Men may outnumber women in the scuba-diving community, but what we lack in quantity we make up for in quality. This series examines the remarkable achievements of famous female divers and the contributions that they’ve made to numerous fields, including science, technology and conservation. We begin with Valerie Taylor.
Valerie Taylor
Valerie Taylor was born in Sydney in 1935. She became involved in diving and spearfishing in her early 20s — she has now been diving for over 60 years. She actually met her late husband Ron through a spearfishing club. The couple quickly moved away from spearfishing and started building their own equipment for underwater photography and video.
In the 1960s they became interested in sharks more specifically. They were pioneers in this field, being the first ones to dive with great-white sharks without a cage, and soon started working on movies such as “Blue Water, White Death,” “Jaws,” and “The Blue Lagoon.”
They received criticism from the marine-conservation community for working on “Jaws” for contributing to a movie that has had such a gigantic negative impact on sharks’ image, but Valerie said at the time that the story was a just fiction and they did not expect the success, and therefore impact, to be that big.
Valerie Taylor was one of a handful of women in this field at the time and she reckons that this partly contributed to the couple’s fame. Sharks bit her on a few occasions but that never stopped her from diving with them. Today she is over 80 and still dives and travels to dive.
Valerie Taylor also put a lot of effort toward marine conservation early in her diving career, for which she received several awards including the Order of Australia in 2003. She is still very active in that area and despite saying that the oceans have changed a lot since she first started diving, she is hopeful that there is a way to turn the trend around, even though the underwater environment will never been the same as she knew it decades ago.
She was recently involved in the movie “Blue” and also published a children’s book last year, Melody the Mermaid. Valerie Taylor was, and still is, a true pioneer in the dive field.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is not only capable of changing the way newsrooms produce and discover content but it can also go a long way toward improving user experience, says Trushar Barot, the Digital Launch Editor of Indian Languages at BBC World Service.
We spoke with Alba Mora Roca, Executive Producer of AJ+ Español, who was in charge of all visual materials from Verificado 2018. Alba will be a speaker at #DML18, next November 14-16 in Bogota, Colombia.
Last September, The Economist deployed a dedicated team to revamp its approach to newsletters. The goal? To use them to deepen their relationship with readers and draw them down the sweet spot of the subscription funnel for good.
Despite resources on self-care, social work practitioners, social work students, and clients sometimes fail to implement needed self-care strategies. Here are ways to overcome three barriers to self-care.
from The New Social Worker Online — the professional social work careers magazine https://ift.tt/2C4fEqu
I’m headed to Baltimore for the opening of the Baltimore Summer Antique Show today (follow me on Instagram to for a BTS peek at the action!) so we’re going to have a simple little Thursday post. It’s time to admire some pretty, pretty birds from the one and only Lord Jewelry!
How pretty is this bracelet? So delicate, so perfectly balanced. I love the touch of mixed metals, the warm gold, the careful texture of the tiny text.
Like all types of art, underwater photography is subjective. Some like the natural blue tones found in ambient or natural light photography. In contrast, others prefer bringing out the amazing colors found on delicate soft corals and sponges illuminated by artificial light. Whatever your preference, understanding how best to achieve your desired outcome will save you precious time while diving in search of perfect underwater images.
In this video, I lay out several techniques that I use to achieve the super-colorful look. While this is not my preferred style of photography, I do occasionally use these techniques to achieve what I like to call the “scuba magazine” look. This look includes vibrant, rich, colors framed in a deep blue background. And the good news is, it’s super easy.
By guest author Jason Washington
Jason Washington is the managing director of iDive Global Ltd. and the co-owner of Ambassador Divers, a PADI Five Star facility located at the Comfort Suites Resort on Seven Mile Beach. Jason has lived and worked on Grand Cayman as an underwater photographer/scuba instructor for the past 22 years. His work has appeared in numerous documentaries and feature films. He was a 2017 honoree of International SCUBA Diving Hall of Fame. Follow@CaymanJasonon Instagram for more underwater photography tips and tricks.
Buying new dive gear is exciting for any diver, no matter their certification level. It’s no different for new techies but buying tech diving equipment can be a bit bewildering. Here’s our guide on what to buy and when.
