Melissa Smith is a senior editor for Scuba Diving. An avid writer, scuba diver, backpacker and all-around outdoor enthusiast, she holds degrees in journalism and sustainability studies from the University of Florida. Before joining Scuba Diving, Melissa worked as the executive editor of EcoWatch and as the communications manager of The Ocean Agency, a nonprofit featured in the Emmy award-winning documentary Chasing Coral. Her work and expertise have been featured in outlets such as USA Today, The Guardian, National Geographic, Climbing magazine and MarketWatch.
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Melissa Smith Articles
Two artificial reefs — Jimmy Dales Reef and Greater Jax Kingfish Reef — joined the Spike, scuttled in 2009, earlier this month.
The brothers-in-law found 53 gold coins dating back to the fourth and fifth centuries on a recent family vacation to Spain’s Mediterranean coast.
Three days in Fort Lauderdale and Palm Beach chock-full of reefs and wrecks.
Once complete, it will stretch about 85 miles from Lamu to Malindi, featuring over 30 wrecks, artwork about the East African slave trade, and artifacts like iron tools.
DCS sparks the immune response in white blood cells, a finding that could lay the ground for a blood test to screen DCS and inform treatment plans.
A team of divers with Project Seagrass collected seed from Dale Bay for this site, and are planning a similar initiative in North Whales.
Highly venomous olive sea snakes most often "attack" divers during mating season, chasing them and sometimes even biting them, in what might be a case of mistaken identity.
The world's first complete map of nearshore reefs aims to enable decision-makers access to real-time data to inform management.
Tuna, historically overfished, are on the road to recovery, but more sharks and rays are now listed as threatened with extinction, according to this month's IUCN Red List Update.