Dave Grenda
Scientific Diver / Fish Surveyor
Bio
Dave is an American Academy Of Underwater Sciences scientific diver who started out as a recreational diver with an interest in marine science. His formal educational background is business, including a Bachelor's in Aeronautical Administration and an MBA. He spent his first 20 years after college in the Air Force serving as B-52 navigator, bombardier, headquarters staff officer, weapons test director, and finally as weapon safety analyst. Retiring from the military in '97, he moved to Florida and pursued his passion for diving and the ocean. He started down his citizen scientist path as a volunteer diver and then Divemaster at the Florida Aquarium in Tampa, Florida and has been involved with numerous other organizations and research efforts, including NOAA, the National Parks Service, the Cayman Department Of The Environment, and various universities. He has participated on several research efforts including underwater archaeology (Paleolithic Indian sites and civil war shipwrecks), grouper tagging, snapper spawning, marine animal collection, coral spawning/restoration, and Aquarius Underwater Habitat support. He became a member of the Advanced Assessment Team of Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF) in Key Largo, Florida, and a Marine Animal Rehab Tech at Mote Marine Laboratory Dolphin and Whale Hospital in Sarasota, Florida. One organization that specifically caught his attention was REEF. As a member of REEF, he conducts fish population surveys during his recreational diving and has become a top fish identification expert there. He lives in Lakeland, Florida with his wife Fran.