Before certification
The journey into technical diving starts like that into recreational diving — with a series of courses. Depending on the tech-training agency, prerequisites usually include a minimum number of dives, which means tech students have usually been recreational divers for a while. As a consequence, many already own some gear. As you progress, it’s worth considering which pieces will remain useful on your tech journey.
What you need for your tech courses depends on where you take them. Many tech centers and instructors offer equipment rental for students. Whether or not a tech center includes equipment rental in the cost of the course varies from school to school.
Shopping before certification is really only for those divers who are absolutely sure that tech diving is for them. They should also know which direction they want to go: twins/doubles or sidemount? Warm or cold water? Are rebreathers a budding interest? The answers to these questions will determine what you need.
Buying the basics
No matter the configuration, you may already own the basics. These include an exposure suit, a well-fitting mask, fins and a dive computer. Whether or not your current exposure suit is enough for your future technical dives again depends on where you are. In tropical locations, a 5mm wetsuit may be enough. If you intend to dive anywhere else, a drysuit might work better since tech dives tend to be longer. As a tech diver you’ll also need a back-up mask. This is no place to penny-pinch — using your back-up mask indicates some sort of emergency or problem with your main mask.
Technical diving skills include precision finning techniques, and short, sturdy fins are much better for this task than longer fins. Anyone who’s ever tried back-kicking in split fins will understand that not all fins are the same. However, most fins will take you through your tech diving course.
Tech-friendly computers
Computers suitable for technical diving are a topic long enough for a separate article and then some. Many modern recreational dive computers let users program and switch between multiple gases during the dive. The main difference lies in whether or not manufacturers have programmed the computer for intentional decompression diving. All recreational computers currently on the market will provide divers with an emergency decompression plan in case they exceed no decompression limits.
If you are planning to tech dive regularly, you need a computer that’s made for the job and equipped with current algorithms suitable for technical diving. Talk to your tech instructor about their recommendation and consider buying a computer that will grow with your diving. You may want to dive trimix, for example, or use the computer as a backup for CCR dives. What about your current computer? You’ll need to get a backup for your primary tech-diving computer and, as long as your current computer has a gauge mode function, it can help get you started as your backup depth gauge and timer.
Now that you’re qualified
Let’s assume you’ve successfully completed your initial levels of tech training and are ready to set out on twinset dives. You’ll need a backplate, harness and wing, plus a set of two regulators.
If you’ve already been diving a similar combination regularly, all you need to invest in is a larger wing, an additional first stage and various other bits and pieces for your regulators. If this is a complete change of equipment, your choices include steel (heavy) versus aluminum backplates or even carbon-fiber versions. Wings come in either donut or horseshoe shapes and have single or dual bladders. What you need will depend on the types of cylinders you use (steel or aluminum) and which options you have for backup buoyancy, such as a drysuit and personal preference. Ideally, try a few different types before you decide to buy.
Regulators are another item that would fill more than one blog post on its own. Your back-gas regulators need to be high-performance as you’ll rely on them at depth, breathing a denser gas mixture than what you are used to as a recreational diver. If you dive or live in a remote location, it’s also important to buy a brand that you can easily have fixed.
You’ll be carrying some gas tanks just for your decompression obligations. For these tanks, you regulators must be ‘oxygen-clean.’ This means they must be prepared to come in contact with gas mixes that have a high oxygen content. You must specify this when buying your own regulator and when you take it in for service.
And then there are accessories. This list is incomplete, and you’ll add to your own collection based on location, types of dives and other changes. Tech shorts are very useful if you don’t already have pockets on your suit for stowing these accessories. You’ll need a backup mask, two SMBs or liftbags with reels long enough to suit your dive, bolt snaps to attach them, a wet notebook, dive lights — the list goes on.
Once you’re truly committed
Depending on how much you like tech diving and what facilities are available locally, you might even invest in your own tanks. Having said that, there are plenty of well-equipped dive shops at tech hotspots around the world, more than able to cater to the needs of newly qualified and seasoned technical divers as well.
So, while your collection of diving equipment will definitely grow as a tech diver, you needn’t start investing before you even start tech diving. Talk to your instructor and get recommendations. Talk to seasoned tech divers and ask for advice. Generally speaking, having your own tech-diving computer is a good initial step. After that, much depends on the type of tech diving you really want to pursue.
