WEBVTT Kind: captions Language: en 00:00:02.899 --> 00:00:04.440 The best diving I’ve ever done in my life 00:00:04.440 --> 00:00:07.980 is actually here at Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary. 00:00:14.220 --> 00:00:15.299 I’m Lieutenant Dustin Picard. 00:00:15.299 --> 00:00:16.760 I'm with the NOAA Commissioned Corps 00:00:16.760 --> 00:00:19.080 and specifically Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary. 00:00:19.600 --> 00:00:21.400 It’s a dream job. 00:00:21.400 --> 00:00:23.720 As NOAA Corps officers we wear a lot of different hats, 00:00:23.720 --> 00:00:26.400 but predominantly I’m the vessel operations coordinator. 00:00:29.620 --> 00:00:31.820 So we’re on the R/V Manta. 00:00:31.820 --> 00:00:33.800 We are the predominant research vessel for 00:00:33.800 --> 00:00:36.060 Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary. 00:00:36.740 --> 00:00:40.180 [waves breaking] 00:00:44.080 --> 00:00:46.660 This is day two of a three-day cruise. 00:00:46.670 --> 00:00:48.740 Two main objectives of this cruise are the water quality, 00:00:48.740 --> 00:00:50.460 which we tackled on day one at each bank, 00:00:50.460 --> 00:00:54.200 and then as well as the mooring buoy work we’ve been doing today. 00:00:56.260 --> 00:01:00.480 Flower Garden Banks has Stetson Bank, West Bank, and East Bank. 00:01:00.480 --> 00:01:03.960 Each bank actually has water quality instruments that are anchored to the seafloor 00:01:04.680 --> 00:01:06.260 and as researchers we go out 00:01:06.260 --> 00:01:08.520 and change those instruments every three months. 00:01:11.640 --> 00:01:14.040 Also, we’ve tacked on some mooring buoy work as well. 00:01:14.040 --> 00:01:18.321 And as part of our sanctuary management program we actually go out there as researchers and 00:01:18.321 --> 00:01:21.800 install these buoys, making sure the general public, recreational divers, 00:01:21.800 --> 00:01:24.000 recreational fishermen, can actually come out here 00:01:24.000 --> 00:01:26.240 and use the banks as a resource as well. 00:01:29.820 --> 00:01:31.180 So you kind of just see some of the highlights 00:01:31.180 --> 00:01:34.440 of some of my experiences sailing on NOAA vessels. 00:01:34.820 --> 00:01:37.400 This is the American flag flown off the Ronald H. Brown. 00:01:37.400 --> 00:01:39.280 It was about a 28-day cruise. 00:01:39.280 --> 00:01:43.180 We were doing some buoy deployments along the way in the equatorial Pacific. 00:01:43.180 --> 00:01:44.740 I’ve been in the Corps for about five years now. 00:01:44.740 --> 00:01:46.240 It’s one of seven services. 00:01:46.240 --> 00:01:47.720 Of course you have your five armed services, 00:01:47.720 --> 00:01:49.440 then you have two uniformed services, 00:01:49.440 --> 00:01:51.100 one being the NOAA Commissioned Corps. 00:01:51.560 --> 00:01:55.720 We support NOAA’s research missions from American Samoa all the way up to Maine. 00:01:57.200 --> 00:01:59.280 I think NOAA Corps officers bring a diverse background, 00:01:59.280 --> 00:02:01.760 so I can slide in at any of the crew positions. 00:02:01.760 --> 00:02:03.220 So if a crew member needs a cruise off 00:02:03.220 --> 00:02:06.100 or something comes up I can help facilitate that role. 00:02:08.980 --> 00:02:13.879 Or I can slide in as a research diver, working diver, scientific diver, or even a dive master. 00:02:13.880 --> 00:02:16.720 You know, that’s the best part of my job, really. 00:02:17.800 --> 00:02:18.799 I say go out and do it. 00:02:18.799 --> 00:02:20.910 I think a lot of people have reservations because they look at it and they say it’s 00:02:20.910 --> 00:02:24.920 such a big commitment, and, yes, it is, but I think you’ll be surprised about the training 00:02:24.920 --> 00:02:28.060 and what you learn from yourself that you can actually go out and accomplish. 00:02:28.980 --> 00:02:32.460 I’d like to do a full career in the NOAA Corps, so that’s my goal right now. 00:02:32.469 --> 00:02:33.700 But after I’d like to stay working for NOAA. 00:02:33.700 --> 00:02:34.700 I’ve definitely enjoyed it. 00:02:34.700 --> 00:02:35.800 I’ve always wanted to work for NOAA 00:02:35.800 --> 00:02:38.220 since I’ve always been into environmental and marine science. 00:02:39.900 --> 00:02:41.540 I’ve been here down at Flower Garden Banks, 00:02:41.540 --> 00:02:44.180 which is based in Galveston, Texas, for about two and a half years now. 00:02:45.240 --> 00:02:48.740 You know, out here hundreds of miles offshore, not many people get to experience this. 00:02:48.740 --> 00:02:51.820 These coral reefs are very healthy, over 50 percent coral coverage in some areas, 00:02:51.820 --> 00:02:53.939 so it's unlike any place I’ve ever dove. 00:02:54.280 --> 00:02:57.140 And I feel very lucky every time I get to go in the water and see that. 00:02:57.140 --> 00:02:59.200 You know, it takes your breath away really. 00:03:00.860 --> 00:03:05.159 My favorite of the three banks has got to be West Bank, something about it. 00:03:05.159 --> 00:03:08.409 So I always kind of joke “West is the best,” but that’s not true. 00:03:08.409 --> 00:03:11.200 Each bank has its own characteristics that make it special. 00:03:12.920 --> 00:03:15.540 There are other banks and reefs out here in the Gulf of Mexico 00:03:15.540 --> 00:03:18.080 that are very similar in nature to East, West, and Stetson Bank. 00:03:19.880 --> 00:03:22.820 So it’s pretty well known that the sanctuary is going through an expansion proposal. 00:03:22.820 --> 00:03:25.900 Right now there’s five proposals on the table. 00:03:25.900 --> 00:03:27.400 Each one has its own benefits. 00:03:30.560 --> 00:03:34.620 It’s been a dream working for the sanctuary program now and after my time in the Corps 00:03:34.620 --> 00:03:36.580 hopefully I can find myself in some type of role 00:03:36.580 --> 00:03:38.820 working for the national marine sanctuaries program.