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“It’s not often you see snow on the Vesuvius volcano here in the Gulf of Naples, where I live in Sorrento. It soon vanishes due to the mild temperatures. I’ve always wanted to take a photo, and I finally managed to get into the water to do it. During my walk along the Marina Grande in Sorrento, my usual place for winter night diving, the wind pushed a large quantity of jellyfish along the coast. I was lucky to find one that had a small passenger on board, a juvenile imperial blackfish (Schedophilus ovalis).”

Winners of the DPG Masters Underwater Imaging Competition 2023

The competition invited submissions to seven image 
categories and one video category, with entries 
evaluated by a panel of award-winning photographers: Stephen Frink, Renee Capozzola, Scott “Gutsy” Tuason, Allison Vitsky Sallmon, Matty Smith and Amanda Cotton.

Malta: Protecting an Underwater Heritage

Diver at the smokestack of the El-Faroud wreck
Diver at the smokestack of the El-Faroud wreck

In the waters of Malta, an island nation that sits in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, there are deep historical shipwrecks dating back to ancient times, to the First and Second World Wars, and up to the present day. Michael Salvarezza and Christopher P. Weaver share their exploration of some of Malta’s wrecks and reefs.

Divers from the Naples Police underwater unit, based in Naples, Italy, have retrieved a substantial piece of obsidian from the remnants of a Neolithic shipwreck, off the coast of the island of Capri.

Discovery of a potential Neolithic shipwreck off Italy’s coast

The discovery was made near Capri’s famous Blue Grotto, a site historically used as a private bath by Roman emperors. Divers from the Naples Police Headquarters’ underwater unit located the wreck, which contained obsidian core material at a depth of around 40m. One of the cores, showing clear traces of chiselling and carving, measures approximately 28 x 20 x 15 cm and weighs almost 8kg.

Bonaire: A Diver's Paradise

Glassfish with large colony of purple tube sponges and sea rods at Bonaire

A Caribbean island nestled in the Leeward Antilles, warm and sunny Bonaire is a diver’s paradise with lots of shore diving and easy-to-reach fringing reefs, attracting divers at all levels who wish to explore and enjoy its beautiful reefs and marine life. Matthew Meier shares his adventure there.

Apple to pull Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 this week due to ITC ban

Apple to halt sale of dive computer Apple Watch in the US

In a move impacting tech enthusiasts and divers alike, Apple has announced the cessation of sales for its Apple Watch Series 9 and the dive computer-equipped Ultra 2 models in the United States. This decision, effective from December 21st, 2023, arises from a patent dispute with medical device maker Masimo.

Innovative AI technique enhances real-time tracking of manatees

The conservation of endangered species receives a technological boost as scientists at Florida Atlantic University (FAU) devise an artificial intelligence (AI) method that accurately counts manatee populations in real-time. 

Counting challenges and AI solution 

Counting manatees has long presented a challenge due to their herding behaviour, weather conditions, time of day and environmental factors that obscure their visibility. Water reflections can also hinder the counting process. 

Recent research reveals that wildfires impact not only terrestrial but also aquatic ecosystems.

Wildfires can affect aquatic ecosystems

Led by the laboratory of Professor Jonathan Shurin at the School of Biological Sciences, the research examines how aquatic systems respond to burnt plant matter, including its effects on food webs. Published in the journal Global Change Biology, two studies by the researchers highlight several key findings. They demonstrate that wildfires chemically alter plant debris, fundamentally shifting the role of aquatic ecosystems in the carbon cycle. Additionally, the research underscores the importance of these ecosystems as carbon sinks, storing carbon in their sediments.

Ricard Buxo: Pioneer of Diving in Raja Ampat

Undeniably one of the world’s extraordinary destinations, Raja Ampat blends breath-taking, above-water landscapes with a staggering abundance of marine biodiversity, into a remarkable combination that draws divers from all corners of the globe. Don Silcock writes about one of the pioneers of diving in this region, Ricard Buxo.