US National Park Service
Websites: Underwater Archaeology Advocates (http://www.divingwithapurpose.org/YDWP.html)
New Light Under the Surface,
(http://nwpltd.org/new-light-under-the-surface/).
Public access and the interpretation of submerged resources is a founding principle for SRC, and the NPS is committed to the protection and preservation of resources while encouraging public benefit and enjoyment. Much of sport diver outreach programming is managed by individual parks, with guidelines and strategic directions adopted per park-specific resources, stakeholders, and challenges. SRC support for public outreach projects this year (in both underwater archeology and diving in general) includes our support of the non-profit Youth Diving With a Purpose, an organization which offers scientific diving experiences to youth (particularly diversity and urban candidates), culminating in a week at Biscayne National Park, with a goal of becoming certified Underwater Archaeology Advocates. In addition to NPS support of the organization as a whole, SRC is also helping to sponsor three YDWP interns in national parks this summer, who will work with submerged natural and cultural resources. SRC also supports the group Northwest Passage/New Light Under the Surface, a program that offers underwater photography experiences in national parks for children in residential treatment programs. We also conduct outreach through the NPS Diving in the Parks website, the Junior Ranger Underwater Explorer booklet, as well as the production of NPS Centennial content with media partner Curiosity Stream, currently on track to highlight submerged resources at Devil’s Hole, Lake Mead, Montezuma’s Well, and USS Arizona.