Discovery Deep Announces Citizen Science Courses Under PADI and NAUI

Discovery Deep P.O. Box 391 Great Falls, VA 22066 www.discoverydeep.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 2, 2016

Media Contact:
Alex Stopa
Communications Director
astopa@discoverydeep.com
703.395.2377

Discovery Deep Announces Citizen Science Courses Under PADI and NAUI

Great Falls, VA - Discovery Deep is excited to announce that our citizen science diver courses, the Artificial Reef Survey Course under the National Association of Underwater Instructors (NAUI) and the North Carolina Citizen Science Diver Distinctive Specialty Course under the Professional Association of Dive Instructors (PADI), two leading associations in the dive industry, have been approved. This signals the launch of our work to train divers to collect research data for the University of North Carolina's Institute of Marine Sciences in Morehead City, NC as it studies the impact of artificial reefs in adding habitat to the marine environment.

Frank Stopa, CEO and Co-Founder of Discovery Deep said, "There are a lot people, from marine researchers to course designers to divers to dive instructors, and even volunteers, in and out of Discovery Deep, who've worked diligently and selflessly to bring this project to this point. Now we'd love to encourage divers to take the training and support the research work."

We’d especially like to thank Kristina Soderquist, Discovery Deep's Director of Education and Outreach and a PADI Course Director, who spent countless hours managing this process and designing the course materials, and Dillon Waters, a NAUI Dive Instructor and Assistant Manager of the Rum Runner Dive Shop in Winterville, NC, who designed the NAUI version of the course.

Many of our strongest partners have been instrumental in the success of this project, including Dr. Charles "Pete" Peterson, Avery Paxton and Claire Rosemond from the University of North Carolina’s Institute of Marine Sciences; Robert Purifoy, Owner-Operator of the Olympus Dive Center in Morehead City, NC; and Carolyn Bostock Wagner and Dillon Waters of the Rum Runner Dive Shop in Winterville, NC,

Finally, we'd also like to thank Ocean Sanctuaries (OS) of San Diego, CA, in particular Barbara Lloyd and Michael Bear, for their input and support in helping Discovery Deep develop this citizen science project based on their HMCS Yukon Artificial Reef Citizen Science Program.

For updates and charter information, check the Discovery Deep Facebook page and discoverydeep.org

END

###

Discovery Deep provides data and sample collection support to scientific and academic organizations and select commercial interests. All of this is focused on furthering humankind’s understanding, knowledge and appreciation of the world’s oceans, seas and waterways.

Discovery Deep Releases U-352 3D Digital Tour

Discovery Deep P.O. Box 391 Great Falls, VA 22066 www.discoverydeep.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 27, 2016

Media Contact:
Alex Stopa
Communications Director
astopa@discoverydeep.com
703.395.2377

Discovery Deep Releases U-352 3D Digital Tour

Great Falls, VA - Discovery Deep is excited to announce that we have completed work on our second 3D Digital Tour. The U-352 WWII German Submarine, sitting off the coast of North Carolina, originally sank on May 9, 1942 and is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Through the diligent work with our partners at 3deepMedia, this immersive 3D tour allows users to view the sunken submarine in all of it’s glory.

“We’re very lucky to collaborate with so many talented people inside and outside Discovery Deep. That’s the part of this that enables us to bring the U-352 out of the ocean for everyone to appreciate,” Frank Stopa, CEO and President of Discovery Deep, said.

Mohamed Hafez, CTO and Co-Founder of Discovery Deep, said, “The U-342 is a piece of World War II history that we are proud to finally make viewable to everyone with a computer, keeping with our mission of bringing the ocean out of the ocean, and digitally preserving our maritime history.”

The tour can be viewed on our website here, www.discoverydeep.org/projects, or in full screen at the link below:

vr.discoverydeep.com

With the excitement our 3D Digital Tours have received, it is our pleasure to let you know that we will soon be releasing a web page exclusively dedicated to virtual reality and 3D digital mapping and digital tours. For more information on this project and possibilites to feature this work in your own space, contact Frank Stopa at fstopa@discoverydeep.com or Mohamed Hafez at mhafez@discoverydeep.com.

END

###

Discovery Deep provides data and sample collection support to scientific and academic organizations and select commercial interests. All of this is focused on furthering humankind’s understanding, knowledge and appreciation of the world’s oceans, seas and waterways.

Dr. Stephen P. Klinker Named Discovery Deep CFO

Discovery Deep P.O. Box 391 Great Falls, VA 22066 www.discoverydeep.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 12, 2016

Media Contact:
Alex Stopa
Communications Director
astopa@discoverydeep.com
703.395.2377

Dr. Stephen P. Klinker Named Discovery Deep CFO

Great Falls, VA - Discovery Deep is excited to announce that Dr. Stephen P. Klinker of Waterville, Maine has been elected by the Board of Directors to assume the role of Chief Financial Officer. Steve officially took the position as of August 31, 2016 and will handle the organization’s finances.

Dr. Klinker is a member of the Executive Committee and has been a team member of Discovery Deep since August 2015 when he came aboard as the Chief of Corporate Liaison and Medical Advisor.

He is a member of the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society and is a technical scuba diver & instructor for The National Association of Underwater Instructors (NAUI). Steve has years of management experience with multiple non-profit foundations in the medical and health fields.

