Taking the plunge into the toxic Gowanus Canal: Lenny Speregan and John D'Aquino at TEDxGowanus

What does it take to execute a dive in the toxic waters of the Gowanus Canal? Lenny Speregan and John D'Aquino, members of the Coney Island River Rats, show us the equipment, passion, and safety measures necessary to do just that. But because the mission of the Coney Island River Rats is to raise awareness of New York's harbors and develop educational programs, they've also developed a high definition, underwater camera, that can send images from the diver's helmet directly to our theater. They give us a unique view and reveal a few surprises about what lurks in the murk of Gowanus.

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)