Please welcome another talented photographer from Los Angeles, California, whose work has been seen here before, Scott Gielter.
These photos were taken recently on Redondo Canyon.
For more of his superb work, see: http://www.scottgietler.com/
--Click on any photo below to ENLARGE.....
Friday, May 30, 2008
Scott Gietler's Work.....
Thursday, May 29, 2008
More Photos from Paradise [Indonesia].....Courtesy of Kevin Lee.....
More spectacular photos are rolling in from the camera of Kevin Lee, Orange County.
Please join me in admiring these amazing shots of Frog Fish....the fish that walks.....and, at times, fishes with a lure at the end of his nose.
--Click on any photo to ENLARGE.....
80% of World's Fisheries at Risk: Oceana
A fisheries lobby group says more than 80 per cent of the world's fisheries are at risk from overfishing.Oceana says the World Trade Organisation must act urgently to scrap unsustainable subsidies.
A senior campaign director at Oceana, Courtney Sakai, says the world's fishing fleets can no longer expect to find new sources of fish.The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation says only 17 per cent of the world's known fish stocks are under-exploited or moderately exploited.It says stocks particularly overfished are in significant parts of the Atlantic Ocean, the western Indian Ocean and the northwest Pacific Ocean.
Reef Check Data Released: 2006--2007
For those of you curious: "What has Reef Check California accomplished?" the Executive Summary: Reef Check California 2006-2007: Citizen Monitoring to Improve Marine Conservation Report is now out.
A few stats to whet your whistle:
Reef Check California has:
Reef Check California has trained and certified over 250 volunteers comprised of
a diverse group of ocean users including recreational divers, commercial urchin
fishermen, lifeguards and students. These dedicated volunteers have surveyed
48 sites along California’s coast and counted over 80,000 individual
organisms including:
• 27,546 fishes
• 36,783 invertebrates
• 16,070 seaweeds
• 69,528 kelp stipes
The Reef Check California Program is still relatively new, but the data are already
being used to help understand critical management issues.
SAMPLE CASE STUDIES
1. Reef Check California and the Marine Life
Protection Act (MLPA)
The ability of Reef Check California divers to collect scientific data has been
especially timely on the central coast where a new network of Marine Protected
Areas (MPAs) went into effect on September 21, 2007 (Figure 2). Many of the new
MPAs in the central coast MLPA region were surveyed by Reef Check California
teams in both 2006 and 2007 and will continue to be monitored in the future. These
data, along with data collected at Reef Check California sites around the state, will
be crucial for evaluating the effectiveness of MPAs and informing the on-going siting
of MPAs in California.
2. Catalina Island – A Tale of Two Sites
Kelp bass is one of the most important recreationally fished species in southern
California and California sheephead is important to both the recreational and
commercial fisheries. The density and size of these species were assessed by
Reef Check volunteers at two popular reefs on the front side of Catalina Island:
Isthmus Reef and Casino Point. While the density of these species was similar
at both sites, the size structure was very different. Both species had a higher
percentage of individuals in the large size class at Casino Point than at Isthmus Reef
(Figures 3 & 4).
Although the sites are in close proximity to each other and have similar habitats,
Casino Point is more sheltered than Isthmus Reef and lies within a communityenforced
MPA where fishing is banned. The level of fishing effort and site exposure
may help explain the different trends in fish size.
Reef Check California surveys scientifically describe the biological profile of a site, as
well as the habitat. These detailed assessments allow comparisons among sites and
can be used to unravel the causes of observed trends.
The full report [Executive Summary] can be viewed at:
Reef Check California 2-Year Report - Saving Reefs Worldwide
[lower right side of page, downloadable .pdf file]
Note: Internet Explorer is recommended for best viewing. You may get some weirdness in Firefox.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Oldest Vertebrate Fish Mother Discovered...
OK, back to marine [paleo-] biology:
"Australian scientists unveiled on Thursday the fossilized remains of the oldest vertebrate mother ever discovered, a 375-million-year-old placoderm fish with embryo and umbilical cord attached.
The fossil, found in the Gogo area of northwest Australia, is proof that an ancient species had advanced reproductive biology, comparable to modern sharks and rays, said John Long, head of sciences at the Museum of Victoria in Melbourne."
For more, see:
http://tinyurl.com/6krnft
New Dramatic Mars Landing Photos....
Sorry....... in keeping with my recent, unfortunate tendency to post items not quite related to diving, I'm posting the latest dramatic photos from the most recent Mars landing.
