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NACD Exploration & Survey
Projects - Funded for 2003
2003
Cambrian Foundation
expedition to the Sistema Camilo Cave System in Akumal Mexico.
Summary:
March 15-29, 2003, members of the Cambrian Foundation met in the
city of Akumal, Mexico to conduct the 5th expedition to the Sistema Camilo Cave
system. During this expedition, Cambrian Foundation dive team members conducted:
-Cave Exploration, survey, and mapping
-Water Sampling
-Hydrology Studies
-Diver Research Studies
-Educational outreach
-National Geographic Today filming project
The 2003' Akumal Dive Team was comprised of the following personnel:
Andy Henderson (New Hill, N.C.)
George McCulley (Little Rock, Arkansas)
Renee Power (Orlando, Florida)
Nat Robb (Grand Cayman)
Michael St.Germain (Raleigh, N.C.)
Surface Support:
Therese McCulley (Little Rock, Arkansas)
Thecia Taylor (Little Rock, Arkansas)
Nan Henderson (New Hill, N.C)
The six-month period leading up to this year's expedition was
highlighted by an intense planning and organizing effort culminating in the
publication of a prioritized planning and operational task list. The diligence,
tenacity, professionalism, and expertise displayed by the 2003 Cambrian
Foundation Akumal dive team resulted in a very successful expedition. The Akumal
dive team was successful in laying the foundation for an infinite amount of
studies that can be conducted in diverse areas. These studies may someday
benefit science as a whole, give us a better understanding of our own water
resources, and help the local people of Akumal Mexico.
Site Description:
We have surveyed more than 30,000' of passage in this very
dynamic system. The Sistema Camilo Cenote entrance is a slightly offset sinkhole
(Karst Window) with marginal flow. The entire cave yet encountered is submerged
below the local water table.
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Depths ranging from 30 - 80 ' (with a lot of the passage being
in the 70-75' range which is relatively deep for Mexico).
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A density interface Halocline exists in the 70 to 80 foot
range.
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Percolation is very low for an unexplored system except when
exploring beneath the halocline.
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Outside of the main Cenote (Camilo), we have encountered more
than 5 additional sinks large enough to support dive operations (and a few
smaller ones that will not support dive operations).
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The area between Calavera and Muchachos is the shallowest part
of the system existing in the 35' range.
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Most of the cave is very dark (much like the hill 400 run at
Ginnie Springs....the run between Calavera and Muchachos is much lighter and
more typical of the Mexico systems.....highly decorated
From the Sistema Camilo sink, going left on the map is upstream and headed
right is downstream (siphon)
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There are definite areas where the flow appears to be stronger
than others and areas where the water color appears to have that very clear
aqua blue color that you will often see in Telford (Florida).
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We appear to have a vast area of cave yet to be explored.
Mapping and Exploration:
a) Organization in regard to further mapping and exploration
within Sistema Camilo was catalogued into two main efforts. The first being
'exploration', with the second labeled 'survey'. Each task within the definition
of these areas was numbered for tracking purposes. I invite your attention to
the enclosed spreadsheet entitled 'Akumal-03 Mapping Tasks' and in particular
the column titled 'Task Number'. Please note that for each task to be completed
the task number prefixed by the letter 'S' or 'E' denoting a survey task or a
survey task.
b) As illustrated on the tracking spreadsheet we had a total of twenty-five
survey and exploration tasks to be addressed this year. These tasks were (1)
incomplete missions from previous expeditions or, (2) the direct result of an
intense map analysis and team 'brain storming' sessions. At this point it should
be noted that the survey and exploration task list was a tool used in making the
daily team dive assignments and also helped to keep the entire team focused.
c) Due to the untiring efforts of the dive team, of the twenty-five original
tasks the expedition team was able to complete ten top priority tasks, addressed
nine additional tasks, and due to time constraints was unable to initiate any
action on only six items. In this regard please note that three of the six
incomplete items are all in one section, Lower Raphael. One of the more
interesting facets of exploration is the completion of one item almost always
opens the door to many other previously unimagined issues. Those issues then
form the basis for additional survey and exploration tasks. The events of this
year were no exception.
d) In addition to the completed or addressed tasks, as indicated by the green or
yellow highlight under the spreadsheet column titled 'Status' box, a summary of
other accomplishments of note is provided below:
· 4,063 feet of surveyed passage was added to the Sistema Camilo map.
