. Coast watch. Marine resources; Oceanography; Coastal zone management; Coastal ecology. PEOPLE & PLACES there Others, like Pete Marriner of Hertford figured Murphy had a plan. "I didn't have time to get scared — I was trying to keep up with Murph," Marriner says of his first time in the tank during training. Overall, the divers quickly learn that nurse sharks and sand tigers are mostly curious. "You have to remember sharks are prehistoric creatures," George says. Each time divers are in the tank — for the education staff s morning presentation or the volunteers' aftern
. Coast watch. Marine resources; Oceanography; Coastal zone management; Coastal ecology. PEOPLE & PLACES there Others, like Pete Marriner of Hertford figured Murphy had a plan. "I didn't have time to get scared — I was trying to keep up with Murph," Marriner says of his first time in the tank during training. Overall, the divers quickly learn that nurse sharks and sand tigers are mostly curious. "You have to remember sharks are prehistoric creatures," George says. Each time divers are in the tank — for the education staff s morning presentation or the volunteers' afternoon maintenance is a designated safety leader who keeps an eye on the creatures and offers a visual barrier with a black-and-white striped pole. By instinct, the animals are not aggressive unless they feel threatened or cornered, Murphy says. "A pole won't protect you if a shark wants you," he adds. The animals are not touched, except for a few gentle nudges. • SERVICE-MINDED DIVERS Well before the new $16 million- dollar aquarium opened in May 2000, it was clear that staff alone could not keep up with the daily cleaning required in all the tanks. Murphy began working with volunteer coordinator Maura Bourgeois to develop the volunteer diving program, which now handles about two-thirds of the maintenance. Although applicants must be certified scuba divers, they must attend up to three months of additional training before receiving clearance to begin regular shifts. Marinner, who was taught to dive as a youth by friends who were Navy Seals, says his first session at the aquarium made him sure of his offer to volunteer. "I love to dive. This is great," he says. "I am not used to being that close to fish of that ; That is the case for most of the volunteers. "The first 15 dives are total. Volunteers find themselves up close to sharks in the tank. sensory overload," Murphy says. The tank's buoyancy factor requires some adjustme
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