Karst Underwater Research
Karst Underwater Research is a registered 501 non-profit organization that specializes in the research and documentation of karst aquifers and their corresponding surface features. KUR members perform a variety of scientific processes, including mapping and cartography, radio location, photography, videography, YSI water analysis and sampling.
List of research projects
- Weeki Wachee Springs & Little Spring/Twin Dees
- Falmouth Springs
- Suwannee Springs
- Manatee Springs
- Compromise Sink
- Florida Coastal Springs Research - Crystal Beach Spring, Double Keyhole, Buzz Spring, Free Ride, Turtle Grave
Weeki Wachee - Twin Dees Exploration Project
In 2007, KUR found that Weeki Wachee Springs is the deepest known naturally formed spring in the United States at a depth of.From May 22 until August 30, 2007, the discharge at Weeki Wachee Spring dropped to a level that allowed for cave divers to gain effective entry into the cave system at the head spring. The KUR team explored approximately in multiple passages at an average depth of 265 ffw with a maximum depth of 407 ffw.
In 2013, KUR divers connected Weeki Wachee Spring to a smaller spring on the same property, Twin Dees Spring, which allowed further exploration of the whole system from there, as flow at the main Weeki Wachee Spring entrance has been too high for divers to enter there since 2012.
Phantom Spring Project
In January 2013, KUR divers found that Phantom Spring is the deepest underwater cave yet measured in the United States at a depth of.Working with Dr. Tom Iliffe of the Texas A&M University Marine Biology Department, the Phantom Spring project was started in 2012 with the goals of researching the invertebrate species and their habitat within the cave, and exploring the geography of the cave system to understand the environmental impact of the surrounding area. In 2012 biological finding were made and exploration of the system continued. In 2013, a section which led to the deepest known underwater cave in the country were discovered.