You are here

Share
A photo of a sea turtle swimming towards a coral reef at Virgin Islands National Park. NPS photo, Susanna Pershern

Did you know that there are some five and a half million acres of our National Parks that are underwater? There are sunken ships and aircraft. There are remnants of industry and mining. There are coral reefs and underwater caverns.

The Submerged Resources Center of the National Park Service is where these water resources are explored and documented. Underwater photography is crucial in the understanding of what lies beneath the surface, and images taken by the SRC Staff are essential not only for mapping and documenting, but to help the parks address issues and solve problems.

This week, the Traveler’s Lynn Riddick sits down with Brett Seymour, the Submerged Resources Center Deputy Chief and Audio-Visual Production Specialist who has spent some thirty years with the Park Service, photographing the mysteries below the surface.

For more on the Submerged Resources Center, check out Episode 116 - Diving Into the National Park System.

0:02 National Parks Traveler introduction
0:12 Episode Intro with Kurt Repanshek
0:50 Beyond the Reef - Tim Heintz & Grant Geissman - Seascapes: A Musical Journey
1:14 Smokies Life
1:37 Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation
2:00 NPT Promo
2:45 Episode 276 - Underwater Photography with the Submerged Resources Center
1:07:30 Whispering Winds - Grant Geissman - Sounds of the Caribbean
1:08:44 Episode Closing
1:09:30 Orange Tree Productions
1:10:03 Splitbeard Productions
1:10:14 National Parks Traveler footer

Add comment

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 307 | A Walk in the Park

Many of us like to take a walk in our favorite national park, whether it’s a short stroll down one of the boardwalks at Yellowstone National Park, the hike to the top of Old Rag at Shenandoah National Park, or up the Mist Trail at Yosemite National Park, we like to get out and experience parks up close.

December 29th, 2024 Read More

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 306 | Introducing St. Croix National Scenic Riverway

There are across the country more than 430 units of the National Park System. And no doubt, most of us are only familiar with the so-called name brand parks. Places like Shenandoah, Acadia, Everglades, Yellowstone, Yosemite, the Grand Canyon… But just because you’re not already familiar with a park unit doesn’t mean you should write it off your to-do list.

December 22nd, 2024 Read More

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 305 | The Elephant Seals of Point Reyes

Elephant seals are not your small, cuddly marine mammals. They are behemoths. Males, known as bulls, can reach 5,000 pounds, while females, known as cows, routinely clock in at around 1,000 pounds or so.
 

December 15th, 2024 Read More

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 304 | Into the Thaw

Most, if not all of us, have bucket lists. Places we want to visit…but don’t always get the opportunity.
 
This is Kurt Repanshek, your host at the National Parks Traveler. One of the destinations on my bucket list is Gates of Arctic National Park and Preserve and the Noatak River that runs through it. A week or two floating the river sounds pretty ideal to me.
 

December 8th, 2024 Read More

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 303 | Change Happens

Change happens…and sometimes it doesn’t.

Change certainly is underway in Washington, where the incoming Trump administration is putting its players in position with promises of changing, or maybe upsetting, the status quo.

Against that, the National Park Service continues to face long-standing problems with not enough staff or funding, compounded by National Park System damage from hurricanes, tornadoes, sea level rise, wildfires, just about everything under the sun.

December 1st, 2024 Read More

INN Member

The easiest way to explore RV-friendly National Park campgrounds.

The Essential RVing Guide to the National Parks

Here’s the definitive guide to National Park System campgrounds where RVers can park their rigs.

Our app is packed with RVing- specific details on more than 250 campgrounds in more than 70 national parks.

You’ll also find stories about RVing in the parks, tips helpful if you’ve just recently become an RVer, and useful planning suggestions.

The Essential RVing Guide to the National Parks

FREE for iPhones and Android phones.