This thesis explores the role of comfort in adventure leisure and in recreational SCUBA diving in particular. In this chapter the study’s central elements of comfort, constraints and negotiation will be introduced. Human engagement with marine locations provides background to the evolution of SCUBA diving as a leisure activity. The concept of comfort is then introduced, with attention given to what comfort means from a range of disciplines. Following this, the use of the term comfort in adventure, leisure and tourism research is reviewed. Divers’ constraints to comfort are also briefly examined here in this introduction, to build understanding of how comfort can be experienced during adventure, and SCUBA diving. Leisure constraints-negotiation research is discussed briefly and linked to SCUBA diving experiences. The objectives of this study are then presented prior to introducing the qualitative research paradigm that guides the research, and the thesis outline.

Adventure tourism is a growing market sector worldwide including Australia. A range of research exists that examined participation in adventure tourism activities by consideration of various aspects such as socio-demographics, motivations, activity/setting preferences and involvement in the activity to understand the adventure tourist. While studies have been conducted that included several of these aspects, a holistic investigation of involvement, motivations and setting preferences together has not been conducted previously regarding adventure tourism in Australia in general and SCUBA diving in particular. Furthermore, in Australia, only limited information is available about those who participate in the adventure activity of SCUBA diving. The aim of this research is to investigate differences and similarities of involvement, motivations and setting preferences of SCUBA diving club members in Eastern Australia. In this study 294 SCUBA diving club members in New South Wales and Queensland were surveyed by utilisation of a web-based questionnaire in order to identify their involvement in SCUBA diving, socio-demographic characteristics, participation motives and setting preferences. Descriptive analysis was used to investigate the socio-demographic characteristics of divers, their motivations and setting preferences. Principal component analysis was applied on involvement variables as well as motivations to investigate the underlying constructs. Agglomerative and hierarchical cluster analyses were used to derive clusters of divers that differed in their involvement in SCUBA diving. Exact Pearson chi-square tests were conducted to test whether there were significant differences concerning sociodemographics between clusters. In addition, analyses of variance (ANOVAs) were conducted to determine differences and similarities of motivational components and setting preferences between clusters. This study found that SCUBA diving club members are a heterogeneous group regarding their involvement in SCUBA diving. Five clusters of divers emerged that differed in their involvement in SCUBA diving. While differences in socio-demographics across the different involvement clusters were revealed, they proved to be less valuable for interpretation purposes. Regarding divers� setting preferences, similar structures were observed across all clusters regardless of differences in involvement. Motivations showed a complex structure across the clusters in regard to divers� involvement in SCUBA diving. Based on the studies findings, recommendations for future research were suggested. These emphasised the need for a holistic examination of motivations and setting preferences of adventure tourists based on the concept of involvement, which would be important for theory development and segmentation of tourists. The same holistic approach would also be valuable for examining other types of tourists such as events tourists and heritage tourists to better understand tourist behaviour.

<p>This paper describes the Swedish reconnaissance squads in the engineer battalions, their equipment, tasks and organization. An analysis is made to compare the present weapons and fire power of the reconnaissance squad with an extended weapon alternative. The analysis focuses on the abilities <em>effect, protection </em>and <em>movement </em>in different situations typical of a reconnaissance squad.</p><p>The facts that are presented in this paper are mostly founded on the new field manual <em>FältarbR Dyktjänst 2007, </em>which regulates much of the reconnaissance activities. The aim of this paper is the making of a contribution in the developing progress of the new field manual and the reconnaissance squads in Swedish engineer battalions.</p><p>The result of the analysis shows that the extended weapon alternative would be an asset.</p>

No description available.

This paper investigates the potential of dumpster diving as a tactic of the freegan movement. The goal of the freegan movement is the realization of a postcapitalist world. I first investigate the scope, legality and demographic of dumpster diving in the U.S. I then contextualize dumpster diving within the history of waste, consumerism and excess in the U.S. since the beginning of the 20th century. I conclude by assessing the viabaility of freegan dumpster diving as a transformative tactic in light of its inaccessibility to various individuals as a result of their race and class. I ultimately argue that freeganism has the potential to inspire individual action for social change as well as de-naturalize trash.

This paper describes the Swedish reconnaissance squads in the engineer battalions, their equipment, tasks and organization. An analysis is made to compare the present weapons and fire power of the reconnaissance squad with an extended weapon alternative. The analysis focuses on the abilities effect, protection and movement in different situations typical of a reconnaissance squad. The facts that are presented in this paper are mostly founded on the new field manual FältarbR Dyktjänst 2007, which regulates much of the reconnaissance activities. The aim of this paper is the making of a contribution in the developing progress of the new field manual and the reconnaissance squads in Swedish engineer battalions. The result of the analysis shows that the extended weapon alternative would be an asset.

