The Countdown Has Begun - Expedition Bermuda

On July 18, New Millennium diver, Martin McClellan will be joining Global Underwater Explorer’s (GUE) Project Baseline mission to Bermuda.  This is a joint research effort as GUE is teaming up with Nekton, a conservation organization from the United Kingdom, The University of Oxford, GlobalSubDive, the Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans and BIOS, the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences.  The overall mission will be to conduct a scientific survey of ocean and reef conditions in the Mesophotic Zone (depth range: 200 – 1000 feet/60 – 300 meters).  The research locations will be in the vicinity of the Bermuda Islands; including the Argus and Challenger Banks

Martin and the dive team aboard the Baseline Explorer (BEx), are a group of highly trained and experienced GUE trained JJ Closed Circuit Rebreather (CCR) divers.  On a daily basis, they will execute specific mission objectives focusing upon the collection of video transects filming coral and fish diversity from depths between 200 feet/30 meters down to as deep as 300 feet/90 meters; part of the mission will also include specific dives to gather video and photographic documentation of large animal life including several species of game fish and Tiger sharks.

Martin is one of three, Diving Safety Officers (DSO), aboard the BEx.  His responsibilities will be to organize & lead one of the two, three (3) person dive teams, operate a dive support boat (a smaller vessel strictly dedicated to the divers), manage gas fills, work closely with the mission’s Data Manager to coordinate cameras with GPS,  and operate the Recompression Chamber as one of the onboard trained Hyperbaric Medical Technicians. 

The Baseline Explorer (BEx) is owned and operated by GlobalSubDive.   It is deployed for the advancement of GUE’S conservation initiative Project Baseline.  It primary goal is to inform the public on the environmental issues our Oceans presently face.

New Millennium Dive Expeditions would like to thank the sponsors of this Expedition:

• XL-Catlin
• Garfield Weston Foundation
• Teledyne Instruments
• Halcyon Manufacturing

NOTE TO FUTURE POSTS…

Martin will post directly to this blog going forward in the first person tense.  New Millennium Dive Expeditions wishes him great success and a fantastic voyage.