Wednesday, November 10, 2021: Mike Book, “Egypt Above and Below”. In-Person Meeting Only.

Mike has turned his camera loose in locations worldwide, from the South Pacific to California to Alaska, around the Caribbean islands, throughout the Indian Ocean and Red Sea.

He has worked as the underwater video pro on the live-aboard dive boat Nai’a in Fiji, sells video footage that’s been used in commercials and educational videos, and has written video articles for dive magazines and web sites.

His YouTube channel – LaughingEelVideos –– has a goal to help viewers experience being underwater without the bulky scuba gear, heavy tanks, or spitting in your mask. Watch some of Mike’s high-definition video shorts.

Join us on Wednesday, November 10 @ 7pm for our last presentation of the year. We will meet at the Sausalito Parks & Rec Center, Edgewater Room, 420 Litho Street,
Sausalito. NOTE: BECAUSE THIS WILL BE A HIGH-DEFINITION VIDEO PRESENTATION, IT WILL LOOK MUCH, MUCH BETTER IN PERSON, SO THIS MONTH’S MEETING WILL BE IN PERSON ONLY AND NOT VIA ZOOM.

Wednesday, October 13, 2021: David McGuire, “Sharktober: Celebrating Sharks from California to China & Connecting Cultures for Conservation”, Hybrid In-Person / Zoom Meeting.

We’re proud to host the Founder and Director of Shark Stewards, a project of the Earth Island Institute. In 2003, his non-profit introduced the California shark fin trade ban and has led several states and international movements limiting overfishing of sharks and shark fin trade.

David is an Adjunct Professor at the University of San Francisco, teaching marine policy, and a research associate at the California Academy of Sciences, conducting shark research studies in San Francisco Bay and in Malaysia. He also works in education and monitoring with the Ocean Protection Council and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife in our state marine- protected areas, and with NOAA in West Coast National Marine Sanctuaries.

David said, “An estimated 73 to 100 million sharks are killed for their fins each year. There is much to be done and each of us can play a role.”

David has written many articles and three books:

• • • “Sharks for Kids: A Junior Scientist’s Guide to Great Whites, Hammer- heads, and Other Sharks in The Sea” –– is now available on Amazon.
    • He co-wrote “Surviving The Shark”.
    • A third book on sharks and sanctuaries will be published later this year.

He’s also produced several award-winning documentaries on sharks, diving, and adventure, and has been involved with the International Ocean Film Festival San Francisco since 2007.

Recent work includes pattern recognition on tiger sharks and manta rays using photography, algorithms, and applying the data to local conservation.

Join him on Wednesday, October 13 from 7:00 to 8:30pm to learn and discover a new or deeper fascination with sharks. Read more: https://sharkstewards.org/
Watch Dave’s presentation on Vimeo.

Wednesday, September 8, 2021: Dr. Pia Winberg, “The Science and Importance of Seaweed”, Hybrid In-Person / Zoom Meeting. We look forward to hosting the CEO, Director and Chief Scientist at both Venus Shell Systems and PhycoHealth Seaweed Science.

Situated in the pristine Shoalhaven region, 200km south of Sydney, Venus Shell Systems is at the global forefront of producing unique, traceable, premium quality marine biomass from the unspoiled waters of the Tasman Sea. Their products:

• • • • Have been pioneered with a proprietary controlled cultivation and production process.
      • Are used in their food-grade seaweed extract, PhycoGreen™, a functional food ingredient with high nutritional (up to 40% protein) and bio-functional properties.
      • Are formulated to the specifications of their specialist partners, using their proprietary PhycoLAB™ process.
      • Have created Ultra Green, clean carbon dioxide to rapidly grow unique seaweed biomass and extracts for use in biomaterials, cosmetics, dermatological care, food, nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals.
      • Join us on Wednesday, September 8, from 7:00–8:30pm for a topic that can positively impact the world’s food crisis. Read more about Dr. Pia Winberg:
        https://www.venusshellsystems.com.au/ and https://www.phycohealth.com/
        
      • Watch Pia’s presentation on Vimeo.

