Largely unexplored, and considered among the most hazardous places to dive, the flooded caves, or “blue holes” of the Bahamas, are a potential treasure trove of scientific knowledge. Recently, National Geographic Emerging Explorer Kenny Broad, a diver and advocate for freshwater conservation, led a scientific expedition to these dangerous but fascinating blues holes, making discoveries with... [read more]

Largely unexplored, and considered among the most hazardous places to dive, the flooded caves, or “blue holes” of the Bahamas, are a potential treasure trove of scientific knowledge. Recently, National Geographic Emerging Explorer Kenny Broad, a diver and advocate for freshwater conservation, led a scientific expedition to these dangerous but fascinating blues holes, making discoveries with implications for fields as diverse as microbiology, archaeology, and even astrophysics.

“Underwater caves may just look like dark, eerie holes,” says Broad, “but they can be critical reservoirs of clean fresh drinking water and are integral to the health of the surrounding habitats,” he says. “If pollution or climate change threatens that ecosystem, it also threatens local people.” An entertaining speaker and committed scientist, Broad will share the adventure and science of exploring this incredible underwater world, as seen in the August 2010 issue of National Geographic.