Come join us at the Wequaquet Lake Yacht Club for a fascinating event delving into the mysteries of shipwrecks, safety at sea, and underwater forensics. Learn about the latest technologies and techniques used to explore sunken vessels, ensure maritime safety, and forensically collect and preserve underwater artifacts with special guest lecturer and maritime expert, Rhonda Moniz, who served as Bob Ballard's first female Remotely Operated Vehicle pilot! This in-person event promises to be both educational (Professional Development Certificates available upon request and issued Monday August 11) and entertaining, so don't miss out!
Admission includes buffet dinner. Adult beverages, soft drinks and mocktails will be available for purchase (venue accepts cash/credit cards/Apple/Google Pay).
August 9, 2025 Event Schedule:
5pm-5:30pm Networking
5:30pm-6:15pm Buffet Dinner
6:15pm-7:45pm Evening Technical Program featuring Rhonda Moniz on Shipwrecks, Safety at Sea and Underwater Forensics.
Attendees are welcome to stay for the LIVE entertainment that immediately follows this event, featuring famed Boston guitarist and vocalist, Gary Backstrom (of Jiggle the Handle).
This event is co-sponsored by the New England American Industrial Hygiene Association (NEAIHA), the Northeastern Section of the American Chemical Society (NESACS) Public Relations Committee, and PID Analyzers, LLC.
Speaker Bio:
Rhonda J. Moniz specializes in diving technologies and subsea systems and has worked as a scientific diver and Dive Safety Officer for over 25 years. She has overseen multiple projects, expeditions, and training programs and is a journalist, podcast host, and filmmaker. Ms. Moniz was awarded the prestigious Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution’s Fellowship for Scientific
Journalism and is a member of the Explorers Club. She has achieved a Master SCUBA Instructor Rating and specializes in Underwater Forensics and Marine Technology. She is the president of the Underwater Investigative Group (UIG) and CEO of RJM Consulting. She is also an adjunct professor teaching underwater CSI techniques at several universities.
Ms. Moniz has been on multiple expeditions worldwide, including a number of large-scale, deep-sea projects, working with Dr. Robert Ballard as his first female ROV pilot. Several expeditions focused on investigating ancient shipwrecks off the coast of Turkey and in the Black Sea, with depths exceeding 4,000m (over 13,000ft). Other expeditions with Dr. Ballard explored underwater volcanoes, geology, archaeology, and marine biology. Ms. Moniz has extensive field experience with Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) and Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) and their associated sensors. She has worked as an instructional designer to create training programs for ROV and AUV operations worldwide. She has trained the United States Military and multiple emergency responder organizations to use subsea systems for various mission applications, including SAR Operations, port security, underwater forensics, and mine countermeasures. Throughout her career, she has played a pivotal role in solving numerous cold case investigations in aquatic environments and is widely recognized for her exceptional expertise in this field.
In addition to her work as a scientific diver, forensics specialist, and explorer, Ms. Moniz has worked as a journalist and filmmaker. She has also served as a subject matter expert fornumerous productions, including those for CBS, Discovery, Netflix, Anderson Cooper, Erin Burnett, the Oxygen Channel, and various PBS television shows. She served as a subject matter expert and on-air consultant for CNN during the 2023 Titan submersible tragedy. Ms. Moniz currently has several documentary films in development and has produced and hosted multiple podcasts in the ocean technology industry. She is President of the Board of Directors for The Northeastern Regional Association of Coastal Ocean Observing Systems (NERACOOS). She is on the national Integrated Ocean Observation System (IOOS) board. Ms.Moniz has worked as a subsea technology development consultant and technical content specialist in the blue tech industry. She is currently working with her publisher on a book about underwater forensics.
See flyer below.
Reservation/ticket link: https://bit.ly/maritimescience
