What an incredible trip! The
crew, surfers and photographers
combined with the magic of the
equatorial climate to create a
unique and wonderful experience
for all. Not only did we find
perfect surf at almost every place
we went, we had the opportunity to
dive and snorkel at several
different locations to assess the
condition of the reefs in this
part of the world. Unfortunately,
dead corals were a constant trend
at all of the spots surveyed.
Additionally, the absence of
almost all Reef Check indicator
species at these locations coupled
with personal observations led me
to conclude that these reefs are
heavily over fished. We visited a
holding pen where fish that have
been captured with cyanide are
stored before transport to Honk
Kong for sale in the live fish
market. From what we could
determine, the large Cod and Coral
Trout in the pens were collected
once a month for a price of US$
5-10 per kilogram. These fish are
then transported to Hong Kong
where they are sold for as much as
US$180 per kilogram. Obviously,
for effective management and
conservation of these fish, more
money needs to be routed into the
local economy where the fish are
extracted. |
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Speaking with
Captains Daly and Taylor, I learned that
many of the areas we visited recently
were alive with many different coral
species and abundant with fish. The
exact cause of the widespread death of
the corals is unknown, however there are
several probable causes. The 1997-98 El
Niño may have caused the corals to die
for several reasons. Initially, the
water temperature dropped to relatively
low temperatures for this part of the
world. This alone could have killed the
corals or stressed them to the point
where they were susceptible to other
impacts. The decrease in water
temperature was accompanied by a drought
that resulted in widespread forest fires
on a nearby Island that caused massive
deforestation. The following year, heavy
rains washed large amounts of nutrients
and sediments into the ocean that would
normally have been held in place by the,
now absent, vegetation. In addition to
smothering the corals with sediment, the
nutrients caused a two month long red
tide that acted to suffocate the already
stressed corals. Finally, a widespread
Crown-of-Thorns starfish outbreak wiped
out the remaining live corals. This
scenario is one of a number of possible
causes of the coral mortality. Detailed
scientific studies are needed to
determine the exact causes of the coral
death in the area.
Fortunately, many of the reefs
we visited appeared to be in the
state of recovery. We observed
many young Acropora colonies and
many areas had large numbers fish
of a variety of different species.
As these coral colonies mature,
they will provide coral larvae
that will be distributed by the
ocean currents to other areas
where they will settle and grow,
thus continuing the recovery
process.
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The highlight of the trip for me was
when we took the surfers diving at a
spot we named Luna Park. The boys were
so excited about what they saw that they
could not wait for me to get back to the
boat to obtain the species
identification books so they could
identify what they say. Mick Campbell
and Paul Paterson did a snorkel and came
face to face with a Lionfish. Renan
Rocha had an encounter with a Morey Eel
that was thicker than his thigh, and
Jake Paterson viewed the only Barramundi
Cod we saw on the trip. I think the boys
have a greater appreciation for the
undersea world that is just below our
toes as we sit in the lineup waiting for
the next set. |
I am left with one final question that I
am in the process of looking into. That
is, why do the sea snakes like the tinny
so much? We had to remove snakes from
the tinny daily. Although they are one
of the most poisonous animals in the
world, they have very small mouths and
fangs making it very difficult for them
to bite a human. Despite this, their
continued presence in the tinny was a
constant source of excitement for us
throughout the trip.
I would like to express my sincere
thanks to Quiksilver for their support
of Reef Check on the Crossing. Our
efforts will help to preserve and
protect the coral reefs of the world
through the assessment of data collected
at the remote locations we visit and by
the education of both local people and
surfers about how to minimize our impact
on coral reefs. Working together is the
only way we can alleviate the numerous
problems that threaten the coral reefs
of the world. |
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