Coastal Conversations 9/26/25: Scuba Divers

Host: Kristin Zunino

Coastal Conversations: Conversations with people who live, work, and play on the Maine coast, hosted by the University of Maine Sea Grant Program.

In this episode of Coastal Conversations, we will hear the voices, story, and hopes for Downeast Maine’s changing marine ecology by professional certified scuba divers. This is the first episode of a two part series showcasing scuba divers’ unique perspective of the coastal environment as they are fully immersed in the underwater landscape. We are joined by six divers with a total of 222 years of dive experience in Maine. Our local divers tell us their observations and predictions of change in the Downeast region.

Coastal Conversations is supported by Maine Sea Grant in partnership with Schoodic Institute and The First Coast.

Guest/s:

  • Campbell Scott, founder of OceansWide
  • Edward Monat or Diver Ed, founder of the Dive-in Theater
  • Edna Martin, Captain of the Dive-in Theater
  • Ed Leighter, recreational diver in Eastport and Mount Desert island
  • Mike Staggs, member of a local dive club on Mount Desert Island
  • Richard Wahle, retired lobster scientist at the University of Maine

Thank you Galen Koch, Zach Soares and Natalie Springuel for editing and production assistance. Thank you Sean Todd for production assistance and support during the interview period.

About the hosts:

Natalie Springuel has hosted Coastal Conversation’s since 2015, with support from the University of Maine Sea Grant where she has served as a marine extension associate for 20 years. In 2019, Springuel received an award for Public Affairs programming from the Maine Association of Broadcasters for the Coastal Conversations show called “Portland’s Working Waterfront.” Springuel is passionate about translating science, sharing stories, and offering a platform for multiple voices to weigh in on complex coastal and ocean issues. She has recently enrolled in audio production training at Maine Media Workshop to dive deeper into making great community radio.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download