- Craig Cooper
- Aquarius Manager
National Undersea Research Center
University of North Carolina Wilmington
515 Key Largo, Florida 33037
Craigbc@juno.com
I graduated from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) in 1971 with a BS in biology. During my last two years of college I worked for the Va. Cooperative Fishery Unit, a federal/university coop program doing freshwater fisheries research. Following graduation I worked for New Jersey Fish and Game doing trout hatchery and fisheries work, and also the U.S. Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife working on an anadromous fish project on the Delaware River. In 1973 I attended and graduated from the Ocean Corporation, a six month commercial diving school. Although a recreational scuba diver since 1964, I was lured by the promises of worldwide travel and high pay. After serving my apprenticeship as a tender with Taylor Diving and Salvage, I then worked for that company until I retired after 11 years of commercial diving. With Taylor I did air, HeO2 mixed gas, and saturation diving throughout the world including Borneo, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, India, Norway, Scotland, and Mexico. Commercial saturation diving differs from Aquarius in that the duration is 30-40 days, and the saturation chamber is on a barge or ship and transfer to the depths is via a diving bell. My only work with habitats prior to Aquarius was with welding habitats that we used to make welded tie-ins of sub sea oil and gas pipelines.
In 1984 I went to work for the North Carolina Dept. of Transportation as an underwater bridge inspector. This job started out mainly inspecting bridges, but shortly changed where 50% of our work was underwater bridge construction pumping concrete to form new piles and foundations. During my eight years with NCDOT I became acquainted with the NURC program at UNCW due to an attempt by the state of NC to produce a diving manual for all divers working for the state. It was through this meeting that UNCW contacted me in December 1990 when they acquired the Aquarius habitat. I started one month later managing the dry dock refurbishment of Aquarius, which culminated with it's deployment in 1993 at its present site off the Florida Keys. As Operations Manager I supervise the daily activities of Aquarius and serve as licensed Captain, Diving Medical Technician, and on board technician during missions. My role parallels that of the other ten staff making up the Aquarius support team.
When I am not at work with Aquarius in Florida, I am enjoying myself with my wife at our horse farm in Wake Forest, NC where we raise Arabian show horses.