THOUGHT-PROVOKING DIVE SCREENINGS, PRESENTATIONS, TALKS, SEMINARS AND ACTIVITIES LINED UP FOR ADEX 2008

SINGAPORE, 11th March 2008 -- Asia Dive Expo 2008 (ADEX) this year offers visitors a colourful feast for the eyes and food for the mind. ADEX producer, TMX Show Productions Pte Ltd, has prepared an exciting program of screenings, presentations, talks, seminars and activities which will educate and entertain on an array of dive-related subjects.

Theatre Screenings

Feast of Predators

The waters of Southern Africa are untamed and unpredictable. Some of the creatures who consider it home, need survival tactics in order to make it through the day alive. Whales, dolphins, gannets and seals indulge in a royal banquet from a mass migration of millions of fish. But the Sardines that they hunt have fascinating survival strategies when it comes to outwitting predators.

Produced by Aquavision TV Productions, this is a story of one of the predators that is taught life skills in order to grow and become a strong, confident young seal. He undergoes a series of tests, from surviving a period without food to enduring the dangers of hunting. Will he triumph over one of natures most impressive marathons? Can he avoid the razor sharp teeth of the most powerful hunters of the ocean – the Great White Shark? Is the feeding frenzy all worth the risk?

Crustacean

Described as the insects of the underwater world, crustaceans form the dominant sub-group of the Arthropods class of animals. This is the subterranean world of shrimps and crayfish and also of crabs. Thailand-based undersea videographer Danny Van Belle’s 20 minute presentation takes you into the fascinating though seldom-glimpsed world of crustaceans, those armour plated denizens of the deep.

Fisheye Fantasea

Launched at the prestigious Ocean Geographic CTS Film Festival in 2007, Liquid Motion’s Fisheye Fantasea picked up the Merit Of Excellence, one of the highest Accolades attainable. The red carpet also unrolled in Los Angeles when the Santa Barbara Ocean Film Festival awarded Fisheye with First Prize - Best Film.

At the forefront of Marine Science, with footage never seen, filmed or imagined, Internationally Acclaimed, Multiple Award Winning Filmmakers Liquid Motion Film have been recognized globally for their innovative filmmaking and been awarded the highest accolades for stunning footage and a revolutionary understanding of marine life.

Equator: Rivers of the Sun

In this 52 minute film by Producer/ Director Satoshi Okabe (Executive Producers: Masaru Ikeo, Shinichi Murata and Peter Hayden) the mighty Amazon River is showcased as the lifeblood of a forest. For half a year freshwater fish flourish in floodwaters that rise amongst the trees, then the waters retreat and the fish must face a six-month drought. The ancient Amazon has endured, and is both a time capsule for ancient animals and a hot-house for the evolution of new species.

Stage Presentations and NGO Talks

Reef Check Malaysia

Founded in 1996 by marine ecologist Dr. Gregor Hodgson, the Reef Check Foundation is an international non-profit organization dedicated to the conservation of two ecosystems: tropical coral reefs and California rocky reefs. With headquarters in Los Angeles and volunteer teams in more than 80 countries, Reef Check works to create partnerships among community volunteers, government agencies, businesses, universities and other non-profit organisations.

Reef Check goals are to: educate the public about the value of reef ecosystems and the current crisis affecting marine life; to create a global network of volunteer teams trained in Reef Check's scientific methods who regularly monitor and report on reef health; to facilitate collaboration that produces ecologically sound and economically sustainable solutions; and to stimulate local community action to protect remaining pristine reefs and rehabilitate damaged reefs worldwide.

Dive Seminars and Speakers Highlights

WWF's Coral Triangle Program - How Can the Tourism Industry and Conservationists Work Together? By Richard Leck, WWF International.