This is a such a sleepy, late summer sort of week, isn’t it? I just want to lounge around and read books. I’ve been doing a little of that, but hopefully I’ll manage to accomplish a bit beyond lounging. We’ll see.
xoxo,
Becky
What I’m reading:
A Hope Divided by Alyssa Cole. I love everything I’ve read so far by Alyssa Cole.
In the second of our six-part series on the world’s most dive-able wrecks we’re highlighting the best wreck diving in the United States. (Check out Asia’s best wrecks here). For those with proper certification, wreck diving can offer a window into history. Interior spaces are often eerie and mysterious, sometimes dark and gloomy, and always fascinating to explore. Even if you don’t venture inside a wreck, however, there’s much to discover on deck. Here are our top 10 picks for some of the best wreck diving in the United States.
YO-257
Where: Oahu, Hawaii
The YO-257, an old naval oiler, is the largest and most colorful wreck in Hawaii at 175 feet (54 m) long. After serving in WWII, the Korean War and Vietnam War, Atlantis Submarines scuttled the oiler in 1989 as a showcase for passengers on its submarine tours. It’s since become one of Oahu’s most popular dive sites. There is a complete swim-through at the stern with chances to see sea turtles, eagle rays and trumpetfish.
Maximum depth is 110 feet (34 m) and the top deck is around 85 feet (26 m) deep. Water temperatures range from 73 F (22 C) in January to 82 F (27 C) in July.
USS Spiegel Grove
Where: Key Largo, Florida
The Spiegel Grove is a 510-foot (155 m) former landing-ship dock, now covered in coral and fan growth. You’ll want more than one dive to see it all, including the former helicopter landing pad, gun turrets and two crane arms. Only trained and experienced wreck divers can enter the inner passageways, where you can see the galley’s ovens, sinks and stoves, the mess hall, engine rooms, pump rooms, living quarters and brig.
The top deck is at about 60 feet (18 m) while the maximum depth is around 144 feet (44m). Water temperatures range from 73 F (23 C) in February to 86 F (30 C) in August.
U-352
Where: Morehead City, North Carolina
A German U-boat, the U-352 went down in 1942 during WWII as the result of an attack by the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Icarus. It rests in a wreck-rich area of North Carolina’s waters known as the Graveyard of the Atlantic, so it’s easy to dive a number of wrecks on one trip. The U-352 was discovered in 1975, though not announced until 1976. Divers can see a conning tower, torpedo hatches and sand-tiger sharks hanging around the wreck. The wreck lays at a 45-degree angle, although the outer hull has disintegrated.
The maximum depth is about 115 feet (35 m) while the minimum depth is around 90 feet (27 m). Water temperatures range from 55 F (13 C) in February to 84 F (29 C) in August.
Lady Luck
Where: Pompano Beach, Florida.
Formerly a New York City sludge tanker called the Newtown Creek, the Shipwreck Park Foundation of Pompano Beach, Florida purchased this vessel in 2016 to sink as an artificial reef. Renamed the “Lady Luck,” the foundation installed various sculptures on the main deck, including sharks playing poker, an octopus playing craps, a mermaid cocktail waitress, huge dice and original art from Dennis MacDonald. There are even occasional underwater poker tournaments for divers.
The minimum depth is around 80 feet (24 m) while the maximum depth is around 134 feet (40 m). Most of the wreck’s highlights are at around 100 feet (30 m). Water temperatures range from 75 F (24 C) from January to March to 84 F (29 C) from July to September.
HMCS Yukon
Where: San Diego, California
The HMCS Yukon is a 366 foot (108 m) long Canadian warship resting in a little over 100 feet of water off the coast of San Diego. The Yukon went down in 2000, and although it was meant to be a planned sinking, nature had other plans. The ship was gutted and cleaned, with holes cut in both the port and starboard sides, meant to create swim-throughs for divers. Towed out to its final resting place the night before, larger-than-expected waves overcame the plywood covering the holes and the ship filled with water, listed, and sank onto its port side. Because the wreck lays on its side, divers can become disoriented quite easily and none without extensive training should attempt any penetration.
Minimum depth is 60 feet (18 m) and maximum depth is 100 feet (30 m). Water temperatures range from 57 F (14 C) in February to 68 F (20 C) in August.
