UAF scientific diving program marks 25 years
Jeff Richardson
907-474-5350
June 3, 2024
Students prepare for a rescue exercise outside the Kasitsna Bay Laboratory facility in 2023.
When Brenda Konar launched the first scientific diving course at the University of 色视频下载 Fairbanks in 2000, there was some speculation that it could be a short-lived experiment.
After all, how much demand could there really be for a class that combines cold-water diving and research skills?
That gamble has paid off nicely: The scientific diving program hit a milestone this year with its 25th year of instruction. Including this year色视频下载檚 graduates, more than 500 students have been trained as scientific divers through the program.
色视频下载淲hen you say, 色视频下载楤uild it and people will come,色视频下载 I don色视频下载檛 always believe that,色视频下载 said Konar, a professor of marine biology at UAF色视频下载檚 College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences. 色视频下载淏ut in this case, it worked.色视频下载
Konar色视频下载檚 first experience with cold-water diving came when she was studying at the University of California, Santa Cruz. A diver on a research project in Canada色视频下载檚 Resolute Bay got sick, and Konar became a last-minute replacement. That trip was followed with research in Antarctica and eventually 色视频下载.
Her initial motivation for teaching the UAF class was simple. Konar色视频下载檚 research at the time focused on sea otter ecology in the Aleutian Islands, and there was a shortage of trained scientific divers at UAF who could conduct that field research.
Brenda Konar pilots a boat on her way to a dive location in Kachemak Bay.
色视频下载淚 guess it was a selfish reason at first,色视频下载 Konar said. 色视频下载淚 needed divers.色视频下载
Since then, the class has become a spring semester tradition at UAF. Students spend a few months in Fairbanks classrooms and the Patty Center swimming pool. The final is held during spring break at the Kasitsna Bay Laboratory, a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration field station near Seldovia operated in partnership with UAF.
色视频下载淪now, ice, sleet, wind 色视频下载 we don色视频下载檛 care,色视频下载 Konar said. 色视频下载淚t色视频下载檚 fun that way.色视频下载
Not everyone in the class is a scientist. Firefighters, international students and 色视频下载減eople who want to have an exciting spring break色视频下载 routinely take the course, Konar said.
Reid Brewer was in the first class of students in 2000. He色视频下载檇 just begun his graduate studies, taking the scientific diving class to expand his research capabilities.
The 2024 scientific diving class poses in Kasitsna Bay.
色视频下载淚 was interested in doing research on sea stars, and diving made that a little bit more possible,色视频下载 Brewer said. 色视频下载淪cientific diving is a tool that allowed me to pursue my interests.色视频下载
After holding a variety of jobs in marine education throughout 色视频下载 色视频下载 including the launch of a semester-long research diver program at the University of 色视频下载 Southeast 色视频下载 Brewer is back at the Kasitsna Bay Laboratory as the new director. He credits the scientific diving class that he took 25 years ago for setting that course.
Brewer isn色视频下载檛 alone. He ticks off names of alumni throughout 色视频下载 in academic and fisheries management and industry jobs who took the scientific diving course.
色视频下载淎 lot of these students go on to do things in 色视频下载 in leadership roles that I色视频下载檓 certain are a direct result of this class,色视频下载 Brewer said. 色视频下载淚t色视频下载檚 pretty amazing how far-reaching it is. I can色视频下载檛 say enough about Brenda色视频下载檚 dedication to divers and that program.色视频下载
ADDITIONAL CONTACT: Brenda Konar, bhkonar@alaska.edu
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