title: Managing scientific diving operations in a remote location: the Canadian high Arctic.
abstract: Global climate change is expected to alter the Arctic bioregion markedly in coming decades. As a result, monitoring of the expected and actual changes has assumed high scientific significance. Many marine science objectives are best supported with the use of scientific diving techniques. Some important keystone environments are located in extremely remote locations where land-based expeditions offer high flexibility and cost-effectiveness over ship-based operations. However, the extreme remoteness of some of these locations, coupled with complex and unreliable land, sea and air communications, means that there is rarely quick access (< 48 h) to any specialized diving medical intervention or recompression. In 2009, a land based expedition to the north end of Baffin Island was undertaken with the specific aim of establishing an inventory of the diversity of seaweeds and their pathogens that was broadly representative of a high Arctic marine environment. This account highlights some of the logistical considerations taken on that expedition; specifically it outlines the non-recompression treatment pathway that would have been adopted in the event of a diver suffering decompression illness.
authors: UK NERC National Facility for Scientific Diving, Scottish Association for Marine Science, Dunbeg, Oban, Argyll PA37 1QA, Scotland, Phone: +44-(0)1631-559236, Fax: +44-(0)1631-559001, E-mail: mdjs@sams.ac.uk.
authors: Martin D J
authors: MD
authors: Sayer
authors: Oceanlab, University of Aberdeen, Newburgh, Scotland.
authors: Frithjof C
authors: FC
authors: Küpper
authors: University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen Oomycete Laboratory, College of Life Sciences and Medicine, Institute of Medical Sciences, Aberdeen, Scotland.
authors: Pieter
authors: P
authors: van West
authors: Lorn Medical Centre, Oban, Argyll, Scotland.
authors: Colin M
authors: CM
authors: Wilson
authors: UK NERC National Facility for Scientific Diving, Scottish Association for Marine Science, Dunbeg, Oban, Scotland.
authors: Hugh
authors: H
authors: Brown
authors: UK NERC National Facility for Scientific Diving, Scottish Association for Marine Science, Dunbeg, Oban, Scotland.
authors: Elaine
authors: E
authors: Azzopardi
mesh_terms: D001110:Arctic Regions; D002170:Canada; D003664:Decompression; D003665:Decompression Sickness / Q000628:therapy*; D004242:Diving; D005101:Expeditions; D006801:Humans; D012624:Seaweed / Q000382:microbiology; D014187:Transportation of Patients / Q000458:organization & administration*
keywords: Scientific diving; decompression illness; first aid; injuries; medical kits; oxygen; remote locations