Mary Alice B
Where: Lake Huron, Michigan
The Mary Alice B, a steel 65-foot (20 m) tug, was built in 1931 and went down in 1975 about six miles from Port Sanilac, Michigan. It sits upright with an intact wheelhouse, which is quite rare as divers often removed wheels for artifacts. Visibility inside the wreck can get bad on choppy days and only experienced, properly trained divers should attempt penetration.
The wreck sits in around 90 feet (27 m) of water, making it an advanced dive. Water temperatures range from 34 F (1 C) in February/March to 70 F (21 C) in August.
USS Hogan
Where: San Diego, California
The 314-foot (96 m) destroyer sank off San Diego in 1945 after becoming a target ship for torpedo practice. Previously, the USS Hogan, built in 1919 served in a military capacity in both WWI and WWII. Today, the wreck features abundant coral growth and fish life. Visibility can change quickly, and the dive is often done as a drift, making this site best suited to experienced divers.
The wreck lays between 100 and 125 feet (30 to 38 m) in waters that range from 57 F (14 C) in February to 68 F (20 C) in August.
Keystorm
Where: St. Lawrence River, New York
Built in 1909, the Keystorm sank 1912 after hitting a shoal in the St. Lawrence River. Despite its age, this 256-foot (80 m) steel freighter is mainly still intact. Divers can see the engine room, a corridor along the port side and the propeller. This wreck is shallow enough for divers of all levels, but you must have the correct training, experience and equipment for penetration. Visibility, murky water and current can all present challenges as well.
The vessel lies between 25 and 110 feet (7 and 34 m) in water that ranges from 34 F (3 C) in March to 71 F (23 C) in August.
SS Milwaukee
Where: Lake Michigan, Milwaukee
The SS Milwaukee, built in 1902, sank with all hands on-deck in Lake Michigan in 1929. The ship was a train-car ferry, shuttling train cars back and forth from Milwaukee to western Michigan. Divers can still see train cars filled with cargo such as sinks, toilets and bathtubs. The boiler room and crew quarters are accessible to divers with the correct training.
The SS Milwaukee lays between 90 and 128 feet (27 to 39 m) deep in water where temperatures range from 32 to 68 F (0 to 20 C). Temperatures at depth consistently stay between 38 and 40 F (3 to 4 C) so you’ll want a drysuit.
USCGC Spar
Where: Beaufort, North Carolina
The Coast Guard Cutter USCGC Spar is a frequent hangout for North Carolina’s population of sand-toothed tiger sharks, making for an excellent dive. The ship was purpose-sunk as a dive site in 2004 and the mix of warm and cold currents around the wreck attracts other shark species, as well as spadefish, cobia and occasional giant stingrays.
The USCGC Spar sits between 85 and 110 feet (25 to 34 m) in water that ranges from 58 F (13 C) in February to 84 F (29 C) in August.
The Financial Times’ audience engagement team plays a crucial role in reaching the company’s not-so secret goal of attracting 1 million paying readers.
I am thankful for every experience that I shared with the families I worked alongside as a child protection social worker. I am humbled that in their most vulnerable time, families allowed me to be part of their journey.
from The New Social Worker Online — the professional social work careers magazine https://ift.tt/2oc4KVE
Like all the world’s coral reefs, the Great Barrier Reef under threat. Climate change, storm damage, deadly crown-of-thorns starfish (CoTS) outbreaks and pollution have all impacted the Reef over recent years. But the world’s largest living organism is still a spectacular sight. Because it’s so important, there are plenty of Great Barrier Reef heroes caring for this World Heritage site. Many people are working directly to help save this global icon. Their projects range from education programs to plastic-pollution control, CoTS eradication, coral nurseries, renewable-energy development and responsible stewardship by marine-park tourism organizations. Here are a few of the heroes working to save this world treasure every day.
Peter Gash/Lady Elliot Island
Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort’s Peter Gash has successfully managed the regeneration of flora and fauna on this tiny island. Simultaneously, he also developed the island’s renewable energy resources. The island, a hotspot for manta rays, now plays host to thousands of nesting seabirds. Furthermore, over 80 percent of the island’s energy requirements now come from a combined solar and battery-storage system.
Wendy Morris/The Reef Society
Wendy Morris founded The Reef Society to promote stories of Great Barrier Reef creatures through art, photography and clothing. Many years ago, she also founded Reef Biosearch, the first marine-biologist-led interpretive company to work commercially on the Great Barrier Reef, which became a prototype for eco-tourism operations.
