Each person brings a gift to the Wacky Gift Exchange. Please don’t bring junk, keep to approximately $20. Place your gift in the stack of gifts and you receive your number. When your number is called, you have 2 choices: 1) pick a gift from the stack or 2) steal a gift from someone who has already picked.
DECEMBER SFDI Holiday Party CANCELLED DUE TO CONSTRUCTION DELAYS - REScheduled for Holiday Party
The Holiday Party has been held at the I.T. Parker Center for many, many years. It is a wonderful location on the water. In 2024, the City of Dania invested in refurbishing the Center. The Center is looking good, however there are some construction delays and it won’t be ready when they promised.
HOWEVER
We will be having an SFDI Holiday Party! Stay tuned for the details.
NOVEMBER SPEAKER DR. JESSICA TAN -DIVING INTO THE HURRICANES: THEIR MIGHTY DANCE OVER THE BLUE, THEIR DEADLY KISS ON THE SHORES, AND OUR JOURNEY TO COEXIST
Dr. Tan at RMAS Hurricane Lab, Univ of Miami
From the catastrophic loss of the Spanish treasure fleet in 1733 to the devastating tragedies of Hurricanes Helene and Milton, which claimed over 200 lives, hurricanes have long been viewed as nature's most fearsome phenomenon in the tropics. With their fierce winds tearing apart rooftops, torrential rains causing floods, and towering waves swallowing ships and shorelines, these storms have shaped both history and coastlines alike.
For over a century, scientists have tirelessly pursued a deeper understanding of the forces that give rise to hurricanes, the elements that fuel their power, and how we can improve our ability to forecast and track them with greater precision. At the University of Miami, our club member and speaker, Jessica Tan, along with a team of researchers from NOAA, NASA, the US Navy and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) are at the forefront of this quest. Together, they seek to refine the models that predict hurricane behavior and explore innovative, eco-friendly solutions, like artificial reefs, to design breakwaters that protect our shores.
Join SFDI on November 6th, when Jessica will unveil the mysteries behind hurricane formation and offer a glimpse into the science that seeks to safeguard South Florida’s future, ensuring a safer tomorrow for all who call this vulnerable region home.
ABOUT DR. JESSICA PEISEN TAN
Jessica Peisen Tan, originally from China, recently defended her PhD in Ocean Sciences at the University of Miami's Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmosphere and Earth Sciences. Growing up on the Pacific coast of China, she spent her childhood on the beach collecting seashells, which ignited her passion for marine science. A family trip to Honolulu in 2015, her first time on US soil, inspired her to pursue her American dream as a marine scientist.
At the University of Miami's SUSTAIN (SUrge-STructure-Atmosphere Interaction) Lab, Jessica has collaborated with other scientists to simulate Category 5 hurricanes and beyond. She has hosted SFDI club members at the Lab for an informative visit. With a passion for communication, she has published her research in journals and presented at international conferences, including, most recently, the Physical Oceanography Dissertation Symposium in Hawaii.
In addition to her academic pursuits, Jessica enjoys being a part-time underwater photographer, hitting the gym, and occasionally modeling for fashion brands.
October Speaker Luke Durso - Debris Removal Diving in the Keys
LUKE DURSO
Luke Durso grew up in a Philadelphia suburb but had always been drawn to the outdoors. He achieve Eagle scout in the Boy Scouts and his next adventuring took him into the Grand Tetons. Luke began is education at Garrett County Community College (McHenry Maryland), the Adventure Sports Institute, for his Associate in Adventure Sports Management, and Southern Oregon his B.S. in Outdoor Adventure Leadership. During his time at SOU, the Outdoor Program and community, he took the open water scuba class. After graduation, Luke took an Internship in Roatan Honduras for the Divemaster Program, then back to SOU to complete his Instructor Course then on to teaching the Open Water and AOW Scuba courses for SOU in the program.
After a couple years, Florida’s east coast, warm water, and family called and the Keys seemed like a viable option. His first visit/move to Key Largo, happened right after Hurricane Irma in 2017. On arrival, debris piles were stories high in every inch of median space and huge clean-up efforts were being conducted. His first dives were with instructors, seeing first-hand what the hurricane did to the reefs they knew and loved so much. Everyone was devastated by the hurricane’s impactful. Soon Goal Clean Seas Florida Keys was launched as a sponsored Marine Debris Removal and Luke became very active in the marine debris diving side of things in the Keys.
Luke is excited to be presenting on Debris Removal Diving in the Keys!
