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Navy Experimental Diving Unit
Navy Reserve Navy Diver Seaman Jesse Kole, assigned to Naval Experimental Diving Unit, does an inspection dive of the interior of the wreck of the former Russian submarine Juliett 484.

US Navy is working on dive suit that prevents decompression

The Navy Experimental Diving Unit tested the Deep Sea Expeditionary with No Decompression (DSEND) Suit underwater last February.

The Atmospheric Diving Suit (ADS) used by the Navy at the moment is cumbersome, unmaneuverable, and requires relatively large sea craft for deployment. With this new project, it will be improved in a number of ways, including the rotary joint design that it now uses.

Origins of vertebrates may be pushed back by 500-million-year-old sea squirt fossil

In 2019, paleontologist Karma Nanglu from Harvard University received a finger-sized fossil. The specimen had originated from a fossil-rich stratum of Cambrian limestone in western Utah, and had been kept in a drawer at a Salt Lake City museum for years.

Upon hearing that there could be a very old tunicate, Nanglu expressed excitement interlaced with caution: "That's a group for which there is essentially no fossil record for the entire 500 million years of recorded history."

How corals are surviving climate change

For more than two years, researchers on board the French expedition ship Tara sailed through the Pacific, stopping at almost 100 coral reefs to take thousands of water and coral samples. The expedition ended in 2018, and the analysis of the massive amount of data collected has taken five years.

Now, the initial results of the data analysis have been published. The findings should help us to better understand the living conditions of corals, to check their health status and to open up new possibilities for nature conservation. 

WMO declares onset of El Niño conditions

According to the WMO projections, there is a 90 percent chance that the El Niño event will persist over the second half of 2023. It is predicted to be at least moderately strong.

El Niño episodes typically last between nine and twelve months and occur every two to seven years on average. It is a naturally occurring climate pattern linked to the warming of the tropical Pacific Ocean's central and eastern ocean surface temperatures.

Aqualung, Apeks sold to Barings

The Aqualung business was established in 1943 after Jacques-Yves Cousteau and Émile Gagnan created the "Aqua-Lung." The business also owns the brands Apeks, Omer, Aquasphere, Stohlquist, and US Divers.

One of the top investment management firms in the world, Barings, is in exclusive talks to purchase 100 percent of the Aqualung Group. Barings is most known to the general public for the 1995 collapse of Barings Bank.

DAN Welcomes 2023 Interns

The DAN Internship Program was created 24 years ago to give qualified students valuable experience in dive safety research. The scope of the program aligns with DAN’s goals of helping divers in need, promoting dive safety through education, and expanding outreach and communication initiatives.

The interns will spend time this summer at DAN’s headquarters in Durham, North Carolina, to work on various projects and research efforts.

Malaysia International Dive Expo 2023: A Roaring Success

MIDE
Big crowds of visitors came to MIDE 2023. Photo courtesy of MIDE

KUALA LUMPUR, 7 June 2023: Aptly themed “Let’s stay connected with the ocean,” the 17th Malaysia International Dive Expo (MIDE) concluded with great success at its new venue at MITEC in Kuala Lumpur. 

After moving from the former venue at the World Trade Center (WTC), where the expo was held for 16 years, the refreshing start at the uber modern and spacious Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC) proved to be a hit among exhibitors and visitors alike.

MIDE welcomed big crowds each day to its new venue at MITEC in Kuala Lumpur on 26-28 May
MIDE welcomed big crowds each day to its new venue at MITEC in Kuala Lumpur on 26-28 May

MIDE 2023: Bigger and Better

Entering the exhibition hall on Day One at MIDE 2023 gave me a distinct buzz. Squaring my shoulders in anticipation, I walked past the booths and waved hello to old friends. As I made my way deeper into the hall, I felt a raising sense of excitement. MIDE 2023 was my first overseas dive show since the pandemic, and it appeared to be off to a promising start.

he UN’s 193 Member States adopted a landmark legally binding marine biodiversity agreement on Monday

UN adopts historic treaty to protect high seas

The Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Treaty, widely known as the High Seas Treaty, establishes the first-ever framework for governing practices like fishing, mining and oil extraction in international waters, an issue that has threatened oceanic ecosystems across the globe with little oversight.