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Marine Life & Conservation Blogs

Photo Gallery: Shark Week

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It is Shark Week this week and so to celebrate these wonderful creatures, our gallery features images from some of our favourite shark dives around the world. The mainstream press don’t do these much misunderstood predators any favours, often portraying them as mindless killers, when in truth, they live complex lives and have amazing adaptations to their environment.

Image 1:  This shot is from our very first shark dive, which was at Aliwal Shoal in South Africa. It was a defining couple of dives for us and really was the catalyst for all our shark diving images that followed. This pair are Blacktip Sharks and part of a group of around 30 sharks that joined us for this dive. On our trip back to shore we also saw our first ever Whaleshark – it was quite a day! Dive Operator: www.bluewilderness.co.za

 

Image 2:  Caribbean Reef Sharks swimming over a healthy reef off Nassau in The Bahamas. We were the only people on this dive and had between 6 and 10 sharks around us for over an hour. We spent a couple of days diving with Caribbean Reef Sharks on reef and wrecks in clear, blue, warm shallow waters. It was heaven! Dive Operator: www.stuartcove.com

 

Image 3:  After a wonderful trip to Socorro, it was a bit of an impulsive decision to head out to try to find Blue, Mako or Smooth Hammerhead Sharks off the Cabo coastline in Mexico. We were flying home the next day, so could not dive, and this was the perfect way to end a wonderful trip. We spent time snorkelling with two Smooth Hammerhead Sharks, a first for us, and their curious nature meant that we had some lovely close encounters.
Dive Operator: www.cabosharkdive.com

 

Image 4:  Blue Sharks are one of the most beautiful sharks you can encounter and they are found in plenty of places around the world. Our encounter with them was close to home, in Cornwall in the UK. Whilst we only saw one individual, she stayed with us for over an hour, and with only 5 people on the dive boat, there were plenty of great photographic opportunities. Dive Operator: www.charleshood.com

 

Image 5:  One of our all-time favourite dives has got to be the Great Hammerhead dive in Bimini in The Bahamas. Seeing these amazing, and huge, sharks up close is a real treat. We have done this dive on two different visits and cannot wait to go back! The dive is in shallow water and there is usually plenty of sunlight shining down. This image shows the incredible turning circle the Great Hammerhead has, as it swam right over our heads. Dive Operator: www.biminiscubacenter.com

 

Image 6:  You can never rely on the weather, especially when you are heading out to small remote islands a good distance from land. Alas, we were unlucky on our Great White Shark expedition in South Australia, with a polar vortex coinciding with our trip, but even with tough photographic conditions, we had an amazing time. The Great White Shark is an awesome beast, and even though you know they are going to be big – their sheer size still surprises you. Dive Operator: www.rodneyfox.com.au

 

Image 7:  A Basking Shark from Cornwall, UK feeds with its mouth wide open to take in as much plankton as possible. These huge sharks, this one was about 7 meters in length, come to the west coast of the UK from Cornwall to Scotland in early summer to feed. The plankton they feed on can vastly reduce the visibility and therefore photography can be challenging. To get the best shots, watch their feeding behaviour for a while to make an educated guess as to their pattern, before you get in the water and then wait for them to come to you. Dive Operator: www.charleshood.com

 

There are so many more we could have added to this gallery! We will have to leave it there for now, but will be returning to our favourite shark dives and writing some more about this topic soon.

For more from Nick and Caroline, visit www.frogfishphotography.com

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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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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