Dr. Dominique Rissolo

Maritime archaeologist and lifelong naturalist, Dr. Dominique Rissolo has explored reefs and wrecks from Bermuda to Panama. Dominique is most interested in Pre-Columbian seafaring and hopes to learn more about how people, objects, and ideas spread across the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean. Along the wild and lonely northeast coast of the Yucatan, Dominique is co-leading an effort to better understand how the ancient maritime Maya interacted with their environment and engaged in extensive networks of trade and interaction. Dominique has also been studying caves and cenotes in Quintana Roo for nearly 20 years, working closely with Mexico’s intrepid underwater cave exploration community. Deep in the bush or deep underwater, rugged and dependable gear is key. Whether he’s in a high-tech sub or an old canoe, Dominique wears his trusty Deep Blue. His favorites include the Ocean Diver 500 and Pro Sun Diver 1000. Dominique is the executive director of the Waitt Institute, an adjunct professor at San Diego State University, and a research associate at Scripps Institution of Oceanography.