Wednesday, August 11, 2021: Mike Bartik, “Blackwater: The Ultimate Photo Op”, Hybrid In-Person / Zoom Meeting. For this meeting –– in person and via Zoom –– MSC proudly presents an underwater photographer residing in Anilao, Philippines and photo pro at Crystal Blue Resort.Originally from Southern California, he has an insatiable love for finding unique marine life and telling its story through photos and video. Mike is a widely published, award-winning photographer, writer, and international public speaker whose work appears monthly in various publications, aquariums, and museums.

He hosts photo clinics, workshops, and seminars at Crystal Blue Resort, concentrating on the different aspects of underwater photography and the natural history of Southeast Asia and the Indo-Pacific.

Mike is also a global ambassador for Sea & Sea underwater imaging, Kraken Sports, Ultralight Control Systems, Retra UWT, and works with many companies to bring quality products to market.

“I fell in love with the ocean at a very young age while growing up in Southern California,” he says. “It had a strong pull on me then as it does now. I learned to snorkel while on family vacations in Hawaii, where I also used a camera underwater for the first time.

“I soon became an instant master of shooting fish-butts and the king of backscatter. After learning to dive years later and never without a camera, I decided to find a mentor to help me improve upon my skills, and so it all began.

“Underwater photography has defined my love connection with the ocean and has bridged a gap between myself and others in a way that I never expected it to. Today, most of my time underwater is spent shooting, teaching, mentoring, and learning as much as possible.

“With nearly 6,000 dives under my belt, I feel that I have barely touched the tip of the iceberg and am grateful every day to have embarked on this lifelong journey.”

Join us on Wednesday, August 11, from 7:00–8:30pm for a very interesting topic and some truly amazing images.Read more and see many gorgeous images by Mike Bartick at SaltwaterPhoto.com and DiveCBR.com. Watch Mike’s presentation Vimeo.

Wednesday, July 14, 2021: Jim Elliott, Director / Founder of Diveheart.org –– “Scuba Therapy: Imagine The Possibilities” Zoominar. Jim left a successful career in the media business to launch Diveheart.org, a 501c(3) not-for-profit organization that helps build confidence and independence in people of all ages––children, veterans, and others––with disabilities through zero gravity and SCUBA therapy.

Since 2001, Elliott, a volunteer with no salary, has initiated SCUBA Therapy research with university medical centers around the U.S., including the first study on Autism and SCUBA Therapy and the world’s most innovative Adaptive SCUBA Training program for instructors, dive buddies, and Adaptive Divers. He also lectures and trains dive pros in the “Business of Adaptive SCUBA”.

He’ll be joined by Executive Director Tinamarie, a Chicagoan, who was the first in her family to attend and graduate college. She’s always found way to give back––through candy striping, coaching softball, teaching Sunday school, or swimming to people with disabilities.

When asked what drew her to Diveheart, she said: “I grew up with a cousin who lived his life with both physical and cognitive challenges. Joey didn’t let much hold him back and I just know he would have loved SCUBA had he known about Diveheart.”

Join us on Wed., July 14 from 7:00–8:45pm for this important discussion about those less fortunate than ourselves. Read more at www.Diveheart.org and watch this video: tinyurl.com/fudy2xm5. Make a donation. Watch Diveheart’s Presentation on Vimeo.

Wednesday, June 9, 2021: Mark Stanley, Co-Owner, “What’s New at The Old Bamboo Reef”, Zoominar Club Meeting. MSC is pleased to present the co-owner of one of San Francisco’s oldest dive shops –– where many of our current and past members were certified.

Mark said, “Diving for over 20 years and teaching for 16 years, diving is my passion and I use any excuse to get underwater. It is one of the reasons I started teaching. “Diving has taken me all around the world and to places I never dreamed of visiting. I have been to the tropical waters of the South Pacific and to the chilly waters of Iceland. I enjoy diving with big animals and so my favorite spots are the Galapagos and Socorro.

