New research by Macquarie University palaeobiologist, Dr John Alroy, predicts major changes to the rules of evolution as we understand them now. Those changes will have serious consequences for future biodiversity because no one can predict which groups will come...

Putting an innovative twist on fishing tournaments, the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, in partnership with Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF), have created three fishing derbies for the dive community to capture and remove non-native lionfish from Keys waters. Participants are...

The world\'s most established fisheries certifier is failing on its promises as rapidly as it gains prominence, according the world\'s leading fisheries experts from the University of British Columbia (UBC), Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California at...

Experts hope to use sonar images of a sunken ship off California's coast to determine whether the vessel is at risk of leaking oil. The Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) sent a robotic submersible down to the wreck of...

Preregistration Required for All DAN Education Courses The full schedule of DAN® Education programs at DEMA Show 2010 is now available, and registration for all training offerings is open. Among the highlights of the DAN Education programs at DEMA is the launch of Dive Medicine for Divers: Part 3 for DAN Instructors and Instructor Trainers. “DMFD3,” the final part in the Dive Medicine for Divers...

Conference Slides and Presentation Videos Can Be Downloaded for Free For those unable to attend the DAN® Diving Fatalities Workshop in April 2010, there is good news from DAN. The workshop presentations are now available online and can be downloaded free of charge. Hosted by the DAN Research department, the two-and-a-half-day event featured an international panel of authorities...

All Divers are Encouraged to Support Diving’s Safety Lifeline DAN® saves lives. So can you. This is the theme for the 2010 DAN Appeal, because DAN and divers have never been two separate entities. For 30 years, DAN and divers have worked together to create an organization that serves as a lifeline and information resource for divers, the medical community and every facet of the diving industry. Because DAN...

New Affiliation Another Building Block of DAN’s Multicenter Approach Divers Alert Network® (DAN®) has once again increased the resources available to assist divers through a new partnership with the University of Pennsylvania Hyperbaric Medicine (UPenn). With 30 years of research-based experience and one of the most comprehensive programs in the nation, UPenn is a leader in advancing hyperbaric oxygen therapy research and...

The American Heart Association recently released a position statement, intended to clarify cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training for lay rescuers, regarding the use of compression-only CPR without delivering rescue breaths. This statement was issued to “amend and clarify the “2005 American Heart Association (AHA) Guidelines for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and Emergency Cardiovascular Care (ECC)” for bystanders who witness an adult out-of-hospital sudden cardiac arrest.” Extensive research, completed since the 2005...

Outreach Plan Includes Academic Libraries and Global Reference Database Service In an ongoing effort to expand its reach to the general public, as well as the diving, medical, scientific and educational communities, Divers Alert Network® (DAN®) is announcing two information-sharing initiatives that will make Alert Diver, and the scuba-related content it contains, available on a global level. The first is a direct outreach program that provides academic libraries complimentary...

DAN to Attend “Revive Your Dive” in Ft. Lauderdale In a continuing effort to increase diver safety during Florida’s lobster mini-season, Divers Alert Network® (DAN®) will join Tec Clark for the inaugural Revive Your Dive! event in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. Revive Your Dive! is a free one-day event taking place on Sunday, July 25, 2010, at the City of Ft. Lauderdale Aquatic Complex, otherwise known as the Swimming Hall of Fame Pool. Participants will receive a PADI Scuba Review course, a fitness-to-dive...

DMT Recertification Requires 48 Continuing Education Hours Every Two Years Are you a certified Diver Medical Technician (DMT)? DAN® is now offering 24 continuing education hours for DMTs who need to renew their certification; recertification requires 48 continuing education hours every two years. The first DAN recertification course is scheduled for Aug. 8-10, 2010, in Durham, N.C. A few spaces are still...

Take Advantage of Early Registration Rate for Oct. 23-30 Course Registration for the 68th DAN® Diving and Hyperbaric Medicine Course is now open. The Oct. 23-30, 2010, program will be held at Presidente Intercontinental Cozumel. The six-day course is designed primarily for physicians, emergency medical personnel, paramedics and nurses, but...

Divers are Encouraged to Find the Truth Among the Hype With all of the information circulating about the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, it can be hard to get a handle on the bottom line. As the severity of the problem continues to grow, thoughts are naturally turning to how one can help to stop and clean up the devastation. As divers, we feel especially invested in this issue, as it’s the ocean in which we dive that is primarily affected. There will be plenty of opportunities for each and every one of us to help...

Webinars Allow Divers to Participate in Real-Time Presentations Since the April announcement of DAN’s new outreach program of offering free interactive webinars to anyone who wanted DAN® to present or lecture to their group, the response has been extremely positive. The next several webinars have been scheduled, and a few spaces remain for those interested in participating. You do not have to be a member of the organizing dive club; the technology used in the webinars allows for additional participants outside the...

DAN Reminds You to Incorporate Trip Insurance into Your Travel Plans June 1 marks the official start to the 2010 Atlantic hurricane season, and forecasters are predicting it will be an active one. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is predicting a 70 percent probability of up to 23 named storms developing between now and Nov. 30, 2010; of those, eight to 14 of the storms are potential hurricanes. However, dire storm predictions are no reason to put travel plans on hold. A few simple...

DAN’s Popular Recognition Program Offers Special Incentive June 1–Dec. 31, 2010 Today brings the return of DES Quest, DAN® Education’s celebration of its most popular recognition program, Diving Emergency Specialist (DES). Any diver who completes the requirements between June 1 and Dec. 31, 2010, will receive a specially designed T-shirt and ball cap in addition to the usual patch, waterproof card and wall...

DAN Emergency Hotline Number is now +1-919-684-9111 As divers gear up for the official start of the dive season this weekend, DAN® reminds you to take a minute to make sure all of your emergency information is updated with the new DAN Emergency Hotline number: +1-919-684-9111. Already effective, the new phone number consolidates emergency services. It replaces the need to decide whether to call DAN, a medical facility or TravelAssist® for emergency evacuation or other travel assistance....

DAN Invites Divers to Share Stories with Other Divers As divers enjoy the Spring 2010 issue of Alert Diver, the creators of the magazine are already looking to 2011. One of the key elements of the magazine’s redesign last fall was the development of several columns that allow divers to submit and share their stories and advice with other divers. Each of these columns has proven to be popular, and the publishers of Alert Diver want to invite all readers of the magazine to share their stories in the coming...

A tiny marine filter-feeder, that anchors itself to the sea bed, offers new clues to scientists studying the stability of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet – a region that is thought to be vulnerable to collapse(1). As part of a...