- Ross Hein
- Habitat Technician
NOAA’s Undersea Research Center
My career as a working scientific diver began while I was still a student at the University of California at Santa Cruz. While there, I worked as a staff diving instructor on campus and a small boat operator at Ano Nuevo Island State Reserve. I split my time between school, scientific diving projects and surf launching zodiacs to support marine mammal research.
After finishing school I was hired on as the Assistant Diving Safety Officer and Coordinator of island operations based out of Santa Cruz’s Long Marine Lab. In this role much of my time was spent teaching and supporting scientific diving, organizing diving teams for special projects and running boat operations for marine mammal, seabird and white shark projects. Away from work much of my time was spent surfing and mountain biking, two sports Santa Cruz is well known for. Work was excellent and Santa Cruz is home but I was bit by the travel bug and it was time to see some more of the world.
I ended up being asked on an Antarctic expedition as a lead diver and research assistant for State University of New York and University of San Francisco. Little did I know that this was going to change my life. Diving in the Antarctic is unparalleled and starkly contrasting to the monochromatic views above the water there. After two leaves of absence for Antarctic expeditions, I was offered the Boating Coordinator position at Palmer Station, Antarctica. I left the university to work running the boating program and ocean search and rescue team for a small Antarctic research station. Between deployments I spent my time traveling the world, South America, Africa, Australia and Europe, exploring as much as I could. After several years I transferred to marine division and worked and a Marine Tech and medical officer on RVIB Nathaniel B. Palmer and ASRV Laurence M. Gould. The Gould is an ice reinforced research vessel and the Palmer is an IBS 1 rated ice–breaker. I enjoyed cruising much of the Antarctic continent while working out of Chile, South Africa and Tasmania. While aboard we ran deck operations, safety and medical for all aspects of heavy oceanographic scientific sampling, coring, casting and towing gear through out the south seas with a very talented multi-national team. Watching the southern lights from the ice encrusted deck of the Palmer with such a great team is a fond memory.
After spending so much time away from home I decided it was time to put my roots down again. So I returned to Santa Cruz and spent my time surfing and reconnecting with friends and family while working on a paramedic unit doing 911 responses before being invited to join the Aquarius team.