· An additional 2,716 feet of passage was re-surveyed to verify mapping tie in
data.
· Multiple large downstream trunk passages in the vicinity of Cenote Coati-Mundi
were discovered and left 'hanging'.
· Downstream leads appear to be heading in a general ESE to SE direction
(seaward).
· Multiple upstream leads appear to be heading anywhere from NW to NE (inland).
e) It is plain that the efforts and resources dedicated to this portion of the
March 2003 Cambrian Akumal Expedition were well used. An updated and expanded
map of this virgin system, the genesis of a water flow overlay, as well as the
continued scientific research initiated by the team's sampling and collection
efforts all serve to quantify this position. With untold numbers of unexplored
passages, the need for continued physical science data collection, as well as
the vast research opportunities offered by Sistema Camilo, it is hoped that
there will remain a commitment to continue with future expeditions.
Educational Outreach: An important element of the Cambrian Foundation
mission statement is education! During this expedition we have conducted many
educational outreach programs across the United States…for example:
a) Middle Creek High School: On February 28th 2003, members of the Cambrian
Foundation visited Middle Creek High School in Apex, N.C. for an educational
outreach presentation to more than 200 students from the schools Earth Science,
Chemistry, and Spanish classes. Middle Creek High School is the home of Zachary
St.Germain who is the son of Carri and Michael St. Germain. The Cambrian
Foundation was hosted by Earth Science Teacher Carrie Jones
(mailto:carrieajones@prodigy.net). During four (90 minute sessions), Terrence
Tysall and team dazzled the High School classes with an interactive presentation
that included:
-Information on the Cambrian Foundation and the 2003 expedition to Akumal
-Akumal history and culture
-Karst, Cave Exploration & Survey
-Water, Sampling, Hydrology
-Biology
-Mental and Physical Studies
-A 15 minute video from the 2002 Expedition and a host of interactive activities
that included students trying on cave diving equipment and practicing caving
techniques.
The Middle Creek High School students were treated to Terrence's never ending
humor while learning how history, culture, and science are applied to their
everyday lives and research activities like the expedition to Akumal. At the
conclusion of the Cambrian Foundation presentation, students had the opportunity
to ask the explorers questions and were invited to participate in the 2003
expedition by sending their email questions to "trilobite" during the
expedition.
b) Maitland Middle School: Dr. Anne Albright teaches on the Falcon Team at the
school. She teaches two eighth grade science classes and three seventh grade
science classes. Dr. Albright's environment unit, her seventh graders are
studying ecosystems and biomes. In a biome technology project students created a
biome magazine. There they explored such things as plant life, animal life,
location of their biome, climate data, geography of the area, interactions
within their biome such as human-environment interactions and predator/prey
relationships. The students were asked to create a model of their biome and will
present it to the class using at least one form of technology.
To help support learning, Dr. Albright had speakers from the Cambrian Foundation
come out and spoke to her classes in February of this year. As a follow up
project and as a family enrichment activity, students will be able to
communicate with the scientists and explorers via the Cambrian foundation web
site.
While the expedition was underway and the team was in Mexico, students from
North America were encouraged to write emails to the Cambrian Foundation dive
team to ask questions about the expedition (related to diving, science,
exploring, human factors…..or any other topic of interest). Each night while the
team was completing their daily web updates, they addressed the emails from the
students or other individuals who had written regarding the expedition. These
questions along with the responses from the Cambrian Foundation dive team were
posted each day on our web page. In addition to the interaction between the dive
team and students, the team posted a comprehensive educational component on each
daily web update (these educational pieces were related to science, diving,
ecology, hydrology, and the local environment….etc).
