oct 2020 #19

The Flow Bench Submitted by Jake Emmert, Dive Safety Officer, Moody Gardens

Five Ways to Do One Thing or One Way That Does Five Things The Problem:

• Servicing, maintaining, and calibrating your program’s dive equipment to meet standard requirements efficiently all in one place without breaking the bank and minimizing the time commitment.

The Five in One Solution:

• The flow bench is a single magic box that allows you to test all the functions of modern regulators, valves, and full face masks -- including verifying gauge accuracy, and conducting air flow tests--without personally breathing off a single thing (thanks but no thanks, Covid- 19)! • The flow bench, offered by Global Scuba Manufacturing of Texas, can be used for most of your maintenance needs with a user-friendly, intuitive interface (top photo). • Capabilities include air flow rates (up to 30 cu ft./min.), inhalation/exhalation breathing efforts at initiation and during air flow, first stage intermediate pressure, lockup repeatability and stability, and leak tests. • Air flow rates through valves and gas manifolds can also be determined, allowing you to document adequate flow rates for surface supplied diving systems. • The bench can also be used to verify the accuracy of surface supply gauges (bottom photo), and can even be used to test your umbilical pressure tester (middle photo), shout out to Georgia Aquarium’s Jimmy Mac and Jeff Odom! • The flow bench valve can be removed, allowing you to quickly test rebuilt valves before having to put them on a cylinder. • Gauges can be removed and calibrated each year, serving as your master calibration reference gauges.

The best feature is the ability to test ‘work of breathing’ as the machine does it for you, reducing the risk of disease transmission for the dive program, creating a safer workplace. All the efficiency and function in one place not only reduces the time commitment maintaining your equipment fleet, but also makes for one happy dive program administrator.

For more information or configuration questions, email [email protected]. 9

Page That’s all there is to it! See you next issue with another helpful Dive Hack. And if you have tricks of your own you’d like to share, send ‘em in to: David DeBoer, Communications Co-Chair, Pat McLaughlin or Sean Eckley.

Oct 2020 #19

By: Todd Hall

In this very strange year of pandemics, unemployment, considering the business aspect, there is a labor savings protests, politics, natural disasters, and murder hornets, based on different topside support requirements and we as an industry received a very good piece of news. reduced gear requirements (and associated costs) in On July 15th, 2020, the 5th District Court of Appeals ruled some scenarios. that husbandry maintenance and feeding dives do meet Need help? Reach out! Support organizations like the scientific exemption listed in 29 CRF 1910 Subpart ADPA, AAUS, and even AZA give you access to resources T, Appendix B- Guidelines for Scientific Diving, and knowledge of the past 40+ years of scientific diving reversing the previous ruling by the Occupational Safety and can be very helpful when you don’t know what the and Health Review Commission (OSHRC) that next step is or you need assistance with justification for husbandry dives were non-exempt. As a colleague implementing policies, procedures or equipment. You recently said, it is probably the most significant are not alone! Start by going to the ADPA website, occurrence in scientific diving since the inception of the https://adpa.org/resources/. scientific diving exemption in 1982. As expected, this ruling has put scientific diving on the After 8.5 years of dealing with this, I honestly did not OSHA radar. Now, it is up to us to keep the bar high by see it coming! In March 2020, listening to the following the rules (that we write) and maintaining safe arguments of Landry’s and OSHA in the 5th Circuit Court programs, regardless of which standard you are working of Appeals I was cautiously optimistic, but I’d felt good under. It is what we already do every day, right? As an about our past contests with OSHA and had been industry, our safety record is incredible considering the disappointed every time. As I write this now, one number of dives conducted each year. Hold yourselves appeal deadline (45 days to 5th Circuit) has passed, and and your facilities accountable to do what is right and the remaining available appeal (90 days to Supreme keep this next evolution of scientific diving going in the Court) is very unlikely to occur. So, it appears that we right direction! have a new normal in husbandry diving: two viable and compliant standards to choose from for our daily I cannot wait to “see” everyone for the symposium in husbandry diving tasks. It is a huge win for everyone! November, where I will be presenting on the ruling, adding a bit of my perspective and hopefully engaging Can everyone take advantage of the scientific diving in discussion with you all. I want to hear your thoughts, exemption? From the largest aquarium to the smallest concerns, and how you are planning to move forward in zoo, the answer is YES! Every facility is different, but in your facility! So, start thinking about some questions or general, with the right infrastructure (DCB, Dive Safety comments and the symposium will be here before we Manual), a comprehensive training program, and a few know it. Till then! other strategic additions, an exempt program may be

