As
we dropped anchor last night, I
could see the silhouette of an
island and knew that the reef
around it would offer me a great
opportunity to conduct my first
official reef check. Excited, I
grabbed my underwater light and
jumped into the water to explore
the area for a suitable location
to lay down a transect line first
thing the next morning.
Underwater, I was graced with an
abundance of life that is
deceptively elusive during the
day. Coral polyps were out
feeding, fishes of every kind and
colour were prowling the reef, and
squid were abundant, attracted to
both the moonlight and my torch.
After finding a patch of reef that
looked particularly vibrant, I
noted its location and returned to
the deck of the Indies Trader to
rejoin the party of surfers and
crew, equally jubilant about our
current anchorage |
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This morning I awoke
at first light and grabbed my snorkeling
equipment, underwater slate, and
transect line, and dove into the water
to relocate the reef I had found the
night before. As I swam, I was struck by
how different the reef appeared during
sun lit hours; there were no squid to be
seen, the coral polyps were withdrawn,
and the fish, although still around,
were less active and more dispersed.
Despite the differences, the daytime
reef is still a beautiful array of
colours and life, and it offers a more
distinct opportunity to appreciate just
how crystal clear water really is.
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While swimming
the transect line doing my fish
and invertebrate counts, I had to
consciously keep myself from being
distracted by all the ambient
sights and sounds (for those of
you who have not had the
opportunity to experience the
undersea world, sounds actually
travel better in water than in
air, so while under the water we
actually hear many sounds from
both nearby and far away ranging
from whale songs to the snapping
of shrimp pincers).
Unfortunately
this particular reef showed the
tell tale signs of having
experienced human stressors like
over fishing and anchor damage,
but at the same time, it showed
promising signs of recovery. New
coral polyps are starting to grow
on the skeletal remains of other
coral that have died, and the
animal life around the reef is
flourishing, keeping algae growth
at bay. I was pleased to see that
the reef was regenerating in such
a way, because it reassures me
that with help of projects like
reef check, reefs around the world
can recover from the damage we
have caused, and once again be the
biologically productive ecosystems
they are meant to be. |
Reef Check is a global network of
dedicated and enthusiastic individuals
who give their time and effort because
they are committed to helping the plight
of coral reefs. Those taking part in and
supporting the Quiksilver Crossing are
vital elements in this network. Reef
Check and coral reefs thank them all. Go
to Reef Check's website (www.ReefCheck.org)
and the organizations online newsletter,
The Transect Line, to see and read more
about Reef Check's recent
accomplishments and upcoming events.
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