“We are fortunate to have an amazing place to dive in our backyard, so I am down in Monterey diving two to three times a month.”

After retiring from one profession, Mark Stanley and his son Brian purchased Bamboo Reef San Francisco and Monterey in 2016. The SF shop was founded in 1961 by Al Giddings, then owned and operated by Sal Zammitti from 1972 to 2016. One of the Stanley’s goals has been to upgrade and expand services at both shops.

Join us on Wednesday, June 9, from 7:00–8:45pm for an informative discussion on what’s new at Bamboo Reef with the latest innovations in dive gear, advanced and technical classes, freediving, monthly fun and upcoming dive trips, its online store, how COVID changed their class structure, and great stories about a lifetime underwater. Watch Mark’s presentation on Vimeo.

Wednesday, May 12, 2021: Alex Rose, “From Pole to Pole: Exploration With A Purpose”, Zoominar Club Meeting. As the Science Editor for Ocean Geographic Magazine, and the Managing Editor for Ocean Geographic Explorers over the past six years, Alex has written more than 50 articles both in print and online. Additionally, she’s been published in Alert Diver, Sea Technology Magazine, Womanscape, and has contributed text to three books.

Ms. Rose has served as the Project Manager on several expeditions including two – one to the High Arctic and the other to Clipperton Atoll – that were granted Explorers Club flags.

As a vocal ocean advocate, she has given more than 30 public presentations in the last year on a variety of topics ranging from purposeful exploration and plastic pollution, to climate change and the ethics of underwater photography.

Ms. Rose is also a professional photographer, accomplished violinist, Explorers Club Fellow, and PADI Divemaster. In the last year, she placed in five international underwater photography competitions, including taking second in the UN World Ocean Day Photo Competition, first in the Beneath the Sea Imaging Awards, and Grand Prize in the National Wildlife Photo Contest.

She founded a membership-based ocean conservation company, Blue Ring, at the beginning of 2017 in an effort to create a new method of ocean conservation accessible to and inclusive of everyone. Since then, she has raised $20,000 to support the work of marine conservation nonprofits.

Alex is also a co-founder of Wave Film Fest, a Chicago-based video celebration of our world’s waters that saw its inaugural event last year, and is the Secretary of Deep Hope, a nonprofit founded by Dr. Sylvia Earle to build citizen submarines. Her driving goal is to find ways to protect our planet’s precious marine habitats through diving, writing, photography, education, and research.

Her presentation: “From Pole to Pole: Exploration With A Purpose” will take you on an extensive journey of her vast diving experiences around the world, sharing photos, and the fascinating stories behind them. Find out more: www.BlueRing.blue. Watch Alex’s presentation on Vimeo.

Wednesday, April 14, 2021: Shane Gross, “Bahamas Underwater: A Decade of Exploring the Marine Creatures and Habitats”, Zoominar Club Meeting.
Shane Gross, a Canadian marine photojournalist and Emerging League Member
of the International League of Conservation Photographers (iLCP), spent the last decade exploring and photographing the Bahamian archipelago and using those images for conservation gains.

In March 2021, Shane released his book on diving in these special islands. With over 200 pages and 11 chapters on topics ranging from Sharks and Rays to Marine Mammals, to Conch, to Science and Conservation, he explores the animals and habitats that make The Bahamas so special. See much more at www.ShaneGross.com. Watch his presentation on Vimeo.

Wednesday, March 10, 2021: Marty Snyderman, “Finding and Photographing Fishes & Their Behaviors”, Zoominar Club Meeting. Marin Scuba Club is pleased to present Marty Snyderman: a prolific writer, u/w photographer, and videographer who has created magic for decades.

Marty says, “No doubt about it, the amazing diversity in the world of fishes brings many people to diving. But there is a lot more to enjoying the world of fishes than just seeing them and moving on.

“Learning where and when to look for different species, watching fishes go about their daily lives, gaining some understanding of their behaviors, and photographing them can add a lot of fun to diving.

