2014 Divers of the Year

George D. Buckley is chairman of science in the Watertown Public Schools, Director of the Marine Ecology Project, and he began teaching courses on environmental management and ocean environments in the Extension School in 1983. George has served as an inspiration to many students throughout the years. Students praise Buckley’s high energy, his enthusiasm, and his dynamism, and they applaud the courses for their extras: the Websites, the slide shows, the guest lecturers, and above all, the field trips to Cape Cod. In the words of one student, Buckley is a “great field tripper.” George has been a Boston Sea Rover for about 40 years and today sits on their Board of Directors, and is a frequent speaker at this Dive Clinique, giving pertinent seminars in a lively and refreshing style with his great humor. He has used that training and experience to great advantage here at Beneath the Sea making dramatic contributions to our Marine Careers program and our scholarship section. He speaks on Global Climate Change and the World’s Oceans and discusses how the warming and acidification of ocean waters is a major concern for the biodiversity, habitats and sustainability of the world’s oceans; also about the impact of Global Climate Change on coral reefs, snails and shipworms and what can be done to lessen these impacts, plus many more subjects. Professor George D. Buckley, MS is the Assistant Director of the Sustainability and Environmental Management Program, at Harvard. Today, he is Beneath the Sea’s Diver of the Year for Education.

Lynn’s underwater images and lectures reflect her commitment to foster environmental activism through awareness and appreciation. She photographed fisherman using blast fishing and sodium cyanide to capture fish, which led to her to become a founding member of the International Marinelife Alliance (IMA) in 1986. She continues to serve as IMA’s Vice President as well as being an Advisory Director for Ocean Voice International. In 1994 she received the Sea Space/PADI Environmental Awareness Award. She says, “Diving and photography have been my passions for over 30 years. I worked as a flight attendant for TWA ‘to support my diving habit.’ It gave me the travel benefits to dive the world, time off to do it, and I could work just enough to take the next trip. I retired from flying when AA bought TWA so I could finally devote full time to diving and my photography and get back to doing my part to save our oceans. As an environmentalist, I am committed to making a difference on the planet through my images and lectures.” Her favorite place to dive is the Philippines, and she organizes dive trips there annually.

As creative director and owner of Bonnie Toth Advertising & Design in San Clemente, CA, Bonnie brings more than 35 years of expertise in raising awareness and creating brand image through graphics, positioning, design, and promotion. During that time, she helped shape the visual identities of numerous diving industry giants through catalog design, advertising, packaging, manuals, and more—from ScubaPro, Seaquest, AquaLung, Mobby’s, Parkway, Divegear, and Sea and Sea Underwater Imaging, to Atomic Aquatics, DiveNewswire, and Ideations (DiveAlert PLUS). For the last decade, Bonnie has donated countless hours behind the scenes to promote, grow, and raise awareness for such organizations as the Women Divers Hall of Fame, Academy of Underwater Arts and Sciences, and the HDS Santa Barbara Underwater Film Festival. Under her leadership and guidance as board of trustees member, two-term chair, and currently as president of the Women Divers Hall of Fame, the organization and its scholarship and training grant programs have flourished (growing from five awards in 2004 to 21 in 2014!). Along with her official duties, she continues handling all membership communications, web design and upkeep, print and tradeshow booth graphics, scholarship and grant materials, and fundraising items such as the commemorative book, calendar, and cookbook. She even underwrites the advanced dive training grant herself!