M E MB E R P R O F I L E
dive slate
//
michael
barnette
Hometown:
Fredericksburg, Va.
Years Diving:
24
Favorite Destination:
The next mystery wreck!
Why I’m a DAN Member:
I tend to play in the deeper end
of the pool and in some fairly remote areas of the world,
and I recognize that the costs of evacuation and medical
treatment can financially bury an unprepared individual. Plus
it’s great to have access to the wealth of medical expertise
and information that is presented in the pages of Alert Diver.
PHOTO CREDIT
M
ichael Barnette is a marine
biologist whose passion for
the underwater world spills
over into every aspect of his
life. In addition to traveling the
world protecting sea turtles for
NOAA, Barnette is an avid underwater
photographer, historian and author.
A member of The Explorers Club and
founder of the Association of Underwater
Explorers (AUE), he has been active in the
identification of dozens of shipwrecks as
well as a unique deep-water coral habitat in
the Gulf of Mexico.
AD: Mike, you perform inspections of
turtle excluder devices used throughout
the world. What brought you into the
field of marine biology?
Barnette:
I have always been fascinated
with the water and the ocean in particular.
Like many other kids, I was enthralled by
television documentaries about underwater
exploration and marine biology such as
The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau
and The Living Planet, narrated by the
iconic David Attenborough. I suppose I
was fortunate, as I always knew I wanted to
be a marine biologist from an early age.
AD: You have identified many
shipwrecks in your career. What is the
first step you take when beginning a
new project?
Barnette:
Research, research and then
more research; a lot of progress is achieved
hunting through shipping registers and old
newspaper articles. That probably counts
for more than blind luck while diving. I try
to learn as much as I can about a new site
from those who have fished and dived it
25
|
SPRING 2014
From top: Barnette holds a crystal decanter recovered from the clipper
Kingsbridge, which sank in the English Channel in 280 feet of water in 1874.
At 220 feet Barnette dives on the Justicia, which was sunk in 1918 by U-boats
off Malin Head, Ireland. Barnette explores Madison Blue Springs, Fla.
BARRY MCGILL
BRANDON MCWILLIAMS
LEIGH BISHOP