“Certainly, photographing fishes well is an endeavor filled with challenges. But it is also very educational in terms of getting to know Mother Ocean, and it is lot of fun and extremely rewarding when you capture the images you have in mind.”

In Marty’s “Zoominar”, he’ll share insights into how to find various fish species in the reef communities and muck at Atlantis Dive Resorts, in Dumaguete, and in Puerto Galera in the Philippines; reveal perceptions into their behaviors; and disclose his thoughts and techniques about what he does to try to capture his fish photographs.

Marty’s Bio in Brief.
Honored with the 2018 NOGI Award in the Arts by the Underwater Academy of Arts and Sciences, an EMMY Award winning cinematographer, author of 10 books, a recipient of DEMA’s Reaching Out Award, and a widely published still photographer, Marty has worked to conserve and share the magic of the undersea world for almost 50 years.

He serves as the Marine Life Editor of Dive Training magazine, producing at least three columns in every issue including a photography column entitled Behind the Lens, and is the Senior Editor of California Diving News.

Marty’s still photography has also been used by the National Geographic Society, Nature Conservancy, National Wildlife Federation, Sport Diver, Diver, Ranger Rick, Smithsonian, Ocean Realm, Discovery books, Discover Diving magazine, Scuba Times magazine, and Skin Diver magazine, where he served as the photography columnist for all three magazines, and many major publications, natural history museums, and aquaria including the Monterrey Bay, Shedd, National, Seattle, and Miami.

He has worked with Nikon Inc. teaching courses at destinations around the world and authored an underwater camera course for Sea&Sea USA.

Marty has been trying to get those perfect shots for almost a half-century. See much more at: www.MartySnyderman.com.

Wednesday, February 10, 2021: Howard and Michele Hall, “8K Underwater”, Zoominar Club Meeting. Globally noted as the foremost underwater natural history film producers for TV and the giant screen, we are truly blessed to welcome Howard Hall Productions for this month’s meeting.

IMAX films produced and / or directed by Howard and Michele include Into The Deep, Island of the Sharks, Deep Sea 3D, and Under The Sea 3D.

The Halls have also contributed to many other giant format productions including The Living Sea, Journey Into Amazing Caves, Coral Reef Adventure, Journey to the South Pacific, Humpback Whales and Lost Worlds.

Wed., January 13 ZOOM Meeting: Professor Ezri Tarazi, “3D Printing of Terra Cotta Coral in The Red Sea”
The world’s coral reefs are dying. But one man’s lightbulb moment is trying to reverse this trend. Professor Ezri Tarazi, Chair of the Design-Tech Lab and Industrial Design Program at The Technion in Haifa, Israel, said, “In recent years, I’ve been noticing widespread mortality of fish in coral reefs, kelp forests, and rocky shores from a spike in water temperatures.”

He continued, “Since 2016, I’ve been using 3D printing techniques for product prototypes, first to make artificial coral with bio-plastic, then with terra cotta to see if it became a habitable place for fish.” After three years of using a new approach of Nature-Centered Design, he used design research tools such as observations, prototyping, user validation, and other methods to achieve remedial interventions in nature. “We then bought a 13-foot high 3D printer that uses clay and evolved to create ceramics from terra cotta. It prints in about 15 minutes with almost endless variations in design of lattice structures”

Most of the artificial coral reefs he’s building in the Red Sea near in the Gulf of Aqaba, south of Eilat in southern Israel, are about 10 feet high by 3 feet across and made from 100% terra cotta material. “Different fish are attracted to different colors,” he adds. “And each piece of coral is custom-made, burnt in a kiln at 1,600o F., and completely unique –– like terra cotta snowflakes. It is attractive to planula, the free-swimming, flattened, ciliated, and bilaterally symmetric larval forms of various coral species, which is helping to accelerate the growth of a natural coral reef.”

Join us for Ezri’s presentation on Wednesday, January 13, starting at 7:00pm PT.

