Imagine plodding through a pool full of beef stew: thick, murky, and carrot-filled. Now add the rushing currents of a storm surge and you have an idea of black water. There’s zero visibility and chunks of debris fly about. Extreme scuba diving in black water during the huge tidal surge on the east coast that came with Hurricane Sandy was not something even the most fearless high sensation-seeking people would have done. For Jason this isn’t a hobby. It’s his job. For the last 15 years, he has been braving conditions like these and worse to fulfill his life’s passion and profession: to discover new species and better understand ancient life.

Jason’s career is far from typical. He is a mechanical engineer, project strategist, paleontologist, and runs a non-profit. He’s been on archeology digs. And then there is his diving, which facilitates the deep need behind all of these endeavors – an insatiable desire to discover new things.