END

###

Discovery Deep provides data and sample collection support to scientific and academic organizations and select commercial interests. All of this is focused on furthering humankind’s understanding, knowledge and appreciation of the world’s oceans, seas and waterways.

Discovery Deep Partners with Mission Blue

Discovery Deep | Mission Blue
Joint Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 24, 2016

Media Contact:
Alex Stopa
Communications Director
astopa@discoverydeep.com
703.395.2377

Discovery Deep Partners with Mission Blue

Great Falls, VA - Discovery Deep is excited to announce that on June 13, 2016, it signed a partnering agreement with the Sylvia Earle Alliance and Dr. Earle’s Mission Blue Organization. As party to the agreement, the Discovery Deep team will join Mission Blue’s international community of stakeholders to participate in its collective vision of increasing conservation, education and public support for the protection of our oceans and marine life.

Discovery Deep’s first work under the agreement will be to support Mission Blue's efforts to petition for parts of the North Carolina Hatteras Seashore to be declared an international Hope Spot by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) during its September 2016 Congress in Hawaii.

"We’re excited about the potential for this agreement with Mission Blue. It will allow us to build on the work we started in 2014, as well as to forge new connections with some of the most significant players in the ocean conservation world," commented CEO Frank Stopa. "It’s a fantastic opportunity for us to get involved at this level so early in our organizational life."

Brett Garling, Communications Manager at Mission Blue commented, "We are honored to partner with Discovery Deep in an effort to bring more and more people under the waves, both in person and in virtual reality, to learn and discover the ocean and what can be done to save it. Through the power of knowledge, we believe more people will learn to care, and act in support of the ocean's health. We look forward to a robust collaboration with Deep Discovery to inspire support for a global network of marine protected areas, Hope Spots, large enough to save and restore the blue heart of the planet."

Discovery Deep plans to contribute its growing experience in virtual reality and 360-degree video to document our oceans and their historical and cultural resources.

For more information on this agreement please contact Discovery Deep CEO, Frank Stopa, at fstopa@discoverydeep.com.

END

###

Discovery Deep provides data and sample collection support to scientific and academic organizations and select commercial interests. All of this is focused on furthering humankind’s understanding, knowledge and appreciation of the world’s oceans, seas and waterways.

Discovery Deep's First 360 Video Licensing Agreement

Discovery Deep P.O. Box 391 Great Falls, VA 22066

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 2, 2016

Media Contact:
Alex Stopa
Communications Director
astopa@discoverydeep.com
703.395.2377

Discovery Deep's First 360 Video Licensing Agreement

Great Falls, VA - Discovery Deep is excited to announce the licensing of its first 360-degree video produced by Nic Fuller, Discovery Deep’s Media Director, to Provata Health of Portland, Oregon. The video will be utilized in a mobile app they are developing to help those experiencing high stress and anxiety levels to relax. Provata Health is a revolutionary health and wellness company built by international physicians and scientists specializing in health promotion and behavior change science.

In reaction to the agreement, Frank Stopa, CEO of Discovery Deep commented, "We were excited to license our first video production to Provata Health. They're building a mobile app that helps clients reduce stress via the serenity of the underwater world. Nic Fuller's 360-degree video production conveys that serenity perfectly! We are all pleased to be able to "Bring the Ocean out of the Ocean" in a unique way.”

"I am glad to see companies applying these videos in ways I could have never imagined. Especially if they have a benefit for people," added Fuller.

More examples of these 360 videos can be found on our YouTube Channel, Discovery Deep TV. For more information on licensing these or any other videos, please contact Nic Fuller at nfuller@discoverydeep.com.

END
###

Discovery Deep provides data and sample collection support to scientific and academic organizations, and certain commercial interests. All of this is focused on furthering humankind’s understanding, knowledge and appreciation of the world’s oceans, seas and waterways.

Sinking of the James J. Francesconi and the Tramp

Discovery Deep P.O. Box 391 Great Falls, VA 22066 astopa@discoverydeep.com 703.395.2377

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Sinking of the James J. Francesconi and the Tramp

On Saturday 1 May 2016, in coordination with Olympus Dive Center of Morehead City, North Carolina, Discovery Deep launched its project to document and collect scientific observations on the first artificial reef off the North Carolina coast in a decade. Discovery Deep team members mounted and set cameras on the James J. Francesconi and the Tramp prior to the sinking, and then dove the new reef site to recover the cameras and film the site for the first time.

"This was going to be a great opportunity for us to build our partnership with Bobby Purifoy and the Olympus Dive Center. They’ve supported us from our beginnings, and working with them on this project affords us the opportunity to collect scientific data that’s not often available,” commented Frank Stopa, Discovery Deep Chief Executive Officer. “We’re helping the marine science world learn more about creating marine habitats and preserving our oceans."

In addition to having dive teams visit the site regularly to collect and catalogue their own observations, Discovery Deep is building a citizen science database and training course to encourage and enable recreational divers to contribute their own observations to the data.

"With the decline of organic coral reefs worldwide, the creation of artificial habitats is imperative to protecting marine life," added Mohamed Hafez, Discovery Deep’s Chief Technology Officer and leader of the first dive team on the new site.

END
###

Discovery Deep provides data and sample collection support to scientific and academic organizations, and certain commercial interests. All of this is focused on furthering humankind’s understanding, knowledge and appreciation of the world’s oceans, seas and waterways.