Wednesday, November 11, 2020: Dottie Frazier, Trailblazer and Diving Pioneer. Zoominar Club Meeting.
This 98-year-old woman was the world’s first female SCUBA instructor, commercial diver, dive shop owner, and more. Buy her book: https://tinyurl.com/y4qyz29c
Barely 5’ tall and weighing about 100 lbs. dripping wet, she was usually wet during her remarkable and adventurous life. A Long Beach native:
• She started ocean swimming as a child in the 1920s, then surfing, skin diving and spearfishing.
• In the 1930s, she became a skin diving instructor.
• In the 1940s, she was a Rosie the Riveter” and a commercial fisher.
• In 1950, she became a charter member of the Long Beach Neptunes dive club.
• In 1955, Dottie became the world’s first certified female scuba instructor, began two years as a hard-hat diver, was the first female dive shop owner, and was even a wetsuit manufacturer for the U.S. Navy.
• In 2000, she was inducted in the Women Divers Hall of Fame.
• In 2019, she was honored with the Historical Diving SocietyDiving Pioneer Award.
Watch Dottie Frazier’s Presentation on Vimeo.

Wednesday, October 14, 2020: Biologist Bill Keener of The Marin Mammal Center, Zoom Meeting, “Tales of Urban Whales: San Francisco Bay’s Cetacean Restoration”.Bill will present the results of the latest studies on the cetaceans (whales, dolphins and porpoises) of San Francisco Bay. The improved health of the Bay has given three species the chance to thrive: humpback whales, bottlenose dolphins and harbor porpoises. This is a good news story about how these fascinating animals have adapted to life in urban waters.For the past four summers, an unexpected influx of humpback whales has been swimming through the Golden Gate to feed in the Bay. Meanwhile, bottlenose dolphins have expanded their range north from Southern California to become residents along the shores of San Francisco, and harbor porpoises returned to the Bay after an absence of 65 years.Here’s your chance to learn from a local scientist about the lives of great whales, the difference between porpoises and dolphins, and what you can do to help in the study of our local marine mammals.

Wednesday, September 9, 2020
Duane Silverstein, www.Seacology.org, Zoom Meeting, “Island Conservation Program”Since 1999, Duane Silverstein has been the Executive Director of Seacology, an international non-governmental organization with the sole focus of preserving islands – their fragile habitats, vanishing species and historic cultures – throughout the globe.

Before heading Seacology, Duane was the executive director of the Goldman Fund, one of California’s largest philanthropic foundations, for 18 years. He was instrumental in creating and heading the Goldman Environmental Prize, which has been dubbed the “Nobel Prize of the Environment” by National Geographic and news media around the globe. Over his career he has visited more than 200 islands in 83 nations.

Duane has met with presidents of the U.S., Secretaries-general of the United Nations, kings, heads of state, and indigenous chiefs throughout the world on behalf of the environment. His work has been covered in media such as Time Magazine, The San Francisco Chronicle, and The New York Times. Articles he has written have appeared in over a dozen international publications.In 2009 he was selected by a public vote as a national All-Star Among Us to be honored by Major League Baseball at the All-Star Game in St. Louis. In 2010, Duane was given the Jefferson Award for Public Service. In giving Duane a 2010 Coastal Hero Award, Sunset Magazine called him a “superhero of the deep.” In 2012, he was invited to give the closing speech on the state of the Earth’s islands for the TEDx conference in South Africa’s Cape Town.

In January 2015, His Serene Highness Prince Albert II honored Duane on behalf of Seacology for outstanding innovation in a ceremony in Monaco.Widely considered one of the world’s foremost experts on islands, he is a National Fellow of The Explorers Club and a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society. In 2018, he accepted the United Nations Momentum For Change climate action award on behalf of Seacology. Under his leadership, Seacology was named one of the top 15 US nonprofit organizations to work for. In 2019, Duane was named a Go Blue Award Lifetime Achievement Honoree.Duane has logged hundreds of dives in some of the world’s most exotic sites.
Watch Seacology’s presentation on Vimeo.

