# Chapter 3: Botany Under Water, 1962-1963 ## expand\_more Not all botanical exploration takes place on land. As not all vegetation is terrestrial, thus, neither are all botanists. One botanist not limited to dry land was Elke Mackenzie, formerly Ivan Mackenzie Lamb. While she certainly botanized on land, she also did extensive scuba diving to survey marine algae. Mackenzie went as far as Antarctica to dive for algae, but a series of well-documented dives were made much closer to home. In 1962 and 1963, Mackenzie and a changing cast of characters, including Richard E. Waterhouse, Richard A. Fralick, Martin Zimmermann, and Bob Knowles, made numerous dives off Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine coasts. One area off of Cape Ann, Massachusetts was monitored in a long-term study. The results of this study can be read in Mackenzie and Zimmerman's collaboration, "Marine Vegetation of Cape Ann, Essex County, Massachusetts." Rhodora, vol. 66, no. 767, 1964, 217-254, . A dive log was kept for Cape Ann and other locations. This log, which is part of the Elke Mackenzie papers housed at the Farlow Library, starts off as a detailed record of weather conditions, water temperatures, divers present, and specimens collected. However, it evolves into a humorous, collaborative diary of the divers' adventures. Some entries refer not to dives, but to ski trips to North Conway, New Hampshire. One entry by Mackenzie on page 20 is particularly silly. She writes, "C-c-c-come on in, the W-w-w-water's F-f-f-fine! " and signs her name in a shaky hand with the letters made to look like they are dripping freezing water. This dive log/diary also includes photographs, including pictures of divers in full diving regalia. In one photo of Mackenzie, Ann Venable notes that Mackenzie can be recognized by her pointed helmet (diving log, page 52). Some of these photos might indicate that the cold water may have made the divers a little silly. Another photo is captioned: “After a dive to recover a "hot" space capsule...Note intense radiation emitted from eyes and neck.” The jovial tone of the logbook hides the fact that the dives were taken in water that was often just above the freezing point. Fralick writes of one dive in Rockport, Massachusetts, "If the Antarctic is no worse than today, it will actually be enjoyable," (diving log, page 56). The series of dives off of Deer Island, Maine were particularly brutal. Air temperatures hovered around 15º Fahrenheit, with a water temperature of 33º. Divers had to remain fully immersed or their breathing regulators would freeze. At one point, the divers' boat became coated in a layer of ice. The combination of ice and the motion of the sea caused Mackenzie to fall overboard and the boat to become swamped. No one was injured, but diving was over for the day. However, even when injury did occur, it did not dampen the divers’ spirits. When Martin Zimmerman cut his hand on a submerged anchor, his injury was thus immortalized with what appears to be a swipe of blood on page 49 of the diving log, captioned, “He was a good diver, and we shall all miss him.” Mackenzie's diving log gives a glimpse into the trials, tribulations, and fun of fieldwork. While risks to life, limb, and core body temperature are often present, the excitement of scientific discovery can make it all worthwhile. ## Other Resources: [Personal Papers of Harvard Botanists](/pages/personal-papers "Personal Papers") [Plant Lists & Field Notes](/pages/plant-lists-field-notes "Plant Lists & Field Notes") [Digital Collections: Field Notes and Plant Lists](/pages/digital-collections-0 "Digital Collections") [Expeditions and Exploration](/pages/expeditions "Expeditions & Exploration") This exhibit was designed by the Botany Libraries Staff in 2009 and updated in 2014.