Diving and Underwater Research
Through a variety of partnerships and programs, Spring Lake serves as a practical hands-on classroom for a limited number of divers interested in becoming researchers in fields of conservation, habitat restoration, and underwater resource management – including archaeology and environmental / ecological anthropology.
From formal academic courses to practical citizen scientist programs, scuba divers learn to protect and preserve Spring Lake's abundant natural, historical, and cultural resources. Training programs include theory, skills, and scientific methodology, as well as swimming tests and logging diving time.
Divers who are approved to participate in training and research activities in Spring Lake experience the crystal-clear waters that remain at 72 degrees year-round that form one of the world's largest aquifer-driven spring systems.
In the image on the right, a Research Associate with the Meadow Center is holding a sonde, which is water quality monitoring instrument. Sondes are used for a number of things, including testing pH, temperature, and salinity. The data thes devices collect can be used to find the cause for various water quality issues. Click to view more images of some of the scenes that divers encounter, from close-up views of the springs below to the glass-bottom boat tours taking place above.