The purpose of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) Dive Team is to provide competent diver services to meet the scientific needs of the FDEP and the State of Florida.  All scientific diving under the auspices of the FDEP shall be executed under the supervision of the FDEP Dive Control Board.  All FDEP scientific divers shall have meet the minimum qualifications established by the Dive Control Board as set forth in the FDEP Diving Safety Manual.  Each District/Division, or Unit, will appoint a unit dive safety officer who is responsible, through the Dive Control Board and the Safety and Health Program Administrator, for the conduct of diving done under the auspices of the Unit.

The Southeast District (SED) Dive Team consists of environmental specialists whose job includes the collection of underwater scientific data by means of SCUBA.  All FDEP personnel who dive as part of their job must be a member of the dive team and certified as an FDEP diver by the Dive Control Board.  The SED Dive Team engages in a variety of projects including seagrass monitoring, along with artificial reef and structure surveys.  As part of the statewide FDEP Dive Team, the SED also makes its services available to other Districts/Divisions throughout the FDEP.  Occasionally, the SED Dive Team will engage in field exercises with other government and educational institutions that share reciprocity with the FDEP.

Current Members of the SED Dive Team

• Cynthia E. Lott, Unit Dive Safety Officer

• Jennifer Smith

• Melinda Kohlmyer

• Michael Evans

• Jena Sansgaard

• Benny Luedike

• Melissa Gil

• Jerilyn Krug

• Irene Arpayoglou - SED Snorkel Safety Officer

SED Dive Team Resources and Presentations

• Dive Team Poster (MS Word format)

• Presentation - Conducting Fish Identification Surveys & Mapping the Georges Valentine Reef

• Presentation - Conducting Fish Identification & Benthic Surveys on the Urca de Lima Shipwreck

• Urca De Lima Wreck final report at Underwater Archaeology

• Georges Valentine final report at Underwater Archaeology

For more information, please contact Cynthia Lott, Unit Dive Safety Officer, at (772) 398-2806, ext. 116, or via e-mail at Cynthia.Lott@dep.state.fl.us.

Southeast District Main Switchboard

(561) 681-6600

Map and Directions to the Southeast District Office