A 2 minute segmnt about the lionfish invasion of the Caribbean from 30 June on MSNBC 

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032619/#25462218

To see the expansion of lionfish from 1992 until 2008, visit: http://fl.biology.usgs.gov/lionfish_progression/lionfish_progression.html

To report lionfish sightings, go to http://www.reef.org/programs/exotic or http://nas.er.usgs.gov/

Oceans, the Environment and You

Oceans cover about 71 percent of the Earth’s surface, and contain some of the most extraordinary, complex ecosystems on the planet. But what is happening to our oceans, and what can we do to protect them? Take this quiz to find out.

http://www.thegreenguide.com/quizzes/oceans_the_environment_and_you?source=gg_200807002&email=gg

Crystal Hatten’s daughter, Teyonna, cannot wait until she is old enough to dive!  Until then, she has decided to wear her mask and snorkel in the kitchen and in the hot tub! She is even sporting one of our new “DiveGreen” shirts!  A marine conservationist in the making! 

Although it is still early for minkes to be sighted in large numbers, guests on Nimrod Explorer were treated to an in-water encounter with two minke whales at Ruby Reef. 

World Ocean Day gives us an opportunity each year to celebrate our world ocean and our personal connection to the sea. It was first proposed in 1992 by the Government of Canada at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. It is not officially designated by the United Nations but an increasing number of countries recognize it each year. 

It is easy to take the ocean for granted and to forget about all of the things that it provides.  On World Ocean Day, take a moment to think about all of the things that the ocean does for you.  Here is a short list to get you started.

The ocean:

·         Generates most of the oxygen we breathe,

·         Helps feed us,

·         Regulates our climate,

·         Cleans the water we drink,

·         Offers a vast supply of potential medicines,

·         Offers beautiful places to dive,

·         Gives millions of people fond memories,

·         Provides limitless inspiration!

What else can you add to the list?

Now think about how your actions affect the ocean.  Here are some categories to think about:

·         Transportation: How do you get to work or to the store?

·         Food and drink: What do you eat?  Do you know where it comes from?  How is it packaged?

·         Waste: How much waste do you produce?  How is it disposed of?  Do you recycle?

·         Energy:  How much electricity do you use?  Do you know how it is produced?

Even if you do not live on the coast, your daily activities have an impact on the ocean - everything is interconnected.  Just making small changes in your daily habits can positively impact the ocean.  Take a moment today to think about your lifestyle and how you can have a more positive effect on the ocean.  It’s up to each one of us to help ensure that our ocean is protected and conserved for future generations.

Please feel free to add your ideas to this post!

For more information on World Ocean Day visit:

http://www.theoceanproject.org/wod/index.php

http://www.oceanconservancy.org/

Over a year ago, an article was published in Science entitled “A World Without Corals.”  Since Richard Stone’s article was published on May 4, 2007 I have spent a great deal of time pondering what a “World Without Corals” would mean to us as divers. 

Many of us spend a year or longer in anticipation of our next dive trip.  If you are like me, you spend that time dreaming of floating through the water and listening to the sound of your breathing mixed with the clicking sounds of a healthy reef – or if you are lucky the far-off sounds of cetaceans.  Perhaps you dive in local lakes between dive trips, to keep skills sharp and because it is better than not diving at all.  However, very little can compare to the feeling we all get when we jump into the ocean and descend into the world of coral reefs. 

Non-divers can see the underwater world in pictures or in movies and documentaries, and they can even see reef fish (and even whale sharks) in aquariums.  But unless you have been diving, or to a certain extent snorkeling, you cannot really appreciate the joy of becoming a part of the reef.  Whether you enjoy the big creatures or the small, one cannot help but appreciate the beauty and complexity of a coral reef.     

At first it is easy to take reefs for granted – to someone who doesn’t know better, they look very much like rocks.  Of course as divers, we know better than that – we know that the reefs were built by living organisms.  We learned that in our Open Water classes!  But still, living or not, coral aren’t really all that interesting to most people: they don’t really move, you can find them everywhere. The interesting things to see on a dive are the bigger things.  But take a moment to really think about it. 

In the article, Stone writes that “although reefs cover a minuscule fraction (0.1%) of seabed, they are second only to rainforests in biodiversity, sheltering or nourishing up to 9 million species–a third of all known marine life forms–including 4000 kinds of fish.”  Without the coral, there wouldn’t be reef fish or any of the other nine million species depend on those tiny organisms called coral.  They have built the Great Barrier Reef which can be seen from space!  That’s amazing! 

Now think about what would happen if the coral were to disappear.   You might think that reefs have survived for thousands of years and they will continue to do so.  Unfortunately, we do have to worry about whether future generations will be able to experience the same underwater world that we see today. 

Coral reefs are threatened in many ways, and as Stone writes, “the main menaces are largely human-wrought.”  Everything from pollution, clumsy divers, overfishing and destructive fishing practices to invasive species, damage from hurricanes and a change of ocean chemistry have negative effects on coral reefs.  And unfortunately these different threats act synergistically – the sum of the whole is larger than the parts. 

The article states that “surveys suggest that 20% of the reefs on Earth, the largest living structures on the planet, have been destroyed in the past few decades. Another 50% are ailing or verging on collapse.” The same article quotes coral specialist Camilo Mora of Dalhousie University in Halifax, Canada as saying “”Reefs are likely to witness a significant ecological crisis in the coming half-century–because of us.”

Have you ever been diving in an area that has been negatively affected by humans?  Perhaps it was just a gradual change over time - you noticed changes in a dive site that you revisited after several years – perhaps you noticed that there was more algae, perhaps the vis was a little worse, or perhaps there were fewer fish.  Maybe the change was not enough to make you think about the causes, but enough to cross the destination off the list for your next dive vacation.  You have to find somewhere better next time.  What about when there is no better place left - then where will you go?

Have you ever seen an area that has been affected by dynamite fishing?  I have.  The physical structure of the reef remains, but it is only a grayish brown skeleton.  There are no more hard corals, no more fish, and it is silent except for the sound of your breathing – no healthy clicking of shrimp and fish.  It is like a nightmare. 

If you were to ask me why I care so much about trying to make a difference, I will tell you it is because I have seen what a “World without Corals” looks like, and I cannot sit around and do nothing.  I believe that my actions alone may not save the world, but together we can make a positive difference.  

Next time you go diving on a coral reef, take a moment to really appreciate what it is that you are seeing.  Consider how long it took to get that way – and think about what the world would be like if all of the coral were to disappear.

The Dive Green blog will not likely be updated until Monday, May 19 as I am doing my PADI IDC course.  Please excuse the lapse!

And as part of Dive for Earth Day, customers booked on Nimrod Explorer’s 26^th April itinerary # 2 trip participated in the Project AWARE Asia Pacific Fish Survey, held at the dive site Steve’s Bommie. On 28^th April guests assisted crew to spot, identify and record their sightings of 10 pre-determined fish species, some of which included: Big Eye Trevally, Lionfish, Leaf Scorpion Fish, Whitetip Reef Shark & Yellowfin Goatfish. Guests enjoyed taking part in this survey and all received Project Aware Certificates and Decals in recognition of their involvement.

Our surveys will now been forwarded to Project AWARE for inclusion in their data-base.

Thanks to everyone who participated in Dive For Earth Day on Nimrod Explorer!

In celebration of Earth Day, Caribbean Explorer I turned off as many lights as possible. On Thursday, the crew and passengers on Caribbean Explorer I conducted a beach clean-up. They brought back 4 industrial size trash bags full of trash plus a 44 gallon fuel drum with various other large pieces.

Great Job!!!