Scientific Diving

The Richard Stockton College is a member of the American Academy of Underwater Sciences (AAUS) and has an established Diving Safety Program.  The Program is primarily lead by Dr. Pete Straub of the Biology Program.

Course offerings

Two courses geared toward student divers and snorkelers are offered at the Marine Science and Environmental Field Station.  Scientific Diving, BIOL 2175, is offered during the Fall semesters and covers the practical and theoretical basis of underwater research including advanced training in first aid, CPR and the administration of oxygen first aid in diving accidents.  The R/V Gannet provides a new platform for estuarine and ocean diving for this course.  Estuarine dives include seagrass bed surveys, diver collected coring, underwater photography and in 2009, derelict fishing gear removal.  Ocean dives are currently conducted on chartered vessels to area wreck sites.  A second course, offered during the summer session, is open to snorkelers and is titled Underwater Survey Methods, BIOL 2711.  Both courses also include sections on side scan sonar theory and operation.  For more information directly related to the learning goals of these courses, please visit the Stockton Underwater Learning Community.

For more information on Stockton's Dive Program contact Dr. Pete Straub and visit his Learning Community on-line.

Faculty and Course-based Research

Pete Straub and Tara Harmer of the Biology Program received a summer faculty research award for “Distribution of the Northern Star Coral (Astangia poculata) and its symbiotic zooxanthellae on New Jersey artificial reefs.” The Northern star coral is the most cold-resistant and northerly distributed member of the stony coral family.  This project involves collection of the corals by scuba diving on natural and manmade reef structures from 5-12 miles offshore in waters from 50 to 110 ft in depth.  DNA is extracted from individual coral polyps and the polymerase chain reaction is used to amplify genetic markers from the corals and their symbiotic algae (zoothanthellae).  The amplified genetic markers are then DNA sequenced and the DNA sequences aligned to determine the genetic relatedness of corals and algae from different sites.  Coral samples from eight sites are being maintained at the Nacote Creek laboratory for further evaluation and to determine husbandry conditions.  These samples and others to be collected by Dr. Straub’s Scientific Diving class (BIOL 2175) will be used as research materials in Dr. Harmer’s Molecular Evolution course (BIOL 4211) where students will continue the genetic analysis of the corals.