People

Dr. John A. Gifford
Associate Professor
RSMAS/MAF
University of Miami
4600 Rickenbacker Causeway
Miami, FL 33149
Tel: 305.421.4191
Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Dr. Gifford is the principal investigator and underwater archeologist at the University of Miami Little Salt Spring project. Dr. Gifford's research interests include prehistoric underwater archaeology, remote sensing techniques, marine cultural resource management and geoarchaeology. Through his efforts and with the help of different teams of students many Florida’s past vestiges were brought to the surface.

Rick Riera-Gomez
Diving Safety Officer
RSMAS/MAF
University of Miami
4600 Rickenbacker Causeway
Miami, FL 33149
Tel: 305 421 4107
Fax: 305 421 4174/
Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

In scientific diving, questions of safety security and training can have an impact on the results of every dive diving séance. The UM diving safety security officer is responsible for diver training and to assuring safe diving operations conditions in the Little Salt Spring. Rick Riera-Gomez has been the official diving safety officer of the UM since 1994. Divers in Little Salt Spring are certified scientific divers. Every year, graduate and undergraduate students are trained for diving in the sinkhole.

Steven H. Koski
Little Salt Spring Research Facility
6863 W. Price Blvd.
North Port, FL 34291
Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Steven Koski is the site manager, archaeologist and resident research assistant at Little Salt Spring. Even if not always open to the public, he conducts tours for groups interested in having scheduled nature walks and site. In the same time Steven Koski is also a director of the Warm Mineral Springs/Little Salt Spring Archaeological Society and their newsletter editor.