Col McKenzie
Col McKenzie heads up the Association of Marine Park Tourism Operators (APMTO), which manages stewardship of the reef. He and his wife Margie have been fighting for the reef since the 1990s. Another of their projects is management of the CoTS eradication program.
Libby Edge/Eco Barge Clean Seas
Libby Edge’s Eco Barge Clean Seas program has been removing plastic waste from the Whitsunday Islands for almost 10 years. The program has not only helped save the lives of marine animals, but also educated locals to reduce land-based litter in the tropical north.
Fitzroy Island projects
The Reef Restoration Foundation, led by Stewart Christie, has established the reef’s first coral gardening and restoration project at Fitzroy island. As a result of their work, the island installed the first of many coral-tree gardens. The project has strong tourism industry support.
Also at Fitzroy Island, Jenny Gilbert heads up the Cairns Turtle Rehabilitation Center, a volunteer-operated, non-profit organization dedicated to the rehabilitation of sick and injured turtles since 2000.
Andy Ridley/Citizens of the Great Barrier Reef
The newest program established to save the Reef is Citizens of the Great Barrier Reef, headed up by Andy Ridley, founder of Earth Hour, which aims to unite people across the globe with this one aim in mind.
You can help too. Here are few of the best ways that you can help save the GBR for future generations.
Visit the Great Barrier Reef
“Come and see why it’s worth saving,” says Col McKenzie. “The more tourism dollars we spend on Great Barrier Reef operators, the more funding will go to local projects actively working to conserve the reef.”
By visiting the GBR you’ll see for yourself just how beautiful it is and have a greater understanding why it needs your continued passion to save it.
Learn about the reef
Most boats that visit the outer reef have a marine biologist on board, so take advantage of the opportunity to ask as many questions as you like. Marine biologist Marie Taylor has been running educational programs for Reef Magic for many years. She has also engaged the local indigenous community and incorporates the reef’s spiritual story into her presentations.
You can also attend Reef Teach, a two-hour evening presentation where you’ll learn everything about the reef, including how coral reefs form, the difference between soft and hard corals, and how to identify fish.
Possibly the best way to learn more about the Reef is to visit Reef HQ in Townsville. In this aquarium and research center you’ll find the world’s largest-living coral reef in an aquarium — it even has an annual spawning event. It’s positively bursting at the seams with information on how this complicated and biodiverse habitat works, the various threats to the reef and what scientists are doing to save it.
Learn how to help
You can contribute to several citizen-science projects by helping to monitor the reef’s health. These include Eye on the Reef, Coral Watch and ReefSearch.
Sign up for ReefSearch and you’ll receive a field guide explaining how you can contribute valuable data to scientists studying the reef’s health. Henceforth, you’ll spend 10 minutes of each dive, snorkel or reef walk looking for key species, checking coral condition, and making note of any rubbish found.
The University of Queensland manages Coral Watch, which is focused on bleaching events. Your Coral Watch kit comes with a color-coded slate that helps you identify and record coral colors that you can then upload via an app to add to a global database.
The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GRMPA) manages Eye on the Reef. Download the Eye on the Reef app or login online to report your sightings directly to them. A sighting can be anything a reef-user feels important enough to report. These can include incidents like a bleaching event, crown-of-thorns starfish, stranded or sick wildlife and coral damage.
Contribute
You can contribute to three local projects directly. As a result, you can be sure that 100 percent of your donation goes directly to saving the reef.
Citizens of the Great Barrier Reef works to connect people all over the world with one aim in mind — to save the reef. It’s easy to become a Citizen: simply sign up, choose your color and pick an ‘action’ to complete. You can choose to:
Bring your own bag
Bring your own bottle
Say no to straws
Don’t leave leftovers
Carry your own cup
Sponsor a CoTS diver
“As part of the Citizens community, every action you complete, no matter how small, will contribute to the combined impact of many,” says founder Andy Ridley. “Through the cumulative effect of individual choices, we can achieve large-scale positive change
With so many great dive sites in Raja Ampat it can be difficult to compile lists of the best without leaving a few off. Right in the middle of the coral triangle, nearly every site in Raja is spectacular. On a recent liveaboard trip, we visited dive sites that had something appealing for everyone, from macro critters to huge schools of fish, colorful and healthy coral reefs, sharks, turtles, mantas and dolphins. Our boat visited these sites based on their topography as well as biodiversity and aquatic life, so whether you’re land-based or on a liveaboard, you should be able to visit some of them on a trip. With all that said, and knowing that we’ve surely missed a few, here are our picks for five great dive sites in Raja Ampat.
