True Dive Team

Florida Keys - 2009

The TRUE Dive Team conducted extensive underwater surveys of the diverse assemblages of corals, sponges, macroinvertebrates, and fish that inhabit the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS). Robust scientific methodologies are employed (e.g., benthic quadrats, digital photo-transect surveys, and visual censuses) and the data collected have been used to ground-truth satellite imagery and augment databases at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) Fish and Wildlife Research Institute (FWRI). The data collected by the TRUE Dive Team is currently being used by FWRI in mapping and studying the thousands of patch reefs found in the FKNMS.

With funding from NOAA, the TRUE Dive Team was the first to witness, monitor and document nursery-raised Acropora palmata and Acropora cervicornis spawn. Both species are listed as ‘threatened’ under the Endangered Species Act. This was possible by a partnership with Ken Nedimyer from the Coral Reef Foundation and the Florida Keys Dive Center.

In addition, the Explorers have explored and entered Aquarius (a unique undersea research lab), helped NOAA scientists care for and transplant coral fragments in Key West, and honed their underwater navigation skills with Special Forces Underwater Operations combat diver trainers.