25 / 116
ALERTDIVER.COM
|
23
some shortcomings. Manned
submersibles and support ships
can cost more than $50,000 a day.
The limited mechanical dexterity
of subs and ROVs makes them
poor options for collecting nimble
or delicate marine life. When
conducting visual fish censuses,
use of large, noisy hardware can
make it difficult to approach
marine life, especially compared
to divers using minimally intrusive
closed-circuit rebreathers (CCRs).
PHYSIOLOGY AND
DECOMPRESSION STRESS
Decompression sickness (DCS)
consists of a constellation of
symptoms that result from
decompression stress in excess of
what can be tolerated. A number
of variables affect decompression
stress. How these variables
ultimately influence DCS risk,
independently and in concert, is
not well understood. Improved
knowledge of decompression
stress could help researchers
determine what factors may be
playing a role at different points
RICHARD PYLE, BISHOP MUSEUM