Conference Underwater research - methods, monitoring and education - summary

On 4-6 October 2019, the 1st National Conference on Underwater Research – Methods, Monitoring and Education was held. The event was organised by the Scientific Subcommittee of the Underwater Activities Committee of the PTTK Board of Directors, in cooperation with the University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn and the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań.

The conference was aimed at presenting and explaining the activities undertaken by UWM in Olsztyn and how research work can be combined with diving and how divers’ activities can be used to help monitor the flora and fauna of lakes and watercourses in Poland.

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During a series of lectures held on Saturday, we were able to find out what restrictions apply to diving in Polish lakes located in Natura 2000 areas, as well as those located in National Parks.

As it turns out, such bodies of water are not at all excluded from diving. To be able to dive in lakes under special protection, you simply need to meet a number of requirements. One of them is to be qualified as an ecological diver. Training in this area is included in the CMAS training offer. This is known as PEK1 and PEK2.

All conference participants were able to take part in such training during the conference and obtain the required certificate. The course allowed us to acquire new knowledge, among other things, on how to take samples from the lake bottom or vegetation samples, doing it in such a way as not to harm the ecosystem. We also learned how to recognise different plant species. This was complemented by a great deal of knowledge about the characteristics of the bodies of water in which we would dive.

The second issue is the permit itself, which we must always apply for when we want to dive in strict reserves. However, in order to think about this type of diving at all, we need to cooperate with the university and give a specific objective for such a dive.

There was also space for equipment presentations. Seacraft presented its latest product, the ENC2 navigation console, along with an extensive discussion of its use in basin surveys and how it can facilitate particular issues during survey work.

It is worth mentioning that even though it was the first meeting of this type, a set of speakers and listeners booked their places long before the end of the registration period. The organisers are already thinking about the next year’s edition and, as far as I know, it will be held again in Ślesin, in the “Gwarek” centre.

All participants of the 1st All-Polish Conference Underwater Research – Methods, Monitoring and Education had the opportunity to dive in nearby lakes and in the “Honoratka” pit, where the diving base made its area available free of charge.

We, as media patron, of course support the development of this event and we will certainly be there next year, during the next edition. All who would like to discover a completely new and unknown side of diving in Poland, we cordially invite you to the second edition of the conference in 2020!

Photos: Anna Wiśniowska – Alpha Team

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