The route our Dive Damai liveaboard took for this article
North of Waigeo
Cape Kri
Located in the Dampier Strait, this site is a sloping reef/ridge and usually features a mild uni-directional current. You’ll find large schools of fish in the blue including jacks, snappers, and barracuda. On the reef you’ll find schooling sweetlips, bumphead parrotfish and surgeon fish as well as an abundance of macro critters like nudis.
Blue Magic
This seamount is also located in the Dampier Strait and the name is apt, as many of our group had a truly magical dive here. The currents can be strong, but this creates more fish activity and contributes to amazing visibility. Jacks and barracudas hang out on top of the mount, and you’ll likely spot wobbegong sharks as well. Abundant napoleon wrasse and oceanic triggerfish add to the wide-angle action.
South of Waigeo
Arborek Jetty
In the Yangefol region, this dive site is a jetty on a sloping sandy bottom. There are patches of rocks and reef on the sand, with most of the site ranging from 80 feet (24 m) and shallower to the jetty. Current is minimal at this well-known site, home to wobbegong sharks, epaulette sharks, giant clams and curious batfish. As you ascend to the shallows and dive underneath the jetty, you’ll be encircled by thousands of schooling baitfish, which makes for a mesmerizing end to the dive.
Misool
Magic Mountain
The sites near Misool can be weather-dependent if diving from a liveaboard due to the distance you must travel. You can of course also dive them from the land-based Misool Eco Resort. As Magic Mountain is a seamount dive and exposed to strong currents, you’ll usually need a reef hook to dive here. It’s famous for manta sightings as it’s a cleaning station, but even if there are no mantas around you’ll see schooling jacks, big-eye snappers, napoleon wrasse, blacktip and grey reef sharks and occasionally dolphins, among other reef fish. Hook in and pay attention, because Magic Mountain is an exhilarating dive.
Wayil
Four Kings
Like a seamount, this site is comprised of four pinnacles that drop to 130 feet (40 m). There are frequent strong currents here as well, but that brings in the life. This site features schooling barracudas, smaller schools of jacks, scorpionfish, napoleon wrasse and huge potato groupers. The pinnacles themselves are dramatic structures, with vibrant colors and corals and good visibility as well.
The mantis shrimp is nothing short of fascinating, but how much do you know about this underwater creature that packs a devastating punch?
What makes the mantis shrimp special?
Scientists have identified over 400 species of mantis shrimp. Size-wise, they run the gamut from fairly small at 4 inches (10 cm) long up to 14 inches (35 cm). Many, such as the peacock mantis shrimp are brightly colored, and their eyes are quite unique and instantly recognizable.
Most species share a few distinctive and remarkable characteristics:
Vision: The mantis shrimp has what science considers the most elaborate visual system in the animal world. Where the human eye has three types of color-receptive cones, the mantis shrimp possesses 16. Their eyes can also move independently from each other, which means they can process two different visual environments simultaneously. Scientists believe they can also see polarized light, as well as frequencies such as infrared and ultraviolet.
Strength: The mantis shrimp has a pair of claws that are nothing short of lethal weapons. Depending on the species, they either use them to smash or spear their prey by impaling it on their claws. Their strength is such that with one blow they are able to crack a crab’s shell, as well as mollusks. In fact, they punch their prey with the force of a bullet shot from a 22-caliber gun. And the speed of these deadly punches is such that it is almost impossible to see unless you film it in extreme slow motion. These small creatures are so strong that they’re rarely kept in aquariums because one punch can shatter the glass — and they’ll also feed on pretty much anything else in the same tank.
Feeding: Unlike a lot of other mollusks, they hunt and kill prey in order to feed. Depending on the species, they eat fish, other mollusks, shells, and soft-bodied creatures.
