Chief Executive Officer

Ben J. Hayes is an attorney, and his law practice focuses on matters involving sports and entertainment law. Ben also is the President of the New York – Penn League, a Class A minor league. Ben earned his Juris Doctorate with honors from University of Florida’s College of Law (1992), studied political-economics at University of Florida’s Graduate School (1988-1989), and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree with honors from University of South Florida (1987). While attending Graduate School, Ben coached baseball at University of Florida and helped lead the Gators to their first NCAA College World Series in 1988. Ben played professional baseball from 1978 through 1986 with the Cincinnati Reds and St. Louis Cardinals (2½ years in the Major Leagues). Ben is a certified Dive Master.

Chief Operations Officer

Mr. John Liston currently serves as the Area President of Arthur J. Gallagher Risk Management Services, Inc. (NYSE: AJG) in their Clearwater, FL office. John has oversight responsibilities of a staff of 60 people which generates approximately $150M annually in commercial property and casualty insurance premiums. John has served as both a speaker and panelist at national industry trade shows relative to various Casualty insurance topics. Additionally, John is involved in farming operations in both the Midwest as well as a founding member of a Brazilian farming operation that began in 2005. John received his BA from the University of Northern Iowa with a degree in Production Management. John’s family completed the YMCA open water diver program in 2005 and his two daughters are actively involved in SCUBAnauts.

Diving Safety Officer and Acting Chief Scientist

Dr. Christopher Moses received his Ph.D. in Marine Geology and Geophysics at the University of Miami, RSMAS, in 2005. He received his B.A. in Earth Science and M.S. in Geology from Baylor University (Waco, TX). He has been working on reefs since 1996, and has performed research on more than 22 islands in the Caribbean, plus the Cape Verde Islands off Africa. In addition to his academic qualifications, Dr. Moses has been an American Academy of Underwater Sciences (AAUS) qualified research diver since 2001 and certified as a National Association of Underwater Instructors (NAUI) scuba instructor since 2002, and a Diver’s Alert Network (DAN) Oxygen First Aid Instructor. He is also certified for nitrox, trimix, Technical Diver (TDI), and Full Cave (NACD and NSS-CDS). He has conducted numerous cruises aboard several research vessels lasting as long as 32 days at sea, and has extensive experience with various shipboard scientific equipment and numerous marine science field techniques.

Presently, he is visiting research faculty at Florida International University in Miami. He serves as the principal investigator (PI) on a grant from NASA supporting the SCUBAnauts.

Education Officer

Dr. Elizabeth Moses received her Ph.D. in Marine Science at the University of South Florida (2007) and her B.S. in Marine Science and Biology from the University of Miami (1999). Her research focuses on bioindicators of coral reef health in the Florida Keys, Bahamas, and Jamaica. She has extensive experience integrating the marine sciences into elementary, middle and high school classrooms. She has developed Professional Development Institutes for K-12 teachers focused on different aspects of marine science. She has previously acted as regional coordinator for the National Ocean Sciences Bowl (NOSB) and has served as the SCUBAnauts coach for the Spoonbill Bowl (NOSB regional bowl) for the past two years. Elizabeth has been an active American Academy of Underwater Sciences (AAUS) research diver since 1998 and is certified as a NAUI Divemaster. She is also certified for nitrox and Basic Cave (NSS-CDS). She taught at Eckerd College in the Environmental Studies department and at the University of South Florida in the Department of Integrative Biology.

Marc Blouin is the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Scuba Dive Program Manager and is a member of the USGS dive-safety board, where he serves as the dive-safety officer. As a biologist, he studies sturgeon in the cold, murky waters of the Great Lakes. He also shares his technical expertise with other scientists by advancing inplace data-collection methods for other disciplines of study via scuba diving. Most recently, Marc has been helping develop methods to mount and deploy instrumentation that is used to study water quality and circulation for beach-health projects. Marc also teaches water-related safety courses for USGS employees. He coordinates open-water checkout dives for research teams, teaches specialized scuba training, serves as an instructor for the Department of the Interior's Motorboat Operations Certification Course (MOCC), and teaches the USGS "Over-the-Water" safety training class. Through his efforts, he helps spread the word about technical methods and safety near and in the water, both within and outside the USGS. Marc is currently serving on the board of directors for the American Academy of Underwater Sciences (AAUS), an organization of diving scientists and safety officers committed to the advancement of underwater science and dive safety. He also is a member of the Watercraft Safety Committee for USGS.