Wednesday, August 12, 2020
Amos Nachom, Big Animals, Zoom Meeting
“In Harmony with Ocean Giants: Authentic Capture of Wildlife Behavior”
He has swum with blue whales, killer whales, crocodiles, great white sharks, and anacondas in every significant body of water from the North Pole to Antarctica.
Amos’s photographic vision is to raise awareness of ocean giants in their habitats. His images reflect respect and compassion for animals and wilderness. His photographs strive to dispel the myth of “dangerous” wildlife and show harmonious interactions between man and animal. As an explorer, he leads wildlife photography expeditions through www.BigAnimals.com.
But photographing a polar bear face to face in the open ocean had eluded him until he starred in a 2019 documentary –– “Picture of His Life” –– winner of multiple film festivals. Many club members had the pleasure of seeing this amazing film pre-COVID at the Rafael Theatre. Watch Part 1 of this Zoom presentation on Vimeo. Watch Part 2 of this Zoom presentation on Vimeo.

Wednesday, July 15, 2020
Adam Ratner, Associate Director of Conservation Education,
The Marine Mammal Center
“Behind The Bark: Saving Seals and Sea Lions in California”
TMMC rescues between 700-2,000 sick and injured seals, sea lions and other marine mammals each year from over 600 miles of the California coastline as well as the Big Island of Hawai’i.
Adam will discuss how seals and sea lions serve as sentinels of the sea, providing a glimpse into the ocean’s health and potential consequences of our actions on land.
As a Zoom meeting, invites will be sent the week of July 13. Watch it on Vimeo.
Wednesday, June 17, 2020
Ken Smith, Founder of Undercurrent
MSC hosted its first ever Zoom meeting for June vs. an in-person gathering and we were very pleased with the results. Ken Smith, editor and founder of Undercurrent, shared stories about how he:
• Became fascinated with scuba diving –– thanks to a book by Larry Clinton!
• Started what he affectionately calls “the most despised publication in the dive industry” – – a Jamaican resort that was miles from a great beach shown in a magazine story, had very little food, and no fish to see while diving
• Why he refuses to accept advertising for his monthly newsletter and annual The Travelin’ Diver’s Chapbook –– so he won’t be beholden to sponsors
• How he determined his nom de plume
• And how he chooses authors – from great reviews that divers write
Watch this Zoom meeting on Vimeo.THIS MEETING HAS BEEN CANCELLED.

Wednesday, May 20, 2020
Mike Scott, Seacology’s Island Conservation Program.
Details to come: Moved to September 9, 2020 at the Sausalito Parks & Rec Center, Game Room.THIS MEETING HAS BEEN CANCELLED.

Wednesday, April 15, 2020
Bill Keener, Marine Mammal Center: “Whales and Porpoises”.
He was formerly with the Golden Gate Cetacean Research Center. Details to come.
This meeting has been moved to October 14, 2020 at the Sausalito Parks & Rec Center, Edgewater Room.THIS MEETING HAS BEEN CANCELLED.

Wednesday, March 18, 2020
Adam Ratner, Behind The Bark – Saving Seals and Sea Lions in California.
Adam is the Associate Director of Conservation Education with the Marine Mammal Center, a global leader in health, science and conservation, and the world’s largest marine mammal hospital. Join us to hear about the latest stories of their patients, new marine mammal health research, and what actions we can take as individuals and communities to help protect marine mammals and ourselves for future generations.
Meeting at Book Passage, Corte Madera.

Wednesday, February 19, 2020: Mike Book: Seven Weeks in Indonesia.
Mike and his wife took two trips in 2017 and hit all the hot spots: muck diving in Ambon, Lembeh, and Bali, and cruising the Banda Sea, Raja Ampat, and Komodo. Join Mike, a local underwater videographer, for this highly anticipated showcase.
Meeting at Book Passage, Corte Madera.

