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Dive Fest Diaries – Day 3 (Watch Video)

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Each year the magical, Caribbean island of Barbados holds a festival to celebrate scuba diving, free diving and marine conservation. This year, Nick and Caroline went along to see what it was all about…


Friday 6th July: Day 3

The third day of Dive Fest Barbados saw us diving with our old friends from Barbados Blue. A warm welcome from Andre, Christie and Keira at the dive shop was a great start to the day, catching up on all that we had been up to since we last saw them. Andre had a glint in his eye, which is not uncommon, but we knew he had something up his sleeve for the day’s diving. He had decided to take us out on our own boat, with just the three of us from Scubaverse, and he and Christie from Barbados Blue. “How do you fancy diving on a submarine?” says Andre.

It turns out that Atlantis Submarines Barbados run submarine tours off the reef and we had been given permission to dive alongside the sub as it hovered above the reef. We jumped at the chance, and as we dived down to greet it, we saw a group of local school children pressed up against the windows. They were being introduced to the wonderful underwater world that surrounds their island, and we were there to add to the fun. Nick and Andre went along each window, waving and bumping fists against the glass. It was smiles and laughter all round.

But our adventures were not over for the day. Between dives, Andre had been on the phone and radio while we basked in the sunshine. Suddenly there was a cheer from Andre – we had been given permission to “ride” the submarine to the bottom of the sea! Yes, you heard me right – it was going to come to the surface to take on a new group of guests. Then we were going to stand on the top, hold on, and ride it to a depth of around 20m. Never have we done anything quite as mad as this before; truly bonkers!!

We started with a serious briefing before we crossed to the Atlantis. It was an epic ride. As the sub started to descend we had to hold on to the railing tight, as the water rushed up past us. We were in an ocean of bubbles, holding on with one hand, trying to take photos with the other, along with equalizing! Soon we were able to let go of the railing and just hang out on the deck as the descent became easier once we were fully submerged. The bubbles died down and we could take some photos, finally swimming off the top and around to wave at and thank the captain, as well as entertaining the visitors inside the sub. You can watch the video below:

It was a dive we will talk about for a very long time to come! After a pause for breath we tied up the boat, and stopped for some lunch at The Beach House, with plenty of talk of what it was like to ride a submarine to the bottom of the ocean. Our post lunch dive was to go and see the coral nursery that the team from Barbados Blue have been nurturing and to see Andre and Christie (who is a coral biologist) transplant staghorn coral from the nursery to the reef.

To top off an amazing day – with it being a Friday – it was time to head to the famous Friday night “Fish Fry” at Oistins. Here huge crowds gather to enjoy the food, music and entertainment that kicks off every weekend in Barbados.


Want to join in on all the fun at Dive Fest Barbados 2019 – put the dates in your diary: 3rd to 7th July 2019

www.divefestbarbados.com

www.divebarbadosblue.com

barbados.atlantissubmarines.com

www.coconut-court.com

www.thebeachhousebarbados.com


Equipment used:

  • Nikon D800, Nauticam housing, INON Strobes
  • Olympus OMD EM-1 mkII, Nauticam housing, INON Strobes
  • Paralenz Dive Camera

Nick and Caroline (Frogfish Photography) are a married couple of conservation driven underwater photo-journalists and authors. Both have honours degrees from Manchester University, in Environmental Biology and Biology respectively, with Nick being a Fellow of the Royal Photographic Society, a former high school science teacher with a DipEd in Teaching Studies. Caroline has an MSc in Animal Behaviour specializing in Caribbean Ecology. They are multiple award-winning photographers and along with 4 published books, feature regularly in the diving, wildlife and international press They are the Underwater Photography and Deputy Editors at Scubaverse and Dive Travel Adventures. Winners of the Caribbean Tourism Organization Photo-journalist of the Year for a feature on Shark Diving in The Bahamas, and they have been placed in every year they have entered. Nick and Caroline regularly use their free time to visit schools, both in the UK and on their travels, to discuss the important issues of marine conservation, sharks and plastic pollution. They are ambassadors for Sharks4Kids and founders of SeaStraw. They are Dive Ambassadors for The Islands of The Bahamas and are supported by Mares, Paralenz, Nauticam and Olympus. To find out more visit www.frogfishphotography.com

Marine Life & Conservation Blogs

Creature Feature: Undulate Ray

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In this series, the Shark Trust will be sharing amazing facts about different species of sharks and what you can do to help protect them.

This month we’re looking at the Undulate Ray. Easily identified by its beautiful, ornate pattern, the Undulate Ray gets its name from the undulating patterns of lines and spots on its dorsal side.

This skate is usually found on sandy or muddy sea floors, down to about 200 m deep, although it is more commonly found shallower. They can grow up to 90 cm total length. Depending on the size of the individual, their diet can range from shrimps to crabs.

