The SCUBAnauts train with notable marine research scientists from the University of South Florida (USF), Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute (FWRI), NOAA and other research organizations to collect and record data such as temperature, salinity, turbidity, and other data parameters on a series of artificial reefs in the Tampa Bay and Gulf of Mexico, as well as more distant locations on the summer research expedition.

The SCUBAnauts employ a variety of methods to regularly conduct quadrat grid surveys, underwater photography and transect video of the sites, as well as fish counts, and benthic (bottom dwelling) and fish species identification. Upon completion of each dive, the data, video, and photographs are analyzed and research quality data is shared with interested state, federal, and university scientists.

When they arrive onsite, SCUBAnauts suit up in their SCUBA gear listening to instructions from Senior Marine Research Scientist Walter Jaap (retired FWRI), Dr. Chris Moses (USF), Dr. David Palandro (FWRI), Jennifer Dupont (USF), Selena Kupfner (DeltaSeven), and other research volunteers.

Surface data is first collected by the SCUBAnauts and the underwater equipment (underwater video camera and housing, underwater still cameras, quadrat grids, metal poles, chains, flagging tape, thermometers, note pads, and fish count forms) is prepared and divided among the group. The lead SCUBAnaut, conducts a final pre-brief on the dive and reviews the dive buddies/groups and the data that must be collected. After the dive groups and duties are clear, the SCUBAnauts make the descent down the anchor line to depths of 20-50 feet with equipment in hand to survey the site.

Coral Reef Evaluation and Monitoring Program (CREMP)

The CREMP program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was used by the SCUBAnaut International (SNI) program between 2001-2006 to monitor sites in Tampa Bay and the Gulf of Mexico.

The SCUBAnauts fix two long metal poles horizontally to the bottom and connect them with a series of plastic chain a distance of 100 meters apart, marking the site for their video transect. Another team of videographers will then map the site with their underwater video camera by making sweeps approximately 2-feet from the bottom in a pattern outlined by the chains until the entire site has been documented.

The results are used to help identify corals species, percent cover, marine species counts, and evidence of disease, etc. Other teams of SCUBAnauts will concurrently document similar data using the quadrat grid. Teams take multiple photographs of the surrounding corals and marine species. They use pre-printed underwater paper to conduct fish and marine species counts.

Data collected from each of these sites is provided to scientists at FWRI where they train the SCUBAnauts how to enter the data into a special program. From this custom program, called "Point Count", the SCUBAnauts can calculate the percentage cover of certain species of algae, corals, and other creatures.