BSACDIVINGCONFERENCE2024
Tiffany Norberg
Deep wrecks of the Baltic
TECHNICAL DIVER TIFFANY NORBERG delivered a crowd-pleasing talk on her work with Badewanne , a group of voluntary divers who have been documenting wrecks in the Gulf of Finland .
“ Our mission is to publish our research findings and documentary material to make the general public aware of this unseen maritime history ,” Tiffany said . “ Our projects vary from pristine 17th Century merchant vessels to large Second World War era fighting ships that were lost in action .”
The Gulf of Finland presents some challenging underwater conditions , usually cold and dark with haloclines defined by low oxygen and salinity levels . Nevertheless , there are rewards for wreck divers .
Tiffany structured her talk around the group ’ s investigations into two Dutch Merchant Ships , SS Alice H and SS Houtdijk . Both were victims of a hurriedly laid minefield set by the German minelayer , Deutschland .
The Alice H and Houtdijk were part of a convoy and both struck mines laid earlier by the Deutschland during its retreat . The dive team located the Houtdijk at 92m and identified it by finding its builder ' s plate . Their dive involved descending through several haloclines and negotiating loose netting around the wreck .
In 2016 the group succeeded in diving the wreck thought to be SS Alice H , which lies at 95m and is free from ghost netting . Tiffany shared eerie photographs showing the ship ’ s bridge and telegram , and also a builder ’ s plate that confirmed the wreck ’ s identity . It had been the first vessel sunk in the Gulf of Finland at the outset of WW1 , and thus a historically significant find .
Tides of Change
ENVIRONMENTAL JOURNALIST GAIA Vince delivered a wide-ranging talk , Tides of Change , asking what it will be like living with oceans on a hotter planet .
Gaia opened with a litany of environmental woes inflicted on the oceans . She cited ghost nets , indiscriminate fishing methods , shark finning and coral bleaching , going on to highlight the global surface temperature rises of recent years .
She then addressed the average air temperature rise of 1.5 ° C compared with pre-industrial levels . Gaia showed
Early-bird winner
Congratulations to the winner of our Early-bird ticket prize draw , Simon King , who was presented with his prize - a Scubapro Luna 2.0 computer – at the conference .
Saving Seagrass
Dr Celia Marlowe projections on how a 4 ° C increase in global heating could affect global populations and sea levels . It was an apocalyptic vision of an uncertain future , but the talk culminated with a glimmer of optimism , considering various scientific initiatives aimed at preserving coral communities and mitigating the effects of ghost fishing .
Ultimately , Gaia believes that salvation lies in the phasing out of carbonburning for fuel and the development of renewable sources of energy , such as wind , sunlight and tides .
DR CELIA MARLOWE OF PROJECT Seagrass delivered an assured presentation on her group ’ s activities and the role the diving community has played . Seagrass , she said , plays an important role in marine biodiversity , as well as supporting the livelihoods of millions of coastal dwelling people all over the world . If disturbed , it can release the carbon it so helpfully absorbs , so these relatively new initiatives to collect seeds are logistically challenging .
The three pillars of ongoing conservation should be “ research , community and action ” said Dr Marlowe , who highlighted the fine balance of removing sufficient seeds for rewilding but leaving enough for the meadow to propagate . She concluded by highlighting the need for comprehensive mapping , to be enhanced with the launch of an upcoming app . Finally , she expressed the continuing need for volunteers ; anyone interested should visit projectseagrass . org
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