QUEST is a two-week course aimed at training students for marine resource management surveys and near-shore habitat conservation. QUEST is offered every summer for credit through UH Hilo. For more information about QUEST see the Kalakaua Marine Education Center website.
Charting a Course to QUEST
For students interested in participating in QUEST, the following requirements must be met:
1. Recreational SCUBA certification (NAUI, PADI, YMCA, etc.)
2. University of Hawaiʻi Scientific Diver Authorization. Follow the flow chart provided by the Diving Safety Office, which states:
- Fill out Scientific Diver application
- Schedule a diving physical at Straub Clinic, print and take medical form with you and have them send results to the UH Diving Safety Program
- Schedule a swim test, pool checkout dive, and ocean checkout dive with Assistant Diving Safety Officer (Liv Wheeler) at (808) 956-6617 or email
- First Aid/CPR/O2, Rescue Training, plus twelve (12) logged dives
3. QUEST ID Classes
- Take Limu, Fish, and Invertebrate Identification classes
- Score 80% or better (spelling included)
- Resources include:
- QUEST website: Includes Powerpoint presentations with target species.
- Books: John Hoover (Hawaiʻi’s Fishes, Hawaiʻi’s Sea Creatures); John E. Randall (Shore Fishes of Hawaiʻi); and Huisman, Abbott and Smith (Hawaiʻi Reef Plants).
- Online photos: By Keoki and Yuko Stender (Marine Life Photography).
4. Apply to QUEST by early February
5. Costs:
- Three (3) credits
- Lab fee (~$730)
- Round trip airfare (~$150)
- SCUBA gear
- Miscellaneous camping and school items
Charting a Course to QUEST