Habitat and habits
You can see mantis shrimp popping in and out of their burrows both during the day and at night, but they can be hard to spot as they tend to hide in cavities or on the reef a lot. Some species dig a hole in the sand as an ambush for prey. They are long-lived, often over 20 years and can breed 20 to 30 times during their lifetime. Mantis shrimp also exhibit a range of mating behaviors, from living a solitary existence and only coming together to breed, to pairing up monogamously for up to 20 years. They also exhibit ritualized fighting and can come to recognize their neighbors on a reef based both on visual signs and smell.
Where can you find them?
Most species of mantis shrimp live in tropical and subtropical waters in the Indian and Pacific Oceans between eastern Africa and Hawaii, although they can live in more temperate water.
Waste is a huge problem in the modern world, and nowhere seems more negatively impacted than the ocean. With plastic debris killing and maiming animals at alarming rates, campaigns to clean up the underwater world have proliferated. But is it always better to remove underwater trash? What if it’s become habitat for the local marine life? Below are a few points worth thinking about when it comes to underwater trash as habitat next time you take part in an ocean cleanup.
The material
To start with, we should (almost) always remove plastic from the ocean. We’ve all seen the damage plastic does to sea life and know how long it takes to break down. And once it does disintegrate, microplastics continue to wreak havoc on the marine environment. No one can argue that leaving plastics in the ocean is a good idea, with one, very specific situation as an exception — if you’re muck diving somewhere like Lembeh, and an octopus is living in a discarded plastic container, do you grab it and evict the animal, just to get that container out of the ocean? That question is up for debate, but many divers would choose to leave the animal alone.
But what about non-plastic waste, non-toxic and not dangerous to animals? Concrete blocks and old sections of wooden pier often quickly become artificial reefs that support all manner of sea creatures. Shopping carts often form artificial reefs with many noted examples of seahorse population recoveries in areas with old metal carts. Tires often become habitat as well, especially underneath piers. And the number of scuttled ships still being sunk to create artificial reef and diving playgrounds is ever-increasing. Glass bottles too create homes for blennies and other fish. If these bits of trash aren’t dangerous to animals, should we remove them?
The location
There are a few examples of areas we should totally clear of trash. First, pristine environments, relatively untouched by human interaction, and second, areas undergoing rehabilitation to return them to their natural state, are both examples of environments best cleaned up. But what about artificial habitats like piers and ports? These locations have already displaced most of the original marine life and dramatically altered the local ecosystem. People have cleared many harbors entirely of seagrasses, and thus displaced the multitude of animals that rely on it, simply by mooring too many boats.
Therefore, in these man-made environments, what does it matter if glass bottles or old timbers pile up? A fundamental principle in ocean ecology and ecosystem science is that surface area is at a premium. Often, a lack of solid substrate (i.e. rocky seafloors) prevents animal colonization. Australia’s Port Phillip Bay is a prime example. With fishermen removing the natural mussel and oyster beds decades ago, the substrate disappeared, and only sand remained. This has kept animals from recolonizing the area. Head to the piers around the bay, however and you will find abundant mussels and oysters clinging onto every solid surface. Many of these are artificial, and many are trash. Why remove these when the animals’ habitat is already destroyed and permanently altered? In environments that we have degraded so completely, why remove the animals that have made a home there and created a new ecosystem?
A mixed approach
When thinking about where to concentrate your ocean-cleanup efforts, consider whether the trash you’re removing has become an animal’s new home. If the trash in question is heavy enough that it forms part of the seafloor, and it’s unlikely to entangle or kill the local flora and fauna, perhaps you should leave it where it is. Doing so might provide a home for a sea creature that has lost its natural habitat due to that new marina development or port being installed. There’s no real difference between a pile of old glass bottles and or metal shopping carts and a shipwreck sunk for divers’ enjoyment — both change an already drastically altered environment. So, while underwater trash is almost always bad for the ocean, it can sometimes do more harm than good to remove it.
Most publishers thriving in today’s “Digital Subscription Economy” will tell you: the most expensive enemy in this world is churn. That is from Cecilia Campbell, who researched and wrote WAN-IFRA’s just-published report, “Engaged Readers Don’t Churn: Retention Lessons for Digital Subscriptions.”
It’s been a while since I had the pleasure of attending the 2018 Miami Show. I had a fantastic time frolicking among the aisles of antique jewelry dealers, and then immediately afterwards I got so sick that I had to stop blogging for almost three months.
