MCBI Vice Presidnet for Science, Lance Morgan.

Glen Ellen News

May 14 th, 2009 |Sonoma News |Sylvia Crawford

The best e-mail that landed in my in-box this week was the glowing, grinning face of Lance Morgan, emerging from the water in a single-man deep sea diving submarine. It was a winning and happy photo sent to me by Lance's sweetheart, Angela Morgan.

Lance, as we call him in his hometown of Glen Ellen, is also known as Dr. Morgan, an important member of the scientific, deep sea diving expedition, Finding Coral. They will be diving to depths of 500 meters off the British Columbia coast gathering data on corals, associated species and damage from human impacts. As part of his post doctoral research, Lance studied corals and wrote the influential "Shifting Gears" study which focused on collateral damage from commercial fishing.

Lance also collaborated with Living Oceans Society and the Ecology Action Centre on a report on threats to coral in the ocean off Canada. He is well known in scientific circles for his earlier work on United States deep-sea corals including current management strategies being used to protect them. So, for Lance, this trip below the ocean's surface was all in a day's work. But obviously, work Lance loves - you can tell by the ear-to-ear smile he sports in his photo.

If you'd like to follow the progress of this local scientist as he explores the waters off the coast of British Columbia, check out the Web site at findingcoral.com. It's a fabulous resource for kids and adults, and would make a terrific classroom project. Heads up, my friend Lou Morton.

Source: Sonoma News