Scientific Diving
 PBS&J offers a scientific dive team to support natural resource services for various archaeological and ecological projects. More than 30 marine scientists, ecologists, geologists, coastal engineers, and archaeologists across the United States comprise the team.
PBS&J’s scientific divers are trained in the firm’s Standards for Scientific Diving and Operation of Scientific Diving Programs. Our dive manual follows the protocol set forth by the American Academy of Underwater Sciences (AAUS) fulfilling the scientific diving criteria (exemption from commercial diving standards) required by OSHA. Training of the scientific divers occurs on a regular basis, with team members participating in various classroom and field training activities and dives. Topics include animal and plant identification and ecology, site monitoring, underwater photography and videography, data gathering techniques, experimental methods, collecting, installation of scientific apparatus, scientific dive planning, and small boat operations. In addition to standard SCUBA, some PBS&J divers are trained and certified in mixed-gas and surface-supplied air diving. All PBS&J divers are trained in dive safety, first aid, CPR, O2 administration, and diver rescue.
 PBS&J scientific divers have logged thousands of dives for a wide range of projects, including long-term ecological monitoring, coral reef and seagrass studies, marina sitings and mitigation, underwater archaeological assessments, habitat restoration, assessment of ship grounding impacts, expert witness testimony, and submarine fiber-optic telecommunication and power cable installation support and environmental compliance.
PBS&J Scientific Diving Service
- Coral reef and seagrass impact and injury assessments
- Emergency triage and restoration
- Coral transplantation feasibility studies
- Artificial reef module design and deployment
- Benthic habitat mapping and monitoring
- Pure and applied seagrass and coral reef research
- Essential fish habitat surveys
- Archaeological surveys
- Permit support
- Expert witness testimony
 Related PBS&J Services
- Oil spill planning and management
- Natural resource damage assessments
- Water quality studies
- Environmental toxicology
- Watershed management
- Cultural resources studies
- Endangered and threatened species surveys
- Coastal resource management
- Hydrobiological monitoring
- Marine hydrographic and geophysical services
- GIS mapping
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