PADI Research Diver – Pavilion Lake September 2011

Pavilion Lake is nestled in Marble Canyon Provincial Park in the interior of British Columbia, Canada.  Under the turquoise blue water lies an incredible mystery that may answer questions about early Earth and may lead to discoveries on other planets such as Mars.  Since 2004 the Pavilion Lake Research Project (PLRP), led by UBC, Canadian Space Agency, and NASA, has been trying to solve the mystery of why the lake is home to microbialites!  Pavilion Lake is one of the few places in the world that freshwater microbialites are found and exhibit a distinct change in morphology as you descend in the lake, forming a primitive reef-like underwater community.  This unique and rare nature of Pavilion Lake makes it very important to protect! 

Having local scuba divers understand the importance of Pavilion Lake is critical for its future protection and conservation!   The Edge Diving Centre conducted its first PADI Research Diver course this past September at Pavilion Lake stressing conservation and awareness.  Students used various techniques such as transect lines, quadrats, and photographic recording to collect data and gain an understanding of the ecology of the lake.  Teams worked together to accomplish data collection and research goals while practising excellent buoyancy skills as not to damage any of the fragile environment.  Students then contributed the data to http://getmapper.com/index.php which encourages and allows students to become remote scientists contributing to the PLRP research and the overall understanding of Pavilion Lake. For more information visit: http://www.pavilionlake.com/

Blog by: PADI Course Director Mike Delaney.  Mike has been involved with the PLRP since 2005 as Assistant Dive Safety Officer.   Photo/Video by PADI MSDT Trisha Stovel.