I promise to keep the non-diving related posts to a minimum.....like to just a couple times a year--if that.
But, hey: if life is ever discovered on Mars, it may help shed light on how life developed here, on earth, in the oceans........which is why they are looking for ice which = water.
See here for the Mars photos:
http://tinyurl.com/69n792
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Monday Yukon Dive....
Date: 5-26-08
Time: Noon-ish
Dive Length: 40 mins
Max Depth: 99 ft
Viz: 25-30 ft. [Not bad!] :)
Bottom Temp: 54 F
Surface: 60 F
Mix: 31%
Dive Buddies: Navy Dan, Dennis. Skipper Barb at the helm and non-diver, Hope: Navy Dan's wife, who came along to provide Dan with some adult supervision.
Critters Seen: Sheep/Masking Crabs, California Sea Cucumber, Greenlings, Blacksmith, Surfperch, Senoritas, Macrocystis and Elkhorn--not Bull-- Kelp.
Remarks:
After a bit of fiddling about with something called a DIN-to-yoke adapter [technical/mechanical details I try never to sully myself with], which then didn't work and Navy Dan had to go back and get a couple HP 80s from his shop, we were finally off to Wreck Alley after being delayed mere hour or so.
Ominous grey storm clouds followed us out to the Yukon, remnants of this weekend's storm which had prevented us from going out sooner and caused me to stay cooped up in the house climbing the walls and driving everyone crazy, but they soon dissipated and we had beautiful sunshine throughout the rest of the day.
Since Barb was still having a little neck pain, she declined to dive, so Dennis, Navy Dan and I elected to splash in over the Yukon together. Since the only tanks Dan could find when he went back to his shop were some rather small HP 80s, it was agreed beforehand that if he ran low on gas before the Dennis or I, he would give us the high sign and head back to the ascent line on his own.
He actually started down the Forward Guns line slightly ahead of me and Dennis and remained ahead of throughout most of the dive.
Upon arrival on the Yukon, we were all delighted to see the viz had opened up to anywhere between 20 and 30 ft., we could see nearly a third of the ship stretching away from us--cool!
With Dan basically in the lead a few yards ahead, Dennis and I dropped to the sand and began crawling around on all fours under the ship. Or, more accurately, I began crawling around under the Yukon, with Dennis wisely hovering a few feet above me, due to a slightly higher Nitrox mix, watching my bubbles.
Within a couple of slightly claustrophobic minutes in tiny opening under the hull, I came out triumphantly waving an ancient blue fin that must have been there since early 2000--complete with white metridia growing on it from age--the underwater equivalent of moss, I guess.
It had been there so long, I'm not even going to advertise it here, the original owner obviously has given up diving and moved out of state years ago, but it made me feel useful. Nothing I hate more than polyurethane litter on the bottom of the ocean!
So, emerging from under Lady Yuke clutching my trophy, we continued on towards the Rear Guns, passing the Capt's Bridge, Milt's Tilt, still covered in a layer of freshly fallen snow.......er, Senile Metridia.
Along the way, Dennis and I paused to admire the glowing pink Strawberry Anemones which covered a good portion of the ship, including a Masking Crab, carefully clinging to a piece of the superstructure. I gently picked her up to determine gender, and then gently replaced her where I had found her, leaving her waving her claws menacingly, annoyed at having obviously been wakened from a peaceful nap and wondering what the hell that had been all about.
Sooner than I anticipated, we found ourselves in the Mortar Bay and paused here to play for a while. I inspected the various species of Gorgonians and Sea Cucumbers attached with steel hull [Red and California, respectively].
I passed on creating a Sea Cucumber avalanche down in the Lobster Trap Hold, much to the relief of the Sea Cukes, I imagine, and Dennis and I moved on to the South end to inspect the Stern part, where I briefly ducked into the Burma Road cutout, which leads all the way to the bow, for a couple minutes, before emerging again--still clutching my prized blue fin.
It was time to turn around and we all began heading back in a leisurely fashion back towards the Bridge, where, as per our prior agreement, Dan began running low on gas and headed up the Radio Tower Mast ascent line.
Dennis and I continue on towards the Forward Guns, where we dallied about for a bit to burn the remaining portion of our air, until it was time to come up.
I pointed out the old steel cable transect line which we used to count fish for the San Diego Oceans Foundation, oh, so many moons ago [OK, so it was only 6 years ago], strung between Bridge and the guns, where it hangs almost menacingly now, ready to snag an unsuspecting newbie diver coming up under it, who would be unable to cut it, even with a Titanium knife.
