October 27, 2008 - Ocean Presence Technologies (OPT), Santa Cruz, California announces for the first time ever, DEMA (Dive Equipment and Marketing Association) attendees were able to visit the ocean floor from the tradeshow floor. One of National Geographic's WildCams was streaming live from a coral reef on Glover's Reef Atoll in Belize at more than one-third of a mile offshore and at a depth of 66 feet to a booth in the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Glover's Atoll is a World Heritage site and marine reserve. The WildCam sits nearly 2,000 feet (600 meters) off of the Isla Marisol Resort and in 66 feet (20 meters) of water. Resort guests can view and control the camera using a computer in the beach bar. Glover's Atoll is part of the Belize Barrier Reef system, the greatest stretch of coral in the Western Hemisphere and the second largest barrier reef in the world.

Nat. Geo installed the live, continuous underwater camera using a fiber-optic cable that connects to the resort. It can be controlled and administered from anywhere in the world over the Internet. Live video feeds are available on any computer during daylight hours in the Central Standard Time (CST).

OPT's OceanCam provides advanced features for extended operation in harsh environments such as the open ocean. The pan-tilt-zoom camera can be operated over the Internet from anywhere in the world. Our unique Double-Bore™ sealing system employs two concentric O-rings for two lines of protection. Three pairs of O-rings are used to seal the dome and housing body to provide added protected against boring marine organisms. This new underwater system provides an improved seal that allows for extended ocean deployments. It can be operated with confidence to depths of 180 feet (55 meters). High-powered LED lighting extends the hours of operation or improves low-light viewing.

For more information visit www.OceanPresence.com or email [email protected]. Also visit the Isla Marisol Resort: www.islamarisolresort.com.

To view this exciting Nat. Geo WildCam live from Belize to your computer screen, go to: video.nationalgeographic.com/video/wildcambelize.

About Ocean Presence Technologies
OPT designs and manufactures a full line of advanced underwater IP video products including cameras, lighting, data recorders and wireless network components. Originally designed for research with manta rays, the OceanCam is now being employed in research, education, security and other commercial oceanographic applications.