BGL’s mission is to provide the one of the world’s most capable
platforms and team for the human exploration and documentation of
shallow and mesophotic marine environments (0-1000 feet). Mr. Carmichael
is responsible for all aspects of corporate operation, overall mission
planning and execution. He is also the lead submersible pilot and is
responsible for submersibles project development and mission planning.
BGL currently supplies DP1 vessel ship and other services to NAVSEA SFOMF Port Everglades, FL.
Brownies Marine Group, Inc., is an industry leader in the manufacturing of
equipment designed to facilitate underwater exploration and recreation
that is integrated into and readily compatible with all manners of
boating. Flagship products include the: Brownies Third Lung hookah
diving system, Tankfill & NitroxMaker, and the Boat Integrated Air
Systems (BIAS). In addition to managing company operations, Mr.
Carmichael has been integral to product development and evolution the
company’s success in marketing and sales. Since starting BGL, Mr.
Carmichael has stepped away from day-to-day operations but remains an
integral member of the Board of Directors.
GUE is an international non-profit organization whose mission is to
explore and document unexplored underwater environments. Mr. Carmichael
has served on the Board of Directors since the organization’s inception.
His constant passion for underwater exploration has helped shape the
organization’s growth and mission. Since 2009 when GUE introduced
Project Baseline, Mr. Carmichael’s focus has been directed nearly
exclusively on helping to develop and expand the Project Baseline
mission through active participation as the founder and manager of
Project Baseline Gulfstream, marketing and promotion, fund raising, and
ultimately the development of the r/v Baseline Explorer platform to
carry the Project Baseline mission to its next level of development.
Halcyon Dive Systems is an industry leader in the manufacture of
advanced scuba diving systems and semi-closed rebreather systems
including the record holding PVR-BASC Halcyon Rebreather, which has been
used to set several records for long-duration underwater exploration in
all manners of environments. Mr. Carmichael has been the lead inventor
on several of the company’s patented products including the rebreather.
Brownies Yacht Diver is a group of full service dive shops in Fort
Lauderdale and Palm Beach, Florida, uniquely providing “turn-key
solutions for Nitrox, Trimix, Rebreather Support equipment and
traditional SCUBA Tankfill Systems to the international yachting
community at a boat builder and end-user level. Brownie’s Yacthdiver
provides global support, training and operations as a “one-stop” diving
solution provider. Mr. Carmichael founded and executed this novel
business model as a hands-on entrepreneur. The company is now operated
by his brother, David Carmichael.
Brownie’s Third Lung is the world’s leader in manufacturing and
distributing recreational surface supplied diving systems, land and
yacht-based scuba air compressors and water safety products. Brownie’s
utilizes superior parts and tooling to set us well above and standard in
the industry. Research and development is performed in-house where we
observe, listen, learn and respond to our diver’s needs and make precise
modifications to maximize performance and comfort. We are divers,
explorers, innovators, engineers and business people with a passion for
all of the water around us including our springs, lakes, rivers and our
vast oceans. We regularly dive our products from our base in Pompano
Beach, FL.
Organized a collaboration with Nova Southeastern University to carry
scientists underwater onto deep artificial reefs (ship wrecks) using
human-occupied underwater vehicles (HUVs). Achieved a 1000-foot
submersible dive with a researcher as passenger. Roles: mission planner,
submersible pilot.
Organized an ongoing effort to document coral reef conditions along
Florida’s east coast, Bimini Bahamas, and the Florida Keys. Established
several monitoring stations and regularly documented reef conditions
using still photography and video. Collaborated with researchers at
Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute to document the impact of
wastewater outfalls on reef health and organized submersible tours to
carry media personnel to the outfalls and thereby raise public awareness
of the impacts. Learn more.
Developed a series of projects over 15 years to document the unique
features of the Cat Cay Wall that borders the Florida Strait to the east
including projects aimed at identifying and describing features thought
by some to be remnants of ancient civilizations and projects aimed at
developing the HUVs for recreational use and private exploration
missions. Learn more.
