The Organization for Artificial Reefs Research Dive Team (RDT) was formed in 1989 to aid OAR in the placement and monitoring of manmade reefs. This all-volunteer team is made up of experienced recreational divers who have undergone special training in underwater survey, mapping and marine biomass and diversity assessment.

The primary mission of the RDT is to conduct all underwater tasks that are both necessary and prudent in the development of professional, permanent public artificial reefs, OAR's central objective. The RDT is the primary tool OAR uses to locate suitable sites for constructing reefs.

The most preferable site to the RDT is a sand-covered rock bottom devoid of live corals and other invertebrates (live rock) and heavy grass. Ideally, the rock substrate most desirable is covered by no more than 15 centimeters of sand. Once an appropriate area is found, the team conducts a thorough bottom survey to determine average depth of sediment over rock in a given area and also to determine the composition of the sediment. When the pre-deployment survey is completed, appropriate permits are received and reef materials are deployed, the RDT then conducts a post-deployment survey and mapping exercise across the entire reef drop zone.

A final part of RDT's responsibility includes monitoring new reefs for a specified period of time to determine the progress of marine-life accumulation, both vertebrate and invertebrate. This process typically involves standardized fish counts, plus photography and videography.