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Marine Life & Conservation

Why don’t Diving Rules apply in the UK?

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First in a new series of Blog’s from The Fifth Point’s Nic Emery… we are very excited to welcome Nic to the Scubaverse Blog Team!

I’m walking my divers down to the jetty. The path from the centre is framed by pristine rainforest enveloping the steep mountains to one side, and the golden sands with crystal clear waters lapping against it on the other. We’re chatting away about the day ahead, and what we can expect to see in the tropical waters of the South China Sea.

Hop on the boat and during the lazy hour or so drive we’re accompanied by dolphins playing on the bow wave and flying fish taking advantage of the wake.

My team of Divemasters spring up as we approach the first site and gather the divers for their briefing. Among the usual information on entry and exit procedures, signal recaps and the like, is the “don’t take, don’t touch, don’t tease” and “take only memories, leave only bubbles” spiel. It’s almost a cliché, the divers have heard it that many times. Obviously, they’re not going to do that – they’re not morons!

Flash forward a couple of weeks and the divers have returned home. They’re back ready to brave the cold waters of the UK. Suited and booted in what seems like a ton of lead compared to their holiday, they hit the water refreshed by the crispness of the North Sea. Off they go on their dive… AND IT’S A BL**DY FREE FOR ALL!

Lobsters are ragged from their holes and stuffed into goody bags alongside bullets and chunks of metal and anything that moves on a wreck. They’re clambouring over the boulders and not paying any regard to their buoyancy as they dump themselves down into what appears to be an empty sandy patch, lifting a cloud of silt into the water column.

All those good “warm water” habits have, for some inexplicable reason, been completely forgotten about. How come they don’t apply in the UK? If you were a diver in the tropics and had seen that kind of behaviour underwater, I’m pretty sure you’d have something to say about it back on the boat. But in the UK, it’s rarely challenged. In fact, more often than not, it’s embraced!

The trouble seems to lie with the general perception of cold water. It’s freezing therefore nothing could possibly live down there! It must be a pretty barren place and if there IS any life, it must be hard as nails to survive all that. The waves can be huge, so the creatures must be used to a good bashing around. That environment must be able to take whatever you throw at it.

Those who have not descended beneath the surface of the North Sea have never witnessed the beauty of the marine life that lives down there. You can understand why they’d think about the North Sea in that way. But UK divers have no excuse. They’ve seen it first-hand yet still have this belief that our cold oceans are sturdy so those rules of “no touch, no take” need not apply.

Well, I’m here to say that they ABSOLUTELY DO. We were a proud Green Fins member when we worked in the South China Sea. We reminded our divers before every single dive of the code of conduct we expected them to follow.

Take a look and tell me, with the exception of “no gloves”, which rules do not apply to UK diving and why?

Our cold-water habitats are just as fragile as any warm water coral reef. We have an abundance of soft coral and delicate anemones living on our rocky reefs that need the same care and attention as their tropical relatives. Holding on to rocks and kelp for stability (in the majority of circumstances) demonstrates an apathetic attitude towards using our buoyancy skills to their full. Even as an experienced diver, I still practise at every opportunity I get. Challenging myself to the perfect trimmed out hover while trying to accomplish some tricky underwater task. I encourage my students to do the same, performing course skills neutrally buoyant wherever possible.

I’m proud to say that my dive centre in the UK still follows the “no touch, no take” mantra that we were so used to in the tropics. Our only exception is when we come across some marine debris, which we absolutely remove and report our findings to Project AWARE.

Use and practise your buoyancy skills on every dive. Don’t hold on to anything unless it’s the absolute last resort. Think before you remove something living from the water – are you really going to eat it or will it just end up in the bin? Ask yourself what you’re going to do with that artefact you want to take from the wreck – is it just going to sit in your garage?

Protect What You Love.


Visit www.fifthpointdiving.com for more.

Nic Emery is a PADI Course Director, owner of The Fifth Point Diving Centre and passionate about ocean protection. Nic and her team embed environmental conservation, responsible diving and love for the marine world in everything they do including diving against debris, releasing baby lobsters, beach cleans and eco-themed training. Visit www.fifthpointdiving.com to find out more.

Marine Life & Conservation

New report shows simple measures needed to cut beach plastic pollution

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The Marine Conservation Society has launched its annual State of our Beaches 2023 report, highlighting the need for less single-use plastic items and more refillable options.

The charity’s beach cleaning programme, now in its 30th year, asks volunteers to record all litter that they find within a 100-metre stretch of beach. By gathering vital data from across the UK and Channel Islands, the charity creates change for cleaner seas and a healthier planet through policy and industry change. Last year, over 148 kilometres of beach were surveyed by volunteers, who removed 17,208kgs of litter from our coast.

Using data collected by over 14,000 volunteers, the State of our Beaches 2023 report shows that half of all litter collected came from public sources – either dumped, blown or washed onto our beaches.

Drinks-related litter, such as plastic bottles, caps and cans were one of the most found items, with an average of 16 found per 100 metres of beach surveyed. This figure is up 14% compared to the charity’s 2022 report.

Plastics caps and lids were recorded on 89% of surveys, with over 30,000 found in total. Plastic bottles were also commonly collected, with 73% of surveys finding this single-use item – a 4% increase compared to 2022. The charity’s inland litter pick survey, Source to Sea, also reported finding plastic bottles on 92% of cleans.

However, the charity’s State of Our Beaches 2023 report also indicates that some types of litter are on a downward trend. Although still in the top 10 litter items, disposable plastic cutlery, trays and straws were found on 5% fewer beaches across the UK, showing that bans on these plastic items between 2022 – 2023 could be working. The presence of plastic cotton bud sticks also dropped by 14%.

Lizzie Price, Beachwatch Manager at the Marine Conservation Society, said, “Half of the litter found on our beaches originates from public sources, underscoring the pressing issue of single-use plastic. Evidence shows that refillable alternatives and litter return schemes effectively reduce rubbish, as demonstrated by the decline our data has shown in items like plastic bags and disposable cutlery.

“Urgent and decisive action from UK governments is needed to accelerate our shift towards a circular economy, where we reuse, repair and recycle. The public needs greater access to refillable products and systems need to be implemented in which manufacturers are responsible for their waste.”

Governments across the UK have committed to delivering deposit return schemes from October 2025. However, the proposed scheme in England does not include glass items, despite glass being found on 52% of beaches in 2023. The charity is calling for governments across the UK to introduce compatible all inclusive deposit return schemes as soon as possible. This would see aluminium cans, and plastic and glass bottles have a 20p deposit which would be returned when recycled which would reduce drinks-related pollution.

Businesses are, however, starting to take refillable and reusable options into their own hands. Supermarket chain, Aldi, the largest corporate funder of the charity’s 2024 Beachwatch programme, is already leading the charge in refillable items by trialling refillable options for cereals and porridge oats in their stores over the past 5 months.

Plastics and Packaging Director, Luke Emery, from Aldi, who are running 4 beach cleans for staff and volunteers in 2024, said, We are continually working to reduce single-use plastics and packaging, and making unpackaged product options more commonplace for our customers is a key part of this. We are really pleased with the uptake of our refillable range so far by customers. Not only are we making sustainable shopping more accessible, but we also offer refill products for a better price than the packaged alternative, helping our customers save money.”

Marine litter is one of the biggest threats to our seas, with plastic breaking down over time into microplastics and threatening marine life which can ingest or become entangled in them. The Marine Conservation Society is urging the UK Government to move faster on its policies to cut down plastic waste and prevent items from reaching our seas.

To find out more about the charity’s beach cleans and how to get involved, please visit mcsuk.org/beach-cleans

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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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