Boston Sea Rovers

Photo by Laura Castañón

It was a sunny Sunday morning in Danvers, MA. The second full day of the Boston Sea Rovers convention was about to get underway. Sea Rovers is the world's longest-running dive show, with 2026 being the 72nd year. And I was the first speaker on the morning schedule.  

WHOI's Dive Safety Officer, Kim Malkoski, is also the President of Boston Sea Rovers. The connection has been mutually beneficial, especially this year, when a dedicated WHOI session at the Sea Rovers convention put our research center stage. I got to the presentation room plenty early, connected my laptop to the room's A/V system, and tested my slides. Show time.

My presentation focused on shipwrecks, my favorite marine habitats. I knew the audience would be interested in hearing about shipwreck research, too. Recreational divers love learning about historical sites and seeing footage of the diverse animals that call them home. In fact, Sea Rovers presentations are a great way to learn about new dive destinations. I am fortunate to have conducted research on shipwreck sites ranging from Massachusetts' backyard, Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, all the way to the tropical Pacific. Much of my work involves collection of high-resolution underwater images so I can identify coral species, even small juveniles that have just recruited to the reef. I had a plethora of beautiful images to choose from as I constructed my presentation. 

Photo by Laura Castañón

The sign of a good seminar is the questions it generates. When I finished speaking and saw the hands go up, I knew I had succeeded. I got a number of really thoughtful, meaningful questions. After I stepped down from the stage, a few individuals lined up to further the conversation. I was proud to have sparked their interest.

As soon as my session was over, I scurried to the next room to catch a presentation by Alex Fogg. He's the Natural Resources Chief for Okaloosa County, Florida, and in charge of sinking the SS United States. Alex and I have gotten to know each other well over the last year and a half. Back in late 2024, I cold-emailed his group, asking if we could collaborate on a long-term research study once the vessel was underwater. Alex has overseen the grueling clean-up of the ship, and meanwhile, I've been busy fundraising and planning our research mission. It has been a long, long, long process, but I'm glad Alex was able to share his progress with the Sea Rovers audience. Once SS United States reaches the seafloor, she will be the world's largest artificial reef. I expect to see many of the Sea Rovers crowd in Florida - underwater, of course, as we all dive this incredible ship. 

The Sea Rovers convention was a fun and productive weekend for me. I was glad to be included!