Wed., Jan. 15, 2020: Vince Smith — Blue Endeavors and Citizen Science Underwater
This 501(c)(3) nonprofit creates advocates for the ocean. They educate people –– through scuba diving training and citizen science curriculum –– on how to minimize our impact on the oceans and take action to create positive change. Vince is a lifelong diver with a marine science and education background. He and a team of volunteers founded Blue Endeavors in 2012 to promote ocean conservation, offer an array of training courses, mentors programs and scholarships; foster the next generation of leaders and innovators, and create cohorts of lifelong ocean advocates. www.blue-endeavors.org.

Meeting at Book Passage, Corte Madera.Wed., November 20, 2019
Iara Mandyn, Exploring the Underwater World of Freediving.
She is a freediving and mermaid instructor at Bamboo Reef Scuba Diving Centers in San Francisco. Erena Shimoda, who presented earlier this year, attended a few of her workshops.Specializing in underwater photography and performance work, she started at Fathom Films in 2009, which was the Bay Area’s only dedicated underwater shooting studio. She’s also been a choreographer, u/w talent coach, and model.Freediving is about more than deep dives and competition; it’s an entirely unique way to experience the underwater world. Learn about the freedom of diving on your own breath, what it takes, and how to get started. Whether you’re a seasoned scuba diver or someone who’s never been diving before, freediving is a great way to increase your comfort in the water and provide opportunities from spear fishing to swimming like the mermaid you’ve always wanted to be.Iara practices freediving and breath hold training. Her personal best static underwater is 5:30 and 3:50 for dynamic; she can freedive up to 109 feet.

Meeting at Book Passage, Corte Madera.
Wed., October 16, 2019, Tristin McHugh, North Coast Regional Manager with Reef Check, will present “Phase Shift from Kelp Forest to Urchin Barren Along California’s North Coast”.As a kid, Tristin, MS, UC Santa Cruz, was always knee deep in some water system. Becoming a scientific diver helped her find a niche in studying the underwater environment and changed her life.“The idea of protecting such an invaluable resource, kelp forest ecosystems, by using research divers and technicians filled me with admiration for the marine science field and those who were so deeply engrossed in the conservation efforts,” she said.Founded in 1996 by marine ecologist Dr. Gregor Hodgson, the Reef Check Foundation is a global NPO dedicated to conserving two ecosystems: tropical coral reefs and California nearshore rocky reefs and kelp forests. Volunteer today, visit www.ReefCheck.org or email tmchugh@reefcheck.org.

Meeting at Book Passage, Corte Madera.Wed., September 18, 2019
Richard Woulfe: Travel Secrets for Insiders.
Richard has been traveling the globe most of the time for over 30 years. He has dived in hundreds of remote and pristine locations in the Coral Triangle area of Philippines, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and East Malaysia and logged over 5,000 dives. He has travelled to over 110 countries and lived in five of them for extended periods of time. He serves thousands of travelers in the pursuit of better decision making. Bring your dive and water adventure travel questions. Read more at RichTravels.com

Meeting at Book Passage, Corte Madera.Wed., August 21, 2019
Marin Scuba Club Presentations: “Recent Dive Trips”. Join us for a variety of cold and warm water images and videos, including Barbara Wambach and dive club friends: Roatan, Big Sur Coast, American River Salmon Snorkeling; Julie Finley: Palau; Virginia Bria: Cuba, Raja Ampat and The Coral Triangle; Bryan Eckert, The Red Sea; plus various club members will share photos and videos of 2018-2019 trips.

Meeting at Book Passage, Corte Madera. Wed., July 17, 2019
Steve Ralston, “The Elephant Seals and Año Nuevo: Back from Oblivion”.
A retired Federal Supervisory Research Fishery Biologist, Steve worked for NOAA’s National Marine Fishery Service (NMFS) for over 30 years. While studying the Hawaiian deep sea handline fishery, he earned a PhD at the University of Washington, then started his career with the NMFS in Honolulu.Steve later transferred to the NMFS Laboratory at Tiburon where he began his studies of rockfish (Sebastes spp.), coordinating an annual 45-day midwater trawl survey of California waters designed to estimate the reproductive success of 10 commercially important rockfish stocks.He served on the Pacific Fishery Management Council’s Groundfish Management Team and Scientific and Statistical Committee, where he conducted stock assessments and supervised efforts to rebuild overfished rockfish stocks.Upon retirement, he joined his wife Donna and became a docent at the State’s Año Nuevo Preserve, where he has been leading visitor tours of the elephant seal colony since 2012.