Organized a collaboration with the University of the Azores and the
University of the Algarve to document black and red coral distributions
and sizes in water depths of between 0 and 1000 feet using video
transects and targeted sample collection by technical divers between 0
and 330 feet and direct observation, video, and still photography from
submersibles between 0 and 1000 feet. Roles: mission planning,
submersible team leader, submersible pilot. Learn more.
As Ship and Submersible Expedition Leader, Robert coordinated twin subs and
GUE/PB rebreather dive team with scientists from several universities,
including Oxford and Stanford, to execute the first mission of the XL
Catlin Deep Ocean Survey. We explored and documented in detail, 5 sites
at depths between 15 and 300 meters: submersibles at 300, 200 & 150 m
and divers at 90, 60, 30, and 15 m. Scientists identified approximately
300 new species of coral, sponge, and algae, and carried journalists
and UNESCO representatives to depth to announce the world’s first High
Seas World Heritage Site, the Sargasso Sea.
Lead
a rebreather dive team and twin submersibles to assist scientists from
NOAA’s National Marine Sanctuaries, the Bureau of Ocean Energy
Management, and the Office of Ocean Exploration and Research. There,
submersibles and divers worked in water depths of 90 – 240 m to conduct
laser and photogrammetry surveys of wrecks that sank in July 1945 WWII’s
Battle of the Atlantic off of North Carolina. The work they completed
will advance NOAA’s goal of expanding the Monitor National Marine
Sanctuary and foster ongoing Project Baseline collaborations. Personally
piloted the submersible that first witnessed the wreck of U576 and
executed the Dynamic Laser Scanning. Learn more here. Additional Battle of the Atlantic links: Explorers; Mission Summary
Designed, developed, and installed technical diver support system,
submarine LAR/support system. Executed first mission with ROV and
submersible (Triton 1000/2-NEMO) to Guadalupe Island, Mexico to research
Great White Shark ambush attacks on Elephant Seals at edge of 150m
wall. This expedition is featured as part of Sharkweek TV series that
aired in the summer 2018 and 2019.
Developed and executed the twin-submersible exploration team surpassing
the requirements of the Oxford University science objected covering over
40-miles underwater over the course of 85-dives.
4,391 broadcast packages aired
about the Mission in 140 nations – broadcasters who ran multiple
packages included CGTN, CCTV, Sky News, ITN, Al Jazeera, ABC, CTV
(Canada(, France TV, Press TV, Sun TV (India), RT (Russia), Euronews (in
13 languages), ABC Australia, POLSAT, DW (Germany)
37 programming packages: produced and distributed by AP Horizon (Environment strand)
about the Mission for AP clients.
30 hours live subsea broadcasting
distributed by Associated Press (Official News Agency Partner). AP
reach two-thirds of the world. More information about the broadcasters
reach in image below.
First Descent Live: carried by 49 broadcasters (incl. ABC, CCTV, Al Jazeera, ITN, Euronews) on 760 occasions in 24hours.
First live submersible documentary series & newscast –
‘Deep Ocean Live’ – 9 hours of live prime-time television broadcast on
Sky News and Sky Atlantic (Official Programming Partner). Sky reach
110million people in 140 countries.
First live submersible 2-ways interviews with broadcasters globally including ABC’s flagship show, Good Morning America (4.5million viewers) and CGTN. First Live Subsea Presidential Address: President of Seychelles, distributed globally by AP – related video aired 991 times and became the top news story globally.
Tier 1 Media: Print
& Digital: incl. Time, Washington Post, Times of India, Mail, Japan
Times, Guardian, Times (UK), New York Times. View summary of features
published on digital. Digital Media: reaching half a million people per day across a coordinated network of Nekton and partner channels.
Submarine Live (STEM Education) – hundreds
of thousands of young people engaged including 10,000 in 16 countries
directly participating in 5 days of live links to scientists and
technicians on board the Mothership. “Half of the world saw coverage of the Mission” – Sandy MacIntyre, VP, Associated Press