Finally, it was time to come up and we began our reluctant ascent towards the glittering surface, high above us, with a short, one minute Pyle stop at 52 ft., before proceeding onwards.
One really cool sight: as we passed around 40 ft. were the absolutely HUGE fronds of Elkhorn [not Bull] Kelp, reaching up from the Starboard side of the ship, near the bow.
The fronds stretched out horizontally at least 12-14 ft., waving gently in the current, almost beckoning us to investigate further--which I did--and they practically enveloped me as I approached, gently wrapping around me as we hovered high above the ship far below us now.
I carefully unwrapped myself from their embrace and made my way back to Dennis and the ascent line, where we continued on to our safety stop and final ascent to the Scuba Do.
While hanging on the ascent line at our safety stop, Dennis having already gone up ahead of me, I delighted in watching huge schools of Blacksmith fish close around me and then part like a curtain as soon as I moved an arm towards them.
As I triumphantly hurled my newly found fin aboard, Barb sort of went, 'Eeeek! I don't want that scuzzy ol' thing on my boat!" [and, trust me, she's not the type who goes 'Eeek!], so at that point, I knew my newly found prize was bound for the dustbin as soon as we hit the dock.
Dan and Dennis went on to do a second dive on NOSC Tower, with me declining due to an excessively wet liner. Time to get the other dry suit of the shop, I see.
Oh, well: a good time was had by all and there were no complaints, since we hadn't been in the water in over a week.
Dive Safe, everyone........
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Young Snake Charmers.......Bangkok, 1969
OK, so this is not strictly diving related, but it does have to do with zoology and animal life and it is my blog, after all........ :)
Today, rather bored at not being able to dive due to nasty ocean conditions, I was perusing some old photos I found from my younger days.
I was a bit horrified when I looked back on these pictures my friend Mike and I took back when we lived in Bangkok in 1969--we were Air Force brats, don't ya know--who had developed an early interest in, shall we say..... zoology at the ripe old age of 13.
Anyway, during that year, he and I [unbeknownst to our parents], had amassed a rather hair-raising collection of some of the most venomous reptiles in South East Asia, including King Cobras that could stand higher than we were tall , Thai Cobras, Banded Kraits [the infamous 'ten step snake of Vietnam lore], Russell's Vipers, Green Pit Vipers, you name it..... at the house of a Thai animal importer on the outskirts of Bangkok.
It was a collection that would make a mother gasp in horror, which our mothers did, once they found out about it.
Unfortunately, they didn't find out about it until:
1) I had been bitten by a Green Pit Viper......
2) my friend Mike had been bitten by a Cobra and nearly died.....
I have spared you the close up color photos of my viper bite [bloody and extremely painful, but rarely fatal] but the photo of my friend Mike in Bangkok hospital after nearly dying from his cobra bite is viewable because it had a happy ending.
Memorable for me was his courage as he verbally reviewed for me the exact symptoms of neurotoxic poisoning he would experience, as we raced to the hospital in a Thai taxi, beginning with the lips becoming numb and on to full body and respiratory paralysis.
He came within 30 mins of having to be put on a heart-lung machine to save his life. Whew!
Looking back on all this now, I realize why many of us, for different reasons, are lucky to ever survive adolescence..............so we can go on to adulthood and dive in the same ocean as Great Whites!
Oh, the irony! :)
And, no........I have no idea what we were thinking......
--Click on any photo below to ENLARGE [slightly]....
Friday, May 23, 2008
Congress Introduces Shark Finning Ban for 2008
Sorry, this is slightly old news and somehow escaped my attention when it first came out, so I've now got live 'RSS Feed' from Oceana.org now-->on the right side of this blog.
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April 10, 2008
Washington, D.C. -- A recent decision by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has prompted Congress to introduce the "Shark Conservation Act of 2008."
This legislation would close loopholes exposed in the court decision by improving existing laws, originally intended to prevent shark finning.
The Act would require sharks to be landed with their fins, improving current laws that only require fins and carcasses to be landed in a specific ratio.
"When sharks are landed with their fins, it facilitates better enforcement and data collection, which is essential in stock assessments and quota monitoring," said Elizabeth Griffin, marine wildlife scientist at Oceana. To prevent circumvention, the new provisions would apply to all vessels, not just fishing vessels.
