- Craig Cooper
- Florida Operations Director
NOAA’s Undersea Research Center
515 Caribbean Dr.
Key Largo, FL 33037
305–451–0233
305–453–9719 (fax)
craigbc@juno.com
I graduated from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Va 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 co-op 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 traded fresh for salt water and attended 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. While at Taylor, I did air, HeO2 mixed gas, and saturation diving throughout the world, including Borneo, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, 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 were 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 offered me the chance of a lifetime in late 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 Director, I focus on program development and cooperative relationships with other agencies and groups, such as the US Navy and NASA. I'm still involved with all Aquarius missions and other activities, serving as support diver, CG licensed Captain, Diving Medical Technician, and on board habitat technician during missions, paralleling that of the other ten staff making up the Aquarius support team.
My hobbies away from Aquarius involve sharing farm chores with my wife Kathleen and our dogs at our horse farm in Wake Forest, NC, where we breed and raise Dutch Friesian horses, and are involved in carriage driving with these big black beauties. As my friend and mentor Bob Barth of the US Navy's Sealab Project continually tells me, I have the best job in the world!
