Project Baseline at Lake Iseo (Italy) was established by the North Coast Divers group in 2013. The team began their long-term underwater monitoring efforts by establishing seven stations along the southwest shore of Lake Iseo. In addition to documenting these Stations on a regular basis, the team has established a cooperative arrangement with the Italian Coast Guard and Provincial Police to help remove derelict fishing gear and nets from locations along the coast of this lake. Over the course of three months the team has recovered four nets, each measuring ~100 meters in length.
The team is also involved with the Coast Guard and the municipal administration of Tavernola Bergamasca to determine a plan for the recovery of illegally dumped tires found near the team's underwater monitoring stations.
Last month, the team continued their annual participation in a program called "Clean Seabeds" by presenting Project Baseline to event attendees. This summer, team volunteers plan on adding two more long-term monitoring stations as well as establishing protocol required to rebuild the local fish population in the areas team members love to dive. Image: Renato Mauro Preda
Volunteer Profile - Renato Mauro Preda
Renato Mauro Preda is the founder of the diving group North Central Divers and has lead Project Baseline: Lake Iseo as a volunteer Project Manager since 2013.
Renato has been diving since 1989 and continues to push his diving career through an avid interest in technical diving. He is passionate about wreck diving, but spends most of his time diving in Lake Iseo, which is only a few kilometers from his home and the headquarters of North Coast Divers. He is supported by seven volunteer team members who take samples from the stations along the shore of the lake each month.
Renato is proud that Project Baseline has been received favorably by the local diving community and authorities and feels encouraged to continue broadening the scope of their activities in 2016 and beyond.. Image: Renato Mauro Preda
Read more about how Brownies Global Logistics (known as Global Sub Dive) supported Miami Waterkeeper and Project Baseline when these organizations teamed last March to raise awareness about eminent disaster occuring on the natural reefs near Port Everglades, Florida. Florida Reef Documentation Story
Image: George Monteiro
Event Spotlight
The Cantor Fitzgerald Relief Fund donated $5,000 to the Florida-based not-for-profit organization, Global Underwater Explorers, to support their central conservation initiative Project Baseline. (That's us!)
Click here to read more about this annual fundraising event!
Image: Cantor Fitzgerald
Database Picture of the Month
Devil's Ear Spring (Florida, USA) is situated at the mouth of a 375' long spring run that enters into the Santa Fe River from the south side. It is an elongated limestone fissure that discharges directly into the adjacent Santa Fe River.
Learn and See More by Clicking Here.