Dr Paula Coble is an Associate Professor of Chemical Oceanography at the University of South Florida, College of Marine Science, where she has been on the faculty since 1992. She received a B.S. degree in Biology/Geology from Mt. Holyoke College, an M.S. in Marine Studies from the University of Delaware and a PhD in Chemical Oceanography from MIT/WHOI Joint Program. Before joining USF, Paula was a Post-Doctoral Fellow in the College of Fisheries and Ocean Science at the University of Washington in Seattle, WA. Paula has authored or co-authored over forty research and science education papers and has received nearly $9 million in research and education awards. Paula is an active member of the American Geophysical Union and is a past secretary for Marine Geochemistry in the Ocean Science Section. Paula is also a former Associate Editor for Marine Chemistry and a member of the American Society of Limnologists and Oceanographers, The Oceanography Society, the National Marine Educators Association, and the National Science Teachers Association. Paula is also actively involved in Science Education, and spent two years at NASA HQ as a Program Scientist in Earth System Science Education. She has also been involved in numerous education and outreach programs at the College of Marine Science, including Project Oceanography (http://www.marine.usf.edu/pjocean), COSEE-FL, Oceanography Camp for Girls, the Teacher Oceanography Workshop and an NSF GK-12 project.

Sennai Habtes was born and raised on the island of St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands. While receiving an elementary and high school education there, he became acquainted with fishing, diving, and surfing. After leaving the Virgin Islands, he attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he received a B.S. in Environmental Sciences. Since his departure from UNC, he has worked as a research assistant in the fisheries and europhysiology lab and as an environmental specialist for the government of the Virgin Islands. Sennai is currently working on his Ph.D. in biological oceanography at the University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth. Sennai was the recipient of the SNI Graduate Fellowship for 2007-2008. The fellowship is made possible by funding from NASA.

SSgt Duane Gregory, USAF, is a military Survival, Escape, Resistance & Evasion (SERE) instructor stationed at MacDill AFB, Florida. SSGT Gregory has been providing the SCUBAnauts orienteering and survival skills and has conducted their annual wilderness survival training at the Avon Park Air Force Range since 2005. SSGT Gregory was recognized as the top Air Force instructor in 2006.

Jeff Pain has been providing the SCUBAnauts Basic and Advanced Certification training since the program was founded in 2001. He has been diving since 1977 and holds instructor ratings from YMCA, National Association of Underwater Instructors (NAUI), SCUBA Schools International (SSI), National Academy of Police Diving, and Confederation Modiale Des Activites Subaquatiques (CMAS).

LT. Marcus Wong, U.S. Coast Guard, was commissioned through Army ROTC as an Aviation Officer in 1993. For the next ten years, he held a variety of leadership and staff positions serving throughout Asia, Central/South America, Carribbean, the Middle East and United States. He currently serves as an HH-60J aviator at Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater at St. Petersburg/Clearwater airport.

He earned his sailing/boating qualifications and PADI Divemaster/NITROX certifications in 1999. Marcus became active with SCUBAnauts International in 2005. He volunteered to be the U.S. Coast Guard liaison officer to coordinate the annual SCUBAnaut Lifesaving and Accident Management (SLAM) exercise with the U.S. Coast Guard Clearwater Air Station.

