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