In the Lunch Lecture Friday October 29 Alan Deverell, a masters student at the CMM program, will discuss the feasibility of establishing a recreational diving sector in the Ísafjarðardjúp area of the Westfjords. The Lunch Lecture will being at 12.10 in the University Centre cafeteria and is open to all. The talk will be in English.

A recreational diving sector would not only provide new opportunities for the tourism industry, but also support for local institutions with underwater research and an interesting recreational activity for members of the local community, particularly youth. After a brief overview of scuba diving, focusing in part on Iceland, Alan will evaluate the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats associated with this region which might influence the success of such a project. This will be followed by a proposed development model based on his current research. Finally he will put forward some recommendations, with a particular emphasis on tourism development.

After an early career in teaching and education, Alan Deverell has for the past 15 years worked in the area of project management and development, focusing on non-profit organisations and small to medium businesses in a number of different countries. After his current studies in the Coastal and Marine Management program, he hopes to continue this work but with more of an emphasis on the coastal and marine environment. Originally from the UK, Alan has been based in France for the past 18 years, but unfortunately not very close to the coast!