Är dykare spänningssökare? Är män mer spänningssökande än kvinnor? 51 dykare, 27 män och 24 kvinnor, läts fylla i enkäten Sensation seeking scale version 5 (SSS-V). Sensation seeking scale har utvecklats av Marvin Zuckerman med kollegor sedan 1960-talet och mäter graden av spänningssökande personlighetsdrag, på engelska: sensation seeking. Enkäten har visat sig valid på flera hundra studier men har bara testats på dykare ett fåtal gånger. Hypoteserna är att dykare är mer spänningssökande än normalpopulationen (H1) och att dykande män är mer spänningssökande än dykande kvinnor (H2). Kontrollgruppen består av psykologistudenter från Delware University mellan år 1986 och 1992, 410 män och 807 kvinnor. Resultatet visar med statistisk signifikant säkerhet att dykare är mer spänningssökande än normalpopulationen och att dykande män är mer spänningssökande än dykande kvinnor. Validitet och alternativ till Sensation seeking scale m.m. tas upp i diskussionsdelen.

I examined the population trends of northern fur seals (Callorhinus ursinus) using an age-specific metapopulation model that allowed migration between rookeries. Mortality and birth rates were modified to simulate future population trends. I also examined the early migratory behavior and habitat associations of pups from Bering Island (BI), Russia. I instrumented 35 pups with Mk10-AL satellite tags and stomach temperature telemeters which provided diving, foraging and location data. I hypothesized that some aspects of pup behavior from the stable BI population differed from the behavior of pups from the unstable Pribilof Islands (PI). The population model revealed that emigration did not contribute significantly to the current PI population decline. However, large source populations contributed significantly to population growth in newly colonized rookeries. A stabilization of the PI population was predicted with a 10 to 20 percent reduction in both juvenile and adult female mortality rates. The diving behavior of pups showed a general progression towards longer and deeper dives as pups aged, particularly between 1600 – 0400 (local time), that was similar to PI pup behavior. However, unlike pups from the PI, I found three main diving strategies among BI pups: 1) shallow daytime divers (mean depth = 3.56 m), 2) deep daytime divers (mean depth = 6.36 m) and 3) mixed divers (mean depth = 4.81 m). The foraging behavior of pups showed that most successful ingestion events occurred between 1600 – 0400, with successful ingestion events lasting 25.36 plus/minus 27.37 min. There was no significant difference among the three strategies in the depth of successful foraging dives. I also examined the foraging search strategies in adult females and pups. Both pups and adults conducted Levy walks, although pups foraged in smaller patches (1 km scales). Using a logistic model to determine habitat associations, I found that pup locations were positively correlated with increasing chlorophyll a concentrations, distances from shore, and sea surface temperatures, and were negatively correlated with depth. There was no significant relationship between all pup locations and the regions (peripheries or centers) or types (cyclonic or anti-cyclonic) of eddies, but ingestion event locations were related to mesoscale eddy peripheries.

The present series of unmanned hyperbaric tests were conducted in order to investigate the oxygen fraction variability in semi-closed underwater rebreathing apparatuses. The tested rebreathers were RB80 (Halcyon dive systems, High springs, FL, USA), IS-Mix (Interspiro AB, Stockholm, Sweden), CRABE (Aqua Lung, Carros Cedex, France), and Viper+ (Cobham plc, Davenport, IA, USA). The tests were conducted using a catalytically based propene combusting metabolic simulator. The metabolic simulator connected to a breathing simulator, both placed inside a hyperbaric pressure chamber, was first tested to demonstrate its usefulness to simulate human respiration in a hyperbaric situation. Following this the metabolic simulator was shown to be a useful tool in accident investigations as well as to assess the impact of different engineering designs and physiological variables on the oxygen content in the gas delivered to the diver by the rebreathing apparatuses. A multi-compartment model of the oxygen fractions was developed and compared to the previously published single-compartment models. The root mean squared error (RMSE) of the multi-compartment model was smaller than the RMSE for the single-compartment model, showing its usefulness to estimate the impact of different designs and physiological variables on the inspired oxygen fraction. / <p>QC 20150903</p>

