DANBURY — Fabian Cousteau, a third generation ocean explorer and filmmaker, will be appearing in person as the keynote speaker at the Fourth Annual Danbury Hospital Dive Medicine Conference on Saturday, April 5.

The annual conference, organized by physician, diver, and Newtown resident David Charash, DO, will be held at the Ethan Allen Hotel, 21 Lake Avenue Extension in Danbury, from 8 am to 12:30 pm.

Mr Cousteau will be speaking about saturation diving and the upcoming Mission 31. Mission 31 will be located at the Aquarius Reef Base, a seafloor habitat roughly 63 feet (20 meters) underwater in the Florida Keys.

Mr Cousteau and a team of scientists and filmmakers will live aboard Aquarius for 31 days, testing new technologies and conducting research on the effects of climate change on corals, sponges, and other sea life.

His Mission 31 will surpass his grandfather’s famous 30-day stay aboard the Continental Ice Shelf Station Two (Conshelf Two) in 1963. During that underwater mission, Jacques Cousteau experimented with living in a habitat located 30 feet (10 meters) beneath the Red Sea, off the coast of Sudan.

Attendees may check in at 7:45 am and enjoy a continental breakfast and networking with vendors from 8 to 9 am. The lectures begin at 9 am and end at 12:30 pm.

Among others featured on the program are:

*Forensic Dive Accident Investigation expert Craig Jenni of Dive & Marine Consultants International;

*Christopher J. Logue, MD, chief of operations at the University of Pennsylvania Hyperbaric Medicine department speaking about “Recognition of Diving Injury and Treatment Options”;

*Dr Charash, medical director, Wound Care, Hyperbaric Medicine, Diving Medicine at Danbury Hospital, speaking on “Children and Diving: How young is too young?”; and

*David Kenyon, principal engineer, Hamilton Research Ltd, speaking on “Understanding Mixed Gases.”

Recreational and technical divers, commercial and public safety divers, and medical providers including physicians, NPs, PAs, EMT s, RNs, and paramedics are encouraged to attend.

The fee to attend Danbury Hospital’s Fourth Annual Diving Medicine Conference on April 5 is $45, and includes breakfast, lunch, raffles, and interaction with vendors.

Registration is required, and may be made calling Michelle Herring at 203-739-7630.