David R. Olson, CAPT, USN, is the founder of SNI. He is currently assigned to U.S. Central Command at MacDill AFB, Florida. Earning a B.S. in Physical Science from the U.S. Naval Academy, in Annapolis, Maryland, he received his commission before becoming a Naval Aviator and is currently a Navy Captain in the Navy reserves. Dave serves on both Florida Senator Bill Nelson’s and Congressman Gus Bilirakis’ Naval Academy nomination screening boards and is a Naval Academy Blue and Gold officer providing admissions guidance to high school candidates interested in pursuing a degree from the U.S. Naval Academy with a commission in the U.S. Navy or U.S. Marine Corps. He serves the community as an Assistant Scoutmaster of Boy Scout Troop 422 and Venturing Crew 422 Advisor in Dunedin, Florida. He lives in Palm Harbor, Florida, with his wife of 23 years, Teresa, son Andrew (USF), daughter Brynn (The College of Holy Cross), sons Collin (Palm Harbor University High School) and Evan (Palm Harbor University High School).

David Olson was the President and CEO of SNI from its beginning in 2001 through 2008.

Walter C. Jaap worked for >35 years in coral reef research projects with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute. He has also been the Diving Safety Officer at FWRI for over 30 years. He is an active marine biologist and was appointed emeritus Professor by the College of Marine Science, University of South Florida. Walter’s research interests include coral reef monitoring and community dynamics of scleractinian corals. Walter is a technical expert in coral reef restoration and evaluating restoration efforts at various sites in the Caribbean and Florida. Walter’s monitoring work pioneered the use of underwater video transects and video image analysis. Walter’s professional affiliations include American Academy of Underwater Sciences, Board of Directors, Past President; American Institute of Biological Sciences; Association of Island Marine Laboratories of the Caribbean; Atlantic Reef Committee; Florida Academy of Science; International Society for Reef Studies; and Paleontological Research Institute. Walter is a member of the following committees: Chairman, Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council’s special subcommittee on corals and reefs; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Technical Advisory Committee, Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, Water Quality Protection Plan; Diving Control Board for the University of South Florida; Acropora Endangered Species Status Evaluation Committee.

Walter has conducted diving saturation missions in Hydrolab in the Bahamas, Aquarius and participated in submarine lockout diving from the Johnson Sea Link, qualified as a pilot in Deepworker 2000, a one-man submersible vehicle, and led or participated in many coral reef research expeditions in Florida, Caribbean, and the Pacific. Walter has published numerous scientific publications about coral reefs, including early studies on coral bleaching.

Walter served as the Chief Scientist of SNI from 2001-2005, and as the Diving Safety Officer from 2001-2008.

Agustin “Gus” Salvat Animator, Graphic Designer, worked at USCENTCOM, at MacDill AFB in Tampa as the Senior Graphics Consultant.

Throughout his academic career he was always inclined towards the area of visual communication. Initially the focus of his attention was directed and solely towards animation; however, his specialties in design include corporate and business communications, image manipulation and creation, typography as well as illustration and animation.

With nearly 20 years of experience, Gus has been able to assemble a broad base of creative, technical knowledge and experience in the field of graphic design. He has been able to consistently exhibit solid design and production skills that have helped clients achieve their specific audience’s communication needs.

Gus designed the visual ID that has been used to market SNI on paper, the internet, t-shirts, and other media between 2001-2008. Gus is now a graphics consultant in San Antonio, TX.

Diving Control Board

The Diving Control Board (DCB) consists of a majority of active scientific divers whom oversee the SNI diving program to ensure that safe diving practices are followed. The DCB is comprised of volunteer diving safety experts from government, educational and private agencies and institutions. The DCB has autonomous authority over the SNI diving program’s operation.

Dr. Chris Moses, Chairman & Diving Safety Officer
Ben Hayes, CEO of SNI
Marc Blouin, USGS Diving Safety Officer
William Dent, University of South Florida Diving Safety Officer
Casey Coy, Florida Aquarium Diving Safety Officer

Board of Directors

The SCUBAnaut International Board of Directors is presently comprised of distinguished members and is the final authority in the management SNI. The board meets bi-annually at the international headquarters in Clearwater, Florida.