San Diego Chapter Members in the Field, Summer 2025

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San Diego Chapter fellows associated with the Scripps Center for Marine Archaeology (SCMA) have brought their expertise to crucial international forums dedicated to protecting our planet's marine and underwater cultural heritage.

Dominique Rissolo PhD, FN'13, and Christian McDonald participated in the UNESCO Convention for the Protection of Underwater Cultural Heritage Meeting of State Parties in Paris, and other scientific conferences. Their presentations tackled the urgent intersection of underwater cultural heritage and the challenges of climate change. They participated in the UNESCO UNITWIN network meeting, contributing to the expansion of global academic collaboration focused on underwater archaeology education and research.

Isabel Rivera-Collazo PhD, FN'25, represented the SCMA at the United Nations Oceans Conference (UNOC3) in Nice, France, showcasing SCMA's groundbreaking research while forging strategic partnerships with nations seeking the center’s expertise in establishing legal frameworks to protect underwater cultural heritage. In collaboration with the Ocean Decade Heritage Network, SCMA co-signed the influential "Sustainable Ocean Heritage Stewardship" statement, soon to be permanently enshrined in the UNOC3 record. She and a team of esteemed local, regional and global scientists embarked on an ambitious archaeological expedition, rewriting history of the Caribbean archipelago, uncovering extraordinary evidence of the history and prehistory of these culturally strategic islands.

In Barbuda, the team made a discovery that stunned the archaeological community-- an indigenous village spanning 960 square kilometers, potentially one of the largest documented settlements in the Caribbean archipelago. Not just a village; it was a sophisticated maritime hub where indigenous navigators used strategically placed bonfires to guide vessels across the waters between Antigua and Barbuda.  Evidence suggests this site was a crucial nexus for inter-island trade and communication, with connections possibly reaching as far as the Taíno world. The expedition traced an ancient road system -- still in use today-- that connects this major settlement to a network of villages positioned along Barbuda's entire eastern coastline, revealing a sophisticated level of indigenous planning and connectivity. This takes on urgent significance as these cultural landscapes face mounting pressure from foreign-funded development projects.  Beyond ancient discoveries, the expedition also documented 18th-century colonial ruins, creating detailed 3D models of historical buildings and complexes.
 

In Antigua, the team turned their attention to Nelson's Dockyard UNESCO World Heritage Site, systematically surveying and mapping historic fortifications, cemeteries, and residential and military complexes of Shirley Heights, the Blockhouse, the Ridge, and Dow's Hill. Their work reveals previously unknown structures while georeferencing familiar landmarks and creating an invaluable resource for heritage management. They are also working to develop a system that organizes all existing records of indigenous and archaeological sites in support of the impressive efforts of scientists on the island.

Greg Rouse FN’16 was part of a team reviewing issues around the conservation of seadragons. He is co-author of a paper published in Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries (May 2025), Improving conservation outcomes for seadragons: data, knowledge gaps, and future direction, addressing key data gaps and on the development of new research methodologies.

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Paula Selby MN’18 joined renowned underwater filmmakers, Howard and Michele Hall, on a Stephen Frink underwater photography expedition to the Sea of Cortez in June. Species of interest were Munk's devil ray (Mobula munkiana) named after the late Explorers Club medalist, Walter Munk. These remarkable jumping fish aggregate this time of year, as do pods of Orcas that prey on them. Highlights of the trip for the photographers and filmmakers were Pilot whales, schooling Gray triggerfish gathered off La Reina Lighthouse Reef for a seasonal spawning event, and the Fang Ming shipwreck, a Chinese cargo ship that was seized by the Mexican government for human smuggling, and sunk near Isla Ballena in1999 to create an artificial reef, now teeming with marine life.

The San Diego Underwater Photography Society (SDUPS) overlaps members with our chapter including Paula Selby, Sara Shoemaker Lind MN’99 and Martha Shaw LF’06, member since 1978. This summer, the La Jolla Library hosts an exhibition and reception featuring SDUPS member photos.

Robert DeLaurentis MN’18, a polar circumnavigator known as Peace Pilot, has released his book and audiobook, Peace Pilot to the Ends of the Earth and Beyond on Amazon along with Peace Pilot, the film. The aircraft Citizen of the World, used on the flag expedition #44 will be on display at his new DeLaurentis International Airport on Whidbey Island.

Martha Shaw attended TEC Chapter Chair and board meetings during ECAD and WOW. During WOW she presented the ecological challenges facing Mission Blue Farm Pond Hope Spot a crucial coastal ecosystem in jeopardy on the island of Martha’s Vineyard. She joined TEC's Stefan Kindberg, Trevor Wallace, Faanya Rose, Milbry Polk, Lynn Danaher, Margaret Ferris on a journey from Iceland up the coast of Greenland with Adventure Canada, in the wake of the Vikings.