Research Activities:
1. Water Sampling: The population of Yucatan is heavily
drawing water resources from the aquifer of the Yucatan Peninsula, without
understanding how this affects the local hydrology. In addition pollution is
having a huge impact on the aquifer. To that end collection efforts were focused
over a three-day period, 20, 22, and 27 March 2003. Sampling was generalized
into four areas; (1) fresh water, (2) halocline, (3) saltwater, and (4)
sediment. Two samples from each generalized category were collected. Data
collection corresponding to the samples included collection date, collection
tube serial number, depth at which collected, ambient water temperature at
collection site, sample size, and collection site within the cave system. All
samples were stored in a dark environment with one sample from each category
being stored at room temperature while its twin was refrigerated. Materials and
collection data has been turned over to Page Bennet (Microbiologist) for further
research studies (analysis of content and ribosomal DNA matching).
2. D.A.N. (Divers Alert Network) Project Dive Exploration: Project Dive
Exploration (PDE) was designed by DAN and is supported by most dive computer
manufacturers. Its purpose is to establish a unique database of dive profiles
from real dives and to compile information on the behavior and health of
recreational divers. The collected data will be a resource for diving safety
research including the study of dive styles, decompression practices, and the
effects of individual characteristics such as age, sex, weight, and medical
history. The ultimate goal of Project Dive Exploration is to make your dives
safer, more pleasant, and as efficient as possible.. Cambrian Foundation
explorers wore a small data recorder (Senus Computer) on every dive and provided
the Divers Alert Network with critical background and dive log information to be
used towards their research.
3. Hydrology Studies: During exploration and survey, the dive team
employed acoustic doppler technology to give us vital information regarding the
water flow within this system (speed, direction, water temperature, salinity….).
Measurements were taken during 5 separate deployments in strategic points
throughout the cave. Information gathered from the current meter will provide
key information with regards to understanding water movement and violent flow
reversals that have been experienced within the system.
· 03/18/2003 deployment: Cindy's line pointing towards black forest jump
· 03/19/2003 deployment: Intersection of cindys line and the low silt
line...beam pointing each direction
· 03/21/2003 deployment: Midway down cindy's line pointing towards the low silt
line
· 03/22/2003 deployment: Black forest line pointing south (coming off of Cindys
line)
· 03/27/2003 deployment: Mainline between the jump to Carri's loft and the jump
to the Denial line
The information that was gathered by the team will be interpreted by scientists,
overlaid onto our cave map and will be available for future research.
4. Indicators of Stress: Profile of Underwater Cave
Explorers: There is little or no information regarding stress states for
underwater cave explorers. This study (sponsored by Dr. Thom Skalko, East
Carolina University, and Dr. David Colvard) was designed to investigate stress
indicators of explorers of the Cambrian Foundation expedition while deployed to
Akumal, Mexico. Stress states of the explorers were gathered through the
State-Trait Personality Inventory (STPI) and through the collection of cortisol
samples across each dive day. Cortisol samples and STPI inventory's were
gathered from each diver 4 times per day (in the morning just after waking, just
prior to dive operations, just after dive operations, and in the evening prior
to going to bed). Cortisol is a naturally occurring hormone in the body that is
elevated or lowered based on stress (samples are gathered through a saliva
sample).
The outcomes of study will help to better understand stress on divers as it
relates to cave exploration diving. The information will offer insights into the
stress reaction of divers during such activities. Data can be used to compare
similar stress reactions for other dive situations. The outcomes may offer
recommendations for relaxation and stress reduction training as an aspect of
dive training.
Filming: The 2003 Akumal Dive Team provided a
storyline and video footage of underwater exploration initiatives, land based
activities, pertinent project interviews, and the local environment in hopes
that it will be part of a television broadcast or documentary.
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