Nov

Diving deep brings rewards for STRI researchers

Have you reached a milestone, received an award or conquered the world (at least your little corner of it) lately? Let us know at torch@si.edu. We want to toot your horn for you! Be sure to include your contact information and a picture as an attachment.

Raul De Leon, right, with his Member’s Choice Award from the Divers Alert Network.

Raul De Leon, Scientific Diving Program Specialist at the Smithsonian Tropical research Institute, has been honored with the 2015 Member’s Choice Award from the Divers Alert Network for outstanding dedication to establishing a culture of dive safety within the community. The Divers Alert Network is the diving industry’s largest association dedicated to scuba diving safety. Serving scuba divers for more than 30 years, DAN provides emergency assistance, medical information resources, educational opportunities and more.

Erin Dillon collects sediment samples from a reef at Boca del Toro, Panama. (Photo by Sean Mattson)

Erin Dillon, a short term fellow at STRI has won a grant from the Save Our Seas Foundation for her work on shark dermal denticles. Dermal denticles are tiny tooth-like scales that line the skin of nearly all elasmobranch species, providing a hard yet flexible armor that is gradually shed and regenerated. Their hydrodynamic design has provided inspiration for swimsuits worn by Olympic athletes, drag-eliminating coatings for vehicles, and even surfaces that impede bacterial growth in hospitals.

SOSF has funded 160 projects in 50 countries across the globe that strive for deeper understanding and more innovative solutions in marine research, conservation and education. Erin writes about her fascinating research on the the SOSF website: Shark skin sleuthing >>.