The bill also allows the U.S. to take actions against countries that do not have shark finning restrictions that are at least as strenuous as those in the U.S. This could include the prohibition of imports of shark products from those countries, among other actions.
"Congress must take this critical step towards protecting sharks," said Griffin. "U.S. leadership is necessary to protect global shark populations."
Enactment of the Shark Conservation Act of 2008 would close the loopholes in the Shark Finning Prohibition Act and would result in stronger protections for vulnerable and endangered shark populations in the U.S. and around the world.
The bill was introduced by Congresswoman Madeleine Bordallo (D-Guam), Chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife and Oceans of the House Committee on Natural Resources.
The Natural Resources Committee is expected to consider the bill mid-April. For more information about sharks and the threats facing their populations, please visit http://oceana.org/sharks.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Photography of Scott Gietler.....
Please welcome the work of talented photographer Scott Gietler, from Los Angeles, California.
--Click on any photo below to ENLARGE.....
All Rights Reserved © 2008/Used with Permission.
Thanks, Scott!
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Aquarium Diving at Birch.....
Below, our dive buddy and talented Science Diver, Joe MacDonald is on the right, feeding the fish at Birch Aquarium in San Diego and answering questions from the audience through his comm mask.
[And, yes: it's the same Joe MacDonald feature in the Yukon pictures below...]
Nice work if you can get it!
--Can you name the really BIG fish on the right?
Come on, San Diego divers, you should know this big guy! :)
--Click on any photo below to ENLARGE........
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Monday, May 19, 2008
Monday Morning ‘Hooky’ Dive
Dive: #749 Date: 5-19-08 Time: 11:46 am Dive Length: 35 mins Location: Yukon, Wreck Alley Surface Temp: 63 F Bottom Temp: 50 F Surface Conditions: small swells, 1-2 ft. Early morning marine layer, clearing later Max Depth: 104 ft . [brought shovel] Mix: 32% [Ahhhhh……Nitrox at last! ] Critters Seen: Painted Greenlings, 2 large Lincod, Blacksmith, Surfperch, Warty Sea Cucumbers, Red Gorgonians, White and Senile Metridia, Strawberry Anemones, Senoritas…… Remarks: After picking up Jimbo, Mike B. [the talented OC photographer from this list] and Joe Macdonald [talented and experienced aquarium diver at Birch], we gassed up and headed out through the early morning mist to Wreck Alley. It was decided that Joe Mac. and Mike B. would descend first, allowing me and Jimbo to say topside, tell fish stories and work on our lily-white tans, while leisurely gearing up. Almost 50 mins later, Joe Mac. surfaced with a Scuba Pro fin labeled 'DW'—anyone?—having tried, without success to find the owner on our mooring ball neighbor, the Lois Ann. Jimbo and I didn't need much prodding after that, and quickly finished suiting up and jumped in. Arriving on Lady Yuke, we found that while it was not the spectacular 30 ft. viz of last Monday, it was certainly a respectable 20-25 ft. in some place, good enough, as Jimbo and I agreed later, for gov't work. I had promised Jimbo I would show him the Main Propeller and environs, so we dropped down to the level of the Mortar Bay in front and made our way around the stern to the keel or hull area. But, not before I quickly ducked into the opening to Burma Road at the Stern proper and mucked about in there for a few seconds before gliding back out where Jimbo was dutifully waiting for me like a good buddy should. The Stern was covered in Strawberry Anemone and many large Metridia, which reached up towards the surface like large white cauliflowers. One thing that I never noticed before were the plethora of Red Gorgonians growing sideways off the metal superstructure of the ship itself. They had obviously found a way to anchor and made themselves a home here adding to the gentle red glow of the ship at depth here. From here, I led us down over to the sandy area just under the Giant Propeller, to give Jimbo a chance to snap some shots of the absolutely huge Metridia sprouting from in between the blades, like strange, white mushrooms. From here, we sort of burrowed under Lady Yuke, into the large gap between sand and the lower part of the hull. You can squeeze yourself in down here with a few inches of clearance, like a narrow cave. But, I can never help wondering when I'm down there if a huge Pacific swell could cause the ship to suddenly shift Starboard, just enough to squash us like bugs. Not likely, unless we have hurricanes here, I realize, but you just can't stop those thoughts. Here Barred Sand Bass stared glumly back at us from under the metal side of the ship. From here, we gently rose up until we were in Graffiti Alley, where I noticed some new signatures