Marine archaeologists (also known as maritime archaeologists) are persons working in the discipline of Marine Archaeology (also known as maritime archaeology) and study human interaction with the sea, lakes and rivers through the study of vessels, shore side facilities, cargoes, human remains and submerged landscapes. One speciality is underwater archaeology, which studies the past through any submerged remains. Another specialty within maritime archaeology is nautical archaeology, which studies vessel construction and use.
Treasure hunters sell the artifacts (cannons, bottles, coins, specie, bullion - also known as treasure) they find on shipwrecks and, when proficient at archaeology and working within the law, they are the capitalists of marine archaeology. Treasure hunters without proficiency in archaeology and salvaging historical artifacts without government permits are looters.[1]
E. Lee Spence (born 1947), pioneer underwater archaeologist and treasure hunter, prolific author of books, maps and articles on shipwrecks, editor, a founder of Sea Research Society in 1972
Robert H Pritchett III (born 1962) Explorer, author, shipwreck surveyor, President and CEO Global Marine Exploration Inc. www.gmexploration.com Pewter wreck of Punta Cana, Cape Canaveral Shipwrecks, 42 colonial period shipwreck finds to credit
William G Seliger (Born 1973) Explorer, author, shipwreck surveyor, COO Global Marine Exploration Inc. www.gmeexploration.com. Credited with discovering or working on the following wrecks: Consolacion shipwreck, Pewter wreck of Punta Cana, multiple wrecks in the southern Dominican Republic, multiple wrecks around Cape Canaveral, and many more colonial period shipwreck finds.
Biologists
Marine biology, or Biological oceanography is the study of the plants, animals and microbes (biota) of the oceans and their ecological interaction.
Kathryn D. Sullivan (born 1951), Marine Geologist, Astronaut, Formally: Chief Scientist of NOAA, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Environmental Observation and Prediction and Deputy Administrator for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Currently (4 June 2013) serving as Acting Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and Acting NOAA Administrator.
Ocean Engineers
Ocean engineers study the ocean environment to determine its effects on ships and other marine vehicles and structures. Ocean engineers may design and operate stationary ocean platforms, or manned or remote-operated sub-surface vehicles used for deep sea exploration.[1]
John Perry
Oceanographers
Oceanography (from the greek words Ωκεανός meaning Ocean and γράφω meaning to write), also called oceanology or marine science, is the branch of Earth Sciences that studies the Earth's oceans and seas. It covers a wide range of topics, including marine organisms and ecosystem dynamics; ocean currents, waves, and geophysical fluid dynamics; plate tectonics and the geology of the sea floor; and fluxes of various chemical substances and physical properties within the ocean and across its boundaries. These diverse topics reflect multiple disciplines that oceanographers blend to further knowledge of the world ocean and understanding of processes within it: biology, chemistry, geology, meteorology, and physics.
Cave diving is one of the most challenging and potentially dangerous kinds of diving and presents many diving hazards. Cave diving is a form of penetration diving, meaning that in an emergency a diver cannot ascend directly to the surface due to the cave's ceilings, and instead may have to swim horizontally. The underwater navigation through the cave system may be difficult and exit routes may be at considerable distance, requiring the diver to have sufficient breathing gas to make the journey, resulting in potential deep diving risks.[2]
Robert H Pritchett III ( Born 1962) Explorer, surveyor, ex Cave Instructor, Explored caves in Bermuda, Florida, Bahamas, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Haiti
First Generation Diving Safety Officers
A Diving Safety Officer (DSO) is a person (typically a University Official) appointed by an institution's responsible administrative officer or designee. He or she must be trained as a scientific diver, be a full member of the American Academy of Underwater Sciences and be an active underwater instructor from an internationally recognized certifying agency. He or she is responsible, for the conduct of the scientific diving program of the institution, including the conduct of training and certification, approval of dive plans, maintenance of diving records, and ensuring compliance with all relevant
regulations.
This organizational structure goes back to the model developed at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in the early 1950s. The model spread from there to the other campuses of the University of California, then to other California institutions and then nationwide. It served as the model accepted by the American Academy of Underwater Sciences and OSHA.
Those individuals who were part of the first generation of Diving Officers often had the opportunity to participate in many different undersea exploration programs and made singular contributions to those programs as well as the world of diving and submersibles.