Take care and be safe everyone, WTTADPAMF!

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Oct 2020 #19 External Affairs Committee Update

Greetings ADPA’ers,

The External Affairs Committee has been hard at work…focusing largely on internal affairs at our respective institutions. COVID and the merry band of tricksters derailed plans for an AZA Mid-Year Meeting dive related update. Since that time, committee members have been keeping an eye on the recent OSHA vs. Landry’s ruling (Landry’s for the Win!!) as well as assisting the community at large with the interpretation of the said ruling. We are all excited to see everyone virtually at our first-ever online symposium in November and are looking forward to the day we can all be together again. Emergent 24/7 Access Effort On 22 August 2020, the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society (UHMS) published a letter addressing the emergent access to hyperbaric oxygen (HBO2) therapy in many areas of the United States and the deleterious effect the lack of 24/7 hyperbaric chamber access has on the safety of divers in the United States. Separate copies of the letter were sent to the office of the President of the United States of America and many others in both the federal and state governments. The ADPA contacted the UHMS with our support of this critical dive safety issue and was added to the list of supporting organizations and representatives willing to meet with decision-makers regarding what the authors identify as a "deficiency in the U.S. health care system."

We encourage all of our members to read both the UHMS letter and the Emergency Hyperbaric Treatment Crisis Lurking companion letter written by former Divers Alert Network President Dan Orr of Dan Orr Consulting, published in DiveNewswire. This letter serves as a harbinger for dive programs to periodically review emergency response plans to confirm that chamber facilities previously identified are available when needed.

Safe diving, The External Affairs Committee

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Oct 2020 #19

New Member Update Associate Members: Professional Members:

Name – Mikaela Foust Name – Emily Caffrey Institution – National Mississippi River Museum and AQ Institution – National Aquarium Email Address – [email protected] Email Address – [email protected]

Name – Orlando Ortiz Name – Shannon Hunt Institution – Disney Animal Kingdom Institution – Mississippi Aquarium Email Address – [email protected] Email Address – [email protected]

Name – Jennifer Lengares Meyer Name - Nicole Wiegand Institution – Jenkinsons Aquarium Institution - Greensboro Science Center Email Address – [email protected] Email - [email protected]

Name – George Parsons Name – Russell Lemasters Institution – Shedd Aquarium Institution – Wonders of Wildlife Email Address – [email protected] Email Address – [email protected]

Mississippi Aquarium Dive Team Member The Mississippi Aquarium in Gulfport is accepting applications for full-time dive team members to assist them with their daily operations and help build/run their SeaTrek program. If interested, contact Shannon Hunt: [email protected]. https://www.msaquarium.org/career/dive-team-member

The Georgia Aquarium is accepting applications for multiple part-time diving positions for their new exhibit expansion https://www.georgiaaquarium.org/careers/

ADPA Website Job Postings https://adpa.org/jobs/

AZA Website Job Postings https://www.aza.org/joblisting/

AAUS Website Job Postings

http://www.aaus.org

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Oct 2020 #19 The Informed Diver

Member Media Links:

Monterey Bay Aquarium Day of Discovery: Submitted by George Peterson, Director of Dive Programs, Monterey Bay Aquarium https://vimeo.com/439385014/c85e7edbd6 Short video highlighting the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Day of Discovery program for kids with disabilities featured on the San Diego Zoo Kids channel.