That means that I never showed you the treasures I met at the Original Miami Antique Show, which is unacceptable. I’ve given you a peek or two here and more on Instagram, but no big juicy recap (yet).
Green Fins is conducting an active social media campaign to mark the International Year of the Reef. The new Alternatives to Anchoring infographic is the second action point in the campaign. If you’ve been following the campaign, you know that it aims to encourage divers and dive businesses to take further action by sharing and providing solutions to some of the ocean’s biggest threats. By doing so we’ll help save coral reefs from mass extinction, as well as the livelihoods of the more than 200 million people who depend on healthy and balanced coral reef ecosystems.
Do you know exactly how an anchor can damage marine ecosystems? What are environmentally friendly alternatives? There is no one answer when it comes to finding alternatives to anchoring, however, this campaign will serve as a platform to inspire action and change in others by sharing success stories gleaned from more than 10 years of working with the industry.
Find out how anchoring damages the reef and learn about some potential solutions in the newly-released infographic and follow this link to share the infographic with your fellow divers.
Follow the different Green Fins social-media platforms to get involved and make a change. Because if you don’t…who will?
In this series of articles, we’ll shine a spotlight on some of the world’s best underwater photographers. Today we highlight Tanya Houppermans.
Tell us a bit about yourself.
I began diving in 2009 but didn’t become interested in underwater photography until 2014. I am primarily a wide-angle underwater photographer, and my specialty is sharks since I am heavily involved in shark conservation. Home is Fredericksburg, Virginia in the United States. My husband and 21-year old son are also divers, and we especially enjoy taking dive trips together as a family.
How long have you been an underwater photographer?
I started taking pictures underwater shortly after I bought my camera in the spring of 2014. At that point I never imaged becoming a professional photographer. I had been a mathematician for the U.S. Department of Defense, and then I was hired as a research operations analyst for a large defense contractor. I was miserable in the corporate world though, and in the summer of 2015, I left my office job to become a full-time underwater photographer and marine conservationist.
What got you interested in underwater photography?
There were two reasons I became interested in underwater photography. First, I hoped to create images of sharks that would motivate the public to care about them. After learning about just how many sharks are killed by humans every year and how some species are on the verge of extinction, I wanted to do something to help. The second reason that I wanted to take pictures underwater was to document my son’s journey as a scuba diver with autism. My son Richard is 21 years old now, and he has been diving since he was 17. He was certified through the Handicapped Scuba Association, and he loves to dive. When people see images of Richard diving, I hope that it helps to dispel misconceptions about what those with disabilities are capable of.
What’s your favorite style of underwater photography?
I’m definitely a wide-angle photographer. Although I have shot a bit of macro, I enjoy big things — shipwrecks, manatees, dolphins, turtles, sea lions, and of course sharks.
Any favorite subjects?
It’s no surprise that sharks are my favorite subjects. After all, they’re part of the reason I picked up a camera in the first place. I’ve been in the water with over 15 different shark species so far, and there are still so many more species I want to photograph.
Any favorite destinations?
My favorite dive destination is North Carolina on the east coast of the U.S. It’s wide-angle photographer heaven. Between the hundreds of shipwrecks that line the coast, and the immense variety of large marine life such as sand tiger sharks, barracuda, southern stingrays, dolphins, and large schools of jacks, there is never a lack of subjects.
What’s your underwater setup?
Up to this point I’ve used the Olympus OM-D E-M1 camera body, Olympus 8mm f/1.8 fisheye lens for wide angle, Olympus 60mm f/2.8 lens for macro, Nauticam housing, Zen DP170 glass dome port, Nauticam macro port, and i-Divesite Symbiosis SS-2 strobes. However, as of my next dive trip I will be moving on to the Olympus OM-D E-M1 MkII with Isotta housing and ports.
Do you have any tips you can share with new underwater photographers?
I’d like new underwater photographers to remember that even us pros take a LOT of unusable images. Every time I go out to shoot, there are several images that are overexposed, underexposed, out of focus, etc. For every image that the public sees, I’ve probably deleted another 20 to 30 or more. So, don’t be too hard on yourself if you only get a few good shots during a day’s diving. But do take a look at those photos that didn’t work out and ask yourself what you could have done differently. Never stop learning, and never stop trying to improve.
By guest author Tanya Houppermans
Find more of Tanya Houppermans’ work on her website.
