| NACD Science Committee Action Statement
Skip Kendrick, Science Committee Chair
July, 2007
The objective of the NACD Science Committee is to promote various
scientific endeavors in support of education, conservation, and safe cave
diving. The scientific endeavors are divided into three primary categories:
Cave Science, Human Science, and Equipment Science. The specific activities
in each category are defined below.
I. Cave Science
Overview. Cave Science refers to the physical aspects of the cave system:
the water, the rock, and the life inhabiting the spring and underground
passages. The science committee is dedicated to promoting science that
strives to monitor and maintain high standards of water quality.
Additionally, the committee promotes geological and hydrogeological studies
of the formation and "life-history" of cave systems. Finally, the committee
supports science concerned with the living species, their numbers, and their
interactions (e.g., prey-predator relations) both outside the caves in the
spring and siphon areas as well as within the cave.
Actions. Issues related to water quality are being pursued in two ways.
First, emails are being sent to selected institutions and agencies offering
NACD members as volunteers to help collect water samples. Second, a water
quality test kit is being developed so that NACD members may test and
collect data on local waters directly. Additionally, several hydro
geologists have been contacted and asked to contribute articles on cave
formations, springs, etc., to the journal. Also, procedures and data
recording sheets are being designed so that NACD members can identify
species and count populations in underwater caves.
II. Human Science
Overview. Human Science refers to the interactions of cave divers with
the physical aspects of the cave system as defined above, the interactions
of cave divers and the local nondiving population, and the legal aspects of
diving caves. The Science Committee supports research concerned with
training and skill development that specifically addresses reducing negative
impacts of cave divers on the cave system. In addition it is important that
attitudes of cave divers and the nondiving public remain positive and that
cave diving is seen as contributing to locals and their caves. Additionally,
a data base of state and federal laws regarding water use, access, and
land-owner obligations be created and updated regularly. With this
information, the public, including those in positions of authority, can be
informed and safe cave diving can be extended to those caves as yet closed
to cave divers.
Actions. Contacts with other agencies are being pursued in order to form
cooperative actions and share information. A survey concerning the type,
duration, and locations of cave dives, and the training level of cave
divers, as well as their attitude regarding safe diving has been developed
is ready for distribution. A second survey on personality (including anxiety
and stress) characteristics of cave divers is in preparation. Data on cave
divers interactions with local populations and the views of nondiving local
populations also needs to be collected. The appropriate surveys are in the
planning stages. Finally, the Science Committee is dedicated to building a
legal-issues data base that will include state and federal land and water
use laws and regulations, including private land-owner obligations and
responsibilities, to help clarify issues and needs when addressing locals
and public officials regarding cave diving.
III. Equipment Science
Overview. The NACD does not and should not be in the business of
recommending specific brands of cave diving gear; however, it should be a
repository of information on safe and unsafe cave diving equipment. We can
also provide needed information on the availability and use of equipment in
the scientific aspects of cave diving (new survey tools for example). There
is also a wealth of additional equipment, not essential, but nice to have,
that needs to be evaluated.
Actions. A data base of information collected from those in the industry
who test new and old gear is proposed. Additionally, a survey of current
gear and configurations is available for distribution. This survey will be
the first documentation of the gear actually used by cave divers and their
experiences with it. Moreover, the Science Committee is dedicated to
developing procedures to field-test current and new equipment. The
development of new gear for life support and it's safe use is most certainly
a concern of cave divers and responsible assessment and recommendation is
critical to safe cave diving. Finally, a review of survey data of current
gear being used will help discriminate needed gear from "nice to have gear,"
and recommendations of that gear as it relates to different dive objectives
is planned.
IV. Summary of Current Objectives and Projects
The Science Committee is pursuing water quality testing in cooperation
with other institutions and agencies as well as developing a field test kit
that can be used by members with little or no formal training. Hydro
Geologists are being contacted and asked to contribute articles to the
journal. Methods and recording sheets are being developed that will permit
replicable species identification and counts.
For human science, we are contacting other agencies with which to form
cooperatives (e.g., AAUS). We are developing surveys of attitudes,
personality, cave diving experience and training, interactions with locals,
attitudes of nondivers towards cave divers, and are investigating the
creation of a data base regarding state and federal regulations concerned
with land and water use.
The Science Committee is also collecting data on current gear used and
how that gear is configured among the cave diving community with an eye
toward developing a list of acceptable and unacceptable equipment. We are
also developing protocols for field-testing equipment that will allow
objective comparisons of current and new equipment. In addition, an
assessment of "nice to have" gear is proposed and methods of determining the
safe and appropriate use of the gear is being considered. |