Dytiscidae, contains numerous endemic and non-endemic species on Madagascar. Their evolutionary history is largely unknown on the island. Herein, I use analyses to infer phylogenetic relationship among groups of diving beetles, with a focus on the subfamily Dytiscinae and endemic species in two other groups of Dytiscidae. Paper I represents the first phylogenetic reconstruction focusing on the tribe Aciliini based on molecular data. Several commonly used molecular markers, as well as a new marker for Hydradephagan beetles, were evaluated in this study. Our analyses suggest that six genera within Aciliini are monophyletic. The most basal clades with Neotropical and Afrotropical taxa suggest a possible Gondwanan origin. Evaluation of gene fragments indicated CAD to be the most informative marker. Paper II focuses on colonization and radiation events of large bodied endemic diving beetles of the tribes Cybistrini and Hydaticini on Madagascar. Colonization events were inferred from dated phylogenetic trees and ancestral biogeographical reconstructions. Our results suggest both multiple colonizations, and out-of-Madagascar dispersal events, mostly during the Miocene and Oligocene. In paper III, we revised the Rhantus species of Madagascar. We used both molecular and morphological data to evaluate species hypothesis and emphasized the value of Manjakatompo – one of the last remaining fragments of central highland forests. In Paper IV we reconstruct the phylogeny and use Species Distribution Modelling for the endemic genus Pachynectes in Madagascar. Our sampling has discovered that the species diversity of Pachynectes is at least three times higher than previously believed. It seems that allopatric speciation was the main driver, which led to the diversity of Pachynectes. Our results suggest that climatic gradients and the five main biomes were a better predictor than watershed systems in explaining the distribution pattern and speciation between sister species. / Dykarskalbaggar i familjen Dytiscidae finns över hela världen och kan hittas i såväl temporära som permanenta vattensamlingar, i rinnande såväl som i stillastående akvatiska habitat. Bland dykarskalbaggarna finns ett hundratal både endemiska och icke-endemiska arter på Madagaskar. Deras evolutionära historia på denna mytomspunna ö är dock i stort sett okänd. I den här avhandlingen använder jag molekylära data och analyser för att härleda evolutionära släktskap, s.k. fylogenier eller släktträd, för olika grupper av dykarskalbaggar med fokus på underfamiljen Dytiscinae samt endemiska arter från två andra grupper på Madagaskar. Artikel 1 är den första molekylär-fylogenetiska studien som gjort på tribuset Aciliini. Flera molekylära markörer (delar av gener) användes samt utvärderades, inklusive den nya markören CAD för Hydradephaga skalbaggar. Analysen bekräftar att tribuset Aciliini är en monofyletisk grupp (naturlig grupp som härstammar från en gemensam förfader) samt att Eretini är närmaste släktingen. Alla sex släkten med flera arter i tribuset stöddes också som monofyletiska, det sjunde släktet har bara en art. De mest basala grupperna i trädet utgjordes av Neotropiska och Afrotropiska arter vilket antyder ett ursprung på Gondwana kontinenten. Denna slutsats var dock beroende av för vilken nod i trädet (av två möjliga) som ett fossil användes som kalibreringspunkt. Utvärderingen av de olika genfragmenten ledde till slutsatsen att CAD var den mest informativa genen tätt följd av en annan nukleär proteinkodande gen, WNT. Artikel 2 fokuserar på kolonisations- och artbildningshändelser för två grupper av relativt stora dykarskalbaggar. Denna studie bygger på två tidigare publicerade dataset där vi lade till Madagaskars arter. Kolonisationshändelser härleddes genom daterade molekylära släktträd samt rekonstruktion av förfäders biogeografiska utbredningsområden. Resultaten visade både på ett flertal separata koloniseringshändelser men också "ut-ur-Madagaskar" spridning, framförallt under tidsperioden Miocen-Oligocen. Studien visade också att inga koloniseringshändelser lett till några signifikanta artradiationer på Madagaskar i dessa två grupper. I Artikel 3 reviderar vi arterna av släktet Rhantus som finns på Madagaskar, vilka alla är begränsade i sin utbredning till den centrala högplatån på Madagaskar. Vi använder både morfologi och molekylära data för att testa arthypoteser samt bestyrker det bevarandebiologiska värdet av Manjakatompo-skogen, ett av de allra sista fragmenten av skog på den centrala högplatån. I Artikel 4 härleder vi släktskapet för det endemiska rinnande-vatten släktet Pachynectes samt analyserar de ingående arternas utbredning genom modellering. Våra insamlingar runt om Madagaskar har visat att artdiversiteten i släktet är minst tre gånger så hög som man tidigare trott. Genom att integrera släktskapsanalys med utbredningsmodellering söker vi få en inblick i vad som drivit artbildningen i en endemisk artradiation. Allopatrisk artbildning verkar varit den huvudsakliga typen av artbildning inom Pachynectes. Vi testade även två huvudhypoteser som söker förklara mikroendemisk artbildning generellt på Madagaskar. Våra resultat visar att klimatgradienter och de fem huvudsakliga biomen på Madagaskar verkar ha en långt bättre förklaringsgrad än stora floder och avrinningsområden för att förklara Pachynectes arternas utbredning och släktskap. / <p>At the time of the doctoral defense, the following paper was unpublished and had a status as follows: Paper 4: Manuscript.</p>