Although sometimes called the Undulate Ray, this is actually a species of skate, meaning that, as all true skates do, they lay eggs. The eggs are contained in keratin eggcases – the same material that our hair and nails are made up of! These eggcases are also commonly called mermaid’s purses and can be found washed up on beaches all around the UK. If you find one, be sure to take a picture and upload your find to the Great Eggcase Hunt – the Shark Trust’s flagship citizen science project.

It is worth noting that on the south coasts, these eggcases can be confused with those of the Spotted Ray, especially as they look very similar and the ranges overlap, so we sometimes informally refer to them as ‘Spundulates’.

Scientific Name: Raja undulata

Family: Rajidae

Maximum Size: 90cm (total length)

Diet: shrimps and crabs

Distribution: found around the eastern Atlantic and in the Mediterranean Sea.

Habitat: shelf waters down to 200m deep.

Conservation Status : As a commercially exploited species, the Undulate Ray is a recovering species in some areas. The good thing is that they have some of the most comprehensive management measures of almost any elasmobranch species, with both minimum and maximum landing sizes as well as a closed season. Additionally, targeting is entirely prohibited in some areas. They are also often caught as bycatch in various fisheries – in some areas they can be landed whilst in others they must be discarded.

IUCN Red List Status: Endangered

For more great shark information and conservation visit the Shark Trust Website


Image Credits: Banner – Sheila Openshaw; Illustration – Marc Dando

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Guarding Against Coral Invaders

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coral

Protecting (Dutch) Caribbean Reefs from Unomia stolonifera

Recent reports highlight the concerning spread of the invasive soft coral, Unomia stolonifera, currently devastating Venezuela’s marine ecosystems and detected in Cuba. With the potential threat of its expansion to the (Dutch) Caribbean islands, urgent action and awareness are essential to safeguard marine biodiversity and local economies from possible catastrophic consequences.

Invasive species are animals or plants from another region of the world that don’t belong in their new environment. These species can have major ecological effects by decimating native flora or fauna. They can also cause large economic losses and impact human health. Invasive species also pose a significant threat to marine ecosystems worldwide, including the Dutch Caribbean. Among these invaders is the octocoral species Unomia stolonifera or “Pulsing Xenia”, originally from the Indo-Pacific. With its rapid growth and lack of natural predators, this species can outcompete native species and disrupt fragile marine habitats such as seagrass beds and coral reefs.

Background

The invasive soft coral U. stolonifera was first identified in 2014, off the coast of Venezuela. It is believed to have been introduced via the illegal aquarium trade.  Since this species can reproduce sexually and asexually (or fragment), even small pieces can regenerate to spread.  Once introduced it quickly took over shallow reefs and hard substrate at depths of 0-50 meters, outcompeting local corals and seagrass for space.  Follow on surveys found that this coral species exhibited average percentage cover as high as 80%, vastly outcompeting native corals. In highly colonized areas, fish are disappearing due to loss of habitats.

In 2022, during a survey conducted in Cuba by the University of Havana, an unknown octocoral was discovered which was later identified as the invasive Unomia stolonifera. It is suspected that the coral larvae arrived in ballast water from fossil fuel ships originating from Venezuela, as nearby sites adjacent to Venezuelan ports have been heavily affected by the invasion.

How to help

Prevention through continuous monitoring, particularly in high-risk areas such as marine harbors and oil facilities, is paramount. Early detection plays a pivotal role in mitigating the threat posed by Unomia stolonifera.

The public’s involvement and awareness are also vital. Local communities, recreational divers, tourists, and all stakeholders are urged to participate in early detection efforts by reporting sightings (photo, location and date) of this invasive coral to their respective Protected Area Management Organization (PMO’s)- the Fundacion Parke Nacional Aruba (FPNA)STINAPA BonaireCARMABI Curaçao Saba Conservation Foundation (SCF)Nature Foundation St. Maarten (NFSXM) and St. Eustatius National Parks (STENAPA). If an invaded area is confirmed, follow the recommendations by the local PMO’s.

Keys to Success

Despite the challenges, early detection is key to mitigating the threat posed by Unomia stolonifera. With continued vigilance, research, and community engagement, there is hope for containing this potential issue before it becomes a major threat.

About the DCNA

The Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance (DCNA) supports (science) communication and outreach in the Dutch Caribbean region by making nature related (scientific) information more widely available through amongst others the Dutch Caribbean Biodiversity Database, DCNA’s news platform BioNews and through the press. This article contains the results from several scientific studies but the studies themselves are not DCNA studies. No rights can be derived from the content. DCNA is not liable for the content and the in(direct) impacts resulting from publishing this article.

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