scrawled here since the last time we were here. One of them said 'Mike.' Now, I want you to know that I normally frown on people being so tacky as to add their 'Kilroy was here' in the algae growing down here, but, hey: I just couldn't resist adding a 'y,' OK? So, that doesn't make me tacky………………………….does it? Don't answer that. Anyway, from here, we rose up and over the Starboard side, with the mini-kelp forest swaying in the current and did the 'Wheeeee!' thing down and over to the superstructure by the Forward Guns, which were also ablaze with pink anemones and white Metridia. From here, we dropped back down to the sand, where we saw a rather sizable Lincod out sunning himself in front of the guns. He, however, took off as soon as he saw me [why are Lincods always so grumpy? …they never want to play!] and he was replaced by Grandaddy Lincod just a few feet away, who was a meter long if he was an inch. He also cast a contemptuous glance our way before jetting off and leaving us in his dust. From here, Jimbo and I proceeded forward a bit, just in front of the Rear Guns before he gave me the agreed-upon turnaround signal and we began heading back. As we glided back to the Mortar Bay again, I decided to scare the crap out of Jimbo: I descended down into the Lobster Cage Opening in the floor and made sure he saw me go in. I managed to avoid causing an avalanche of sea cucumbers while in here and carefully made my way South, towards the Stern about 3 yards inside the hull. I then popped up through the opening about 10 ft. away, at the extreme Southern end of the Bay, while he still had his head stuck in the opening he had seen me go in. He had no idea the two openings connected, so he was shocked to see me coming at him from the far end of the Bay after having just seen me enter near North end. Always good for a chuckle. Use care if you try this, however, because the opening at the far South end is barely wide enough for a dive and her tank, so be sure and exhale and pull in your tummy before squeezing through. From here, we simply moseyed about in the Mortar Bay itself, taking pictures and taking in the sights. Then, we rose up to the mini-kelp forest atop the Stern and on a pre-arranged signal, began our ascent towards the surface, after a deep stop at 52 ft. We climbed back aboard the Scuba Do satisfied that we had spent our Monday morning productively without one of us reporting for work. Terrible flu going around you know. [Big Grin….] Dive safe, everyone……. Mikey
Saturday, May 17, 2008
More Photos from Paradise........Indonesia......
below....... by Kevin Lee.
--Click on any photo to ENLARGE....
Used with permission: All Rights Reserved © 2008
Thanks, Kevin!
Reef Check Rock and Roll at La Jolla Cove
Date: May 17, 2008
Location: La Jolla Cove, La Jolla
Time: [approximate] 11:30 AM
Dive Length: 50 minutes
Max Depth: 32 feet Ron
Visibility: 5 to 7 feet max
Surge: moderate to wild as the day wore on…
Bottom Temperature: 57° F
Surface Temperature: 63° F
Purpose of Dive: Reef Check Marine Life Surveys
Critters Seen: kelp bass, blacksmith fish, senioritas, male and female Sheephead, Macrocystis, Boa Kelp, Pterygophora californica, [Northern Palm], Southern Palm [Eisenia arborea], Kellett’s Welks and eggs…..
Today’s dive at La Jolla Cove reminded us why we stopped diving there over six years ago and never looked back.
Visibility never exceeded about 7 feet, and surge on the bottom was moderate to intense, depending on when you were down there.
Visibility and conditions deteriorated significantly as the day wore on.
By the time the final dive team went down, they were being hurled about roughly 4 meters in either direction, depending on the swell.
However, we were here to work and not play, so everyone’s attitude was, “Let’s just buckle down and get on with it,” which is what everyone did, and the job got done.
Don’t get me wrong, after a little bit of fog, the day started off gorgeous, with sunny blue skies and sailboats dotting the horizon.
The day’s plan was ambitious: it called for me, Barb and NOAA Jim to motor out to La Jolla Cove in the Scuba-Do, with spare tanks, so that the Reef Check team, which had started their survey early that morning from La Jolla Cove, could then climb aboard after their first dive, swap out tanks, and go back down to complete their surveys, without having to swim back to shore.
Barb and NOAA Jim would then form a third team, which would complete their share of the surveys, while I acted as Colleen’s buddy, she being the Reef Check biologist and program director for Southern California.
We arrived at the Cove shortly before 9:00 AM, where Wayne, a volunteer diver, and Bridget, the Los Angeles Regional Coordinator [I hope I have everyone’s titles right here] and Colleen threw their gear on board and pull themselves up on deck, happy to see us and ready to get to work.
Jim and Barbara went first, completing their portions of the site survey and were back on deck i