Monterey Bay Aquarium Kelp Forest: Submitted by George Peterson, Director of Dive Programs, Monterey Bay Aquarium https://vimeo.com/439385704/27e6f85533 Short video exploring the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Kelp Forest exhibit featured on the San Diego Zoo Kids channel.

Six U.S. Aquariums Where You Can Go Scuba Diving: Submitted by Holly Bourbon, Director of Dive Programs, National Aquarium https://www.scubadiving.com/six-us-aquariums-where-you-can-go-scuba- diving?utm_source=internal&utm_medium=email&tp=i-1NGB-Et-QiI-16iRL0-1c-S7O1-1c-16ikur- l554eZtmKe-1h3RD8 Short article published in Scuba Diving Magazine that highlights six AZA-accredited institutions (all ADPA members) that recreational divers can dive in their exhibits through volunteering or guest immersion programs.

Gear Recalls: Scuba.com Recall List https://www.scuba.com/resources/equiprecall.aspx Has a list of past recalls up through last year or so

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Oct 2020 #19 Corporate Partner Report

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[email protected] www.oceanears.com www.oceanears.com Page

Oct 2020 #19

www.animal-exhibits.com

http://www.spareair.com

https://avesstudio.com 15 Page

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www.sherwoodscuba.com

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www.rescuextraining.com Page

Oct 2020 #19

Bottom Times is the quarterly newsletter of the Association of Dive Program Administrators. Submit jobs, ideas, and other info to the communication committee one month before the next release date. Scheduled releases: January 2020 / April 2020 / July 2020 / October 2020

Communication Committee Chair Dave DeBoer [email protected] Co-Chair Holly Martel Bourbon (National Aquarium, MD) [email protected] Member Mark Lane (California Academy of Sciences, CA) [email protected] Member Allison Shafer (California Academy of Sciences, CA) [email protected] Member Sean Eckley (California Science Center, CA) [email protected] Member Brendan DeGrim (Maritime Aquarium, CT) [email protected] Member Lauren Larese (Bass Pro Shops, Wonders of Wildlife, MO) [email protected] Member Pat McLaughlin (Adventure Aquarium, NJ) [email protected]

Board of Directors President Mauritius Bell (California Academy of Sciences, CA) [email protected] President - Elect Jake Emmert (Moody Gardens, TX) [email protected] Secretary Halle Minshall (Greater Cleveland Aquarium, OH) [email protected] Treasurer Paul Dimeo (Aquarium of the Pacific, CA) [email protected] Membership Andrew Solomon (California Science Center, CA) [email protected] Director-at-Large Holly Martel Bourbon (National Aquarium, MD) [email protected]

2020 ADPA Committee Rosters Training Day: Jenna Walker – Chair Corporate Partner: Mauritius Bell – Chair Paul Dimeo – Co-Chair Paul Dimeo – Co-Chair Jon Nonnenmacher Arnold Postell Jeff Christiansen George Peterson Ryan Yuen IT Committee: Scott Chapman – Chair Symposium: Halle Minshall – Chair Chris Miller Jake Emmert – Co-Chair Allison Shafer Katie Shoultz External Affairs: Arnold Postell – Chair Holly Bourbon George Peterson – Co-Chair Heather Hooper Jenna Walker Peter Mawhinney Current BoD Ryan Yuen Mark Craven Jon Nonnenmacher Communications: Dave DeBoer – Chair Membership: Andrew Solomon – Chair Holly Bourbon – Co-Chair Chris Duncan – Co-Chair Mark Lane Chip Arnold Allison Shafer Marina Bozinovic Sean Eckley

Lauren Larese Brendan DeGrim

Pat McLaughlin

*Elections committee is chaired by out-going President and works with past Presidents to run election.

ADPA Website www.adpa.org 17

ADPA Google Group https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/adpa (Member Access Only) Page