Several nonprofit organizations supply diving
volunteers to assist in the research being conducted
by noted university professors and
researchers -- and all your expenses are fully tax
deductible.
But, for those taxpayers who wish to remain
conservative, there are cautions. Susan Sammon
of CEDAM International says “In theory, the
share of cost contributions made to support scientific
research projects are tax deductible.
However, the IRS takes particular issue with
deductions for travel expenses, especially when
there is a ‘significant amount of personal pleasure.’
... Several CEDAM members have had
their expedition donation claims challenged,
however, upon review of support material and
documentation provided by the participants,
their deductions were allowed to stand.
When you volunteer, typically you engage in a
wide range of tasks to assist the researcher; collecting
specimens, measuring the reef, making
and recording observations, and doing basic
grunt work. Usually one gets a couple of
working dives a day and will get opportunity for
several leisure dives. Volunteers come back satisfied
that they have made a contribution to
helping our planets oceans and critters.
Here our several reputable organizations that
conduct trips.
CEDAM has several trips coming up:
Volunteers will travel in the Maldives, aboard
the Manthiri, to produce photos and videos for
local students. Also, aboard the Aggressor fleet,
they’ll study nudibranchs in Hawaii, survey reefs
in the Bahamas, Fiji and the Turks and Caicos.
From land, they’ll count fish in the Bonaire
Marine Park Fish Census.
For more information, send one dollar to
CEDAM, One Fox Road, Croton on Hudson,
NY, 10520 914/271-5365, fax 914 271-4723.
email cedamint@aol.com. Web site:
www.cedam.org.
REEF, founded by Paul Humann, has several
field survey project in 1998, most likely all tax
deductible, but REEF does not emphasize it.
Because the demand is great for their services,
more will be added as they get participants.
This year they have land-based trips to the Turks
and Caicos islands. Bonaire, Grand Cayman,
and will survey fish from live-aboards in the
Florida Keys, Saba, and the Texas Flower
Gardens.
For information about trips and membership
contact REEF, PO Box 246, Key Largo, Florida
33037. Phone 305/451-0322; fax 305/451-0028;
Web www.reef.org
Earthwatch sends more than 3000 volunteers
into the field each year. In 1998 they will study
The Dhows of Oman: diving to 35 feet to
examine ancient boats, sleeping Arab style, on
floor mats, in the desert. And, they will work to
save Maui’s reefs, counting fish, estimating
coral cover, determining the impact of people
feeding fish, testing water quality; stay in a
research houses with shared bedrooms.
In addition, they offer other marine research
programs, some of which involve snorkeling and
may permit scuba. Contact: Earthwatch, 680 Mt.
Auburn St., Box 403, Watertown, MA 02272.
800/776-0188, fax 617 926-8532; email:
info@earthwatch.org. Membership in
Earthwatch is $25/year, which includes a frequent
magazine/catalogue describing the trips
in detail.
University Research Expeditions frequently
has trips for divers, but the 1998 schedule is not
yet set; they have a September trip studying the
Glowing Squid of Banyuyls Bay in France where
snorkeling is useful. URE, University of
California, Berkeley, CA 94720; 510/642-6586;
fax 510 642 6791. email: urep@uclink.berkeley.edu web: www.mip.berkeley.edu/urep.
The Oceanic Society had research diving trips
to Belize and Midway Island in 1997 and may
offer them again in 1999. Oceanic Society, Fort
Mason Center Building E, San Francisco, CA
94123. 415/441-1106; 800 326 7491; fax 415;
474 3395.