Non-AAUS Marine Labs with diving programs?

[cappyjon431]

Hi, I am helping organize a program for the Southern Association of Marine Labs (SAML) and I am trying to find information on marine labs that have dive programs that are NOT members of AAUS. Are any of the folks in this group affiliated with a marine lab that has a diving program that is not a member AAUS? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[tursiops]

I thought all marine labs in the US were members of NAML/SAML/WAML/NEAMGLL, and that under an agreement with OSHA all science diving is done under AAUS. AAUS lists all its members; you could cross-check whether anybody is NOT listed by them, I suppose.

I'm curious: why are you seeking a lab that dives with no AAUS membership? I think if I were in a lab like that I would not want to tell anyone!

 

[cappyjon431]

I wasn't aware of any non-AAUS labs that had diving programs, but apparently my lab director was at an NAML conference last year and there were several programs in the mid-west that had diving programs (and did science diving) but were non-AAUS members. She wants me to help organize a program and a survey comparing AAUS programs with non-AAUS programs.

I'm an AAUS science diver and my institution is an OM, so I do have access to the AAUS OM list, but I'm having difficulty doing such a cross check because when I look at the NAML member list the info does not specify whether or not they have diving programs. Short of contacting every institution on the NAML/SAML lists (that is NOT on the AAUS OM list) and inquiring whether they have diving programs, I'm not sure how to glean this information.

 

[tursiops]

I'd start with the AAUS list; you know THEY have diving programs. Then I'd go to the NAML master list and cross-off any that are on the AAUS list. You'll have some AAUS OM's leftover, because not everything is in NAML.....but you can not look further at any of the leftovers on the AAUS list because they will likely all be Scripps, Woods Hole, Miami, etc. Your targets are anything on the NAML list you haven't crossed off from the AAUS list. There can't be many. Then a look at their websites will probably ell you whether they do diving or not. The only thing you will miss is some really small place that is neither in NAML or AAUS; I wouldn't worry about it....no survey is perfect.

To cross-check, I'd go to the AAUS folks and just ask them who is doing science diving that is not in AAUS? I suspect they know and that it is contentious for them.

Good luck.

 

[Wookie]

Last I worked with them, UPR (Puerto Rico) was not a member of AAUS. That may have changed, they were looking to gain status. I am not a member of AAUS, they wouldn't accept me because I'm a "Service provider". Never mind that this year we will complete 3,000 science dives from the Spree. We have one of the very few NOAA complaint science diving programs. OSHA does not require AAUS membership, just a compliant science diving program.

 

[cappyjon431]

Thanks tursiops. That is the path I am following. I did contact AAUS first, but they were unable (or maybe unwilling?) to provide that information.