Phase I – July 23

Thursday, 22 July 1999, started bright and early seeing Kyle and Terrence hitting the road by 0700, quite the way for Kyle to spend his Birthday!!! Those of you out there that are in the know, noticed that our Educational Director, Cindy Creamer, was unusually absent from this venture, the reason for this is that Cindy is in the middle of hammering out what we hope will be our next exciting project with NOAA. The foundation was asked to speak before members of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on our many research activities the world over. The impetus behind our being invited was Joachim Pleil, a student of Terrence’s that also works for the National Exposure Research Laboratory (NERL) in the Research Triangle Park EPA facility near Raleigh-Durham North Carolina.

It was mentioned after they were checked through security by our gracious host, Ms. Deborah Janes, that Research Triangle Park has more PhD’s per square mile than any other area on earth! How intimidating! From the first moment our Cambrian representatives arrived, they were treated like royalty. What this branch of the EPA concerns itself with can best be explained in their own words:

The NERL provides research information on stressor sources; pollutant transport, transformations and exposure; and source-to-receptor predictive exposure models applicable to the appropriate temporal scales and to site, watershed/regional and global scales. It also provides risk managers with receptor and stressor analyses, and evaluations of alternative mitigation, management or restoration strategies from an exposure perspective.

The NERL also demonstrates, field tests, evaluates and transfers scientific information and innovative exposure assessment technologies, and provides educational materials and technical support to Program Offices, Regions, State/Municipal/Tribal governments, and other Federal agencies to help in performing state-of-the-science exposure assessments.

The connection between the EPA and the Cambrian Foundation is a new one on the long and distinguished list of government agencies with which we have worked. Certainly we are more than proud and very happy to help. The study on this years Monitor Expedition involving four of our Cambrian dive team will explore the phenomenon of oxidative stress.

The presentation that was scheduled to take place at 1330 went off without a hitch, and was extremely well received. Terrence and Kyle had an audience of about 110 people. The topics covered were everything from basics of the Foundation and it’s numerous activities to various topics of diving physiology and decompression protocols. We also showed the Cambrian’s ’97 Monitor team tape, the award winning production by John Chluski and Julie Kaye at Swift Current Productions. In addition, the video sections on the sampling techniques from the Great Blue Hole and the ’98 Monitor power point presentation were shown to the enthusiastic group. Once the formal presentation ended, questions from the attendee’s were fielded by Terrence and Kyle. Imediately following the talk, we were given an exciting and interesting tour of several of the EPA labs.

It is hoped that through the many presentations that the Foundation gives around the world that a greater awareness of our activities and our mission will be gained and all of you will join us as members and help us in our quest.