Nowhere in the world can one find a richer variety of coral reef, plant and animal life than in the Coral Triangle, which encompasses the Sulu and Sulawesi Seas. Surrounded by Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines, the seas contain about 450 species of coral (compared to only 60 in the entire Caribbean). The Sulu Sea's Tubbataha Reef, with corals covering more than 81,000 acres, is the heart of coral diversity for the region. These seas support one of the world's largest varieties of reef fish, as well as commercial and community fisheries. The coral reefs and sea turtle nesting beaches make the area a magnet for tourists. In recent years, over fishing and destructive fishing methods including the use of cyanide and dynamite have destroyed large sections of coral and depleted fish populations.

For more than 20 years, WWF has been working on the frontlines to address the challenges in the Coral Triangle. WWF believes that the tourism industry could be an invaluable ally in the Coral Triangle for working on shared goals to avoid dangerous climate change - arguably the single biggest threat to the Coral Triangle. This talk will present current examples of tourism industry collaboration from around the world, and future opportunities in the Asia-Pacific region. We hope for a lively discussion on this important topic.

Global Shark Assessment by Christine Ward-Paige, Project AWARE

Participate in the Global Shark Assessment and be a part of the Census of Marine Life, a ten-year worldwide initiative. Contribute to increasing scientific understanding of global shark populations by reporting your sighting information - even if you have never seen a shark you can provide valuable data. Researcher Christine Ward-Paige will discuss some of the latest shark research and her work to collect data from divers. The research results will be available to decision makers in an effort to improve shark conservation. Project AWARE Foundation is proud to facilitate The Global Shark Assessment survey and sponsor this seminar as part of its Protect the Shark initiative.

Diver Rescue: Is Rescue-Breathing Important? By John Lippmann

Although diving is a reasonably safe sport, accidents do occur. These sometimes require a rescuer to bring an unconscious diver to the surface and then to provide emergency care as soon as possible. The recommendations on how this should be achieved vary between training organizations and between instructors. However, a rapid rescue response is essential to maximize the chance of recovery.

Over recent years there has been debate about the appropriateness of attempting In-Water Rescue Breathing (IWRB) in an unresponsive diver who appears not to be breathing, rather than just bringing the diver to a dry, stable platform before attempting any resuscitative measures. Current recommendations, supported by reasonable data, encourage the provision of IWRB in cases of suspected drowning where it is safe for the rescuer to do so, and where the victim is thought to have been submerged without breathing for no longer than 15 minutes. The reasons for this and an appropriate method of doing so is discussed in this lecture by John Lippmann.

Advance Life Support Management & Chamber Operations for Diving Accidents. By Dr Kevin Chan

This seminar is designed to provide an insight to the dive professional, divers and dive rescue personnel advanced medical life support techniques for evaluating dive candidates, early recognition of the signs/symptoms of DCS and EAA, field management (first aid), evacuation and treatment of diving accident victims. Together with advance recompression chamber operations and the use of gases during hyperbaric exposures and medical equipment in the hyperbaric environment. It will cover the aspects Emergency Advance Life Support and Recompression Chamber Operations for Diving casualties. The initial assessment and management of the casualty during the pre hospital environment; also an introduction to Cardio Pulmonary Management mainly in the area of advance airway management with prevention/treatment of circulatory collapse will be discussed. Chamber Operations encompassing various treatment tables and operational readiness of Recompression Facility in accordance with a strict Safety Protocol will be addressed.

Said Herman Ho, Managing Director of TMX Show Productions Pte Ltd, "In line with ADEX’s conservation theme this year ('Save the sea, Be a diver!') many of our presentations and screenings reflect an environmental consciousness and an awareness of the delicate nature of our planet’s marine eco-systems. However ADEX has not forgotten to also address other important issues such as dive safety and dive rescue techniques, as well as more technical topics which appeals to the professional diver”.

ADEX will also be offering a wide variety of dive-related merchandise, T-shirts and badges, proceeds from which will be donated to The International Year of the Reef 2008. Also returning is that perennial ADEX favourite the Asia Scuba try outs, a fun initiative which allows non-divers to experience the sport in the comfort and safety of the show arena.

For more information on ADEX please visit http://www.asiadiveexpo.com

Contributed by Nora added 2008-04-08