Wed., June 19, 2019 Joshua Russo, “Northern California Recreational Urchin Removal”. Meeting at Book Passage, Corte Madera.
Josh offered a full briefing relating to all things urchin and abalone.
“We need as many divers as possible to participate in these events,” Josh says. “We utilize all skills, free dive and SCUBA and all levels. We also use kayakers to ferry full collection bags from the divers to boats and empty bags back to the divers. If you dive, boat, kayak or are just interested in helping in any way, come join us.”

Wed., May 15, 2019
Jon Edens, Marin Diving Center on the latest gear for safe diving, trips for novices to advanced divers, and a prize raffle. His presentation will focus on:
• Being a safe diver.
• Mental and physical preparation.
• Equipment preparation.
• Practicing your diving skills.
• Fun, safe diving.
• The latest trends and newest equipment.
• Plus local and tropical destinations.

Wed., April 17, 2019
Erena Shimoda, Underwater Portrait Photographer: “Total Immersion Has The Power to Remind Us of Who We Really Are”. Born and raised in Tokyo, Japan, Erena received her Divemaster certificate in Venezuela in 2005, and began shooting underwater photographs in Thailand, Bonaire, Bahama, Corsica, Cozumel, Cancun, and Hawaii.Specializing in underwater portrait photography, her background in New Media and Fine Art helps her create unique compositions in different media. Erena pioneered underwater transformative photography after surviving a car accident in which she lost her father and was severely injured. By combining total immersion with portrait photography, she discovered a powerful therapy that can help others traumatized by physical disabilities, domestic violence, and PTSD. She knows that the power of water healing combined with the creative process heals body and mind.Her work has appeared on local and national networks. See more about Erena:

https://erenashimoda.com/and http://underwaterhealer.com/Wed., March 20, 2019
Todd Steiner, “A Protected Superhighway for Turtles and Sharks”. Meeting at Book Passage, Corte Madera.Galapagos Islands, the inspiration for Darwin’s Theory of Evolution, and Cocos Island, a place so amazing that Jacques Cousteau called it the “most beautiful island in the world”, have some of the highest underwater shark biomass ever recorded.The marine fauna at these two International Biosphere Reserves also include highly endangered migratory species such as scalloped hammerhead sharks and leatherback sea turtles. Recent research indicates movement of these species between the islands, and once outside the marine reserves, they are not afforded protection from fishery pressures.His lecture will introduce you to Cocos Island’s underwater wildlife, the political initiatives to create the first “swimway” for highly migratory marine species connecting the National Parks of two nations, and how you can help, including as a volunteer scientist on a Cocos Island research expedition! Read more:
https://seaturtles.org/our-work/our-programs/cocos-island/

Wed., February 20, 2019
Patrick Webster, Monterey Bay Underwater Photographer / Videographer, “No Simple Answers–The Kelp Forest Under Siege”. Meeting at Book Passage, Corte Madera.California’s kelp forests are at the center of the Golden State’s diving community––but the kelp needs our help. Exploding sea urchin populations, climate change, sea star wasting syndrome––what’s going on? What can we do? And where are the otters?!

Wed., January 16, 2019
Kirsten Treais, Amazing Adventures Travels, “Close Encounters of The Cool Kind”.This presentation will showcase the Cayman Islands dive scene; whale encounters in Dominica, the Dominican Republic’s Silver Banks and Tonga; plus a safari + sharks dive combo with the Big 5 of South Africa. Kirsten will share images and stories about scuba diving with friendly sharks, horseback riding through the rainforest and venturing out in a jeep across the vast African savannah.
Meeting at Book Passage, Corte Madera.